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Transponders and qualifying times introduced in GP’s in 2019

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1 minute ago, lucifer sam said:

It is what it says.

I only hope it's poorly worded and means the rider can pick his "draw position" rather than his "starting position", as it states.

Sometime ago I stated that its ok to pick a riding number if you're the fastest. Stupid if you can choose each of your five gates.

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2 minutes ago, Mark said:

we need Smolinski back in the GP, he said even when he sits on the toilet he is thinking.     the crafty German would find a mathmatical advantage in all the stats.

He couldnt stay quiet long enough to figure this through...

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3 minutes ago, Heathcote said:

Sorry don’t understand this?  It means that the fastest rider can pick in starting position in the 1-16 with those pre determined gates? Or that in each individual race the fastest rider can choose his starting gate as in all 5 rides from gate 1?  What happens in the semis and finals? Gate positions given out as previous to highest point scorers or the fastest in practice?

Fastest rider in practise has first choice to pick a number between 1 to 16.  Slowest rider gets the last available number.   Simple.

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2 minutes ago, Mark said:

Fastest rider in practise has first choice to pick a number between 1 to 16.  Slowest rider gets the last available number.   Simple.

The Speedway GP site, however, states:

Once qualifying is complete, riders will then take turns to choose their gate positions for Saturday’s meeting, with the fastest rider getting first pick and the slowest selecting last.

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3 minutes ago, lucifer sam said:

The Speedway GP site, however, states:

Once qualifying is complete, riders will then take turns to choose their gate positions for Saturday’s meeting, with the fastest rider getting first pick and the slowest selecting last.

Badly written isn't it.     But we know what it really means.

Edited by Mark

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1 minute ago, Mark said:

badly written isn't it.     but we all know what it really means.

Thats actually the biggest problem. I for one am not sure if it means anything else than what it clearly states.

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If i were a rider, I think I'd be going slower in qualifying.  I believe this will give a much bigger advantage.

Let's assume it's September.  We're getting to the latter stages of the GP series.    Tai Woffinden leads the standings....a couple of points clear of Bartosz Zmarzlik.

If I were Zmarzlik I'd definitely want to be going slower than Woffy in qualifying.   Why?

 

Well, Woffy blasts round.   He's the fastest qualifier.   He has the "advantage" of first pick.   He's going to pick one of the starting numbers that gives him 2 inside gates.  He's happy.

But as Zmarzlik, I wanted him to pick first.  Because what I'm I going to do now?   I'm going to look which race Woffy has the worst gate in...maybe that's gate 3 or gate 4.  And I'm going to pick the draw number that puts me in that same race, off gate 1.

Being further down the pecking order could be the biggest advantage.  You can see where your closest rivals are positioned, and make sure that you have the favourable gate when you meet them.

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27 minutes ago, WalterPlinge said:

If i were a rider, I think I'd be going slower in qualifying.  I believe this will give a much bigger advantage.

Let's assume it's September.  We're getting to the latter stages of the GP series.    Tai Woffinden leads the standings....a couple of points clear of Bartosz Zmarzlik.

If I were Zmarzlik I'd definitely want to be going slower than Woffy in qualifying.   Why?

 

Well, Woffy blasts round.   He's the fastest qualifier.   He has the "advantage" of first pick.   He's going to pick one of the starting numbers that gives him 2 inside gates.  He's happy.

But as Zmarzlik, I wanted him to pick first.  Because what I'm I going to do now?   I'm going to look which race Woffy has the worst gate in...maybe that's gate 3 or gate 4.  And I'm going to pick the draw number that puts me in that same race, off gate 1.

Being further down the pecking order could be the biggest advantage.  You can see where your closest rivals are positioned, and make sure that you have the favourable gate when you meet them.

That sounds like the days when the World Final draw was known before the final.

In his last ride in the 1987 ICF, Hans Nielsen deliberately let Jimmy Nilsen through, so that Nilsen finished second in the meeting and Nielsen third.

As a result, Nielsen had gate 1 in both rides against Erik Gundersen (the winner of the ICF) in the two-day final.  Nielsen and Ivan Mauger had it all planned out.

It didn't pay off on Day 1, but then paid off big time early on the second day.  Nielsen sped away from Gate 1, while Gundersen was slow off Gate 4 (very poor on Day Two, only Nielsen won from it).  The whole final was transformed with Nielsen now in command.

I can see Peter Adams planning this to Tai's advantage in the case of a close championship battle.  That's, of course, if the wording is wrong on the Speedway GP website and it does mean draw number (which surely it must).

Edited by lucifer sam

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1 hour ago, Heathcote said:

Sorry don’t understand this?  It means that the fastest rider can pick in starting position in the 1-16 with those pre determined gates? Or that in each individual race the fastest rider can choose his starting gate as in all 5 rides from gate 1?  What happens in the semis and finals? Gate positions given out as previous to highest point scorers or the fastest in practice?

THE former ...

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1 hour ago, WalterPlinge said:

If i were a rider, I think I'd be going slower in qualifying.  I believe this will give a much bigger advantage.

Let's assume it's September.  We're getting to the latter stages of the GP series.    Tai Woffinden leads the standings....a couple of points clear of Bartosz Zmarzlik.

If I were Zmarzlik I'd definitely want to be going slower than Woffy in qualifying.   Why?

 

Well, Woffy blasts round.   He's the fastest qualifier.   He has the "advantage" of first pick.   He's going to pick one of the starting numbers that gives him 2 inside gates.  He's happy.

But as Zmarzlik, I wanted him to pick first.  Because what I'm I going to do now?   I'm going to look which race Woffy has the worst gate in...maybe that's gate 3 or gate 4.  And I'm going to pick the draw number that puts me in that same race, off gate 1.

Being further down the pecking order could be the biggest advantage.  You can see where your closest rivals are positioned, and make sure that you have the favourable gate when you meet them.

A brilliant tactical point, but.... Zmarzlik would have to make sure he has next pick to be sure to get the better gate. With timing down to hundredths of a second, how will he know what time to beat, and to achieve? What if his run is before Tai's?

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I think it’s a great idea but surely the track will have to be graded after every run as the riders who have their qualifying run later will have an advantage  

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So basically just a way of drumming up a bit of interest on a dull friday in the off season. Potentially adding a few more bums to seats to for practice and encouraging a few more riders to actually turn up to practice.

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3 hours ago, Mark said:

we need Smolinski back in the GP, he said even when he sits on the toilet he is thinking.     the crafty German would find a mathmatical advantage in all the stats.

Did he really say "thinking", or did he mean "stinking"

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Can't see this having much effect on the racing   We have all seen riders having 1st/2nd pick in the semi final and final get well beaten.    Tracks rarely ride they same as they do in practise so I think this is a pile of croc.   Having transponders is great for knowing who did the fastest lap and close finsihes are no longer left to the naked eye.   Thats about it.

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