sandman

seem to remember a story of a russian ice racer, early 80's? in a world championship round, he went into turn one got out of shape, spiked himself, went from first to last then back to first which is where he finished.. got back into the pits and passed out from loss of blood.

i think Lance King was exceptional.. was a junior rider from the time he was small, probably suffered from burnout.. certainly had the talent and machinery..

i think rick was an excellent prospect.. certainly the king of costa mesa.. but didnt shine as much on the bigger tracks.. same with both bast bros.. mcknight was a bit out of his depth at the start but was coming good when work permit problems sent him home due to averages..i believe dewayne keeter was actually the best of the lot.. he had loads of big track experience in flat track, wasnt spoiled or pampered and could live off a pound for a week.. he also worked on his own equiptment unlike most of the above mentioned.. he was an accomplished all around motorcycle racer.. i heard he was riding japs when most had already switched to jawas, dont know if it is true.. but that would explain the 4-5 point average.. does anyone have any action shots of him they could post? also one of the best american racers at the time was dannny becker, certainly full of talent, but completely wrong temperment for the british league, he more than likely wouldnt have stuck it out.. he was tall, looked like the moran brothers on steroids when he rode a bike..a complete natural, a bit like the great tommy jansson.. at one time he was the most popular of the american riders in the states..i guess the lifestyle and the california girls were just a bit too hard to let go of..

Dewayne Keeter was a very accomplished racer.. his average didnt really reflect his ability..and from what i have heard, a very amiable person.. i think , given time, he would have been one of the best, because he didnt fail in any of his racing endevours..probably better than any of the american riders mentioned..his promoter at Leicester made a mistake in letting him go..

Dewayne Keeter was an excellent prospect.. Unfortunately upon his return to the states he was killed in a racing accident in the 70's..

i believe Danny passed away some years ago of a brain tumour..

Great photo..!

I agree completely..

it is quite sacreligious concerning the content of my remarks about football, especially at the salty dog.. football is a complete team sport, with only a few positions where the player can shine as an individual, such as quarterback, tight end and wide receivers. speedway is similar, except there is so much more opportunity for the individual to shine.. and i am at a loss why the riders dont capitalise on that.. they come from so many different countries, and live a lifestyle most can only dream about, although more like gypsies with little money. it can be all turned around, all of them deserve more pay and recognition.. Simon Wigg was the last of the really great individualists, instantly recognisable anywhere around the world..a really interesting person.. I just want to see everyone take advantage of this great opportunity called television to promote themselves and the sport..that is where the answer lays.. gotta go, stinker showed up in the parkin lot peein on some tyres..

american football is a total ripoff, viewed in person, spend your large admission, throw in an expensive stop at the consession stand and sit so far away you watch it on a little television sittin in yer lap..whilst fending off a nose bleed.. throw in all the time outs and farting around between plays just to see someone run a few yards every 5 minutes isnt my idea of a good time.. my point was, it is much better watched from the comfort of a chair in yer house, and the reason is, they have bent over backwards to take a boring sport and make it palatable for the general public by working with television rather than just going along with their good fortune for the time being. speedway is a far superior sport..no comparison..

well written Kevin..i personally think nfl football is tedious to watch in person, i wouldnt walk across the street to watch a game.. but it is a sport that evolved through television.. it can be watchable on the tube because of the way it is presented..speedway needs to realise the opportunity it has due to sky and do everything in its power to make the races the absolute best they can..time is indeed short, this chance once gone will more than likely never come again..keep the well thought out posts coming..

well since it appears young mr. anderson is washed up at such an early age, i would like to take this opportunity to invite him to become an official member of my crew otherwise known as sandmans scabs..he would be most welcome on my boat anytime, the kid has the attitude and the style to contribute to our gulf coast endeavours.. welcome aboard son... ps but ya gotta speak english whilst yer aboard son, otherwise yer intentions might be mistaken for something totally different..my crew get weird otherwise..c'mon, whaddya say?

basically it comes down to that outrageously great song by Bob Dylan, " Maggies Farm", altnough personally i think Miss Judys Farm by The Faces was better. You all are a bunch of dummies. Although, I will give Dylan the edge for the rift at the start of the song, it is magic, esp when fightin sails in a force 9. i think Norbold brings up some very valid points..

i heard he is still a bit like a young warren beatty.. when yer woman hits forty you trade her in for two twentys...

I believe the evolution of handlebars is an interesting subject.. I have no idea why the early pioneers rode with drop down bars and leg hooks, unless it facilitated leg trailing. The early bikes from the 30's thr the late 60's were difficult to ride at best, especially with the bigger rear tyres and relatively low horsepower. With the addition of a considerable amount of dirt the bigger bars gave the rider more leverage to turn the bike. The bars did get smaller in the 70's as the horsepower increased and the geometry of the bike frames improved allowing a much easier ride. Racing a speedway bike in the 30's through the 60's was very physical, and difficult. In those days, if a rider hit a rut and backed off the throttle the bikes would launch usually into the safety fence, I use the words safety fence lightly. To actually race one of those bikes, on a deep track, with 22" tyres against 3 very determined men should generate admiration. When I think of some of the small riders from the past like the great Peter Craven manhandling one of those bikes under those circumstances it amazes me to think of the sheer physical strength it took, I dont see how they did it. Remember, I am not speaking of riding on a slick track, my Gran could have done that. Not to take anything away from the current or riders from the 70's thru today. The riders of today are going so much quicker, even on slick tracks..

i think yer catchin on TC.. but... yer not there yet son...

you talkin bout Rats Gem??? bastards are still here..

i think shorter handlebars make a rider go faster.. scientific really.. kinda like the fastest way around a racetrack is on the inside line.. long handlebars make a rider go slower because it takes more time to wrestle with em.. shorter handlebars look faster standing still but long handlebars are more impressive to see a rider struggling with while riding.. i dunno.. just a thought.. where the hell is jj?

I think sandman might still be in touch with him. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nah, he visited the ol Bar Grill and Bait Shop when I was still in biz a few years back and had the gall to call my establishment a "Pig Stye". So I says to him if you think this is cool ya outta see my boat. He looked at me like I had two heads. Stuck up he was.. He got a view of Ganja Bill sittin in the corner sippin a cold one whilst sharpenin his knife, and decided it was time for a hasty exit.. Yeah, we would have shown him true team work if he had stayed a few minutes longer.. Now, Phil Collins is cool..

whenz the last time you were on a bike???/

hard to say really, it seems to all be in place.. BSI involvement is great for the sport, the quality of racing is there,quality of riders obviously as well... must be in developing the seperate personalities of the riders so they dont all seem the same except for the countries they represent, and... to interest the world wide public.... dirt deflectors, while i see they keep the riders clean so one can see their sponsors on the ol kevlars, i hate em.. they look stupid, it would be like puttin mud flaps and wheel coverings on sprint cars.. sacreligious to say the least.. when is the last time anyone saw a race with a deep track and four riders creating trails of dirt? otw.. known as rooster tails? surely one of speedways traditional spectacles ..as i said too, promoting the riders as individuals is paramount, and that is why it was refreshing to see Jason become World Champion because he is different..the sport is so close at the moment to breaking out of its current situation, and when it does, or i should say if.. finally the riders will make the kind of money and get the world wide recognition they deserve..

October 1983 to be exact. I'll believe Leicester have a new track when I'm standing on the terraces with my old Red/Yellow scarf on. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> and when world cup willy makes a comeback...

nevermind those two rick.. now i gotta question for ya.. what... ummm... er... ok,.. what were the girls like? there i said it... i mean like parties and stuff... and girls kinda like.. did ya ever meet any swedish girls? thanks..

specially when they shave their legs an armpits..

i'll third it..