BIOGRAPHY

PETER'S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS (con.)

  • One of the seasons I started really well, then had a bad crash. I'm not sure which year it was, maybe 1981.

  • I finished second in the British Under-21 Final at Canterbury, that was terrible. Neil Evitts stuffed me.

  • The year before was my first time in it, and I led Mark Courtney for three laps. He was the favourite and I was riding like a nutter. He passed me.

  • Rob Lightfoot made good starts in 1981 and he won it, and I remember saying "I'm going to win this next year!"

  • In 1982 I did win the British Under-21. I got an engine done, I think with Eric Boocock's help.

  • The Under-21 was a hard meeting. You just have to make starts, you can pass a couple if you get across the grass and are a bit desperate. In the run-off I drew the bad gate, someone had one and I was off two.

  • I trapped, made the best start of the night, like you do in these situations! It was a good feeling.

Peter outside Carl Baldwin, heat 6

Speedway Star's match report from the big event.

  • At Ellesmere the team included John Jackson, Steve Finch, Billy Burton - now he was a star, I liked Billy.

  • Finchy was so good and so professional. John Jackson was just so fast!

  • I did a few second halves at Belle Vue, and guested for Birmingham there and did quite well. They asked me to ride for them against Hull, and I did OK, I think I used Peter Collins' bike in one.

  • Eric Boocock was in charge then and during the winter he wanted to sign Louis. He took me in on the deal. The press said the fee was £16,500 but I never saw anything of it!

  • I went to Belle Vue full time in 1982. It was all right, we won the league, sometimes I'd score points. I did like the Belle Vue track.

  • We had to go practising with Ivan Mauger every Monday night. Stewart Bamforth had hired him, and we practised starts.
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  • We had an important match at Reading at the end of the year, and the track was bad, it was wet and a bit like grasstracking. Louis and I got a 5-1 in heat 8. Louis passed the home riders and I thought "I'd better get past too! I don't want to be the one to let them down!" I managed it, we won the match and I think that clinched the league.
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