Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2010 18:43:06 GMT
Taken from Lovespeedway.com:
CHRIS LOUIS: A personal view
MIKE BACON
Last updated: 03/03/2010 16:00:00
IN any sport it is hard for a child to follow in the footsteps of a famous parent.
For Chris Louis, the test of his ability was always going to be when he was referred to at the speedway tracks of England and Europe as simply Chris Louis . . . not John Louis' son.
Quite some ask, bearing in mind dad John finished third in the world, was a British champion, rode for the Witches with distinction for decades and had the Foxhall fans eating out of the palm of his hand.
Quite some ask, bearing in mind dad John was now the promoter at Foxhall, a popular figure with the Foxhall faithful and a former rider many in the sport looked up to. But Chris my friend . . . you did it. YOU DID IT. And you should be so proud of yourself.
There will only ever be one Chris Louis.
A top speedway racer in his own right, intelligent and articulate, he too was a British champion, competed on the world stage for years, including the GP series where he finished third overall one year, was world under-21 champion and, like his old man, rode for the Witches with distinction for decades.
But now the book closes on Chris' racing career.
It's hardly a bolt from the blue that Louis, 40, has announced his retirement. He wasn't part of the Witches team in 2009 and wasn't considered for 2010.
A serious arm injury in 2008 against Eastbourne when he broke his shoulder and socket, at Foxhall proved to be the final straw.
Not getting any younger, he had nothing to prove and as his wife Julie and two young daughters, Freya and Hannah stood on the centre green alongside their husband and dad in tears the night of that Eastbourne crash, one sensed his racing career could all be over.
Chris suffered some nasty injuries, but none more so than the life-threatening one in Poland in 2001 when a starting pole, left in the middle of the track, flicked up and knocked him unconscious. With swelling on the brain, it was his darkest moment and few thought he would fully recover. But fully recover he did and was back to his best form by 2004 when the Witches produced one of their best seasons for many years.
Domestically 1998 was his proudest moment, the Ipswich born-and-bred star lifting the treble of Elite League, KO Cup and Craven Shield, as the super Witches of that season conquered all.
Louis was virtually a one-club man all his career, that in itself is unique in today's world of riders moving from club to club. He won hundreds of races for the Witches, last-heat deciders and big individual meetings all over Europe. But behind it all he's just an ordinary Ipswich lad. Chris Louis has brought honour to himself, his family and the town he lives in. As a journalist he has been a delight to deal with, always mature and always honest.
My journalistic career began to take off a couple of years after Chris started racing. I like to think our separate careers have run side by side, him the racer, me the sports reporter.
For those close to him he'll always be 'Loobie Loo' and for Witches fans all over the world he has earned the right to be called Mr Ipswich Witches.
Now he moves on into promotion of the sport at Foxhall. It looks like I've a few more years ahead working alongside him then. And do you know what? I couldn't be more delighted. Enjoy the retirement from racing Loobie. I look forward to helping you with your Benefit Meeting later in the year. And thanks for the memories.
FOR more from Mike Bacon. Go to his latest blog Flying With The Witches on www.lovespeedway24.co.uk
and
Louis quits the Witches
ELVIN KING
Last updated: 03/03/2010 13:00:00
CHRIS Louis has announced that he is the new director of speedway for Ipswich Witches - and talked for the first time about his retirement from racing.
“I'm not leaving the saddle with any bitterness, and it's not necessarily my injured arm that has caused me to make the decision,” said the 40-year-old.
Louis hasn't ridden since damaging his upper arm in a fall at Foxhall Stadium in the Spring of 2008.
Once the injury took a long while to heal it became likely that the former world number three and Great Britain captain would have to call it a day.
He refused to confirm this however and had a couple of spins at the end of Foxhall meetings last year.
A Farewell meeting was tentatively arranged for March 27, but then cancelled.
It will now be held in October with Louis saying: “My shoulder injury did not help, but it was not the reason I have called it a day.
“Perhaps it is an age thing, although there are riders on the circuit older than me.
“But it takes longer to heal the older you get and my riding career has run its course.
“I'm not leaving with any bitterness - I've retired.”
Born and bred in Ipswich, Louis has been a one-club man after joining the Witches in 1989 after one campaign with Hackney.
It is a remarkable achievement and he was a leading light in the Suffolk-based club winning the treble in 1998.
Louis was a British Champion and won the World Under-21 crown as well, and he added: “Of course I'd like to still be riding, it's what I've done for most of my life.
“And it can get frustrating having to watch others in action.
“But I'm happy what I'm doing now and will be trying to get as much satisfaction out of this as I did from racing.”
The new Witches home season starts in three weeks having been put back to March 25 because of inclement weather that has hindered the finalising of the re-shaping of the track.
CHRIS LOUIS: A personal view
MIKE BACON
Last updated: 03/03/2010 16:00:00
IN any sport it is hard for a child to follow in the footsteps of a famous parent.
For Chris Louis, the test of his ability was always going to be when he was referred to at the speedway tracks of England and Europe as simply Chris Louis . . . not John Louis' son.
Quite some ask, bearing in mind dad John finished third in the world, was a British champion, rode for the Witches with distinction for decades and had the Foxhall fans eating out of the palm of his hand.
Quite some ask, bearing in mind dad John was now the promoter at Foxhall, a popular figure with the Foxhall faithful and a former rider many in the sport looked up to. But Chris my friend . . . you did it. YOU DID IT. And you should be so proud of yourself.
There will only ever be one Chris Louis.
A top speedway racer in his own right, intelligent and articulate, he too was a British champion, competed on the world stage for years, including the GP series where he finished third overall one year, was world under-21 champion and, like his old man, rode for the Witches with distinction for decades.
But now the book closes on Chris' racing career.
It's hardly a bolt from the blue that Louis, 40, has announced his retirement. He wasn't part of the Witches team in 2009 and wasn't considered for 2010.
A serious arm injury in 2008 against Eastbourne when he broke his shoulder and socket, at Foxhall proved to be the final straw.
Not getting any younger, he had nothing to prove and as his wife Julie and two young daughters, Freya and Hannah stood on the centre green alongside their husband and dad in tears the night of that Eastbourne crash, one sensed his racing career could all be over.
Chris suffered some nasty injuries, but none more so than the life-threatening one in Poland in 2001 when a starting pole, left in the middle of the track, flicked up and knocked him unconscious. With swelling on the brain, it was his darkest moment and few thought he would fully recover. But fully recover he did and was back to his best form by 2004 when the Witches produced one of their best seasons for many years.
Domestically 1998 was his proudest moment, the Ipswich born-and-bred star lifting the treble of Elite League, KO Cup and Craven Shield, as the super Witches of that season conquered all.
Louis was virtually a one-club man all his career, that in itself is unique in today's world of riders moving from club to club. He won hundreds of races for the Witches, last-heat deciders and big individual meetings all over Europe. But behind it all he's just an ordinary Ipswich lad. Chris Louis has brought honour to himself, his family and the town he lives in. As a journalist he has been a delight to deal with, always mature and always honest.
My journalistic career began to take off a couple of years after Chris started racing. I like to think our separate careers have run side by side, him the racer, me the sports reporter.
For those close to him he'll always be 'Loobie Loo' and for Witches fans all over the world he has earned the right to be called Mr Ipswich Witches.
Now he moves on into promotion of the sport at Foxhall. It looks like I've a few more years ahead working alongside him then. And do you know what? I couldn't be more delighted. Enjoy the retirement from racing Loobie. I look forward to helping you with your Benefit Meeting later in the year. And thanks for the memories.
FOR more from Mike Bacon. Go to his latest blog Flying With The Witches on www.lovespeedway24.co.uk
and
Louis quits the Witches
ELVIN KING
Last updated: 03/03/2010 13:00:00
CHRIS Louis has announced that he is the new director of speedway for Ipswich Witches - and talked for the first time about his retirement from racing.
“I'm not leaving the saddle with any bitterness, and it's not necessarily my injured arm that has caused me to make the decision,” said the 40-year-old.
Louis hasn't ridden since damaging his upper arm in a fall at Foxhall Stadium in the Spring of 2008.
Once the injury took a long while to heal it became likely that the former world number three and Great Britain captain would have to call it a day.
He refused to confirm this however and had a couple of spins at the end of Foxhall meetings last year.
A Farewell meeting was tentatively arranged for March 27, but then cancelled.
It will now be held in October with Louis saying: “My shoulder injury did not help, but it was not the reason I have called it a day.
“Perhaps it is an age thing, although there are riders on the circuit older than me.
“But it takes longer to heal the older you get and my riding career has run its course.
“I'm not leaving with any bitterness - I've retired.”
Born and bred in Ipswich, Louis has been a one-club man after joining the Witches in 1989 after one campaign with Hackney.
It is a remarkable achievement and he was a leading light in the Suffolk-based club winning the treble in 1998.
Louis was a British Champion and won the World Under-21 crown as well, and he added: “Of course I'd like to still be riding, it's what I've done for most of my life.
“And it can get frustrating having to watch others in action.
“But I'm happy what I'm doing now and will be trying to get as much satisfaction out of this as I did from racing.”
The new Witches home season starts in three weeks having been put back to March 25 because of inclement weather that has hindered the finalising of the re-shaping of the track.