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Speedway has adapted to the stadia we have and most are ancient.

If the sport started today with the engines available I wonder if a 500cc engine would be deemed safe enough to produce competent and entertaining racing especially in many of our stadia.

 

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4 hours ago, Sings4Speedway said:

There is no debating that engines are part of the problem but these are driven by promotions and the riders they are willing to sign. There are plenty of technically gifted riders about who have been overlooked over the years in favour of those who will wind the throttle fully open and hang on. Taking a moral stance in speedway won't get a rider anywhere and when riders either side of you are using top tier / GP level engines the only option to remain competitive is to follow suit. Sure plenty of riders are far from getting the best out of the engines but there are clubs who wouldn't even look at a rider using a longstroke jawa despite them being far more predictable. Id also like to add that whilst engines are an issue the new silencers are still having a huge effect on producing a safe controllable bike.

 

3 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

That is correct about the riders so that’s why the sport needs to impose strict rules on machinery of which there are currently barely any, 

 

3 hours ago, Sings4Speedway said:

There are rules in place that are not currently enforced. Its common knowledge that you can take a standard engine up to 600cc plus or that a 350cc motor could be taken to 420cc which would actually help on some tracks as putting down less power would be an advantage. Throw in the number of very dodgy carbs / nitro / fuel abuse which goes undetected every season and you can see why there is little hope of any meaningful restrictions being imposed.

The problem isn't so much those who are cheating, of which there are some, but fewer than most people think, the problem is with the law makers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we used to have a perfectly good rule only 6 years or so that said "No titanium or other super alloys allowed" despite everyone with a brain cell saying allowing it would be a bad idea, (including an article from a well known engine tuner) what did they do? Over turned the rule, the costs go up, the servicing intervals go down, the engines rev higher, become more difficult to ride. etc etc. 

Rev limiters. Been on the table for years, been a solution for years. I've been involved in the discussion about them for years. will not happen because the only way to enforce it is for every promotion to have 14 of them, and issue them like transponders in road racing before a meeting and get them back after wards. But that involves investment, so don't hold your breath.

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I'm sure that there are plenty of other threads that discuss the major issues that the sport faces on a national scale.

Returning to the matter of STOKE, can anyone advise if the track has been fixed and when fixtures will resume?

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17 minutes ago, uk_martin said:

I'm sure that there are plenty of other threads that discuss the major issues that the sport faces on a national scale.

Returning to the matter of STOKE, can anyone advise if the track has been fixed and when fixtures will resume?

You're right, need to draw a line under the other issues here, hopefully it can be fixed!

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Maybe if they  dig about a bit they might used nappies....well it wont be the first time.

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On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 11:06 AM, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

No what I’m saying is if different engines and to a point tyres were used then even inexperienced riders would cope no matter what the track was like , the modern engine just isn’t fit for the purpose, as I said in an earlier post if you put NL riders out at Cardiff after 10 heats when the ruts apear it would be carnage, unless it’s smooth and dry they are a pig to handle ,speedway needs to address this problem which is far bigger than one track which you clearly have issues with 

Which of us doesn't have an issue with a track that has a meeting abandoned due to the state of the surface, has13fallers in 10 heats and sends three riders home injured and then calls off their next scheduled meeting due to the track ? Every single speedway fan puts rider safety first, so every single one will have an issue.  Do you ? 

I am concerned about one club - and it is just one - doing their job properly and ensuring riders are as safe as they can.  What you are saying is that this isn't Stoke's fault at all - because you still haven't condemned them in anyway and almost certainly will not, regardless of what happened - and that Saturday night was down to riders and bikes. It wasn't, for the simple reason that it hasn't happened anywhere else to that degree. 

If the bikes are so bad, why were there just two fallers at Belle Vue on Friday ?  

Your solution to what happened is to have every rider in the country change all their equipment to suit the needs of promoters who simply can't be bothered to put the time and effort in to prepare a track properly.  Mine is to make those who think they can get away with that accountable when riders are injured. 

 

 

 

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17 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said:

Which of us doesn't have an issue with a track that has a meeting abandoned due to the state of the surface, has13fallers in 10 heats and sends three riders home injured and then calls off their next scheduled meeting due to the track ? Every single speedway fan puts rider safety first, so every single one will have an issue.  Do you ? 

I am concerned about one club - and it is just one - doing their job properly and ensuring riders are as safe as they can.  What you are saying is that this isn't Stoke's fault at all - because you still haven't condemned them in anyway and almost certainly will not, regardless of what happened - and that Saturday night was down to riders and bikes. It wasn't, for the simple reason that it hasn't happened anywhere else to that degree. 

If the bikes are so bad, why were there just two fallers at Belle Vue on Friday ?  

Your solution to what happened is to have every rider in the country change all their equipment to suit the needs of promoters who simply can't be bothered to put the time and effort in to prepare a track properly.  Mine is to make those who think they can get away with that accountable when riders are injured. 

 

 

 

Stoke didn’t call Saturday off the control board inspector did who I might add got sacked at a track for his track prep and it’s not changing  machinery to suit promotors it’s for the good of the sport and to say your interested in rider safety but are fine to let use engines which are unnecessarily. Dangerous , that’s good sense and no I’m not particularly bothered about riders safety and neither are the riders ,they would happily use a product no matter how dangerous it made it as long as it got race wins, what I am concerned about is entertainment for the public and riders sliding off here there and everywhere cause they are riding bikes they are struggling to handle is not entertainment, I have not condemned stokes track cause the SCB have done there job and I have bothered to go and find out what’s going on not just speculate about the problems and put the boot in, I have nothing more to say on this but I will be thinking about you when your at a meeting that’s called off cause the track has a bit of rain in it or a bump or two and after kicking the floor for 30 mins the riders decide not to ride 

Edited by THE DEAN MACHINE

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10 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Stoke didn’t call Saturday off the control board inspector did who I might add got sacked at a track for his track prep and it’s not changing  machinery to suit promotors it’s for the good of the sport and to say your interested in rider safety but are fine to let use engines which are unnecessarily. Dangerous , that’s good sense and no I’m not particularly bothered about riders safety and neither are the riders ,they would happily use a product no matter how dangerous it made it as long as it got race wins, what I am concerned about is entertainment for the public and riders sliding off here there and everywhere cause they are riding bikes they are struggling to handle is not entertainment, I have not condemned stokes track cause the SCB have done there job and I have bothered to go and get the facts not just speculate about the problems and put the boot in, I have nothing more to say on this but I will be thinking about you when your at a meeting that’s called off cause the track has a bit of rain in it or a bump or two and after kicking the floor for 30 mins the riders decide not to ride 

I agree with Dean on the point of riders being unable to control the machines or having any track craft. Take a look at the Wolves match last night and most riders were all over the place. Some blame the track and the shale etc but the fact is the bikes are simply Set up in such a way they are overpowered for the tracks and conditions which demonstrates the lack of knowledge amongst many to read the conditions. Most riders are a liability to themselves and others and this is probably why many races are strung out and team riding is generally a thing of the past. Riders trust neither the machine, their own capabilities or those of the other three riders on the track. Years back this was not the case.

Irrespective of Stoke’s woes, no one wants to see a track close and let’s hope a way forward can be found to resolve the issues.

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I don't understand why Dean is being so defensive of Stoke and Tatum.   Most riders, when a track is not fit for purpose are never slow in coming forward.  Yet here we have an ex rider, who I am sure has had his share of injuries saying the track is fine its the bikes that are being used today that are the problem.    I Take it Dean only used Uprights, as he feels so strongly that the lay downs are the root of all evil.

Edited by semion

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3 hours ago, semion said:

I don't understand why Dean is being so defensive of Stoke and Tatum.   Most riders, when a track is not fit for purpose are never slow in coming forward.  Yet here we have an ex rider, who I am sure has had his share of injuries saying the track is fine its the bikes that are being used today that are the problem.    I Take it Dean only used Uprights, as he feels so strongly that the lay downs are the root of all evil.

Dean, of course, can speak for himself and has the knowledge to do so.

As a fan, I see the lay downs as the root of all evil, made worse (if that's possible) by the changes made to silencers.

 

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Why is it that, when I speak to riders on this subject, they ALL tell me that the lay-downs are easier to ride than uprights ever were.

I watch a lot of Speedway and have done for more years than I care to remember. I see racing today that is at least as good, and quite often

better than, say, 30 years ago. It certainly has not in general deteriorated although, as in all previous times, there is still the occasional boring

meeting. That has always been the case.   My only personal criticism is that the faster speeds have not, in themselves, made any improvement.

They have just made life more difficult for young kids unless they have special talent.  When I saw Woffy as a 16 year old at Rye House, he never 

had a problem handling the power.

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5 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

Irrespective of Stoke’s woes, no one wants to see a track close

Not so sure. If a track like Stoke causes more harm than good to themselves, to riders and to the sport in general, then yes, they have to be closed down, for everybody else's sake. 

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Stoke should be given every opportunity to get their track in order and keep it maintained.  

Having stock cars does not help but as Scunthorpe kings Lynn Ipswich mildenhall and Eastbourne can work with the cars then surely stoke can too.  

With the correct equipment and know how and the right amount of time there is no reason why the stoke track be back to the very high standards it was in the eighties.  

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Knowing the promotion and the lack of understanding in track matters he has probably ordered 10 tonne of hardcore!! LMFAO:blink:

 

  • Haha 3

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