Jump to content
British Speedway Forum

waiheke1

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    6,692

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    15

Posts posted by waiheke1

  2. Posted

    2 hours ago, Noodles said:

    Details for next years SON format revealed

    NEW FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS FORMAT FOR 2022 (speedwaygp.com)

    Quite like this, but I don't think they've got the format for deciding the winner right. Points should carry forward to the final- make the final worth double points if concerned there is a risk the result is already decided- so that there is an advantage to team qualifying top, and not just a "win by not filling last place" in the final. 

  3. Posted

    5 hours ago, chunky said:

    I wouldn't say you're spouting rubbish, but your memory is playing tricks on you! Remember, the last few Wembley finals had a contingent of at least four Brits qualifying directly from the British Final.

    The worst year for English qualifiers was 1969. The "British" contingent consisted of three New Zealanders, a Scot, a Welshman, and Nigel Boocock.

    Everyone was horrified when Trevor Hedge was the sole Englishman in Poland in 1970.

    And '85 Tatum the only Brit at Odsal

  5. Posted

    21 hours ago, iris123 said:

    Some strange choices, but probably due to the real lack in depth nowadays in the sport. No real great star in Denmark and only Freddie in Sweden.

    You'd ( I mean the authorities) probably keep Vaculik just because it is another country that might never get a rider in the top echelons again. Same with Zagar

    Vaculik will get a pick because he is in the top 10-12 riders in the world, not because he is Slovakian.

    The only way imo he wouldn't get a pick would be if he was Polish. 

    • Like 3

  8. Posted

    Looks like 8 points will be enough for a spot on the semis, maybe even 7, so wouldn't wrote Laguta off yet. Not convinced Batortoz will finish top two in the final.

    Would rather see Bartosz do it, by far the more exciting of the two, and already one of the all-time greats - BUT Laguta has been the best rider in GPS this year.

    Freddie with lingering effects from that horror crash? Lambert surely secured his wildcard this weekend. Tai doing enough to show if he remains injury free he could push for another World title in the next couple of years. Happy to see Emil look like making it back to the podium

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    3 hours ago, racers and royals said:

    If anyone thinks that the Daugavpils track is always rubbish ? take a look at a few races from this European U 23 team final from 3 weeks ago. It had rained heavily overnight and the track was superb and produced some great racing. I said at the time i hoped the track man would now know what to do !! Sadly he didn`t remember a thing !!!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=nPFqkD6-Pn8&fbclid=IwAR3s1UikcftVbIJmwWHQdGuUKq9Gm7m5UYFC-XuuxesCfTu_HvBaVUQvM0s

     

    There was a meeting there a few years back, maybe a SEC round, that was the best meeting I've ever seen.

    Maybe someone on here remembers that meeting and can post a link. 

  11. Posted

    17 minutes ago, falcace said:

     

    I saw a lot more of Shawn Moran race than I saw of Kelly Moran and I always find it a little surprising that plenty rate Kelly higher of the two.

    Ditto. Tbf, Shawn's record is significantly better than Kelly's, I guess those rating Kelly higher base it on natural ability rather than achievement. But Shawn was imo one of the top half dozen riders of the 80s, Kelly was probably top 20.

    • Like 2

  12. Posted

    It's often been debated on here who is the best rider never to win the world title, and I don't think Mort is a genuine contender for that "title."

    But best rider never to finish on the podium (and i exclude riders who rode in years where there was no world championship) - Mort would be one of the very top in that category, maybe along with Darcy Ward, who would have a very different kind of claim.

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    5 hours ago, falcace said:

    All 20 heats of Norden are on YouTube and Mort has a cracking race with Mitch Shirra...which put him on 6 at the interval...so, in with a shout. But also earning those 6 points, 4 of them were from behind. No rider, no matter how good, could win a World Final earning two-thirds of their points from behind. 

    I'd agree that he was never clearly in the world's best three across a year, but he was in the world's top riders for the thick end of a decade. There were certainly worse riders who climbed on a World Final podium...it would have been a fair reflection for Mort to have done that once. 

    Fully agree: would definitely put him ahead of L Collins, King, Doncaster, Wigg and probably Sanders, Muller and Tatum, all of whom made the podium in the 80s. 

    Morts race with Shirra was about the only one worth watching from that meeting from memory....

    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    3 hours ago, falcace said:

    Would've been nice. But as brilliant as he could be, I don't think he was ever quite good enough to be World Champion, probably in the world's top 5 or so in 1980/81? A rostrum appearance would have been an achievement in keeping with his ability.

    You don't win a world final without making gates, especially on the generally rubbish tracks that world finals were on in the 80s. 

    Norden in 83 was probably his best chsnce for a podium finish, but the watering of the track at the interval killed his chances.

    The IC and BLRC final wins, as well as his WTC Final performances in 80/81 showed that he could be absolutely world class on his day - but there wasn't a season he was in the top 3 riders in the world, though he would have been in the top 10 for several seasons  

     

  15. Posted

    3 hours ago, arnieg said:

    If the wildcard picks go the way the hive mind on here seems to think (and I'm with the crowd here too) then we will be as close to the top 15 as we have ever been. 14 of the predicted riders are in the Polish Ekstraliga top 20 averages., only Freddie Lindgren is outside the top 20, but his GP form clearly justifies his inclusion. 

     

    Of the 20 top riders in the Ekstraliga two are under 21 reserves who should be discounted because their averages are inflated. That leaves in order: Kolodziej, N Pedersen, J Holder and G Laguta as the only ones not likely to be in the GP series next year. I could make a claim for any of those four, but none would be overwhelming.

    In all honesty I'd rather see Pedersen, Holder or Kubera in the series than Thomsen - but none have compelling arguments, and for varying reasons, I don't see any of them getting a pick. 

    • Like 2

  16. Posted

    10 hours ago, SPEEDY69 said:

    Commercial reasons will dictate as usual but I disagree about Vaculik.  He's finished 5th once but the other three years his highest has been 9th and this year he was pretty mediocre.  I'd go with someone else and I fully applaud sharing the chances around - as with financial services/shares, past performance is no guarantee of future performance :D

    This is 6th in the Ekstraliga averages, averaging more in the GPs than Thomsen and Lambert "mediocre" Vaculik? I don't believe he is in the series for commercial reasons at all - far less so than Lambert, Thomsen, and with a much better case for a wildcard. Out of interest, who would you put in instead?

    • Like 3

  17. Posted

    1 hour ago, orion said:

    Spot on .. i think matches seem better years back  because the crowds etc were bigger giving a better atmosphere

    And because you (mostly) couldn't rewatch meetings later, likely we tended to remember the good races and forget the dull ones.

    I think also our expectations on entertainment have risen overtime. 

    • Like 3

  18. Posted

    2 hours ago, PirateShip said:

    Lambert would be a good call for a wildcard but if he doesn't get picked for the SON and Bewley does could this change things for a GP British wildcard. 

    The organisers may completely over look choosing another Brit if they see that Lambert isn't good enough to be picked for the SON. 

    All about being in the shop window. 

    He's been in the GPs and top ten in Polish averages, i think he's already in the shop window. Would be amazed if he misses out. 

    SON pick must be 50/50 though.

  19. Posted

    1 hour ago, OveFundinFan said:

    Too soon for Bewley, no matter what they do with Lambert.  If the selectors picked. Bewley for next year, and he flops, then he will be out in 2023 (unless he earns it Euro champ/GP challenge). If he misses 2022 (like I think he should) then he just might be right for 2023, depending how he develops.

    Bewley may get a pick as a reserve? Kubera, J Holder, Bewley, Lebedevs?

  20. Posted

    39 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

    Doubling up is one of the major reasons in this country along with guests that is driving people away and makes it impossible to find any national sponsor. It makes the sport non credible.

     

    I disagree.

    Poorly marketed product, high cost compared to alternative entertainment, meeting presentation 30 years out of date, dated stadia, lack of  household names/world class riders, tracks that don'tproduce good racing...these are all far bigger issues than doubling up imo. 

    • Like 6

  21. Posted

    1 minute ago, eric i said:

    If either Robert lambert or Thomsen score really badly in Torun they may not get one. Especially Thomsen who would be quite a few points behind Lambert on the old points system. Jack Holder could be worth a go, 15th in Polish averages. 

    Who picks the wildcards? is it the new organisers or FIM?

    The current best rider outside the GPs is probably Janusz Kolodziej, 7th polish averages and 4th in the Gp challenge. Although can't see him getting a wildcard unless there is change in policy from the new organisers/FIM.

    Yeah, on merit a couple of Poles might get them, but can't see it happening.

    J Holder and Nicki P are probably the next best options, but neither has really provided a compelling case.

    I'm pretty sure Lambert will get one - young, British, improving, top ten in Ekstraliga. Of the five I've suggested, I believe only Thomsen is at risk of not getting one. 

  24. Posted

    2 hours ago, iand said:

    Kubera must be in with a good shout, looked good earlier in the GP's. It would mean a 4th pole but surely we want to see the best riders in the world in the GP.

    It would be nice, but unfortunately for young promising Polish riders  the fact there are already 4 Poles in the series almost certainly means it won't happen

    • Like 1
×

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy

  I accept