Dave Jessup's incredible engine failures at crucial moments!

[@darrenjreynolds22]

Hi Martyn thanks for another trip down memory lane,....this one though is very personal as i along with many of my friends back in the day were regulars at small mead where the Reading racers raced every Monday.......Dave Jessup was the Reading no.1 for a few seasons and was virtually unbeatable.....this of course was the seventies...the true glory years for british speedway...13 coaches from Reading went up to Wembley that Saturday night in 78.....I remember comming into the stadium on the 2und bend and just being completely blown away at the sight of Wembley in all it's glory.......I was 12 years old and it was magical....a true spectacle.....the noise was unbelievable...and despite what happened to jessup in that fateful first heat it was and has always remained unforgettable.....sadly DJ will always be remembered as the nearly man.....but he was nevertheless a fantastic rider.

[@stephannickson3164]

every genuine speedway supporter knows DJ should have had 2 or 3 title wins if not for bad luck

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

I was aged 15 in 78 at Wembley and was there with the expectation of Super Simmo winning. All the great riders from that era, Olsen, Mauger, Jessup, PC, ect always seemed to get in front of Simmo in the BIG meetings and left me disappointed in some way or another. I travelled the country to watch him and remembered going all the way to Halifax for the Dews Trophy, My parents and I were the only Poole fans in the Grandstand that night and Simmo, riding the new GR500 in his black and gold leathers had 3 wins and 2 E.F.'s while leading. Think Ian Cartwright won it. Those were the days.

[@Stranglerxx77]

I remember seeing him at Reading and the 78 world final which he was going to win until..........oh dear not again David and now no one has engine failure and it's pretty boring I have heard

[@dominich2263]

Wht did he leave reading?

[@darrenjreynolds22]

@@dominich2263 he struck a deal with kings lynn for a record breaking fee at the time...

[@dtowers7557]

Great speedway channel one of the best that is around keep up the good work it is really appreciated 👍

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

Thank you! 👍

[@stevied8855]

Hi Martyn, A great video. Dave Jessup was superb and should have been Champion in 1978. I was there and in 81 too. A class rider and for sure one of the all time greats. His Bikes should have been ready for Him, as he was ready to reign supreme in those days alongside Mauger and Olsen. Such a shame, Stevie in Fife.

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

Glad you enjoyed it Stevie, DJ won all the Open Meetings under the sun, but unluckily failed when on the World Individual stage. I was there in 78, 80 & 81. Didn't he have an exclusion in 79?

[@garyjoyce2963]

One of my favourite ever reading racers riders,dave jessup was a brilliant rider,anders michanek was my all time fav rider

[@eltel1952]

Always enjoy your video’s Martin keep em coming please 👍

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

Thank you El Tel, will do

[@robtatum5277]

Excellent work martyn

[@jerrybullent8894]

Went to Wembley in"78 as a 12 year old Kings Lynn supporter but became a DJ fan that night as he was so unlucky. Funny that he signed for King's Lynn the following season from Reading. Recall he also had a significant e/f moment at Reading in the '79 World Team Cup qualifier debacle.

[@dazronch5450]

Great racing until his engine problem Dave jessup was a great rider I saw him ride at the county ground in 1984 he was so fast I enjoyed the video thankyou…

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

Cheers Daz, and thanks for the feedback. I attended Exeter many times over the years and the place was frightening every time.

[@semagg]

Probably one of the greatest riders of his era to never become world champion. He was so close to it in both 78 and 81 robbed by engine failures. Superb starter and an excellent racing brain; he had everything he needed to be a champion, shame it never happened for him.

[@andyfarmer759]

A real shame that DJ will always be remembered that way. Although they were important races, they were just a few compared to the many, many great ones he rode. Class act was DJ. I saw him quite a few times at Belle Vue and always looked forward to him coming there.

[@jswaggart01]

Even after all these years it is still painful to watch. Such a brilliant rider, so smooth. He was definitely worthy of being a individual world champion. All I can say is that he must have done something really horrific in a previous life to endure such bad luck in this one.

[@richardking5879]

Should have been World Champion in 1978. I was at Wembley in 1981, not sure if Jessup would have caught Penhall but it would have been close. Always remember Jessup and Lee scoring 80% of Kings Lynn's points against Swindon when they came up to us.

[@jacksonirving4594]

Carburettor popped off manifold at 81 Wembley.. seen Bruce Penhalls bike had a bracket holding the carb on .. a lot of attention too detail on Bruce's bikes .

[@mauibill7233]

I feel the guy's pain. My Weslake used to quit because of ignition problems, way too often. But every time right on the last corner? That's just voodoo stuff... Cheers, Bill #187

[@nervo6321]

Dave Jessup was a top class rider without a doubt...but you always got the feeling he was trying to do it on the cheap...and certainly never moved with the times fashion wise...in saying that was one of the first riders on a GM motor...must have ad a good sponsorship deal...

[@kevinbrookes4870]

He did win the World team cup and the World pairs with Peter Collins. So not all bad just individual World title eluded him

[@johnfielding5004]

World Champion in 1978 if it wasn't for that engine failure in heat three.

[@tonysmall6941]

So I remember when we used to ride against DJ we had a chant " he revs, he laps, and then his pushrod snaps oh Davey Jessup"

[@quartusbuys6831]

He would have been real quick on the later short stroke GM.

[@gregscott7357]

Crazy luck for Jessup !

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

Scotty!!!! up the Terriers.....

[@stephenharris3895]

He would tinkering with his engines trying to make them lighter

[@karlcarrigan4451]

Martyn, do you think DJ would have faired better in the sport today? Maybe in a GP series 3 or 4 breakdowns over a series wouldn't have been so damn costly....?

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

The one off finals could benefit the underdog and be costly for the greatest of riders. Jessup was unlucky and EF's certainly cost him the crown. I love the GP's too, different era but just as exciting. Love my Speedway.

[@pmay222]

almost as if someone was nobbling his engines.. .. ..

[@tomaszmarkiewicz8102]

👍👍👍👍👍🙋‍♂️🙋‍♂️

[@kevinbrookes4870]

I would've sacked his Mechanic