Robert Lambert Mouthing Off In The Star. Oh Dear.

[iris123 20,984]

 

No he hasn't SCB has it wrong, the minimum age for a moped is 16.

 

However I think that the SCB have it right with their refusal to make exceptions on age limits for riders to compete against adults. 15 is plenty young enough and as soon as you make an exception, say for Robert then the queue will form for others to be excepted. Robert might cope but how can you decide who can? Is the cut off a half second a lap slower than Robert or 1 second? Whatever it was somebody would be upset at being refused.

 

He's a young kid who let his mouth run away with him a bit, not the end of the world and no doubt as he matures he will learn just like most of us did.

It isn't easy,but i do think in the case of speedway where we are dealing with such small numbers there could be a deal of flexibility.These things are all different in the speedway world as well as in real world.SCB states that even at the age of 19 you can't ride a 500cc on the road,but could be speedway world champion.But i do understand that you make an exception and where do you draw the line.My personal opinion is if a rider can do 4 laps of a track on a 500cc in a NL standard time on any given track then he should be ready.If someone can't then they ain't

[BWitcher 12,453]

Just going by Addios statement that you can't hold a driving licence under the age of 16.You have proved him and me wrong :t:But like i said a competence test for the 20 or 30 youngsters who might want to race a 500cc is a hell of a lot less complicated than the 100s of thousands who might want to do so on the road

That could be said of you and about 20 or 50 threads Pot,kettle + black anyone?

 

Wrong, as I generally have a position to defend and am able to defend it without tying myself in knots.

 

There is simply nothing for you to defend here. Lambert was not victimised. He simply had to abide by the rules that every other young budding speedway rider in the country had to abide by.

It isn't easy,but i do think in the case of speedway where we are dealing with such small numbers there could be a deal of flexibility.These things are all different in the speedway world as well as in real world.SCB states that even at the age of 19 you can't ride a 500cc on the road,but could be speedway world champion.But i do understand that you make an exception and where do you draw the line.My personal opinion is if a rider can do 4 laps of a track on a 500cc in a NL standard time on any given track then he should be ready.If someone can't then they ain't

 

All well and good until the first time the 14 year old is injured or causes the injury to another rider.

 

The rule in place is 100% sensible. It seems the only people who disagree with this are you and the Lamberts.

[BluTiger 21,697]

 

Wrong, as I generally have a position to defend and am able to defend it without tying myself in knots.

 

There is simply nothing for you to defend here. Lambert was not victimised. He simply had to abide by the rules that every other young budding speedway rider in the country had to abide by.

 

All well and good until the first time the 14 year old is injured or causes the injury to another rider.

 

The rule in place is 100% sensible. It seems the only people who disagree with this are you and the Lamberts.

Absolutely 100% correct...

[iris123 20,984]

 

 

 

All well and good until the first time the 14 year old is injured or causes the injury to another rider.

 

The rule in place is 100% sensible. It seems the only people who disagree with this are you and the Lamberts.

Or the Germans.......in all my time here i have never seen or heard of such an incident tbh.The one incident that comes to mind with a "junior" rider was the unfortunate accident involving Sönke Petersen who rode for a number of years on 500cc from the age of 14 until the sad day when he was about 20 years old he came off his bike and went feet first into a fence,.Sadly a rider can have a bad accident on any bike and at any age

[Skidder1 7,637]

Or the Germans.......in all my time here i have never seen or heard of such an incident tbh.The one incident that comes to mind with a "junior" rider was the unfortunate accident involving Sönke Petersen who rode for a number of years on 500cc from the age of 14 until the sad day when he was about 20 years old he came off his bike and went feet first into a fence,.Sadly a rider can have a bad accident on any bike and at any age

So, best to have a rule in place for the younger ones then!!!!

[iris123 20,984]

So, best to have a rule in place for the younger ones then!!!!

Yup.That is what i have also stated.Just imo because of the small numbers i think it could be a flexible rule based on ability rather than one that states wednesday you can't ride,but thursday because you have a birthday you can......

[BWitcher 12,453]

Yup.That is what i have also stated.Just imo because of the small numbers i think it could be a flexible rule based on ability rather than one that states wednesday you can't ride,but thursday because you have a birthday you can......

 

That's life. Deal with it. Most others do.

 

Next Lamberts family will be bleating the speed limits are different in the UK to Germany.

[Vince 9,458]

It isn't easy,but i do think in the case of speedway where we are dealing with such small numbers there could be a deal of flexibility.These things are all different in the speedway world as well as in real world.SCB states that even at the age of 19 you can't ride a 500cc on the road,but could be speedway world champion.But i do understand that you make an exception and where do you draw the line.My personal opinion is if a rider can do 4 laps of a track on a 500cc in a NL standard time on any given track then he should be ready.If someone can't then they ain't

 

There will be quite a few kids who can do NL times on their own but lack the physical strength to cope when things go wrong in a group of riders. You have to think of the risk to the people they are competing against as well as their own well being. Go to an amateur meeting and you will sometimes see riders who are fairly quick but just can't cope with a crowded track.

 

Speedway isn't a career that is all over in 5 years so I can see no reason to risk having 14 year old riders competing against adults. At the moment there is one rider unhappy with the situation but who has the opportunity to progress in exactly the same way but 12 months later. There would be (has been at times with 15 year old riders in the NL) plenty of complaints about older riders if they put a 14 year old through the fence and hurt him by hard riding.

[iris123 20,984]

 

There will be quite a few kids who can do NL times on their own but lack the physical strength to cope when things go wrong in a group of riders. You have to think of the risk to the people they are competing against as well as their own well being. Go to an amateur meeting and you will sometimes see riders who are fairly quick but just can't cope with a crowded track.

 

Speedway isn't a career that is all over in 5 years so I can see no reason to risk having 14 year old riders competing against adults. At the moment there is one rider unhappy with the situation but who has the opportunity to progress in exactly the same way but 12 months later. There would be (has been at times with 15 year old riders in the NL) plenty of complaints about older riders if they put a 14 year old through the fence and hurt him by hard riding.

Yes,but we have also had similar cases with women put in the fence.And are girls of 15 as strong as boys?Is there a different rule for girls + boys?I do remember a few young girls riding as well,although a couple of sisters have just last season moved up to 500cc and only wanted to do demo/training rides.But from talking to them it did seem as if that was their own choice..

[kiwi 49]

gonna have a great world cup/pairs, the Germans I mean. Smolinski, Lambert.

[Daniel Smith 5,661]

Questions for iris123

 

How is it possible to judge if a 14yr old is strong enough to face top class speedway?

[SCB 0]

Can you imagine the uproar is a 14 year old is taken out by a much older rider, you'd have people claiming they should take it easy against him as he's only a kid. What if an older, more experience rider wiped him out? Imagine the uproar. For once I think the BSPA have this right.

[E I Addio 15,845]

Yes,but we have also had similar cases with women put in the fence.And are girls of 15 as strong as boys?Is there a different rule for girls + boys?I do remember a few young girls riding as well,although a couple of sisters have just last season moved up to 500cc and only wanted to do demo/training rides.But from talking to them it did seem as if that was their own choice..

 

Presumably the "we " you are referring to means Germany .

 

I will spell it out as succinctly as I can :-

 

Speedway Star has pointed out that Germany is the exception in allowing 14 year olds to compete on 500cc machines. The fact that it is an exception means most other countries don't allow riders to compete on %00cc machines that young. Are you with me so far ?

 

Therefore we can see that in not allowing 14 year olds to compete with seniors the BSPA are in line with most other countries . Agreed ?

 

Now, if you bother to read the article in SS, (which you clearly haven't) you will see that even Lambert himself does not say in terms that the rule is wrong per se. He doesn't even say there should be some sort of competency test as you claim . What he actually says is:-"The reason I'm racing in Germany is because they wouldn't let me race over here at a young age. I was ready to take the step up and they wouldn't let me race". Note the highlighted part. . He wants the rule waived especially for him.

 

Even up to this point one can see his point of view. If he thinks riding in Germany helps his career, fair enough, but the then the tantrum comes. Because the BSPA won't break the rule that applies to most other riders in most other speedway countries they must be punished by Master Lambert, who says he will not ride for Team GB. ""I wouldn't do it. " he asserts " There is such a sour taste in my mouth I wouldn't put myself out to do it" ( not that he has even been asked to ride for team GB at the moment )

 

If any rider declines to ride for Team GB because they lose money and don't get paid on time , (as some have ) most fans could at least have sympathy with that position. Riders have to consider their financial situation, but when this schoolboy stamps his feet and says he won't ride for his national team because the BSPA won't waive a rule that is pretty standard practice in most countries then that is in the opinion of many, both childish and churlish. That is the point.

Can you imagine the uproar is a 14 year old is taken out by a much older rider, you'd have people claiming they should take it easy against him as he's only a kid. What if an older, more experience rider wiped him out? Imagine the uproar. For once I think the BSPA have this right.

 

 

Exactly. The other night we saw one of the best riders in the world, Darcy ward, wiped out and rendered unconscious, in a racing accident. Sadly we have seen Ricky Ashworth a competent rider very seriously hurt in a racing accident. Last year we saw Peter Karlsson badly hurt at Lamberts home track. We don't like to admit it but the plain fact is that MOTOR RACING IS DAGEROUS in all its forms, and if we were to swap Darcy, Ricky or PK for Lambert there would be all kind of complaints against the BSPA. The difference is that those three are deemed to be old enough to join the army, get married, have driving licence, and generally make their own decisions in life, which with the best will in the world 14 year old schoolchildren need to be protected from. Of course kids should have access to sport and some do get hurt but you have to have controls.

I agree , the BSPA have got this one right. I think all of us except Iris agree on that.

[stratton 1,491]

That's life. Deal with it. Most others do.

 

Next Lamberts family will be bleating the speed limits are different in the UK to Germany.

You might be right in what you say,but give the Lambert's a bit of slack eh!.You do seem to be on there case he is BRITISH you know!! a bit of SUPPORT wouldn't go amiss.

[Fromafar 10,363]

You might be right in what you say,but give the Lambert's a bit of slack eh!.You do seem to be on there case he is BRITISH you know!! a bit of SUPPORT wouldn't go amiss.

the Lamberts should engage brain before putting mouth into gear and this thread would never have started.They have themselves to blame IMO