Little Thumper 528 Posted January 6, 2017 I got a very irrate pm from a family member of an ex rider who several thought was me several months ago but again I said it wasn't but several members went into overdrive thinking it was in the mean time ripping apart the rider and his personal life including very personal things about his wife leaving ect. The rider named is Not me and again if I wanted to be known I would and this is my choice but don't drag innocent people into it by naming and shaming there careers and family life's. Steve please read above, cheers Well, that's all very interesting but why are you having a go at me? I only asked Speedibee if the Gary Frankum to whom he referred was the one in the picture and to be honest, I wish I hadn't bothered! robert72, I have absolutely no interest in who you might or might not be and perhaps now might be a good time to get back to the fascinating discussion about the dynamics of air fences. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted January 6, 2017 I got a very irrate pm from a family member of an ex rider who several thought was me several months ago but again I said it wasn't but several members went into overdrive thinking it was in the mean time ripping apart the rider and his personal life including very personal things about his wife leaving ect. The rider named is Not me and again if I wanted to be known I would and this is my choice but don't drag innocent people into it by naming and shaming there careers and family life's. Steve please read above, cheers I respect your wishes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Little Thumper 528 Posted January 6, 2017 I respect your wishes. Hey, you're being a bit grovelly there, if you don't mind me saying! Do you have any views on air fences, steve? Personally, I quite like the yellow ones as they always seem to remind me of bouncy castles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sings4Speedway 3,247 Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) Well, that's all very interesting but why are you having a go at me? I only asked Speedibee if the Gary Frankum to whom he referred was the one in the picture and to be honest, I wish I hadn't bothered! robert72, I have absolutely no interest in who you might or might not be and perhaps now might be a good time to get back to the fascinating discussion about the dynamics of air fences. Phew! Right so how can cost effectively air fences be improved / secured. Also who should be ensuring they are correctly tethered before a meeting? Its clearly not someone who puts themselves in jeopardy racing on the limit with the belief that the air fence will offer some safety elements rather than lifting and allowing the horrific injuries that the solid barriers located behind present them. Edited January 6, 2017 by Sings4Kings Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Little Thumper 528 Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) Phew! Right so how can cost effectively air fences be improved / secured. Also who should be ensuring they are correctly tethered before a meeting? Its clearly not someone who puts themselves in jeopardy racing on the limit with the belief that the air fence will offer some safety elements rather than lifting and allowing the horrific injuries that the solid barriers located behind present them. Air fences may not be perfect but nobody wants to see this Surely, it is the responsibility of the Clerk of Course to ensure that air fences are correctly installed. Edited January 6, 2017 by Little Thumper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted January 6, 2017 Hey, you're being a bit grovelly there, if you don't mind me saying! Do you have any views on air fences, steve? Personally, I quite like the yellow ones as they always seem to remind me of bouncy castles. They sort of appeared at domestic level after I stopped going. I do recall an argument for not having them on the straights as they tended to drag riders in (I think that Lukas Dryml was caught out once?) I would imagine that they have improved dramatically since then however. I do recall when I tentatively took my initial rides around King's Lynn that solid fence did tend to send my trousers a rather peculiar colour of brown as I edged near it. Would have felt happier if the fence had been of a softer compound! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speedibee 3,091 Posted January 6, 2017 Do you mean this Gary Frankum? That's the feller Thumper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Little Thumper 528 Posted January 6, 2017 That's the feller Thumper He seemed to have a pretty short career which was curtailed by illness. Do you know much about him, speedi? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edmon 166 Posted January 6, 2017 Gary rode a number of Conference League and Conference League Grand Prix meetings for us in 1995, including home meetings at Linlithgow, and away at Sittingbourne (Iwade) and Exeter. Always keen to get any extra rides that were going. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martinmauger 584 Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) Saw a prog the other nite about the early days of F1 and the lack of safety: at one point they were losing an average of one driver per month. Amongst other improvements the drivers demanded armco barriers at all circuits as some drivers had been killed when oping off the circuit and crashing in woods. Well at one GP, Spain early 1970's I believe it was, Emerson Fittipaldi didn't believe the armco was secure as it was attached to posts by bolts - no nuts - and bits of wire, he kicked the barrier and a lot of it collapsed. Emmo refused to race, he was either World Champion or at least GP leading points scorer at the time, but after sitting out most of qualifying the rest did eventually race. A driver crashed in the race and was killed, decapitated, as the armco barrier at one point was too positioned too high. Crashes still occur in F1, as they always will, but 99% of the time drivers stagger, if not walk away from enormous accidents which perviously they would not have survived and mercifully fatailities are almost unheard of.... Edited January 6, 2017 by Martin Mauger Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robert72 845 Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) Saw a prog the other nite about the early days of F1 and the lack of safety: at one point they were losing an average of one driver per month. Amongst other improvements the drivers demanded armco barriers at all circuits as some drivers had been killed when oping off the circuit and crashing in woods. Well at one GP, Spain early 1970's I believe it was, Emerson Fittipaldi didn't believe the armco was secure as it was attached to posts by bolts - no nuts - and bits of wire, he kicked the barrier and a lot of it collapsed. Emmo refused to race, he was either World Champion or at least GP leading points scorer at the time, but after sitting out most of qualifying the rest did eventually race. A driver crashed in the race and was killed, decapitated, as the armco barrier at one point was too positioned too high. Crashes still occur in F1, as they always will, but 99% of the time drivers stagger, if not walk away from enormous accidents which perviously they would not have survived and mercifully fatailities are almost unheard of.... Maybe they should look at the race suits, were leathers safer than kevlars ? Would a inflatable suit like bomber wore be safer. Air fences may not be perfect but nobody wants to see this Surely, it is the responsibility of the Clerk of Course to ensure that air fences are correctly installed. don't they have a health and safety person that checks things now Phew! Right so how can cost effectively air fences be improved / secured. Also who should be ensuring they are correctly tethered before a meeting? Its clearly not someone who puts themselves in jeopardy racing on the limit with the belief that the air fence will offer some safety elements rather than lifting and allowing the horrific injuries that the solid barriers located behind present them. Riders walk the track looking for ruts but don't check the air fence, maybe they should now Edited January 7, 2017 by robert72 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trees 2,814 Posted January 7, 2017 Saw a prog the other nite about the early days of F1 and the lack of safety: at one point they were losing an average of one driver per month. Amongst other improvements the drivers demanded armco barriers at all circuits as some drivers had been killed when oping off the circuit and crashing in woods. Well at one GP, Spain early 1970's I believe it was, Emerson Fittipaldi didn't believe the armco was secure as it was attached to posts by bolts - no nuts - and bits of wire, he kicked the barrier and a lot of it collapsed. Emmo refused to race, he was either World Champion or at least GP leading points scorer at the time, but after sitting out most of qualifying the rest did eventually race. A driver crashed in the race and was killed, decapitated, as the armco barrier at one point was too positioned too high. Crashes still occur in F1, as they always will, but 99% of the time drivers stagger, if not walk away from enormous accidents which perviously they would not have survived and mercifully fatailities are almost unheard of....Until this year again 😣 Of course riders should take an interest in the air fences, it's them likely to use them .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robert72 845 Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) Until this year again Of course riders should take an interest in the air fences, it's them likely to use them .... If a rider pops an air fence panel does part of the repair bill come from their wages ? Not sure how much each panel costs. Would a foam fence be cheaper long term Edited January 7, 2017 by robert72 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sommelier 1,118 Posted January 7, 2017 Soldier Boy, a Leicester fan? I don't think so! Soldier Boy was always stood in the same place at Hyde Road, right next to the start line. This was the ideal position for bellowing at whoever might be the subject of his attention. As I was a season ticket holder and had my own reserved seat (wow), I always positioned directly behind SB and was ideally placed to observe the looks on the riders' faces when they received a verbal lashing.. Now, perhaps like some on here, he was an International Man of Mystery hiding behind multiple identities and so might have popped up at Leicester. But I don't think so as he had Hyde Road blood running through his veins but hey, you could be right. Wrong, soldier boy was Leicester through & through in the early 70s. Ray Wilson was his idol. He used to give Olsen a very hard time! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trees 2,814 Posted January 7, 2017 He used to give Olsen a very hard time! Good! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
