Post by speedway_history on Dec 13, 2008 18:26:22 GMT 1
Robert: 1..Which opponent did you fear most?
Ove: I guess you will be surprised, it was Peter Moore because he could always out gate me and was so very hard to pass.
Robert: 2..Who in your opinion is the best speedway rider of all time?
Ove: No one can name a "best rider of all time", it's wrong to compare riders of different eras.
Sonic: 3..Do you think it was harder to become World Champion under the single meeting format, or is it more difficult as it is now with the GP series?
Ove: One thing is for sure, you couldn't have a bad meeting trying to qualify for the World Championship as every round was a "knock out" (it was never a "single final") The way the GP is run you can have a very poor meeting and still become "Champ"
KevH: 4..Which of your five World Championship victories gave you the most pleasure, and why?
Ove: Of course the first one, but I was as happy every time.
KevH: 5..At the time of your fifth Gold Medal, did you imagine that record would ever be beaten?
Ove: Remember, I was the first rider to win 3 finals, first to win 4 and 5 times, if I could go on beating that record, surly others could and would.
KevH: 6..You won your third crown at Malmo in 1961, which was the first time the final was held away from Wembley. Did you use your position as reigning Champion to influence the decision to hold it there?
Ove: If I could have in any way influenced the decision of where to hold the final it would have been for Wembley.
KevH: 7..You rode in an era of legends, included amongst them Peter Craven, Barry Briggs, and Ronnie Moore. Which rider of that era did you consider to be your biggest rival?
Ove: You named them, they were my rivals.
KevH: 8..You represented Norwich, Belle Vue, Long Eaton and Wembley in the UK. Can you recall the high and low point at each club?
Ove: If Norwich had not closed down, I would have stayed as long as I was in speedway. I rode my few meetings with Long Eaton, Wembley and Belle Vue after I had retired from the sport
KevH: 9..Can you give us a little background on your well documented use of the Norwich track spare?
Ove: The bike I brought with me to Norwich when I first arrived was so bad that Mr Parkins (the manager of Norwich) asked Les Mullins (the track mechanic) to build a bike for me from one of the track spares, that was the "No 2 Track Spare" I rode it all my years with Norwich. True, the engine and frame was not the same all the time, but it was always "No 2 Track Spare" and it belonged to the promoters, I was hoping I would be presented with it when they closed the track, but no, a friend of mine bought it at an auction for me.
Trees: 10..Does Ove think that the speedway authorities should have given the "Winged Wheel" to Ivan Mauger?
Ove: No, for the same reason as I don't think Barry Briggs should have kept the trophy (as he has) from before the "Winged Wheel"
Sube: 11..Well, I thought the SWC Final at Leszno was one of the best meetings I've ever seen and would be interested to know what Mr Fundin, who was there of course, thought of the racing.
Ove: For sure it was the best SWC final I've seen
Genghis: 12..Has speedway become too professional? Should juniors be spending thousands of pounds on bikes, or should more emphasis be placed on the skills of actually riding the bike?
Ove: Earlier speedway was the one motor sport anyone could get into, without lots of money, I do think it's wrong with the very expensive bikes today and" the teams "around the riders. I think it was much better in my days, we all rode "JAP's" and if we had a helper with us in the pits we were happy. Of course any old man, like me, would say, "it was better in the old days"
Genghis: 13..You have a reputation for not being a team rider. Is that justified or were there occasions where you would team ride with a lesser partner?
Ove: I know about my reputation, but I did win the first" World best pair" together with Toby Harrysson.....
Genghis: 14..You won the World Team Cup six times with Sweden. Which one was the most special?
Ove: Again, the first win was the best....
Genghis: 15..How many times do you think you would have won the World Championship under a Grand Prix system?
Ove: Who knows.....but I think the system would have suited me.
Genghis: 16.. Do you consider yourself to be a better rider than Tony Rickardsson?
Ove: No, but just as good
KevH: 17..You lost the 1957 World Final in a run-off with Barry Briggs when you fell. What can you recall about that race, and do you consider it to be 'the one that got away'?
Ove: Yes there has been moments when I thought of 1957 "as the one I should have won" But Barry won and "that's it"
Ove: I guess you will be surprised, it was Peter Moore because he could always out gate me and was so very hard to pass.
Robert: 2..Who in your opinion is the best speedway rider of all time?
Ove: No one can name a "best rider of all time", it's wrong to compare riders of different eras.
Sonic: 3..Do you think it was harder to become World Champion under the single meeting format, or is it more difficult as it is now with the GP series?
Ove: One thing is for sure, you couldn't have a bad meeting trying to qualify for the World Championship as every round was a "knock out" (it was never a "single final") The way the GP is run you can have a very poor meeting and still become "Champ"
KevH: 4..Which of your five World Championship victories gave you the most pleasure, and why?
Ove: Of course the first one, but I was as happy every time.
KevH: 5..At the time of your fifth Gold Medal, did you imagine that record would ever be beaten?
Ove: Remember, I was the first rider to win 3 finals, first to win 4 and 5 times, if I could go on beating that record, surly others could and would.
KevH: 6..You won your third crown at Malmo in 1961, which was the first time the final was held away from Wembley. Did you use your position as reigning Champion to influence the decision to hold it there?
Ove: If I could have in any way influenced the decision of where to hold the final it would have been for Wembley.
KevH: 7..You rode in an era of legends, included amongst them Peter Craven, Barry Briggs, and Ronnie Moore. Which rider of that era did you consider to be your biggest rival?
Ove: You named them, they were my rivals.
KevH: 8..You represented Norwich, Belle Vue, Long Eaton and Wembley in the UK. Can you recall the high and low point at each club?
Ove: If Norwich had not closed down, I would have stayed as long as I was in speedway. I rode my few meetings with Long Eaton, Wembley and Belle Vue after I had retired from the sport
KevH: 9..Can you give us a little background on your well documented use of the Norwich track spare?
Ove: The bike I brought with me to Norwich when I first arrived was so bad that Mr Parkins (the manager of Norwich) asked Les Mullins (the track mechanic) to build a bike for me from one of the track spares, that was the "No 2 Track Spare" I rode it all my years with Norwich. True, the engine and frame was not the same all the time, but it was always "No 2 Track Spare" and it belonged to the promoters, I was hoping I would be presented with it when they closed the track, but no, a friend of mine bought it at an auction for me.
Trees: 10..Does Ove think that the speedway authorities should have given the "Winged Wheel" to Ivan Mauger?
Ove: No, for the same reason as I don't think Barry Briggs should have kept the trophy (as he has) from before the "Winged Wheel"
Sube: 11..Well, I thought the SWC Final at Leszno was one of the best meetings I've ever seen and would be interested to know what Mr Fundin, who was there of course, thought of the racing.
Ove: For sure it was the best SWC final I've seen
Genghis: 12..Has speedway become too professional? Should juniors be spending thousands of pounds on bikes, or should more emphasis be placed on the skills of actually riding the bike?
Ove: Earlier speedway was the one motor sport anyone could get into, without lots of money, I do think it's wrong with the very expensive bikes today and" the teams "around the riders. I think it was much better in my days, we all rode "JAP's" and if we had a helper with us in the pits we were happy. Of course any old man, like me, would say, "it was better in the old days"
Genghis: 13..You have a reputation for not being a team rider. Is that justified or were there occasions where you would team ride with a lesser partner?
Ove: I know about my reputation, but I did win the first" World best pair" together with Toby Harrysson.....
Genghis: 14..You won the World Team Cup six times with Sweden. Which one was the most special?
Ove: Again, the first win was the best....
Genghis: 15..How many times do you think you would have won the World Championship under a Grand Prix system?
Ove: Who knows.....but I think the system would have suited me.
Genghis: 16.. Do you consider yourself to be a better rider than Tony Rickardsson?
Ove: No, but just as good
KevH: 17..You lost the 1957 World Final in a run-off with Barry Briggs when you fell. What can you recall about that race, and do you consider it to be 'the one that got away'?
Ove: Yes there has been moments when I thought of 1957 "as the one I should have won" But Barry won and "that's it"