micman 77 Posted May 9, 2009 Isn't time the GP riders all "grew a pair" and got rid of Olsen and the rest of his "even slicker than last time" track preparation team? Stevie Wonder and David Blunkett could prepare better tracks! Look at the Sky coverage last week from Scunthorpe and the previous evening from Wolverhampton? Let the guys who prepare these tracks on a regular basis do the job and keep Olsen and his meddling crew out of it. As someone who has been involved in the sport since 1986 as a presenter, interviewer and producer of programmes for ITV and MotorsTV (and followed it since 1969) I have seen some fantastic racing over the years but when it comes to the GP it's the exception as opposed to the rule. For god sake, the guy couldn't even prevent a rain off on an indoor circuit in Germany last year (our family were amongst the many Brits who wasted a fortune on that farce ) and he's still the GP director? When riders like Leigh Adams are struggling on their home track there has to be something wrong? Give me Premier League racing any time compared to that!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NathanB 4 Posted May 9, 2009 Isn't time the GP riders all "grew a pair" and got rid of Olsen and the rest of his "even slicker than last time" track preparation team? Stevie Wonder and David Blunkett could prepare better tracks! Look at the Sky coverage last week from Scunthorpe and the previous evening from Wolverhampton? Let the guys who prepare these tracks on a regular basis do the job and keep Olsen and his meddling crew out of it. As someone who has been involved in the sport since 1986 as a presenter, interviewer and producer of programmes for ITV and MotorsTV (and followed it since 1969) I have seen some fantastic racing over the years but when it comes to the GP it's the exception as opposed to the rule. For god sake, the guy couldn't even prevent a rain off on an indoor circuit in Germany last year (our family were amongst the many Brits who wasted a fortune on that farce ) and he's still the GP director? When riders like Leigh Adams are struggling on their home track there has to be something wrong? Give me Premier League racing any time compared to that!!! Couldn't agree with you any more, the racing has been of poor quality for some time now because of this insistance on slick tracks. I got a free copy of the series from last year after finishing as top lynn fan in fantasy speedway but i havent even unwrapped it yet as i thought the whole series was pretty poor. Lets get some dirt on the tracks and let the boys race. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM 1 Posted May 9, 2009 Totally agree. International petition called for - let's use fan power!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCOTLAND1314 121 Posted May 9, 2009 There is only one thing that Ole Olsen and his fellow GPer's will pay attention to .... money. If you stop watching the GP's on tv and at the stadiums that will hit their pocket .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jacques 3,114 Posted May 9, 2009 There is only one thing that Ole Olsen and his fellow GPer's will pay attention to .... money. If you stop watching the GP's on tv and at the stadiums that will hit their pocket .... I'm actually bored with it all now and said to hubby the other day, I wish we hadn't bought our tickets for Cardiff this year.. but we have, so we'll go...but this is he last year....for me anyway... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ashie Smashy Posted May 9, 2009 Out of interest (not a regular SS reader anymore), has anyone conducted an indepth interview with the man and quizzed him on track preperation? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seb the Snail 22 Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) Totally agree, micman. Leszno usually serves up a real treat, but it took one bend of Heat 1 to realise that we would all be disappointed by tonight's fare. Why oh why does Olsen not prefer tracks conducive to racing? Edited May 9, 2009 by Seb the Snail Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salty 2,208 Posted May 9, 2009 Totally agree, micman. Leszno usually serves up a real treat, but it took one bend of Heat 1 to realise that we would all be disappointed by tonight's fare. Why oh why does Olsen not prefer tracks conducive to racing? Because he'd rather produce tracks conducive to Danes. Only way I can see the end of Olsen is if fans start voting with their feet. Surely someone at IMG/BSI can see that the slick tracks are spoiling the GP's??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phlipphlopp 3,914 Posted May 9, 2009 I asked someone ''in the know'' about why the tracks are all prepared so slick for the GP's. The answer ? The sponsors dont want to pay money and then see their logo's covered up by shale, and thats the reply i was given Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spook 28 Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) Totally agree. International petition called for - let's use fan power!! Interestingly a letter to the relevant people has been on my mind for a while people say that petitions dont work....... I remember a certain sports editor for a national newspaper giving us a reply that a campaign wont work with them but then lo and behold speedway started getting a bit more coverage from his newspaper......... petitions and campaigns do work because it shows in volume exactly how people feel the question is who are the correct people? I should imagine Paul Bellamy at BSI is a natural guy to send one to ............ is John Postlethwaite still a big cheese at BSI? George Pyne and Jim Leitz look like the right guys at IMG and then there is the FIM.............. as far as I can tell Ole reports to either the Vice Presidents of the Track Racing Commission....Jörgen L. Jensen and Andrzej Grodzki..... or to the President himself Roy Otto No matter how Paul Bellamy beamed about the first GP in his interview with Chris Louis tonight.... BSI cannot be happy with a) the crowd at Prague and b.) the potential of attracting fans to the venues by the racing itself a fortnight ago................. I have had the distinct feeling that BSI/IMG's hands are completely tied on this matter but i'm sure it wouldn't hurt to contact them to let them know of the disatisfaction Edited May 9, 2009 by spook Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spook 28 Posted May 9, 2009 I asked someone ''in the know'' about why the tracks are all prepared so slick for the GP's. The answer ? The sponsors dont want to pay money and then see their logo's covered up by shale, and thats the reply i was given and how thrilled would a few teenagers be to be allowed in for free and to stand on the centre green to watch the racing inbetween when they hose down those banners? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM 1 Posted May 9, 2009 There is only one thing that Ole Olsen and his fellow GPer's will pay attention to .... money. If you stop watching the GP's on tv and at the stadiums that will hit their pocket .... Are you suggesting Olsen is being paid to make GPs as boring as possible? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcel 0 Posted May 9, 2009 I asked someone ''in the know'' about why the tracks are all prepared so slick for the GP's. The answer ? The sponsors dont want to pay money and then see their logo's covered up by shale, and thats the reply i was given thats bullrubbish. the reason behind it is danes are brought up and love slick tracks.olsen is killing the gp series by dictating slick tracks at places that are normaly well prepped and good racing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCOTLAND1314 121 Posted May 9, 2009 Are you suggesting Olsen is being paid to make GPs as boring as possible? Where did I say that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM 1 Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) You didn't say that as such, only by inference. You did say that Olsen et al only pay attention to money. They are producing lousy tracks that make for dismal speedway, which are televised everywhere and give the impression that speedway is a processional sport. Olsen is paid to produce these tracks and if money talks that suggests that he believes this situation is satisfactory, unless and until someone pays him more money to produce deeper tracks. My question is why the people who ARE paying him believe that the tracks he produces are satisfactory and give value for that money? Some ulterior motive, maybe - other than saving a few quid on the extra shale? Edited May 9, 2009 by AndyM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
