What Would You Change In Speedway Next Season?

[4thbender 382]

Ahead of the annual promoters' meeting, at which all the important decisions are made, now is the time for us - the paying punters - to tell them what we want to see changed. League structures, doubling-up, guest riders and tactical rides are all high on the agenda, but what smaller (less controversial) issues might we want to see changed?

 

My personal pet hate is watching riders spend minutes prior to every race digging away at the start-line with their steel shoes. This has only crept into speedway in the last few years - it never happened back in the day. They'll be arming themselves with shovels next! Track curators should be given the responsibility of paying special attention between races to ensuring that the start-line is firm. flat and with a good covering of dirt, offering no advantage to any of the start positions. The practice of riders carrying out their own 'gardening' should thereafter be outlawed, with a 15 metre penalty for first offences and disqualification thereafter.

 

What blights might others like to see removed?

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

Opening pit gates for stoppages due to tape infringements, just wave the riders round. 2 minutes on striaght away.

Dont mind pit gates opening if there has been a crash and rider needs to sort himself out or his bike.

[scaramanga 895]

the warning system is overly used and spoiling some meetings

the 2 pointer rule has in large been hard for some teams whIli the odd 1 or 2 its worked out really well

while im not aganst doubling up things need to be looked at no way should riders ride in all 3 leagues especially for the same clubs like dan bewlley and jack smith did

its just to hard filling in for them when dates clash or 5 or 6 meetings in a row

Edited October 1, 2017 by scarra

[tyretrax 2,252]

Stop penalizing riders for making the gate. Touch the tapes and you're out.

[Baldyman 6,243]

Nearly everything

[scaniaman 12]

how about six man teams with a extra to cover injuries

referees getting the starts right.its obvious the riders are sitting still to enable him to release the tapes so therefore if they are still he releases tapes so how can there be unsatisfactory starts

stop the doubling up

[Baldyman 6,243]

Opening pit gates for stoppages due to tape infringements, just wave the riders round. 2 minutes on striaght away.

Dont mind pit gates opening if there has been a crash and rider needs to sort himself out or his bike.

Don't have 2 mins for tape infringements as that still gives time for faffing about. 30 seconds max

[Fromafar 10,338]

Change my mind ,and do something else with my money.!!

[MD 1,305]

Doubling up restricted to two riders, one of whom must be British

 

In preparation for restricting EU nationals in 18 months, establish a strategic policy of attracting riders from Australia and NZ, removing the minimum entry criteria and allowing them to race in the NL. That way they can ride at home during our winter, come here in the summer, riding regularly against a higher standard of rider and become better riders who can increase the pool of available riders in our league. They speak our language, are culturally similar and dont run off home at every opportunity for nothing meetings. Occasionally like a whinge but I can see past that. Might also extend to the USA.

 

Two minute warning is ready to race at the tapes not trundling round at their own pace

 

Tapes infringements without exclusion should be a 1 minute warning again ready to race at the tapes

 

Riders with two on the trot should get an additional 2 minutes only then standard 2 minutes on

 

Warnings given to riders for jumping should carry forward resulting in exclusion if they do it again just like GP's

 

Additional training given to referees to consistently apply the rules and establish best practice (Dishington to be re-trained at the first opportunity)

 

Minimum entry level to our league is 3.00 - nowhere near enough successes at 2.00 to justify continuing with it. Its just watering down and cost cutting!

 

Guests bookings and r/r should reflect a riders home or away average e.g. a Sedgmen on 6.5 but who's actual home average is 8 and away average is 5 should only get a guest or r/r up to 5 on the road and his equivalent at home - too much piss taking and its a grossly unfair advantage even though everyone uses it

 

Teams should ride every week on their race night with rain offs to be run on their alternative night

 

Visiting teams subject to a rain off should be offered three dates then via a Management Committee mechanism told what the date is should they decline all three

 

Drawn meetings in the KOC should go to golden heats or countback and be dealt with that night. This year has been a farce.

 

Some BSPA shared events to be run on Bank Holiday Mondays and weekdays during summer holidays. Weekend clubs are already disadvantaged by the Cardiff GP, World Cup etc.

 

Reintroduce the Premier Trophy - its too long a season with only 10 teams to play everyone twice when by June you could clearly see the play off contenders and strugglers

 

Playoffs to be six teams and not four

 

Make better use of the NSS as a training facility

 

Non serious injuries requiring a visit to hospital but not an ambulance should result in riders being driven to A&E not delivered by the track ambulance and creating unnecessary delays (I did say non serious).

 

Rider sick notes to be for a minimum of 7 days regardless of the reason, to stop the picking and choosing free for all

 

Bring in a range of rules to restore the balance of power back from riders. Whilst no riders means no clubs, no customers means no riders are required. We seem to have lost perspective that speedway is there to entertain the paying punter who also has plenty of other options for their dollar.

[StevePark 2,780]

Don't have 2 mins for tape infringements as that still gives time for faffing about. 30 seconds max

 

Depends how long it takes to fix the tapes though! I know a few tracks that take an age to put another set of tapes on!

[scaramanga 895]

 

Depends how long it takes to fix the tapes though! I know a few tracks that take an age to put another set of tapes on!

but if tapes arnt broken i agree it should be only 1 min for rerun

also a 2 mins clock should be displayed at all tracks to stop refs being biassed 1 way or the other we had 30 seconed warning at workington and after about 15 secs tops the yellow light was switched off and jim mcregor was flashing the green lights

also a maximum period inbetween ht 14 and announcing line up for ht 15

[Baldyman 6,243]

 

Depends how long it takes to fix the tapes though! I know a few tracks that take an age to put another set of tapes on!

I only meant for a jump start, tapes breaks are obviously different, but once tapes are fixed you get 30 seconds

[TheScotsman 2,482]

Doubling up restricted to two riders, one of whom must be British

 

In preparation for restricting EU nationals in 18 months, establish a strategic policy of attracting riders from Australia and NZ, removing the minimum entry criteria and allowing them to race in the NL. That way they can ride at home during our winter, come here in the summer, riding regularly against a higher standard of rider and become better riders who can increase the pool of available riders in our league. They speak our language, are culturally similar and dont run off home at every opportunity for nothing meetings. Occasionally like a whinge but I can see past that. Might also extend to the USA.

 

Two minute warning is ready to race at the tapes not trundling round at their own pace

 

Tapes infringements without exclusion should be a 1 minute warning again ready to race at the tapes

 

Riders with two on the trot should get an additional 2 minutes only then standard 2 minutes on

 

Warnings given to riders for jumping should carry forward resulting in exclusion if they do it again just like GP's

 

Additional training given to referees to consistently apply the rules and establish best practice (Dishington to be re-trained at the first opportunity)

 

Minimum entry level to our league is 3.00 - nowhere near enough successes at 2.00 to justify continuing with it. Its just watering down and cost cutting!

 

Guests bookings and r/r should reflect a riders home or away average e.g. a Sedgmen on 6.5 but who's actual home average is 8 and away average is 5 should only get a guest or r/r up to 5 on the road and his equivalent at home - too much piss taking and its a grossly unfair advantage even though everyone uses it

 

Teams should ride every week on their race night with rain offs to be run on their alternative night

 

Visiting teams subject to a rain off should be offered three dates then via a Management Committee mechanism told what the date is should they decline all three

 

Drawn meetings in the KOC should go to golden heats or countback and be dealt with that night. This year has been a farce.

 

Some BSPA shared events to be run on Bank Holiday Mondays and weekdays during summer holidays. Weekend clubs are already disadvantaged by the Cardiff GP, World Cup etc.

 

Reintroduce the Premier Trophy - its too long a season with only 10 teams to play everyone twice when by June you could clearly see the play off contenders and strugglers

 

Playoffs to be six teams and not four

 

Make better use of the NSS as a training facility

 

Non serious injuries requiring a visit to hospital but not an ambulance should result in riders being driven to A&E not delivered by the track ambulance and creating unnecessary delays (I did say non serious).

 

Rider sick notes to be for a minimum of 7 days regardless of the reason, to stop the picking and choosing free for all

 

Bring in a range of rules to restore the balance of power back from riders. Whilst no riders means no clubs, no customers means no riders are required. We seem to have lost perspective that speedway is there to entertain the paying punter who also has plenty of other options for their dollar.

 

Hate to say this but I agree with virtually all these points even though they are from a weegie!!

 

I especially agree about the lads from Oz.

They have been great for the Scottish clubs over the years because they are willing to ride up there.

Too many of the southerners won't make the trip.

 

Need a bit more clarification on the double uppers though.

A number of those are first committed to and are assets of team A who may then are signed by team B.

Can't penalose team A for that so I assume you stop them doubling up if 2 in team A are already doubling up?

[GS550 449]

My personal pet hate is watching riders spend minutes prior to every race digging away at the start-line with their steel shoes. This has only crept into speedway in the last few years

 

The practice of riders carrying out their own 'gardening' should thereafter be outlawed, with a 15 metre penalty for first offences and disqualification thereafter.

 

 

Has only crept into speedway in the last few years?? You're kidding me!! Its been going on for at least 30 years.

 

I do agree that it should be outlawed and I agree with your proposed penalties.

[topaz325 1,853]

Been through this many times in the past............................

 

Presentation, prompt start times, better music, twisted rules, politics in the sport, double up/down/backwards/forwards and return, starting rules, gaps in the fixture list then scrabble to get fixtures run in late sept/Oct, riders missing for many reasons including riding in the Latvian junior u21 but only on a Sunday but if its rained off you can have guest rider plus or minus 9.72224 average.

 

I could go on ...., im sure i have missed something else.