Did he fall or was he pushed?

Ivan Mauger has Gordon Kennett and Ole Olsen chasing him down, what happened next was the biggest talking point of the meeting. Heat 4 of the 1978 World Final at Wembley.

[@kevinbrookes4870]

Wembley I do miss it. Hard to believe I was amongst 92,000 watching the 1981 World Final, and seeing the decline of the sport today. Very sad indeed. 😡

[@1061andy]

I was there - cant believe it forty one years now. Ivan clearly going slower than the other two coming out of the second turn....Ole played it cute and stayed wide, Kennett was a brilliant inside line rider, one of the best ever. And Ivan lost out - amazing to see the race continue though.

[@jerrycoggin9434]

Just looked like a "racin deal" to me. Great, close, wheel to wheel racing. It what makes speedway what it is. High value, enormously exciting entertainment! Gotta love it!

[@bigeddie1231]

Very cool racing

[@davelee9791]

The Constant Rolling at the gate was unacceptable the Ref should have pulled him up on it..I believe it is known that Ivan's bike was slowing and maybe laid it down hoping to get the benefit of any Rerun on a different bike...

[@dougphelan4217]

Gordon Kennet interviewed by Eastbourne recently, he said he met Ivan around 4 years go and Ivan admitted to Gordon that his engine failed, that is what caused him to fall

[@Ceagles6]

And the fact he was slower, can we go there ?

[@davidwright7923]

Ivan mauger and Barry Briggs those were the days!

[@richardking5879]

Mauger pulled his leg in closer and over balanced so laid it down hoping he would get the decision. I was at this world final but so far up in the gods you could hardly tell who was on track let alone see the detail of the incident but what an atmousphere.

[@grahamgray2421]

Just a racing incident,no brakes,all riding hard

[@joostseisveld29]

I loved Wembley, miss it, especially the bangers!

[@rob51e]

Great post many thanks

[@chrisnewill]

I love the way the riders wore their boots outside the leathers in those days.

[@Fastade80]

Just touched his leg entering turn , to avoid the bike he bought his leg in closer to his own bike, and down he went , it wasn’t an instance of his leg being taken away, just a touch so he moved it closer himself,breaking the triangle and couldn’t keep it upright, the pass moved him off his line and he laid it down in my opinion, great footage, keep them coming martyn 👏🏻

[@dennymcfastlane8530]

Ivan was too good a rider to let that little scrap take him down--especially in a World Final! At 3:07 he simply had no where to go, because Olsen blocked his recovery path. Ivan laid it down.

[@jimmypea2207]

Incidental contact with no malice. Welcome to racing.

[@kenrudge8002]

But Kennett should have been exluded

[@shroppy50]

Wembley world finals best ever,miss them

[@carlcampbell6827]

1978 and wow did they haul ass back then! I venture to say they are as fast as the hot shoes today. I have watched them recently in Ventura California on a track that is nearly 1/4 mile (super fast).

[@Rio-by1eh]

I grew up on this as a 7 yr old kid ....

[@Gracievision]

ivan's bike was packing up, that's why they ran into him.

[@mandynixon2258]

ivan not going quick enough

[@juliansciberras6644]

I was there ivan lost it there.. I was only 14.. 57 now.

[@robertgray2635]

Same happened in the 1973 run off, classic Mauger move, staying down on the track hoping for a re run, lost out both times.

[@mandynixon2258]

they were coming thru, ivan wasn't going quick enough

[@scotiasid]

First thought - Mauger fell on his own. Olsen came under Kennett hard earlier on in the heat & they all carried on - just hard racing

[@robertmarsh3588]

Think Barry Briggs called it correctly, and he should know better than any of us on this thread.

[@DavidLee-no9uc]

He fell, He was holding everyone back. He got passed and lost balance and feel. .. Period, end of story!

[@simonround9965]

I was at this world final with my dad and his mate harry parry , i didnt see that much of it because i was six at the time , i think steve bastable was reserve in it but never got a ride . Anyway was he pushed ? With just the one camera angle its hard to tell but im going to say no , he knew he was under pressure from both sides and put the bike down 😊

[@jessebelanger9753]

Olson, the legend, conquers again.

[@steveambrose5580]

Todays riders don’t rely on their left leg for stability , superb balance.

[@MeBallerman]

And cycles with low mounted, horizontal cylinder, and improved frame geometrics.

[@nervo6321]

Ivan was going too slowly, this is a world final they had to go for it can,t just follow him round.

[@tomaszmarkiewicz8102]

Piękny speedway. Pozdrawiam z Gdańska. 🇵🇱

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

Bardzo dziękuję z mokrej i wietrznej Wielkiej Brytanii

[@rob51e]

I was at the final, I remember a comment being made that Ivan was using a new experimental piston in the Jawa engine which failed (broke up) I can't remember where it's from but Ivan did look like he was losing power.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

He was simply squeezed from front and rear at the same time. His other options were to hit the front bike or get hit from behind. He walked away unhurt. Good decision.

[@gregorytimmons4777]

Reminds me of when i first got cable in the early 80's. Found motorcycle speedway racing from Coasta Mesa, California. One look and i was hooked and it became a staple of my weekend entertainment. That and boxing. Followed the career of Alexis Arguilla pretty close. Along with Kenny "Bang Bang" Bogner, Estabel DeJesus who was later convicted of murder in the Dominican Republic i think. Later dying of AIDS and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini. That is until the night he took on a lanky South Korean named Duk Koo Kim. Mancini delivered a knock out blow late in the fight that Kim never recovered from. He was pronounced dead a few hours later and i sort of lost my enthusiasm for the "Sweet Science."

[@robtatum5277]

Strange to hear all the comments about rolling at the starts ,everyone did it back then and for me it made for a better and quicker meeting . Reruns of starts now are a shambles and the fact a referee can make that decision and then when checked back has been shown to have made a mistake is pretty poor .

[@johnfarr1193]

Mauger was way out in front as no one would have caught him within the last couple of laps. Clearly his engine was packing up as Mauger would never have slowed that much under normal circumstances. I don`t think he was pushed but I would never have put it past him to deliberately lay the bike down to try and get the race stopped - perhaps get someone excluded and of course go and jump on his spare bike. Mauger`s habit of rolling at the gate to gamble on a huge advantage was always bloody annoying and the referee should have raised the tapes whilst he was rolling backwards. Maybe that would have learnt him a lesson AND I don`t think he would have won quite so many races in his career if he stood still at the tapes all the time. And I won`t mention Nitro by the way.......

[@Heavywall70]

Slower racing but it’s more exciting Riding style is so different than today.

[@tommydrozdowski4733]

Uuuhhhh memories...

[@tommytee8387]

Mauger’s bike was clearly slowing both Kennett and Olsen were about to pass..was he clipped by Gordon..impossible to tell from the footage did Ivan go down knowing he had bike issues hoping for a re run again we will never know.

[@michaelcampin1464]

Great to see Simmo at the end

[@michaelcampin1464]

I was in the pits that night

[@rjcoins970]

Defo laid it down Knew he was ending up 3rd so gambled that he may get the decision Anyone who doesnt like todays starting procedures and harps back to the old days just needs to look at this clip Give me todays regs 100%

[@downstairs99]

Agree with you laid bike down cos he was undertaken and you can see that!!!

[@Tez73]

Richard what do you mean by today starting procedure ? Thanks

[@BarryAllenMagic]

Split second decision by Mauger to 'lay it down' in my book - given Olsen clearly had the momentum on the outside. Notwithstanding that, the ref not red-lighting the race, with a rider on the track, was a disgraceful decision.

[@Hithere-ek4qt]

Ha - more 'lay it down' bullshit. Just say he fell, mate.

[@geoffwilkinson5648]

Ha ha! Speedway icon or not Ivan deserved that, he always rolled at the gates but that was bad, wouldn't get away with it nowadays!

[@bradleyupdyke9492]

Taught it to Kenny Carter who was notorious for doing it

[@bradleyupdyke9492]

@Bengt Handlebars; regardless of what Kenny Carter did off the track and I know he was a horrible person or so I've read but still wish him a RIP and sorry for not saying it in my other comment.... but I do respect your opinion off the track he was an a@@hole.....

[@thomaslewis7782]

Good day Rob. Think today’s starting procedures absolutely fine, however they should be straight round again if a false start and absolutely zero mucking around. Fully agree the time wasted is infuriating! Also agree Ivan I would understand out his bike down !

[@paulbailey7099]

Totally agree with you about false starts straight back to the tapes, plus what's with all this adjusting throttle and clutch cables nowadays, surely they don't need it after half a lap to the tapes?

[@lancejohn4784]

I was there. A young lad of 12. With Whiterock eagles cycle speedway club. 90 thousand or is that my imagination?

[@davidarrowsmith9795]

Good old Torre Kittleson, should never of let the race run on with the riders and officials still on the track, did the same with Carter in 82 an only stopped the race at the last minute with him stuck under the fence. You can argue about it, only Ivan would of known the truth though

[@michaelcarberry594]

IMHO racing incident from close racing. Ivan played it to try and get the call but the steward made the right call.

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

ivan's bike was packing up, that's why they ran into him.

[@pauldean8638]

Ha ha and the race goes on ,that wouldn't happen nowadays, it's a tight call but it's down to the stewards seeing if fallen rider had other rider in sight ,ie ,if he is looking ahead and the rider comes into the side of there vision then other riders got right to hold their inside line and not back off ,you seen him come into view and didn't give him his space and got clipped, that's racing

[@johnwilson2367]

Good video.. Close racing... Maugers bike failed seems to be the opinion...:)

[@TheWhitehall]

Briggo got it right.

[@carlcampbell6827]

Big surprise is it? Bikes inches apart going hell bent balls out sliding sideways all the way around and one bike goes down!

[@robtatum383]

Great clip this So dont agree with comments saying todays starting rules are better false starts then pit crew out for re start drives me mad Oh and mauger put it down

[@kevinjuden1239]

Totally agree,false start today and crew out on track,refueling,adjusting clutch. All totally unnecessary should be straight back for restart.

[@russcampbell2894]

It's called racing

[@debragoble717]

No doubt; the other guy hit his foot with his back wheel.

[@scotiasid]

I feel Mauger was at fault wouldn't have stopped heat (except in interest of safety)!

[@dongardner9189]

Reidar Eide,ole Olsen, tommy Jansson and bouncing bert harkins my all time faves, oh and Phil crump!

[@mickhutchins5255]

Don Gardner watched Bert for Milton Keynes, what a nice guy. Decent rider too

[@stevelomas4119]

Phil Crump legend...looked like a Yeti, rode like a Yeti !

[@dongardner9189]

@@stevelomas4119 haha, now you come to mention it!

[@albertohern3276]

his leg got hit by thr spinning wheel watch carefully.. he didnt get a chance to put his leg back on the bike because of that

[@jessejames488]

that's called trading paint ,I can say this from experience, having run a race ir two at so.cal short tracks for 3-4 years ,owned a couple of B. Swartz rides .. just racing boys.........

[@GSPEED-dw3gs]

just looked like he folded under pressure and fell....as there was only the SLIGHTEST touch of tire to foot....he folded like a napkin in the wind when that happened

[@jessejames488]

How many of u leaving comments , have figured out how to use the throttle to slow down ,not many ,I'm sure ...

[@carlcampbell6827]

Jesse James - I suppose giving extra gas will break the wheel loose (slows down).

[@andyhutch8262]

He didnt touch him.

[@Kyle.Craddock04]

He fell

[@barrybarker5646]

E knew e adnt got the pace😏

[@mr.e6033]

It could go either way

[@jswaggart01]

It’s funny how if you think about it and really take the time to look at the evidence, you can see the exact same kind of shenanigans by Hans Nielsen during his time as a major force on world speedway. The tape nudging especially does it for me but also I’ve found Nielsen also had a habit of going down and trying to make it look like he was taken out. One of his rides in the 1994 world final was a prime example. Didn’t get the best of starts so he goes down oh so gingerly and trying to make it look like his leg or front wheel was taken out right from under him and it was clearly not. And let’s not forget the stunt he pulled on Sam Ermolenko in the 1993 WF. Mauger, no doubt he was the supreme rider speedway has ever had but he liked to use dirty tricks to gain the upper hand on rivals and he definitely passed these ideas on to his protégé Nielsen.

[@holliehighway6246]

Go on Gordon he has been to Eastbourne Eagles recently

[@holliehighway6246]

Bengt Handlebars Eddie kennett is riding for eagles next year

[@petermcclements6232]

i was there 1978,,so high up could not see what happened

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

So was i

[@tedbaxter5234]

Fall.

[@erlingmogensen7784]

he fell

[@loopedmess]

Things happen when you f up the start.

[@mikeshumway5394]

Bruce penhall

[@iamgaijin88]

*racing incident*

[@johnmichaelkarma]

why is the question "did he fall" in the title of this vid. CLICK BAIT, THUMBS DOWN

[@chippytwo7920]

Reminds me of the redbull super car drivers, don't pass fairly jus push em out.fuck im

[@Ozzy3333333]

Pushed IMO.

[@lorenreece1665]

He fell.

[@turbo1438]

He fell imo

[@pmay222]

mauger was too slow... in the way... got out the gate good but once they wound it up he got in the way

[@przemyslawpatro8461]

To był żużel...

[@daverobinson6184]

If you race your going to crash

[@dudikpal]

I dont understand: human on the track, where is the red flag???

[@walterkersting1362]

Why does he have an elephant man mask on?

[@martynhepworthArchiveSpeedway]

They were actually known as "Face Masks" or "Monkey Masks" back in the day.

[@stephannickson3164]

well done Gordon and ole, obviously sick of maugers cheating

[@jozefmihalik7354]

He was pushed

[@Ceagles6]

Muager always did that at the start gates. It also baulked and confused other riders with the tape movement. I consider it cheating. How he won a lot of races and he taught his students. Phycho Carter being one example. Best thing speedway ever did was make the rider motionless at the gates. Now if they can reduce the amount of gardening we might see a higher rate of interest.

[@visualstoryteller7777]

typical Mauger stuff..........rolling starts and drama queen!

[@stephannickson3164]

you are meant to sit still at the tapes refs were gutless, mauger althou my all time fave rider should have been stopped and excluded, a definite cheat and rule flouter, and usually booed at most brit tracks

[@robtatum5277]

Not true everyone moved back then Can you honestly say the starting rules now are better ? For me the starts back then added to the excitement ,now the restarts are a farce

[@kenrobson5937]

Olsen deliberately knocked mauger off should have been disqualified !!

[@stevelomas4119]

Are you for real...Kennett brought Mauger down....muppet comment.

[@kenrobson5937]

@@stevelomas4119 yeah and i have had it done to me for real so shut up and shove off and get your eyes tested bloody idiot !!

[@Sonspringer_86]

He was pushed