Cardiff Thoughts

[Sandie 53]

The occasion for me was as good as it always is

 

However this year i thought, was the worst ive seen racing wise. Track was terrible. There should not be a blue line after heart 2!! 

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Don't think you'll find it was a blue line but the second layer of shale.

I will let FTM or other experts go into the finer details later but I understand that the track was in fact deeper than normal and what you saw was the darker shale coming though the red shale that was put down on the Friday afternoon.

[Derwent 271]

It all looked like hard, fair riding in Ht 6 to me - watching on television. Stead looked bewildered, befuddled and out of his depth. The truth is he's just not GP standard and never, ever will be. Sure, he picked up a few points when the track was at its worst and riders were losing their heads. On a decent track, I think he'd have been lucky to get a point.

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Maybe so, but I don't agree that he was out of his depth based on riding ability. I suspect that maybe his equipment isn't up to GP standards when you consider that a lot of the riders on show are riding works machinery, which is bound to have an affect. It'd be interesting to see how he fared with, say, Scott or Lee's equipment at his disposal.

[Subedei 0]

Maybe so, but I don't agree that he was out of his depth based on riding ability. I suspect that maybe his equipment isn't up to GP standards when you consider that a lot of the riders on show are riding works machinery, which is bound to have an affect. It'd be interesting to see how he fared with, say, Scott or Lee's equipment at his disposal.

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I guess he'd still be pulling full-locks on every other bend.

[John Leslie 3,213]

Reckon the crowd must have topped 40,000. Top tier quite full on back straight, but sparse on home straight. Presumably set up that way for the sky cameras?

 

Atmosphere in the build up wasn't good. The P.A. seemed distorted, and there was not real attempt to build the atmosphere up. They did get it going about 6.50 but thn killed it to near silence with the embarrassing 'Speedway ©Rap' on the big screen.

 

 

Under 16's on WAY too early. About 5.15pm this year to a nearly empty stadium. Disgraceful.

 

Bonnie Tyler OK, but suffered from the distorted sound system. And was eclipsed by Tony Christie.

 

The track was pretty rubbish. But I don't know why people are surprised by this. You can't lay a decent track from nothing in 3 days. It's always going to be flat and without a decent depth of shale. It's impossible to compound a decent depth of shale and build up any banking in such a limited time.

What do you want....its the atmosphere of a 40,000 crowd in a mega-stadium with a dodgy track that sorts the men from the boys, or its 8,000 to Coventry with an OK long established track and poor atmosphere....I vote Cardiff.

 

Referee a little dodgy.

Richardson a touch lucky in getting away with skittling everyone in his first ride...but maybe the ref giving the benefit of the doubt due to the newly laid track.

 

Pedersen mugs the ref by laying it down on the first corner after being outgated by Crump.

Heat 10 an awful ragged start that should have been brought back. Had the ref dozed off?

 

Hampel-Hancock final the only difficult decision and ref was probably right. Going to be one unhappy rider whoever is excluded. tough on Hancock but it had to be him.

 

 

Crump - the best on display. Deserved winner despite the Hancock/Hampel incident.

 

Hancock - a bit of a rash move in the final cost him. Perhaps should have backed of Hampel and had another go on next corner. Should have been content to keep Crump behind even if it meant letting Hampel win.

 

Pedersen - Where was he? At least we got to see his hairdryer on big screen.

 

Rickardsson - its over. So far behind Crump he now needs snookers.

 

Nicholls & Richardson - Had their moments, but middle order. Didn't utilise the massive home support to make a mark.

 

Stead - Took an awful battering in one race, but got it together at the end. Certainly more worthy of a GP place than Protasiewicz, Iversen and co.

[FairyTasha 0]

I found cardiff wasnt the same this year, there was hardly anything noise wise out of the stadium.. Was lovely to meet the fairies again!!

We saw Millsy in cardiff too, he became a fairy for the day Will put a link up when i get the picture.

Dunno what to think of heat 20 but its good to know what others think as for some reason my dad blames crumpy! Saying it wasnt proper racing because Jason won it.. MEN! Well done Jason for winning, i was waving my crumpy flag for him!

Piotr P - His lil mess up at the begining of a heat, HILARIOUS!

Can't believe they flew Tony Christie over here just to sing a 3 min song But was great.

Was lovely to meet you Rabbit! Couldnt really talk because of that man in the middle..

[JJ 0]

surely the race director will say how he wants the track prepared ?

[SCB 0]

However this year i thought, was the worst ive seen racing wise. Track was terrible. There should not be a blue line after heart 2!! 

The blue groove was there after 1 lap. It was there from practice.

[From PC to KC. 25]

Reckon the crowd must have topped 40,000.  Top tier quite full on back straight, but sparse on home straight.  Presumably set up that way for the sky cameras?

 

Atmosphere in the build up wasn't good.  The P.A. seemed distorted, and there was not real attempt to build the atmosphere up.  They did get it going about 6.50 but thn killed it to near silence with the embarrassing 'Speedway ©Rap' on the big screen.

Under 16's on WAY too early.  About 5.15pm this year to a nearly empty stadium.  Disgraceful.

 

Bonnie Tyler OK, but suffered from the distorted sound system.  And was eclipsed by Tony Christie.

 

The track was pretty rubbish.  But I don't know why people are surprised by this.  You can't lay a decent track from nothing in 3 days.  It's always going to be flat and without a decent depth of shale.  It's impossible to compound a decent depth of shale and build up any banking in such a limited time.

What do you want....its the atmosphere of a 40,000 crowd in a mega-stadium with a dodgy track that sorts the men from the boys, or its 8,000 to Coventry with an OK long established track and poor atmosphere....I vote Cardiff.

 

Referee a little dodgy. 

Richardson a touch lucky in getting away with skittling everyone in his first ride...but maybe the ref giving the benefit of the doubt due to the newly laid track.

 

Pedersen mugs the ref by laying it down on the first corner after being outgated by Crump.

Heat 10 an awful ragged start that should have been brought back.  Had the ref dozed off?

 

Hampel-Hancock final the only difficult decision and ref was probably right.  Going to be one unhappy rider whoever is excluded.  tough on Hancock but it had to be him.

Crump - the best on display.  Deserved winner despite the Hancock/Hampel incident.

 

Hancock - a bit of a rash move in the final cost him.  Perhaps should have backed of Hampel and had another go on next corner.  Should have been content to keep Crump behind even if it meant letting Hampel win.

 

Pedersen -  Where was he?  At least we got to see his hairdryer on big screen.

 

Rickardsson - its over.  So far behind Crump he now needs snookers.

 

Nicholls & Richardson - Had their moments, but middle order.  Didn't utilise the massive home support to make a mark.

 

Stead - Took an awful battering in one race, but got it together at the end.  Certainly more worthy of a GP place than Protasiewicz, Iversen and co.

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Have to agree with all of that.

[Steve Turner 0]

I enjoyed Cardiff...not the best ever, but still an enjoyable day and night - and that's what it's all about.

The biggest crowd yet - 42,000+...most of whom seemed content to cheer anything and everything

Truly terrible sound system within the stadium, not for the first time either, but the other time it was like that, Sam Ermolenko was on the microphone so it was a blessing that the speakers sounded like they were underwater.

Rickardsson was the only rider booed - which was fun.

The white line painter was clearly drunk.

The racing was alright, some of it very good. More interesting than a couple of other GP's so far.

I still think no rider attempts to milk the crowd AT ALL. Opportunity lost again.

The fireworks were ace.

The wandering Polish flag waver's were cool.

The company was top class, bubbles included

And I can't wait for next year when I can drink my usual amount, instead of staying sober - not advisable imo

 

[tomazpozrl 8]

The biggest crowd yet - 42,000+...

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The official number of spectators in Cardiff this year, as announced at the press conference after the meeting, was 40371.

[Subedei 0]

The official number of spectators in Cardiff this year, as announced at the press conference after the meeting, was 40371.

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So, you add a couple of thousand BSI hangers-on and your above 42,000 - sorted.

[Guest schumifan]

So, you add a couple of thousand BSI hangers-on and your above 42,000 - sorted.

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I take great pleasure in pointing this out to you Subedei

[Pinstripe 0]

Great day I thought.

 

Track was awful. Nicholls rode well I thought but Richardson was poor.

 

Zagar was good, but I thought Iversen would do better. Produced a great last ride though to go round Zagar. Think he will go up the standings by the end of the year.

 

Hancock was awesome in the heats and Bjarne and Crump were good. Stead was well off the pace in most of his rides, how people can suggest replacing the likes of Richardson with him I do not know - he would be even worse.

[Hazzman 72]

Great Day as always. But the worst roads ever.

Still in air-horn inspired hangover.

 

Biggest crowd I have seen there.

 

TRACK - Awful, truly awful. I had thought they had got Cardiff all correct and proper but this track resembled Copenhague.

 

NICHOLLS - Brought the house down in two of his heats. He could have gained 2nd in his semi but got caught in no-mans land.

 

PEDERSEN, N - Big Disappointment as my respect for him has kept going lately.

 

HANCOCK - My pick of the sweepstake, you have to feel sorry for him in the final.

 

CRUMP - Truly class, even if he didnt make a gate. You knew he was gonna give it a go. His battle with AJ and Bjarne Pedersen was great.

 

RICHARDSON - Looked very uncomfortable

 

STEAD - Looked dodgy in his first heat but improved for there on.

 

ZAGAR - I thought he maybe out of his depth in these GPs but proved he's more than worth the gamble.

 

HAMPEL - Unluckiest man of the night. The roof of the Stadium would have gone off had he won. The Poles went ballistic when Hancock laid-down his bike.

[Subedei 0]

I take great pleasure in pointing this out to you Subedei  

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And I take great pleasure in finally giving a young lady great pleasure - hurrah for Subedei.