World Under 21 Final

[Subedei 0]

There's some photographs of the meeting on the Unia Tarnow website and they make the sportowefakty.pl ones look sanitised. They also show Kasprzak's celebrations and the podium.

The address is as follows:

 

http://www.unia.tarnow.pl/index1.html

 

You find them under "Final IMSJ - fotorelacja."

[Louise1445 0]

Just checked out the link you posted Subedei, yes those photos do give a far more accurate picture of what the conditions were like on Saturday, I hope people who maybe think I am moaning over nothing can appreciate exactly what the boys had to try and get around in. Staying on must have been battle enough, without even thinking of making a pass.

 

I did wonder today if I had gone a bit over the top last night but decided nah, what is the saying - publish and be dxxxxd?

 

My other thought was - and yes I am being a tad cynical on this one - guess where the Jury President was from? Ummm, Poland, and the third Jury Member was oh gosh, Austrian.

 

The case for the prosecution ends here. You guys decide for yourselves .........

Edited September 19, 2005 by Louise1445

[Chris 441]

Absolute joke! What a shambles and agree with others that the under 21 title for 2005 should be null and void. Riders shot themselves in the foot though as they should have been tougher and refused to ride after a ride each when it became clear no racing could take place and their safety was in doubt. The poxy FIM then could have done sod all and would have had to rearrange it.

 

Looking at the pictures I feel sorry for Kasprzak. He looks elated with the win but he didn't win it and his win will be tainted and he will know in his heart of hearts that he was not under 21 world champion. If I was in his position I'm not sure I would have accepted the trophy. Also why Suchanek and Lindgren even went on the podium I have no idea. They should have been disgusted with the decision to toss a coin to determine the winner and why they are all smiles goodness knows!! You would have thought they would have refused to take part in such a sick ceremony with the FIM officials after the days events.

 

Sad day for speedway.

[Paragon 8]

Just got back from Austria via Coventry. FIM What a discrace you've made a mockery of our sport again. It's funny I spoke to Tony Steele before the meeting and he said the best chance of getting the meeting on was to go for the 4pm Sat start because the forcast was supposidly bad for later on in the day & for all of Sun.

After the meeting I was talking to 1 of the meeting organisers who said that the forcast for Sun was good and the jury president was Polish and would not allow the meeting to be postponed in case it caused any disruption to Polish meetings on the Sunday.

 

Anyway Hollow victory for Kasperzak, I dont know about engines drowning, there was a distinct possibility of riders drowning with the amount of water on the track.

 

This meeting should never have started, and the only reason it did was politics.

 

SHAME ON YOU FIM

[shirls 1]

Great pictures, but the track looks awful,they should never of had to ride on that.

[Hazzman 72]

I dont blame Tony Steele, I blame the Prawn Sandwich FIM bridage.

[ouch 1,191]

I have a transcription of the audio taken during the riders meeting with Tony Steele at the recent U21 World Final.

 

All the time this took place an FIM offical stands with a loaded revolver at Tony Steels’s head.

 

Tony. “Right lads the track is too dangerous for any more racing, so the meetings abandoned.”

A rider. “What’s the result then?”

Tony. Errr, let me see. Who’s got the most points then.”

A rider. “Can we come back next week or the week after?”

Tony. “Sorry no. I’ve got the in-laws coming for tea next week and then I’m on holiday, so I’m just looking to see who’s won.”

An official. “Errr Tony. Two riders have finished on eight points each!”

Tony. “Right then we’ll have a run off.”

Thomas S. “You just said the track was too dangerous to race on.”

Tony. “Bugger. So I did. Well maybe just one more race then.”

Thomas S. “Well lets run heat 13, if you say we can run one more race.”

Tony. We can’t run another heat, because it’s too dangerous. A run off is like half a heat, ‘cause there is only half the riders.”

Thomas S. “Is the track safe to ride or not.”

Tony. Under his breath. “This blokes getting on my nerves with all these questions.”

“I feel the track is unsafe to ride with four rides, but ok with two. So there.”

Thomas S. “We’ll I’m going with your first comment that the track is unsafe and I’m not going to race on it again. We will just have to re-run the whole meeting”

An official. “He’s got you there Tony.”

Tony disappears to the loo for 30mins and on his return gathers the riders once again.

Tony. “Even though I wanted you to race on a track I said was dangerous to race on, and due to my unavailability for the next two weeks I propose the following.

Pick a card.

Rock, paper, scissors.

Toss a coin.”

Thomas S. “Well seeing as we have all invested a large amount of cash, time and energy in a season long pursuit to become World Champion, I’d have to say toss a coin.”

FIM. Just after the momentous coin toss. “I quite like this way of doing things. It a lot better than running with those messy heats and stuff. I can see more tournaments being decided this way. You could have a meeting to decide who the greatest tosser is.”

 

I THINK WE ALL KNOW THIS ALREADY.

 

Flippin’ (clean version)

Incompetent

Morons.

[Hazzman 72]

I can think of other words which fit into F.I.M.

[Storming Norman 23]

Had to look at this thread after reading the accounts in the Speedway Star.

If someone had been killed riding in those conditions, would a Court have accepted that no-one was in charge and capable of calling the meeting off? I think not.

IMO this was buck passing of the first order and Mr Steele should be ashamed of himself and grateful no-one was crippled riding in those conditions.

I can't accept anything prevented Mr Steele responding to his own eyesight and the appeal from Lindback to inspect the track. Riders safety should have come. It's inevitable some will conclude that pleasing the FIM came first - the allocators of big international meetings.

[.GM 0]

Had to look at this thread after reading the accounts in the Speedway Star.

If someone had been killed riding in those conditions, would a Court have accepted that no-one was in charge and capable of calling the meeting off?  I think not.

IMO this was buck passing of the first order and Mr Steele should be ashamed of himself and grateful no-one was crippled riding in those conditions.

I can't accept anything prevented Mr Steele responding to his own eyesight and the appeal from Lindback to inspect the track.  Riders safety should have come.  It's inevitable some will conclude that pleasing the FIM came first - the allocators of big international meetings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

How do you know Tony Steele wanted the meeting to be carried on? At FIM meetings, there are jury meetings (3 before the meeting and 1 after). Tony Steele may have put a request in the jury meeting for the meeting to be re-staged for another day. If this was the case, then there would be a vote with all members of the jury (this consists of: referee, jury president, fim delegate, clerk of the course, machine examiner, each countries fmn delegate, home countries fmn delegate e.t.c.).

If there was a vote whether the meeting should be re-run, the decision would go to the majority of the vote. Maybe Tony requested for the meeting to be re-run and refused.

 

You cant comment about Tony unless you were in the jury meeting

[Storming Norman 23]

Tony Steele may well have voted not to start the meeting.

But once the meeting started and racing became dangerous with Lindback approaching him in the Box, he surely should have gone down to the track. GM are you really saying an FIM ref can't delay a meeting to consult the riders and officials if racing conditions are appalling?

Tony Steele must be the most experienced FIM ref yet chose not to. If I ever get the chance, I shall ask Mr Steele why. It wouldn't surprise me to hear Millard call him "Teflon" Tony in future