Burford Kelly Moran

A Hell of a Life
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7524-7254-6
Verlag: The History Press
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 288 Seiten

This is the book that speedway fans the world over have been waiting for: the inside story of the Californian hell-raiser, Kelly Moran. The charismatic American was one of the most spectacular and naturally talented riders to race speedway and very few share that incredible ability which ensured that he performed at the highest level for most of his career. A three-times World Finalist, double World Team Champion and US National Champion, Kelly's talent as a racer took him around the world, while his exploits off the track have become legendary - making him one of the most popular riders ever. From leading the USA to world glory, via a near-death hotel accident, to joy-riding in a president's bus, Brian Burford's new book mixes the legendary tales of excess off the track with the success and popularity on the race circuit. With contributions from his family, friends and rivals, and written by one his closest friends, this book finally brings you the real story of Kelly Moran.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Burford, Brian

Leseproben

1

THIS MUST BE HEAVEN

‘There was only one Kelly Moran and I don’t know whether
or not it’s a good thing, but there will never be another.’

Ian Thomas

Wednesday, 29 March 1978
The Boulevard Stadium, Hull, England

From the heavens looking down, the large cloud of smoke wafting into the cool evening air may have looked like the gateway to hell on earth had emerged. Perhaps, to the angels above, who were not familiar with the earthly pleasures that accompanied the grey swirl, they may have mistaken the noise and smoke as tortured souls howling in protest. The collective, rhythmic roar of 500cc, methanol-burning engines thrumming with each twist of the throttle made the ground shudder with a combination of anticipation and protest. Occasionally an engine would pop and bang as the spent fuel would burn and explode in the exhaust. When fourteen or more speedway bikes were all being warmed up at once in preparation for the racing ahead, the pits were loud enough to please even the biggest Motorhead devotee. If Beelzebub needed somewhere to feel at home, then the pits shortly before race time may have provided him with some familiar comforts.

Into this busy, loud and smoky environment Kelly Moran entered from the dressing room and strode over to his pit. He nodded an acknowledgement to his mechanic, Peter Rovazzini, and placed his bag on the bench, while noting his bike was shaking and shuddering from the power vibrating within its steel frame. Calmly he reached into his toolbox and withdrew a cigarette from the packet and placed it between his lips, lit it with a lighter and tossed them back into the box. He looked around; settings like this would be his office for the next fifteen years.

At approximately 7.45 p.m., wearing white leathers and a matching full-face Bell crash helmet, Kelly rolled out onto the track for his first race in the British speedway league. At just seventeen years of age, little was known about him except that he possessed a cheeky grin and a wild glint in his eye. He was making his debut for the Hull Vikings in a Frank Varey Northern Trophy match against Yorkshire rivals Halifax.

Unsurprisingly, given the fact that he had just one professional season under his belt in the USA, combined with his lack of experience and his alien surroundings, he scored just 1 point from reserve but was afforded his full quota of three rides. In fact, it would take the likeable American a few matches before he began to show the brilliance that had persuaded the Hull management to move heaven and earth to bring him over to race in the world’s toughest speedway league.

Press and practice day illustrated that he was destined to be something more than just a superstar of the speedway tracks, as his team mate, Graham Drury, recalled: ‘During the winter months, Ian Thomas [Hull team manager and co-promoter] had said to me that he signed a young American lad called Kelly Moran, and in them days that didn’t mean anything to me at all. At the beginning of the season we had our press and practice day and I was introduced to Kelly. To say that he was a character was a bit of an understatement. I wondered: what have we got here? When I saw him going around the track for the first time I could see that the lad had a lot of ability, not ordinary ability but natural ability. His balance and everything was superb.

‘Afterwards, Ian had arranged for us all to go to a hotel, have a meal and just chill out and get to know everybody. As we were going down the corridor, Kelly said: “Oh, let’s liven this up lads,” pulled a fire extinguisher off the wall, smacked the top of it, and covered all of us in foam!’

Sponsor and close friend, Pete Rovazzini accompanied Kelly to England for his first season and helped him out in the pits. Rovo, as he’s known, also sponsored fellow American Bruce Penhall and his company, Rovazzini Electric, was a regular fixture on Moran’s race suit for many years.

‘We got picked up in a Rolls Royce and I go, “Oh this isn’t so bad,” and eventually we were taken to a beautiful house in Beverley, and from that point on everything went downhill. But it was a beautiful village and there were loads of pretty girls there,’ he remembered.

Speaking to the author in 2001, Thomas said: ‘I had a contact in America in the ’70s and they, a man and a woman, provided me with a lot of tips on all the American riders. I had a lot of them over the years and that’s basically how I got to hear about Kelly.’

Prior to Kelly’s arrival, the Hull side had previously included US riders Mike Curoso and, for a short period, Steve Gresham. However, for 1978, Thomas had pulled off a major coup by signing multiple World Champion and superstar, Ivan Mauger, which virtually transformed this unfashionable Yorkshire team from also-rans to league title contenders overnight.

‘I saw Kelly when he was fifteen at Costa Mesa and on other Californian tracks. When he was seventeen or so I recommended him to Ian Thomas as I was riding for them,’ recalled Mauger.

In truth he shouldn’t have been able to race in Britain at that point because he wasn’t yet eighteen years old and the rules said that a foreign rider had to be eighteen before he could hold an international licence. His tender age was certainly known by the authorities because it prevented him from racing for his country in the UK qualifying round of the World Team Cup, leaving the side short-handed, and they had to draft in Steve Gresham’s brother, Jim, to complete the team at reserve.

Convinced he had a special talent on his hands, the wily Hull boss had somehow managed to exploit a loop-hole in the regulations in order to bring the exciting Californian over to race for the ambitious Vikings team. Rovazzini revealed how they managed to get around the rules in order for the talented Californian to race in Britain.

‘I became Kelly’s legal guardian; that was the only way, at seventeen, they were going to allow him to go over there in case something happened. I figured that if he went to Europe he’d have a better opportunity. Ivan kept calling me about getting him to sign for Hull. We discussed it and I thought it was in his best interests considering the lifestyle that he led. I knew that if he stayed in California it would be too easy for him to get into trouble. And you know how much trouble we could get into over there; well, amplify that by ten-times!

‘We did the deal, and I had another arrangement going with Bruce Penhall when he was going to ride with Bruce. It was a two-bike team. The Penhall Company was going to put up the money for Kelly’s bikes and then I was going to run Bruce and Kelly. That was a very attractive offer because, when I look back, they would have dominated between the two of them. It could have been a really great opportunity for Kelly but his lifestyle wasn’t conducive to stay in California. So we made the decision, signed the agreement, and I became his legal guardian.’

However, Moran revealed that the presence of Mauger was all the inspiration he needed to become a Vikings rider. ‘I could have stayed home for another season, but all I thought about was racing with the great Ivan Mauger. We were always hearing about how good Ivan was, it was always Ivan this and Ivan that. So when Ian Thomas offered me a chance to go and ride with Ivan at Hull, I couldn’t wait. It was a chance to ride with Ivan Mauger! Bruce Penhall thought that I should stay at home for another year, he was going to sponsor me with a van and such, but all I could think about was riding with Ivan.’

Despite his obvious ability, Penhall had yet to race in the British League although he did ride in the Inter-continental Final at London’s White City in 1977. However, Rovazzini – who’s also a close friend of Bruce’s – believed that it was Kelly’s decision to head to Britain that inspired him to follow.

‘A few weeks later, Bruce called me up and said, “I’ve been meaning to go to Europe and if a seventeen-year-old kid can go, then I’m going too.” So he went to Cradley and Kelly went to Hull. You can thank Kelly indirectly for the onslaught of American talent into Europe because when two of the most popular riders left, then everyone followed suit. If Kelly didn’t go to Europe, you wouldn’t have had the onslaught – I truly believe that. There was big money to be made in America at that time, but everyone followed because it became the trendy thing to do, but it took the two most popular riders to start it off.’

Kelly wasn’t the only one influenced by Mauger signing for them. Joe Owen had completed one year riding for the Vikings but didn’t like the track. He was keen to move away but once he heard that Ivan was coming, any thoughts he had about moving on were put aside.

‘I had full respect for Ivan, he was my hero, and that was the only reason I stayed on at Hull. I’d have been well gone if they hadn’t signed him. I’ll put my hand up and say that I love the guy, I think he’s terrific. A lot of riders are jealous of him,’ said Joe.

When Mauger arrived at Hull he was the reigning World Champion and the previous season he’d equalled Ove Fundin’s record of five World titles. More importantly, from a Vikings’ fan’s perspective, with the exception of his first club, Wimbledon in 1958, the Kiwi’s influence had brought major honours to all the clubs he’d raced for. No more so was this noted than by the team he’d been signed from, Exeter.

The Falcons raced at one of the most intimidating circuits in the world and although that provided the team with a big home advantage, on their travels they often struggled. Furthermore, being located out on a limb in Devon, this meant...