Rolling starts in Grand Prix

[Philip Addison 0]

Is it just me or is anyone else getting sick and tired of seeing riders cheat in the GP's ? Now i know that the GP's are run under different rules to league matches regarding certain things such as races not being awarded on the last lap but the creeping and moving at the starts is getting beyond a joke now.It's always the same riders getting away with it too.Much as i like him as a rider Billy Hamill did it for years.On saturday Lukas Dryml was moving all over the place in every one of his races and in the final itself Crump moved in the original start [ but i don't think this affected Pedersen's tape breaking as he was looking the other way] then in the re-run he got a classic rolling start.No wonder he got such a good gate.It's beggining to really p**s me off now and i can't enjoy a meeting when it comes down to a cheating lottery.What exactly are the rules regarding starts in the GP's.I would have thought they are the same as any other meeting but then again we are talking Speedway here,right ? Maybe it was just referee Tony Steele not doing his job on the night,but as i said it's happened for so long now.I thought Steele was a blimp in the box anyway.Some of his first bend calls were really inconsistent.Povazhny was hard done by,but then again he's not a big name [ oh cynical me !! ]

[Dekker 239]

The rules to deal with the problem already exist, ask why the refs dont deal with that?

[Philip Addison 0]

Yes Dekker, i suppose Ole Olsen jumping on the phone every two minutes doesn't help the cause.

[Midnight_Lady 2]

I agree Philip. I thought it was more to the fore in the Danish GP :x It's time the rules were applied and riders warned. If they don't stay still then they should be out of the race.

I also hate the fact that races, which are stopped in the GP's for fallers when the race is practically finished and being well won by a rider, have to be re-run. More often than not the rider who was winning the original race by a big margin then loses the re-run :x So why should he have to do it all over again :?:

 

Anyway it's the same sport so why should the rules be any different in the meetings :?:

[Star Lady 5,400]

I've always thought Tony Steele to be one of the better referees but Saturday he had a mare :!:

I'm of the opinion tho that he was under pressure from the race director to get the timetable back on schedule which meant no re-runs, just allow them to roll and exclusions that were not strictly fair. For instance I did not think Ronni Pedersen was at fault but as he was clearly not going to be fit, why allow extra time just in case, simply exc him and save a few seconds.

 

Let's face it what do a few thousand fans matter, let alone a couple of dozen riders when there is money to be made :twisted:

[Fingersfin 181]

I've always thought Tony Steele to be one of the better referees but Saturday he had a mare :!:

I'm of the opinion tho that he was under pressure from the race director to get the timetable back on schedule which meant no re-runs, just allow them to roll and exclusions that were not strictly fair. For instance I did not think Ronni Pedersen was at fault but as he was clearly not going to be fit, why allow extra time just in case, simply exc him and save a few seconds.

 

Let's face it what do a few thousand fans matter, let alone a couple of dozen riders when there is money to be made :twisted:

 

 

Hit the nail right on the head, glaringly obvious that the fast forward button had been pressed.

[Storming Norman 23]

The rules are obviously the same re fair starts in Grand Prixs as the better refs have brought races back.

 

Tony Steele's starts were appalling. Even Tony Millard was spotting the constant rolling and Chris Louis was counting the times Lukas Dryml was allowed to cheat.

 

The Polish ref did a better job. Mr Postelwhite allowed Nicki Pedersen to totally anticipate the start to win the previous Grand Prix Final and Mr Steele did the same for Jason Crump.

 

The idea that Tony Steele would allow cheating owing to time pressures would be outrageous. He's there to see fair play. In any case, rerunning a race only adds an extra two minutes at most.

 

The cheating is also spoiling my enjoyment of the Grand Prixs and I feel sorry for people who bet and lose because of this cheating.

 

Anyone reading match reports this season on the Forum knows Tony Steele's has become a David Seaman. The riders in the studio seemed reluctant to criticise someone who might ref them next week but even they couldn't support his inconsistent and wrong decisions.

 

Another appalling performance Mr Steele or should I say Mr Seaman?

 

He probably reads this Forum. Do your job and stop the cheating.

[Steve Shovlar 10,439]

Easy to stop rolling starts. Make sure the riders know the rules, tell the starting marshall that the riders front wheel is only a couple of inches from the tapes when the green light comes on. If a rider moves back when the light comes on its classed the same at tape touching and he is excluded.

 

the rules state that riders must not move when the green light comes on, so enforce it rigerously!

[Wizza 0]

Yep, of course rolling starts should be penalised. Unfortunately, it's not the refs and the starting marshals you need to tell, is it....

 

However, judging by the amount of dirt that appears on an SGP track these days, the chances of the right people listening range from slim to remote as that is the other bane of an SGP fans existence

 

Let's all get onto BSI about it....

 

mail@benfieldsports.com

[Sullizbabe 0]

I only really got into the Gp's a few years ago and have really enjoyed the last few years coverage, however this year a number things have annoyed me.

 

The first being the rolling starts, I can only second what has already been said.

 

But second have you heard the sky presenters this year? They completely fail to give credit to the riders who are doing well on the night and simply focus on a few riders and it's EVERY gp! Classic example was when Sullivan was leading the final in Sweden then just before the re run they pratically said well anyone other than Ryan could win this! Now what was that all about? Has anyone else noticed this?

[Storming Norman 23]

After all the complaints about the rolling starts in the last two Grand Prixs, it's a well done to tonights Polish Ref. He also got all his decisions right.

 

A refreshing change to see a ref doing a good job in a Grand Prix and a Final won on merit and not through cheating.

 

I don't know who choses who refs which Grand Prix but the Polish guy certainly deserves the next Grand Prix.

[BTL 0]

After all the complaints about the rolling starts in the last two Grand Prixs, it's a well done to tonights Polish Ref. He also got all his decisions right.

 

A refreshing change to see a ref doing a good job in a Grand Prix and a Final won on merit and not through cheating.

 

I don't know who choses who refs which Grand Prix but the Polish guy certainly deserves the next Grand Prix.

 

So there wasn't any rolling tonight then SN - I don't think so!

[Leg Trailer 5]

I don't know why they don't just stick Ole Olsen in the refs box and have done with it, that way he could run the show 100% to his liking. :roll:

 

On the subject of rolling starts I think there are quite a few riders taking their chances these days and not many refs are in a position to call them back everytime. TV coverage dictates a strict time schedule and I have seen Ole quite often prod a rider who's fallen to get up or be stretchered off!

 

Personally, I would love to see tape touching being allowed back in the sport. If you watch meetings from the early 80's (1982 world final springs to mind) then the excitement is fever pitch at the starts. The riders used to get each other at sixes and sevens and banning it removed a degree of specatacle which I for one miss. Alot of people only used to watch to see the rider go through the tapes just like most people only used to watch 'The Cook Report' to see Roger Cook get smacked in the face!

 

LT.

[Philip Addison 0]

Personally, I would love to see tape touching being allowed back in the sport. If you watch meetings from the early 80's (1982 world final springs to mind) then the excitement is fever pitch at the starts. The riders used to get each other at sixes and sevens and banning it removed a degree of specatacle which I for one miss. Alot of people only used to watch to see the rider go through the tapes just like most people only used to watch 'The Cook Report' to see Roger Cook get smacked in the face!

 

LT.

 

What a daft idea,sorry.It would just be open season, a lottery,and an invite for the cheats to prosper. ' Let me see now,lets see if i can jump and pull so and so through the tapes - then i'll have more room to drop it on rider x into the first corner - jobs a good un !!!! ' Someone else suggested the start marshals should make the riders sit nearer the tapes and if anyone rolls back then they are OUT.This is a much better idea.Cut the cheating out.

[Leg Trailer 5]

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one Philip.

 

Why is using a cunning ploy such as nudging the tapes deemed to be cheating if it's part of the rules? By definition nobody was cheating when tape touching was legal!

 

Tape touching saw the clever riders use the starts to their advantage and removed the large party of riders who build a career out of making the gate. Kenny Carter used to be a master at rolling starts, he would move back and forth, hoping to get a forward roll just as the tapes went up and this made for more excitment for sure.

 

It was more exciting and bought an edge of unpredictabilty to the sport which silenced the anti-speedway lobby who bark: "first one to the first bend wins".

 

Is that the total sum of your argument against tape touching Philip or is there more? I think my points for it outweigh your points against it as it stands right now. Sorry.

 

LT.