Wild Cards 2014

[DutchGrasstrack 804]

Interesting, but your post doesn't make any sense when looking at the press releases. Przemyslaw was never number 17. He was number 5 and got replaced by Timo Lathi (on 16.08) due to his injury. Jurica Pavlic was number 17 and stayed there until the 3rd revision (20.08) of the lineup. In the 4th and final revision (23.08) Pavlic disappeared from the lineup and Harris was replacing Zagar ???

 

 

This is how it went: http://crazy-jessie.nl/poole.PNG (click)

Edited December 11, 2013 by DutchGrasstrack

[Barry The Cat 78]

Interesting, but your pos doesn't make any sense when looking at the press releases. Przemyslaw was never number 17. He was number 5 and got replaced by Timo Lathi (on 16.08) due to his injury. Jurica Pavlic was number 17 and stayed there until the 3rd revision (20.08) of the lineup. In the 4th and final revision (23.08) Pavlic disappeared from the lineup and Harris was replacing Zagar ???

 

 

This is how it went: http://crazy-jessie.nl/poole.PNG (click)

My apologies I meant Pavlic. Old age does terrible things with the mind. Have amended post.

[DutchGrasstrack 804]

Haha no worries - thanks for the update :-)

[JT 167]

Usually I’d use this forum to vent my opinion and after a while let things go. By and large, speedway seems to be run in a smoke and mirrors fashion, which we begrudgingly accept, because we love the sport. However, the news that Harris would replace Gollob, on account of his fifth at the Grand Prix Challenge, was the last straw for me. I would love it if we had more British riders in the Grand Prix, but not at the expense of fairness.

Before I continue, let me make this clear, this isn’t an attack on Harris, who may have benefitted from his invite to the Grand Prix Challenge, but isn’t responsible for the way the sport is run.

 

If Harris was next in line from the qualifiers prior to the challenge, there wouldn’t be a problem here. However, after a lacklustre display in the first round, he was 25^th in line when Zagar pulled out at the last minute. We were told that everything was done to invite the next riders in the pecking order, but these riders refused their invite in the weeks and days leading up to the event, and that was that. To quote one poster, “Harris was the only one who could be arsed to turn up”.

We’ve been told Jurica Pavlic couldn’t get his bikes over in time and thus refused his place. I have no reason to doubt this, he doesn’t ride here and Croatia is a fair distance away.

Next in line was Krzysztof Buczkowski who didn’t have the same problem; he was riding in Britain the night before, but apparently he declined a place on the reserve list. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any contact details for Krzysztof so I have no idea whether he really did turn down his place.

The next rider was a young German called Max Dilger.

I’d read just after the Challenge the German’s were angry they hadn’t been invited or even contacted by the FIM, but this was swept under the carpet and I haven’t heard anything since. Anyway it transpires Max has an official website where people can contact him. I fired an e-mail off out of curiosity, asking Max whether he'd been invited to the Challenge, and if so, why he turned down his place. The following is the reply I received, make of it what you will.

 

 

 

From: Max Dilger (max@dilger-racing.de)
Sent: 11 December 2013 19:15:45
To: 'JT'

 

Hello James,

Well ist nice that someone noticed what happend.

It is a shame, but I got never asked if I want to ride in poole. No contavt from the fim the acu or anyone from poole.

I would have been ready to ride in Poole. I had bikes in the uk ready to go. I send a email to the fim but never got answer to it.

Best regards max

 

I have absolutely no affiliation with German Speedway, but even the biggest Bomber fan has got to admit this situation is unfair. A rider who put in the time, effort and expense to reach the Grand Prix Challenge and just fell short in the Semi-Final, found himself shut out, in favour of a rider who not only faltered in the first round, but also has a long history of receiving wild cards.

 

JT.

Edited December 12, 2013 by JT

[Ghostwalker 1,859]

JT, you can contact buczek via twitter: https://twitter.com/buczekspeed

[DutchGrasstrack 804]

Correct me if I'm wrong but what about the other side of the qualifiers? This Zagar -> Buczkowski -> Dilger is one side (Lonigo) of the story (replacement for Pavlic). The sudden display of Harris as reserve is the other side (Holsted). When Kildemand was asked to ride instead of Loktaev they had to find a new 2nd reserve. This rider has to come from the Holsted race-off. These are the riders in question:

11. Lebedevs (not available, riding in the UEM U21 final in Gustrow)
12. Dryml (not available, injured)

13. Kroner

14. Kennett

15. North

16. Gublowsky

 

Kroner was next in line for a second reserve spot, but apperently the German federation was never contacted.

[jimmy jimmy 298]

On twitter everyone is pleased for Bomber and wishes him well, on here they just whinge about it. Me, I am happy he's back in the GP series

[chris4gillian 1,832]

Bomber is in. There is nothing that can be done to change it. Whining and moaning about it here changes nothing, so for Gawds sake just move on.

 

Best of luck Bomber, I'll be cheering for you throught 2014 and see you at Cardiff

[DutchGrasstrack 804]

We are just trying to understand was has gone 'wrong', and indeed nothing can be changed. Bomber is in and I have nothing against him, it can only be good for British speedway to have two riders in the GP's.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

I have absolutely no affiliation with German Speedway, but even the biggest Bomber fan has got to admit this situation is unfair. A rider who put in the time, effort and expense to reach the Grand Prix Challenge and just fell short in the Semi-Final, found himself shut out, in favour of a rider who, not only faltered in the first round, but also has a long history of receiving wild cards.JT.

Well yes, but how fair is it to seed riders directly into the SGP at the expense of riders who've done the qualifiers?

 

I don't know who's responsible for calling up replacement riders, whether the FIM or host FMN. If the FIM, then it's possible they needed to fill a name on the start list fairly quickly, and just assumed someone wouldn't be interested in travelling from Germany at short notice. If it's the ACU (as host FMN), then they're just generally pretty clueless about speedway, and might have just wanted an easy life and not go around the houses.

[DutchGrasstrack 804]

It's the FIM who need to contact the federations, which obviously didn't happen. Four days before the event they already 'nominated' Chris Harris as a 2nd reserve.

[Mixy230 120]

The whole system is flawed, until it changes we have to live with it!!!

 

Harris is a true Brit so lets get behind him at least.

 

Well done Tai in 2013

 

Come on Tai & Bomber in 2014 good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

(I do hope Harris has learnt to gate!!!!!!!!!!!!) & got his team / motors right.

[Mr Blobby 2,662]

Compared to last years line up this years is terrible!

 

With people like smolinski and Harris who are going to be half a lap behind at times it just going to embarrassing

[The White Knight 9,039]

It's good, but he shouldn't be there. He failed to get through the first round and fluked the wild card for the final challenge.

 

Don't agree with it personally but nothing will change it now

 

This is what happens when you have a Selection System. BSI/FIM etc. are just putting in who they wish. It's the Grand Prix - but it ain't SPORT!!

 

 

WAY off target. Don't think Monster's decision was taken as early as markw40 suggests above but no influence from BSI or FIM.

 

I wonder about that. There is very little that seems to go on in SGP that BSI/FIM don't seem to influence.

 

You are closer to things than me - but - I still wonder???

 

IMO,the U21 World champion should always get a wildcard pick. The SGP line up would look more interesting with MJJ and Dudek. Its fast becoming a private club with no new members, as far as wildcards go..

 

 

I totally agree - but this is the way Speedway seems to be going at the moment.

 

tai wasnt "the sort of rider" 12 months ago though...

 

 

He's had some new 'Tats' since then - that must have done it.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Finally - I don't agree with the way 'Bomber' got in BUT he cannot be criticised for taking an opportunity when it presented itself. The way he has been inserted in to the GP for next year is disgraceful.

 

We should all get behind him and give him our BEST support. It can't be pleasant if he comes on this Forum and reads some of the comments on here. The Rider has done NOTHING wrong.

 

The Administrators of our Sport - well - that is a totally different matter.

Edited December 12, 2013 by The White Knight

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

I wonder about that. There is very little that seems to go on in SGP that BSI/FIM don't seem to influence.

Not a huge surprise I'd suggest, as they're responsible for running the competition.

 

The question mark is whether established procedures were deliberately not followed in order to engineer a certain line-up in the SGP, but it's hard to imagine why the FIM or BSI would want to conspire to get Harris back in.