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Thornaby48

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Everything posted by Thornaby48

  1. Thornaby48

    Handicap Racing

    I am new to the forum and don't know if this subject has been brought up before. I have just returned in the last 3 years to speedway after a 14 year gap due to working unsociable hours. One thing that hasn't changed whilst I have been away is the processional racing we get from time to time. Recently I visited a northern track where every race was won from the gate and after the 2nd bend it was a case of follow the leader, I counted no more than 3 overtakes in 15 races and the final result could have been declared after one lap of "racing" rather than the usual four. This isn't always the case of course. I feel that to bring in handicap racing would make it much more interesting and give the lower average riders a chance to make a competitive race of it for at least one lap. I suggest that after heat 4,when all the riders have had 1 race to get the feel of the track the heat leaders are handicapped 15 meters. This wouldn't apply to heats 8, 14, and 15 where the top riders are nominated. This means the heat leaders have to win a race using their skill as well as their faster bikes to pass the slower and less able riders . Other sports have handicaps---- golf ,horse racing, American speedway ,Formula 1 racing where the fastest drivers start at the front and in fact in speedway, in 1963 the likes of Barry Briggs, Ove Fundin, and others were handicapped. Also our present system of Points Limits on teams is a form of handicap making all teams equal penalising the strong to help the weak. A lot of ideas sound good on paper but don't work in practice, but it would be interesting to see if two teams were willing to try it out.
  2. Thornaby48

    Speedway shambles

    Even with 6 man teams the same problems with riders missing due to injuries etc will exist , just one less rider to worry about. To my mind r/r is the best way forward and that when both teams want to use it ,it gets cancelled out and the no.8 is promoted. This used to be the system years ago and gives the no.8 valuable experience.
  3. Thornaby48

    Speedway to reinvent itself?

    It is all well and good bringing in novelty speedway of 2 laps or 3 man teams etc. People want to see their 7 man team ,no guests, riding in a league or the cup. Make the racing exciting. Every race has 4 riders of varying standard, usually 2 heat leaders and 2 second string so we end up with 2 races in each heat and the first out of the gate wins ,especially on the large tracks. I feel that handicap racing is the future based on the riders average thus giving the “second string” riders a chance to be competitive for at least the first lap. This could also help to produce “team riding” (Which is a lost art) if the heat leader can protect his partner from the attacking opponents. Surely this is the excitment needed in speedway.
  4. Thornaby48

    Taking the knee

    In 18 years of caravanning i have only once seen a coloured family doing likewise. Some things just do not appeal to them just as i am sure some of the things they enjoy dont appeal to us.
  5. I am sure some speedway will take place this year but nothing of any significance. Why dont we take this opportunity to experiment with new (and old) ideas?Why not try handicap racing , or perhaps changing the points scored in races to 4,3,2,0 to encourage team riding just as in the pairs competition ,what about trying out the old 13 heat+ second half used in the 70s.? Perhaps teams of 6 riders each or maybe 8 riders to bring more juniors along. Teams could have mini leagues of say 3 teams racing each other twice trying out a new formula ,which if sucessful could be used next year.
  6. Thornaby48

    RACE COMMENTARY?

    I also think it's a daft idea ,when we can clearly see what is happening. Also, would we be able to hear above the noise of the bikes, plus in some parts of a stadium we cannot always hear the race result being announced. Might it also cause noise problems with the neighbours?
  7. Thornaby48

    AGM November 2018

    Am I correct in saying that the Premier League teams have only 12 home league meetings plus a British Youth Championship round ,or have I missed something ?
  8. Thornaby48

    AGM November 2018

    Speed way has never made a serious attempt at automatic promotion and relegation ,so why not try it now? It's recognised that there isn't the massive difference in standards between the Premier and Championship Leagues that there used to be . The 1st division ( Premier League) could be the existing 7 teams plus the top 3 from the Championship and the 2nd division(Championship League) could add 2 teams from the National League or elsewhere. Promotion and relegation would be the top2 teams up with the bottom 2 relegated. This is assuming that all this years teams still run. The season would open ,as suggested ,with a regionalised competition involving mixing all teams and the end of the season with a Ko cup likewise. This would mean that doubling up would have to end and if the scourge of guests persisted ,then they would come from the opposite league and not their own.
  9. I was just reading the letters page of the Daily Express this morning and I saw a letter about Formula One racing having similar problems to speed way. I quote "What used to be motor racing has now been reduced to a fast procession, the cars often finishing in the order they started. Super-expensive machines overloaded with electronics, some of the best drivers in the world and the result? Total boredom." He goes on " But the FP3 and F2 races are great, fast and exciting.Young drivers really going for it, overtaking close racing,what F1 used to be before the dead- hand of engineering took over. Sounds familiar? Except F1 pulls in the British GP more fans in one meeting than speed way combined attracts in one season.
  10. Thornaby48

    Riders' Averages

    Like Tapeworm, I don't like rider control but it is a necessary evil. Speed way, unlike other major sports doesn't have strength in depth. Take football, it has hundreds of teams from pub teams to the Premier League with thousands of players, so the cream can rise to the top. Rugby likewise has thousands of players. When I played for West Hartlepool RFU we had 5 teams and I played in the 2 nd team. Cricket is another and sports like golf ,tennis and athletics have mass participants with the best rising to the top. Speed way does have a stepped structure from junior teams ,the NL, then CL and at the top PL. But with 28 teams and about 250 riders ranging from novices to world class it is not possible to have league's of teams with similar strength. Since we no longer have the traditional second halves the new riders are not coming through. In deed non of Redcars junior team have ridden in the first team. So without a points limit the rich teams would sign all the best riders and the PL would consist of maybe only 4 teams! Tapeworm idea was a bit like looking at a painting by Picasso----puzzling, but at least someone has raised the question. Like guest riders, the points limit is a necessary evil but needs some refining to stop teams abusing the system. The only thing I can think of is to raise the points limit but I would like to see teams who raise a rider from novice to heat leader having some form of exemption so that they can keep them rather than being punished.
  11. Thornaby48

    Boring formula 1 racing

    The point I was making is that here is a sport (Formula 1) where billions of pounds is spent ,run by millionaire owners and drivers, massive sponsorship and tv coverage and attendances in the tens of thousands and yet some fans find the racing processional with little overtaking ( what do they expect when the fastest drivers start at the front of the grid ) and boring.So speedway ,with its limited budget, is not the only sport where some of its fans complain about boring,processional racing. It was just an observation.
  12. Thornaby48

    The continuing decline of Speedway

    It would be nice to have a constructive comment instead of all negative ones
  13. Thornaby48

    The continuing decline of Speedway

    I see from last night's results that the Scunthorpe v Sheffield and Glasgow v Newcastle that all 4 teams used r/r. What happened to the rule that when both teams use r/r and or guests they ruled each other out and promote the no8?. People say they want to see 7 riders in the team's and comment that next season there will be a shortage of riders, well the good book says (and I don't mean the BSPA rule book) "Reap what thy shalt sow" but if we don't give our no 8 a chance then the harvest of new talent will be very thin.
  14. Thornaby48

    The need for reserves?

    Unless I am mistaken all riders can have 7 rides. 4 programmed rides,1 tac.sub.,1 r/r, and1 nominated rider. I do agree that this is too many rides for anyone.
  15. Thornaby48

    The need for reserves?

    Surely the reserve berths are also there to allow the better juniors an easy way into the team rather than chucking them in at 1-5 .
  16. Thornaby48

    Meaningful Second Halves anyone?

    The danger with 20 matches is if a team is running away with the match it becomes very boring. I am in favour of the old "40-38" formula with interval after heat 13 followed by a second half. The good thing about the old system is that it allowed the reserves extra rides including the up and coming riders who got valuable experience against established riders. At Middlesbrough several riders came through the ranks like this. At Redcar none of the current second junior's have appeared in the team despite on the odd occasion being listed at no 8.
  17. Thornaby48

    The continuing decline of Speedway

    I think that most people will agree that to win away from home, in any sport, is quite difficult with the old adage "home advantage" being true. In speed way tracks are different sizes, shapes and surfaces and so it is possibly even more difficult to get a good result. Therefore why not give away wins or draws extra points? I would suggest a system of 4 points home win, 2 for a home draw. Away win 6 points, 3 points for a draw and of course 0 points for defeats. Also give the away team 1 bonus point if they lose by 6 or less. When I have applied this system to the current league tables it hasn't made must difference position wise but does reflect the contribution a good away record makes to a team and could in the final run up to the season make a difference.
  18. Have I missed something, but have the semi finals been raced yet or have they been abandoned ?
  19. Thornaby48

    The continuing decline of Speedway

    I agree totally with what you say. According to the Speed way Regulation 2018 rule 15.2.1 and I quote "The time from finish of a heat to the start of the next not exceeds 4 minutes( including the 2 minute time allowance)". Allowing 60 seconds for the race then a meeting should last about 75 minutes (assuming no hold ups). I do not understand why we need an interval after 10 heats to my mind its an unnecessary delay and should be after heat15 and before the after match racing. After all if a match is exciting a 15 minute break could break its momentum and if the match is a bore it only prolongs the agony. Here ,up in the frozen north east it can get chilly late on and any unnecessary delays are not always welcome.
  20. Thornaby48

    The continuing decline of Speedway

    I can see your point but a rider cannot guarantee to ride to his average. How often do we see a heat leader score badly and a reserve get a very high score?
  21. Very heavy rain here in Thornaby, 5 miles from track
  22. Thornaby48

    The continuing decline of Speedway

    Tonight Redcar will be using 2 guests for the missing Anderson brothers, and I am not going. Had they used r/r and a guest then yes I would be there . I do not like guest riders but unfortunately in speed way they are a necessary evil but it has to be controlled. Use a guest for an injured no.1 only and limit the appearances to say 6 or 8meeting only and withdraw the facility three quarters of the way into the season so guests cannot influence end of season play off positions.No guests for reserves, use the no8. I am very much in favour of the r/r system , you are at least watching your own riders. Wouldn't it be cheaper using r/r than paying for a guest? However the system falls down because you are not replacing like for like, you are replacing a missing rider with riders of inferior average in many cases ,why not allow riders up to 2 r/r rides to even it up.
  23. Thornaby48

    Predictaheat

    This sounds like quite a good game to play. I am not modern technically minded but could an app be made so youngsters can play this on their phone's and it might encourage them to start attending speedway with their friends.
  24. Thornaby48

    The continuing decline of Speedway

    I have never understood why we have play offs, just copying football I think. Why not, at the end of the season have the KO cup with the top 4 teams automatically going into the quarter finals to meet the 4 surviving teams from a series of qualifying ko rounds. The top 4 would then be drawn against the other 4 and not each other until the semis.
  25. Thornaby48

    NO WORD FROM THE BSPA

    Here is an idea , if we want a Mickey Mouse sport to attract the kids ,have the riders dress as Disney characters. The rider in red would be Prince Charming, in blue Mickey, in white The Wicked Witch and yellow/ black would be Black Beard the pirate (no disrespect to Poole).
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