Edinburgh v Glasgow - Friday/Saturday - 15/16 October

[Weeyin 1,017]

Hopefully tonight the Tigers will be in a better frame of mind and put up a better fight, unfortunately won't make the meeting as have a prearranged dinner, so updates it is, surely we can't be as bad as last night.

[Endeavour 681]

28 minutes ago, GS550 said:

Not pointless at all.  It's got you talking..  In the interests of the sport, maybe it is time to ban postage stamp tracks.  Maybe not.  An open question.

As someone else mentioned, engines these days are such that they suit big racetracks and that, paraphrasing, the deficiencies of certain tracks don't enable current day speedway racing (was the gist of what they said anyway).

Maybe start a different thread re track sizes and modern engines.

 

[Endeavour 681]

56 minutes ago, Gazc said:

Lots of variables can change the outcome off a meeting , if we go into the P/O Semi Final with the mindset we did last night then we will suffer the same heavy defeat we did last night.

Tom will be a miss and we are a man down at the Dale with Marcin I just cant see us keeping it close enough and Thursday will be a dead rubber, hope i am wrong but I cant see anything other than a convincing Monarchs win tonight.

I think we would need to take a minimum of 16 points to Ashfield. 

[Fromafar 10,317]

1 minute ago, Endeavour said:

I think we would need to take a minimum of 16 points to Ashfield. 

Though you were a bit unlucky last week think 10 would do.Pickering had a bad night can’t see that happening again.

[spt82 86]

37 minutes ago, GS550 said:

Not pointless at all.  It's got you talking..  In the interests of the sport, maybe it is time to ban postage stamp tracks.  Maybe not.  An open question.

As someone else mentioned, engines these days are such that they suit big racetracks and that, paraphrasing, the deficiencies of certain tracks don't enable current day speedway racing (was the gist of what they said anyway).

I do probably tend to agree to a certain extent on the bikes these days not necessarily suiting smaller tracks, however good riders with the required skill can produce good racing on small tracks, Cookies pass on Josh in heat 5 last night for example. So no it's definitely not time to ban small tracks.

[Fromafar 10,317]

40 minutes ago, GS550 said:

Not pointless at all.  It's got you talking..  In the interests of the sport, maybe it is time to ban postage stamp tracks.  Maybe not.  An open question.

As someone else mentioned, engines these days are such that they suit big racetracks and that, paraphrasing, the deficiencies of certain tracks don't enable current day speedway racing (was the gist of what they said anyway).

The riders have set -ups to suit the smaller tracks.Just some riders are unable to get it right.Armadale is no different to speedway in GB where mainly “ gate and go”.Skill and technical ability is what is required there.The best race tracks in GB are not “big” tracks.

eg

Redcar,Scunthorpe ,Glasgow and Somerset ( before closure).

Bigger tracks like NSS and Peterborough certainly also produce decent racing when prepared right.

[Stuntdouble 118]

Moan about small tracks , moan about big tracks. Big track at Berwick but moan then about being not wide enough. All the new machinery is the same for all riders. Adapt or fail. Simple as. Preparing is everything. 

[King Jamie 352]

4 hours ago, GS550 said:

The question arises, how different would it have been if the match had been ridden on an actual speedway track rather than a postage stamp 'Mickey Mouse' track.  And should there be a minimum size of track to be permitted to stage official speedway meetings.  'Racing' at Armadale never seems to look like 'speedway' as most people know it, the riders seem to stall and almost come to a complete halt on the bends.  That an experienced Polish rider couldn't even turn the bike on it probably says more about the deficiencies of the track than it does the rider.

I have to admit, my initial reaction to your post was to chuckle. However, I'll attempt a reply.

I would disagree that track size is the important factor. Variety is the spice of life after all.

A quick scan of some Championship venues (and I hope these measurements are up to date!) shows:

Edinburgh 260m

Redcar 266m

Now, you obviously don't enjoy sunny Armadale but do you not enjoy Redcar meetings? I've always thought the racing there was pretty decent.

Then consider:

Glasgow 302m

Newcastle 300m

I think it was Jaizer who said Newcastle has suffered due to modern engines, and yet it's only 2m smaller than Ashfield!

And, just to show size isn't the important bit, Berwick is 368m. Nowak scored 0 there if I'm not mistaken?

Over the years, I've witnessed some fantastic racing at the likes of sunny Armadale, Mildenhall, Trelawny, even Arena Essex on occasion. All small tracks. As I said at the beginning, variety is the spice of life. Sheffield is my favourite track in the UK and I enjoy my trips to Poland with its big tracks aplenty.

So it's a no from me on the question of minimum size. Indeed, on the basis of the above, I think the argument should be centered more around track shape.

All hail sunny Armadale 

[Jaizer 2,847]

1 minute ago, King Jamie said:

I have to admit, my initial reaction to your post was to chuckle. However, I'll attempt a reply.

I would disagree that track size is the important factor. Variety is the spice of life after all.

A quick scan of some Championship venues (and I hope these measurements are up to date!) shows:

Edinburgh 260m

Redcar 266m

Now, you obviously don't enjoy sunny Armadale but do you not enjoy Redcar meetings? I've always thought the racing there was pretty decent.

Then consider:

Glasgow 302m

Newcastle 300m

I think it was Jaizer who said Newcastle has suffered due to modern engines, and yet it's only 2m smaller than Ashfield!

And, just to show size isn't the important bit, Berwick is 368m. Nowak scored 0 there if I'm not mistaken?

Over the years, I've witnessed some fantastic racing at the likes of sunny Armadale, Mildenhall, Trelawny, even Arena Essex on occasion. All small tracks. As I said at the beginning, variety is the spice of life. Sheffield is my favourite track in the UK and I enjoy my trips to Poland with its big tracks aplenty.

So it's a no from me on the question of minimum size. Indeed, on the basis of the above, I think the argument should be centered more around track shape.

All hail sunny Armadale 

Comparing ashfield to Newcastle is comparing apples to oranges. Size isn't everything, it's the space and ability to go fast out and attack different lines. Newcastle is a one line track due to narrow bends, same with armadale, and oddly same with Berwick due to again tight bends. Shape is far more important than size hence Redcar us far more entertaining than armadale

[Normski 1,315]

21 minutes ago, Jaizer said:

Comparing ashfield to Newcastle is comparing apples to oranges. Size isn't everything, it's the space and ability to go fast out and attack different lines. Newcastle is a one line track due to narrow bends, same with armadale, and oddly same with Berwick due to again tight bends. Shape is far more important than size hence Redcar us far more entertaining than armadale

Berwick track was widened ready for the 2020 season which sadly never happened

[Jaizer 2,847]

Just now, Normski said:

Berwick track was widened ready for the 2020 season which sadly never happened

Yeah I know. Obviously not enough given still one line lol

[Normski 1,315]

1 minute ago, Jaizer said:

Yeah I know. Obviously not enough given still one line lol

Like a number of tracks one line nowadays. Suited the away teams though lol

[JanAndersen 821]

5 hours ago, GS550 said:

The question arises, how different would it have been if the match had been ridden on an actual speedway track rather than a postage stamp 'Mickey Mouse' track.  And should there be a minimum size of track to be permitted to stage official speedway meetings.  'Racing' at Armadale never seems to look like 'speedway' as most people know it, the riders seem to stall and almost come to a complete halt on the bends.  That an experienced Polish rider couldn't even turn the bike on it probably says more about the deficiencies of the track than it does the rider.

Other 'what ifs' such as if Ostergaard had been fit, although unlikely to have done better than Brennan, and Sedgmen would probably have done better than Nowak at Armadale although probably less well at Ashfield so again probably cancels out.

Hook this to my veins 

[Endeavour 681]

1 hour ago, JanAndersen said:

Hook this to my veins 

Wonder if we would be discussing tracks if Glasgow had gone through. They have won a lot of matches at the Dale since Cookie started riding for Tigers.

[Jaizer 2,847]

2 minutes ago, Endeavour said:

Wonder if we would be discussing tracks if Glasgow had gone through. They have won a lot of matches at the Dale since Cookie started riding for Tigers.

Won them before when Shane was in the team. Listen it's probably down to preference I've never enjoyed lakeside, Ipswich, Wolverhampton either. I just don't find that kind of racing as entertaining as Somerset, Redcar, Scunthorpe, Glasgow, BV. 

 

I know for a fact they were looking away from armadale as a friend of my dad's offered Campbell land to build their own track a few years ago but think start up was too expensive.

 

I would never say should be banned as need all tracks we can get, it just comes down to preference for me, I don't find it entertaining