I Despair

[Bill leahy 0]

the track last night was not the same as all year, even Zager said that: they took the top bit off, to make it slicker, who decides that?.. but the hole/rut on the third/fourth bend was as good as any man made one .......

[Trees 2,814]

I think BSI should cut the GP series down to about 4 or 6 meetings. The meetings would be a little special once again rather than becoming run of the mill like they are now. EL fans complain when they see the same teams visiting a few times a season, that's almost how the GP's seem now on every 2 weeks. If it wasn't for wanting to see how Crumpy does on his quest to become WC I probably wouldn't be bothered watching them all.

 

As for Mark, it's great that he enjoys league racing more than the GP's. He's been World Champion, has nothing to prove and will always be a great in the eyes of british fans and around the world no doubt. Not bad from a speedway career imo.

[Feline Fine 1]

I say more respect for riders who put their team above their individual aspirations. Nothing more annoying or irritating than watching someone do poorly for their club, but then excel in individuals! Mark has the right attitude imho.

[SCB 0]

AJ.Holta,Zagar etc and you need to be on top of your game to do well.

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How does Holta fit into that little group?

[Silver Bee 57]

Why can't people do both?

You could always put Niels's form in the gp/world cup/ individual events with Loram's form in the league and you would be sorted

[shazzybird 10]

Obviously it's just me but although our Brits didn't do anything spectacular I thought it was a really good meeting.

 

Has anyone the times from last seasons GP and last nights so that I can compare the times as it certainly looked fast.

[Splatty 0]

You could always put Niels's form in the gp/world cup/ individual events

 

yeah the speed is amazing that Niels and a few others are finding - certainly must be mechanical geniuses

 

[tomazpozrl 8]

Obviously it's just me but although our Brits didn't do anything spectacular I thought it was a really good meeting.

 

Has anyone the times from last seasons GP and last nights so that I can compare the times as it certainly looked fast.

 

I am not sure what the last seasons times were, but last nights were not that fast. Only first few heats produced good times, but later on times increased by almost 2 seconds. Jonsson won heat 1 with 66.31 which is only 0.15 seconds slower that Matej Zagar's track record of 66.16. But after 5 or 6 heats only a few riders managed to get below 68 seconds (Rickardsson in heat 10 with 67.19), while others were making times between 68 and 69 seconds.

[The Know 221]

The reason mark does so badly is because his bikes are crap. He has the worst pit set up, his bikes always look tired and dirty and he has all his parts in old bread crates. This will not do nowadays in gp racing.

[maggie 0]

Unfortunately Mark doesn't seem suited to GPs. Although I like him I don't really like the attitude to blame anything for losing sometimes. Come on Mark, get it together

I dont think Mark was blaming anything but himself last night, I'm sure I heard him say He knows he's been a dissapointment to his fans.

[Star Lady 5,400]

Could it be that very early in the GP season Mark realised he would not be in the top 8 and be out of the circus after this year and decided not to throw money at his machinery for little reward. Mark has always struck me as pretty level headed, he isn't going to get a wild card so why should he spend a fortune to benefit BSI? I think there are a few other riders doing the same hence the gap between the top 8-12 riders and the rest.

Just my theory but it makes sense to me

[crazysue 613]

The reason mark does so badly is because his bikes are crap. He has the worst pit set up, his bikes always  look tired and dirty and he has all his parts in old bread crates. This will not do nowadays in gp racing.

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Well that doesn't quite agree with the photos I have of his pit area taken at Cardiff this year. OK he doesn't have the posh stands around him, but his bikes are lovely and clean, shiny even, things are organised and he certainly doesn't have old bread crates, nice funky plastic boxes yes. In fact his area looked no worse than quite a few others in the pits.

[KevH 257]

Has anyone the times from last seasons GP and last nights so that I can compare the times as it certainly looked fast.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oy, give me my anorak back.

[Dave the Mic 258]

I don't see why everyone is so angry at Mark for not doing so well in the GP's. He didn't let Team GB down in the SWC & he knows as well as anyone how poor he has been in the series this year. I don't suppose for one minute that a) he is that happy about it & he does it on purpose.

 

Mark has nothing to prove to anyone at all, does he? He has been there & done it & there are not many that can say that. He can't win, can he?

 

If he makes an excuse he gets slated, if he says he had a bad time he gets slated. I daresay if he was doing great he would get slated by someone. The person he is letting down most of all is himself - I could understand people getting uptight if he was up with the leaders in the series & yet average 7 points a match in the league, but that isn't the case. He has ridden out of his socks for both Arena & Team GB this season, so what if he isn't at the top of his game in the GP.

 

Why is it that people in this country have to get on the backs of their sporting heroes? Mark has always given 110% in his racing, give the guy a break.

[Bryn 413]

Absolutely spot on Dave. As someone who was there when Mark took his first ever competitive rides as a 16 year old I've got to say that, over the years (and its a fair number of them now!) he has been one of THE top riders in the world and, without doubt one of the most entertaining in terms of providing thrills galore with his skillful passes from the back.