DukesGreg

Well, once things settled down and the riders got to grips with it, there ended up being some great racing. We can bemoan track preperation all we want, but Lindgren's sortir from last to first was a joy to behold.. seems like the track had enough for him... and others... to overtake should the opportunity arise. Once it bedded in it provided good action, I for one thought it was okay, I watched it on V plus and ran a couple back to watch again. Crump was, to be honest.. a little off the pace last year, we hear of his injuries etc. but I think that, in general, Jason will be found out over a full season in GP speedway. I think Nicky Pedersen had things go for him, but don't expect him to carry his victory through into a World Title. I wouldn't call him a worthy winner neither, Hancock was the best rider on the night, and, as many top scorers on the night do, got mugged off by the GP system. Should be the old 20 heat format as it used to be, with the highest place man getting x points, second getting y, third getting z and so on. If you win on the night... you should win. End of. Surely not too much to ask for. Well rode Greg Hancock. Shame he's not leading the GP today, as for Chris Harris, no doubt he'll get better as the season progresses. I just don't see anything in Crump to make me think he's got another title in him. The Eastern Europeans are coming, new AND old school.

Another speedway club left high and dry it seems.. good luck to this.. and to Weymouth.. and to any tracks under thread due to circumstances beyond their control.

Well.. after a long hard think, here's my list which I consider to be the top-20 from the 80's. Riders who were probably a lot better in the 70's would have gained their merits in that decade.. I've tried to be fair, not putting Kenny Carter top was difficult for a Duke, but I've tried to factor everything in. 1) Michael Lee. Won the crown in 1980, and showed me the greatest evening's speedway running up to Norden in 1983, when he smashed the Halifax track record by a full 0.9 of second. Two British Championships in the 70's, but won the World Crown in the 80's, on the 'one off' nerve takes all format. Superb rider. 2) Kenny Carter. Unfulfilled latent talent. Probably didn't crash half as much as Chris Harris does in a month , but always ended up breaking something. Air fences and safer speedway would have helped his cause back in the day. BLRC, Northern Riders, 2 British Titles.. and one which I always found to be the best field in the day.. 2 Golden Hammer wins at Dudley Wood. Wore the England bib with ridiculous pride, in an era when half of the Brits (tragically) supported and cheered on the Yanks. 3) Dave Jessup. Robbed of a World Title when a 50p jubilee clip broke in said meeting. What a way to be denied the sports greatest prize. Great rider, and ambassador. 4) Simon Wigg. Massive talent, and a tragic passing at such a young age. 5) Chris Morton. Him and PC, great riders, PC more prominent in the previous decade. However, both a credit to club and country. 5) Peter Collins. Still a force to be reckoned with.. never the same after going to Germany, at a time when the British League was the place you needed to race to be on top of your game. Legend. 6) Les Collins. Underrated in my opinion. A BLRC under his belt, won the Intercontinental Final in 1982 before the Carter/Penhall clash in 1982.. and if that race had continued.. could possibly have ended up as World Champion. Everyone forgets Peter Collins was leading the race and doing the business for Les.. who knows how it would have panned out. Carter excluded.. Penhall back in the re-run.. history altered in a blink. 7) Kelvin Tatum. Steady away rider, consistent to the end. Very good. 8) Alan Grahame. Part of THAT Cradley side that mesmerised. Unsung hero. 9) Phil Collins. See above.. and Overseas Champion too. Very good rider. 10) Andy Grahame. British Champ and a never say die rider too. I'll put my second ten up later.

Ahhhhh John Cook. Remember him from the 16-Lap-Classics.. always led the field in them. Great rider who rode with a smile, and was a top notch jet-ski racer as well if memory serves me right. But I'm wandering off-topic here.. I need a list of 20 riders!!

Tragic news indeed. RIP.

Good point, well made Jim, we are indeed all flawed. Perhaps reckless (character wise) would have been a better way to get my point across. The rules were in place... not just in speedway... but in society. Not many of us like all of the rules and laws in general.. but we do adhere to them, as they are there for a reason. Mike Lee just didn't go that far. But exceptional.. yes indeed.

I personally think Lindgren will have a very decent GP season this year.. and would sooner put my money on him rather than say Bierre. Think Hampel is a decent price too.

Oh God, flipping hell yes!!!!! Just before the Muller Norden World Final in 83, Halifax had a spare date in the calendar and put on an impromptu pairs meeting.. all the Dukes were paired up, and a few riders were appearing from other clubs. Lee was there.. I think he fancied it as a practise run for Norden.. and even then, had his detractors and haters. The track record at the time was 62.5 or so.. which for fast anyway for the day. Remember, Carter (who held that record) rode there week in, week out, and the place had seen some good riders. Lee knocked 0.9 of a second (EEEEK!) of that time in his first ride.. taking it to 61.6. Because it was the fastest track (officially at the time.. record over distance), you only ever saw it get shaved. To knock a second off.. which is good yardage.. was unheard of. Lee then went on to be untouched.. and I mean untouched.. all meeting. He won every single ride by 50 or 60 yards. He got a standing ovation for his efforts that night by an appreciative Halifax crowd.. they knew greatness when they saw it.. and Lee waved all the way round the ground on his march to the changing rooms at the end. He duly stopped at the tunnel, which entered the showers, and signed every single autograph he was asked to sign. If I ever got to meet him, I'd like to ask him about that night.. the way he rode.. and the fans reaction. As he seemed at one with the world and happy. Much lambasted, the crowd just warmed to him that night.. and he reacted well. After seeing that.. and probably.. that is the most complete performance I've seen by ANY rider... EVER... I was convinced he'd be unstoppable in Germany. He wasn't. But I'll tell you what.. a second off the track record, a full maximum, and dominance of the night like he did.. distance wise.. it will stay with me forever. Michael Lee. Flawed.. yes. But a truly superb speedway rider. Greg.

Not so sure as Lee was always MIA throughout his turbulent career. I remember Kenny Carter on Mike Morris.. was his leg up in plaster?? I know that he was injured and not riding at the time when Mike Lee got penalised for making a flying start at an international.. was it at Ipswich.. when Carter was absent.. and then his head went?? Do these dates coincide???? With Lee's dismay with the game? And this was in the era of tape touching / do what you like at the start line. And he did get a flyer too. But was pulled up. Greg.