Jump to content
British Speedway Forum

coventry1963

Members
  • Content count

    73
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by coventry1963

  1. coventry1963

    For or against the GP series.?

    Watching a sawdust laden, soaking wet track in the 70s was not conducive to anything other than processional, spread out "racing". Been a fan since early 1960s and there has always been good and bad races and meetings. Rose coloured spectacles apart, thrill merchants have always been around and not always the big names! With regard to Peter Craven, I was taken by my father to one of my first meetings at Brandon because Peter Craven was riding and I can still see him in my mind's eye, my father pointing him out, entering the turns after the first lap with his foot still up on the footrest! In 50+ years, I have never seen that since so comments about "the wizard of balance" have more than a casual basis. With regard to comparing eras, I was very fortunate that my grandfather grew up with Jack Parker and Jack used to visit our house in his later years. He always said that the top guys from every era would have adapted and been at or close to the top in any other era. Jack, with a smile, always said he would still have been the best in any era!
  2. coventry1963

    Unsatisfactory starts

    Would it save a lot of hassle with broken tapes etc if riders were not allowed to touch the tapes at any time, including before coming under orders to avoid the number of times riders push through the tapes to prepare the surface beyond the line leading to broken tapes and delays? If it led to exclusion this element of potential delay could easily be stopped. That, plus immediate use of the two minute clock after an unsatisfactory start would stop most of the unnecessary delays.
  3. coventry1963

    Cardiff 2018 21st July

    Thanks Adonis, rear view shows it much clearer. Doyle’s front wheel definitely rides up lamberts back wheel and then twists as it lands back on track so clearly no failure.
  4. coventry1963

    Cardiff 2018 21st July

    How quick was Lambert to see what was happening with Cook inside him and get the bike down safely to avoid Cook sliding across the track in front of him? Good to see how many riders (Hancock, Woffinden et al) were quick to go and congratulate Lambert on avoiding what could have been an extremely nasty further development. Also quite Strange on the replays to see how Doyle’s front wheel seemed to flick inwards before he went over. You would have expected it to splay outwards after any contact- just wonder if there was any failure on the bike.
  5. coventry1963

    Ivan Mauger

    A friend of mine put off going on honeymoon on her wedding day so that she could attend Coventry when Ivan (her favourite rider) was visiting that night. I took a sheet for all the riders to sign and Ivan took extra time in the middle of a meeting to compose a message for her and to wish her well on her marriage. Ivan always went that extra mile. RIP
  6. coventry1963

    RIP Ivan Mauger OBE

    In this age of technology, is it possible to open a book of condolence that can be linked to Ivan’s family? It would be great if they could see just how highly regarded Ivan was by so many people. I saw him many times at his peak and he was an object lesson in how to conduct himself on and off the track.
  7. coventry1963

    Rule Changes for 2018

    Would it be a good idea for the “no touching the tapes” rule to be extended to any time within the two minute clock? It could then stop riders pushing through the tapes as they garden with start marshals having to hold the tapes up or down. Riders would only be able to garden the area behind the tapes instead of trying to prepare the first couple of yards past the tapes as well! I often wonder just how much difference the gardening makes anyway.
  8. coventry1963

    Coventry 2017

    Reading the SS article on the Stadium planning application, wouldn’t it be interesting to see the level of drawings taken out each year by the various parties that left such a small operating profit? The level of those drawings could make a huge difference to the conclusions being drawn about how profitable the bees were under Horton. If Horton (and any connected parties) took nothing in drawings, that is one thing but if they took a large amount out for themselves each year, the whole picture changes. If I read the article correctly, theSS says that the drawings figure was not provided for the calculations! One would have to wonder why!
  9. Out of interest, how did Wembley maintain their track when they were in league Speedway? Was it taken up each week between meetings? I remember going to watch Coventry there and the track bends were so flat that the only overtaking that could be achieved was by getting underneath an opponent, no chance of an outside pass. That was also an issue on several world finals as the lack of banking was a real problem and not conducive to racing, whereas the 1981 final track clearly had an outside line available.
  10. coventry1963

    Coventry 2017

    Charles Ochiltree was respected and, in turn, he respected his customers, the fans. As a youngster in the 1960s, I once went into the office to ask if a race card was available (one of those long ago occasions when the stadium was so full, they sold out of programmes!). I was quite concerned when I saw him in the office but still asked him. Ever the gentleman, he responded to a young lad with the same politeness as to any adult and told me to wait whilst they xeroxed some spares, handing me a copy before I left. Very powerful man in the sport at that time but never lost touch with reality either.
  11. coventry1963

    2017 Profit & Loss

    If only! When you set a loss against a profit from elsewhere, you only reduce the overall profit figure which is then taxable. You still have to pay the main part of the loss, the loss is simply effectively reduced by the tax rate applicable E.g. Profit £100,000 @ 19 per cent = £19,000 tax. Profit £100,000, loss £20,000 = net profit of £80,000 @ 19 per cent = £15,200 tax. So, loss of £20,000 reduced by £3,800 to £16,200, not wiped out!
  12. coventry1963

    Peter Collins Article

    One of the problems has to be the drop in crowds, to let 100 people in free when you had 3-4,000 attending is very different to when you are struggling to get 800-1,000. Remember the current promoters are very unlikely to be the same as those who made the profits from the larger crowds in the past when those riders were performing, so you are simply asking a promoter now to take the pain when it was not them who made the gain!
  13. coventry1963

    Pay Rates Mystery

    Not just about pay rates though, is it? In every walk of life some people are better than others on the business side of things. At the same pay rate, whatever that might be, "making Money from Speedway" is also about how the rider approaches the business side of it, not just the pounds per point rate. Costs and sponsorship, which are very individual, have just as important a part to play in whether a rider makes a decent living. Hearing what price per point is paid is only one part of the equation and, in isolation, tells you very little about the overall position.
  14. coventry1963

    Starting

    Moving at the start has been present for many, many years. Just have a look at some of the old you tube videos. Putting chocks, or anything else behind the wheels only stops a rider rolling back and then forward, it will not stop a rider anticipating the start and dropping the clutch before the tapes actually rise. If the chock was exactly a bikes length from the tapes it might make it harder for a rider to move at all without touching the tapes as, at present, the bikes have several inches between the front tyre and the tapes which means a small movement is still possible. The GP this year where the ref held the tapes for 3-5 seconds was interesting. After the first round of races, there was virtually no problem, even if there was a lot of moaning!
  15. Many thanks racers and royals for taking the time to do this - much appreciated.
  16. Could anybody help with an English translation of article?
  17. coventry1963

    Please Teach This "yankee"

    Hi Barry, Yes, I know, I helped write it through Andy following that same conversation! Really pleased to hear that you are still giving it out.
  18. coventry1963

    Please Teach This "yankee"

    And for the real newcomers to the sport "bonus" or "paid" points were originally introduced to encourage that now dying art of "team riding" whereby an experienced rider could help a more junior team-mate to get home ahead of the opposition without it costing him hard earned cash! Also designed to stop two team mates going at it hammer and tong for the extra point (and cash). I add this post simply because I was asked the very same question on the Isle of Wight, when I was visiting, by a first timer who wanted to know why a rider in second was not trying to pass for first place. We long time fans tend to take this sort of knowledge for granted. In fact, the Isle of Wight actually now go through the basics of the sport before meetings for the new comers, which I thought was a typically thoughtful approach from the promotion to ensure new potential fans got more from the night.
  19. coventry1963

    Ivan Mauger

    Speaking to Jack Parker many years ago, he always maintained that any of the top riders from any era would have been close to the top in any other era. He said Fundin, Mauger, Briggs, Nielsen et al at their peak would have been formidable opponents to him in his era and, at his peak, he would have been the same to them in their time. He said any of the top riders would have adapted to the era at the time with bikes, styles etc. Any comparison therefore has to be subjective.
  20. coventry1963

    British Fatalities Analysis

    Sorry, haven't looked at site again till tonight. Yes, 1975 would be right, didn't remember the name but will always remember those first few moments when we got to him. Nothing I could do except follow the instructions of the St John's guys, who were literally seconds behind me, as it was immediately obvious that it was extremely serious. Very, very sad day.
  21. coventry1963

    British Fatalities Analysis

    I agree on the chance element. I was doping and oiling at a Coventry winter training session when a guy clipped a back wheel, straightened up just enough to hit the wire safety fence at the perfect angle to catapult him onto the concrete terracing. I was nearest the gate through to the terracing and will always remember being one of the first to reach him, only to find he had serious head injury because of how he happened to land. He died in hospital several days later. Roger Hill, on the other hand, had a very similar situation at Coventry, also landing on the concrete terrace but he actually walked away, suffering only a broken arm.
  22. coventry1963

    Holder Sacked

    Think only he and Ove Fundin achieved the ten consecutive years podiums.
  23. coventry1963

    Belle Vue 2017

    18.12.6 seems to suggest that once a team reaches the play-offs then none of those riders can guest. i.e. Four teams in play-offs excludes all members of those four teams guesting in any play-off match - or is that too logical an interpretation of said rule?
  24. coventry1963

    Cardiff 2017

    Just a thought on Jason Doyle's frustration in the pits tunnel following his fall. Bearing in mind that he had just limped about two hundred yards across the stadium following his crash, his pit crew THEN offered him his crutches for the last few yards to his pit box. At the same time the guy took his crash helmet from him and dropped it on the floor! Maybe, just maybe, he thought that his crew might have run his crutches out to him a little bit earlier and saved him at least some of the pain of walking. I think I might have been a touch frustrated by then!
  25. coventry1963

    Speedway World Cup 2017

    Many thanks racers and royals.
×

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy