manchesterpaul 447 Posted June 5, 2013 (edited) Based on this years averages, Smolinski is top. You're going on the rolling averages which confuse matters slightly. For example Harris is No.1 in the Birmingham rolling averages at the moment, but below Covatti in the meetings this year. It will be interesting to see if Smolinski can keep this up all season, but if he can qualify by right, who are we to disagree with his inclusion? I'd stop short of giving him a series wild card donation though, there are other riders who have had years of consistently good league scores, but have never received a Wild Card. Grig Laguta for one... In fact, given their impressive World Cup performances, and the very real chance of a Russian World Champion this season, surely Russia have a strong case to expect a permanent Wild Card in 2014? Especially with a rider as world class as Laguta. JT. It would be good if another Russian can make a leap in form to get really noticed. Even though Emil is one of my absolute favourite riders i'm sure there are fans in Russia who don't worship every action he takes. So to have a second Russian rider would be good, as well as likely mean an exciting rider is added to the field. It's good to see Smolinski still holding his fantastic average in the Elite League. I don't look at rolling averages as they are just used for team building regulations, i prefer the actual current season's sporting performances as published in the Speeedway Star since time began (well at least post-dinosaur era). Not sure how well, or if, he would hold that form in a higher class of racing. I just went to look at the Polish and Swedish averages but he doesn't compete in the top tier. In the THIRD level in Poland he averages over two meetings a mere 6 points!. I presume he's just had two stinkers of a meeting there as his UK Elite League average would infer he should score heavily in that particular Polish league. Edited June 5, 2013 by manchesterpaul Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wackie 938 Posted June 6, 2013 Take this years GP line up, omit Jonsson & Lindback and add MJJ, & Laguta and i I'd say we'd be in for another fantastic GP season. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted June 6, 2013 It's not so long ago that Lindback was winning a GP so let's give him time. He's had a bad start that's all............................... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ghostwalker 1,859 Posted June 6, 2013 TWN, I agree with you and two riders who most defenitely don't deserve Wild Cards are Harris and Lindgren. Especially Lindgren since he won't bother doing the qualies. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wackie 938 Posted June 6, 2013 But you can't go giving out WC's on whats happened in the past, otherwise why not Harris too? He's won a GP! Lindback is too much of a confidence rider, which is something he's lacking again this year. He was beyond awful at Cardiff and was pitiful to watch. Unless he qualifies by right through the challenge he doesn't deserve a WC on his past performances. Looks to me at the moment like he needs to sort his head out again and there are better riders outside of the GP than him presently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ghostwalker 1,859 Posted June 6, 2013 Wackie its the head that's the problem but rather his bikes. Also Antonio had a very poor start in last year's series. If his poor form continues I agree that he should not get a wc however qualify by own performance applies to the other riders aswell, particulary Lindgren and Harris who are two of the most charitided riders in the history of thr Grand Prix. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JT 167 Posted June 7, 2013 Take this years GP line up, omit Jonsson & Lindback and add MJJ, & Laguta and i I'd say we'd be in for another fantastic GP season. The most sensible post so far. This years line up is so strong, that world class riders will inevitably miss out. I think Jonsson has lost interest now, likewise Lindback, who is showing the classic signs of a confidence drain. After the Bomber's latest bomb (eliminated before the Semi Finals and beaten by Dryml) in Cardiff, I hope BSI have finally ended their love affair with the rider and he is forced to qualify by right. If he does make it through the qualifying rounds and qualifies from the challenge in Poole, I have no problem with him in the series, but enough of his constant charity now please. JT. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manchesterpaul 447 Posted June 7, 2013 Which of the Laguta brothers are you all referring to in the above posts? Stating 'Laguta' doesn't help at all. Polish averages Artem 8.92 Grigory 8.11 Swedish averages Artem 8.95 Grigory 8.87 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wackie 938 Posted June 7, 2013 I'd stick Artem in. He might not have as much experience as his older brother, but has more longevity ahead of him in the series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted June 7, 2013 It's all a bit pointless anyway. BSI will have in who they want to have in - 'one way or another'. Some World Championship. :rolleyes: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wackie 938 Posted June 7, 2013 Actually the GP's are more of a world championship than the 1 off world finals ever were. I went to quite a number of world finals between '78 and '94 and saw some right duffers riding in them who literally really were just making up the numbers. Rather than a world title being decided on chance or an act of fate we really do get a genuine deserved world champion. I'm not saying none of the riders who won world titles prior to 95 weren't deserving, but there were more than a few that were 'flukes'. Speedway Grand Prix still has an element of qualification, which is more than F1, MotoGP, WSB etc.have, but you wouldn't say that the likes of Alonson, Vettel, Rossi, Lorenzo, Fogarty or Bayliss weren't worthy world champions because they didn't qualify for their respective sports championship rounds, Each of them fought tooth & nail to lift their world title trophy, just as the speedway world champions since 1995 have. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted June 7, 2013 Actually the GP's are more of a world championship than the 1 off world finals ever were. I went to quite a number of world finals between '78 and '94 and saw some right duffers riding in them who literally really were just making up the numbers. Rather than a world title being decided on chance or an act of fate we really do get a genuine deserved world champion. I'm not saying none of the riders who won world titles prior to 95 weren't deserving, but there were more than a few that were 'flukes'. Speedway Grand Prix still has an element of qualification, which is more than F1, MotoGP, WSB etc.have, but you wouldn't say that the likes of Alonson, Vettel, Rossi, Lorenzo, Fogarty or Bayliss weren't worthy world champions because they didn't qualify for their respective sports championship rounds, Each of them fought tooth & nail to lift their world title trophy, just as the speedway world champions since 1995 have. I prefer the word 'surprise'. That is the beauty of Sport - you get surprises. Unless, of course, people are trying to 'fix' it so you don't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PHILIPRISING 7,298 Posted June 7, 2013 THE old chestnut rises from the ashes yet again ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wackie 938 Posted June 7, 2013 I guess it's all down to personal taste, but I prefer to see a world champion who has earned that title riding against the best there is. The qualifying system for the old 1 off's with a certain amount of riders coming from the continental & intercontinental finals never provided finals which showcased all the best riders in the world at that time. In the past 40 years the continental final has provided 2 world champions - you may call them surprise winners, but both were flukes in my eyes, and what maybe 1 or 2 at most other medalists? People look back at the 1 off world finals (and I have some fantastic memories from some of them) with their rose tinted glasses, but the qualification for them was flawed in respect of quite a few duffers qualifying through the continental final who really didn't deserve to be there. I think this was addressed slightly in the last couple of years of the 1 offs with 2 semi finals being introduced to determine the world finalists, and I can only think of Thomas Gollob and maybe Armando Castagna from the continental rounds who qualified from these. THE old chestnut rises from the ashes yet again ... It's been a while, doesn't do any harm to throw the dinosaurs the odd bone now & then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manchesterpaul 447 Posted June 7, 2013 THE old chestnut rises from the ashes yet again ... Dear God noooooo.....and if so....get it out of this thread and into it's own please. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
