Elrc (elite League Riders Championship) 19/10/13 At Swindon

[foamfence 2,917]

Whatever happened to 20 heat, 5 rides each meetings. Just don't get this semi and final thing, in a one off meeting...

If someone has a fall or engine failure he can still make the final, there is always a build up and climax with a final (as with GPs), There is still a place for the old format though. Last nights farce shouldn't be seen as an example of any sort of format though.

[betts 3]

No one can stop the rain, but only one tractor trying to do something with the track. Perhaps the bspa should give the meeting to Kings Lynn. At least the promoter there is not afraid of getting his hands dirty and he can drive a tractor

[mdmc82 2,878]

Do often wonder why swindon always get this meeting

[Trees 2,814]

Ok yep disappointing meeting racing wise but sure as hell not disappointed with our 2 Lynn riders, both wanted to win and so they did :-D. Rory absolutely determined, great to see and sooo chuffed with his win over the World No 3 who wanted the win pretty badly too, next year Niels and hopefully representing the Stars again!!!

 

Was surprised with the track staff, if only Buster had been in control, if nothing else from the BSPA conference all promoters need to agree to lessons in track prep!!!!

 

Thanks to the BSPA for their gesture to us fans because of the quality of the meeting, £5 off any BSPA meeting in 2014?

[Wallabee 0]

It hardly ensures the best rider on the night winning. Every race should be as important as the last, as in the Blue Riband at Poole...

But the best rider on the night did win!

[Al Stewart 398]

It hardly ensures the best rider on the night winning. Every race should be as important as the last, as in the Blue Riband at Poole...

 

Maybe not but in this case, the best rider on the night did win.

 

I didn't think it should have gone ahead but I thought about 10 of the riders gave it their best shot, and towards the end there was some reasonable racing. By then many people may have had their senses numbed and not noticed.

[A ORLOV 8,628]

There will be a discount for next years ELRC for those who have the tickets from last night.

 

The rain could have affected any track and unfortunately came at the wrong time.

 

The racing did get better as the track dried out but I think they should run the ELRC earlier in the year.

Edited October 20, 2013 by A ORLOV

[MattK 3,447]

What was the crowd like last night?

[bigcatdiary 3,165]

Do often wonder why swindon always get this meeting

 

Probably because no one else wants it.

 

What was the crowd like last night?

 

I asked on updates and was informed it was poor.

[scottyfan 824]

By the sounds of it, this meeting shouldn't have even been started..

It had to be Matt Fords fault surely??

[jimmy jimmy 298]

It's funny how in the one hand, people moan because the season no longer runs on to the end of October, and on the other hand moan because events are put on wet unridable tracks, which is a lot more likely in October when it rains more.

 

I do agree though that if this is the showpiece BSPA event, it should be held at a stadium with seating, for me Coventry should host it. Then once the new stadium is ready in Manchester, it should go back there as it used to be.

[Trees 2,814]

There will be a discount for next years ELRC for those who have the tickets from last night.

 

The rain could have affected any track and unfortunately came at the wrong time.

 

The racing did get better as the track dried out but I think they should run the ELRC earlier in the year.

On the other hand it could have been a dry, cold, autumn night which would have made for a nice, grippy track and some great racing!

[Gresham78 215]

I remember in the 80s when this event was the British League Riders Championship it was really was something to look forward to and given that at that time most of the the best riders riders in the world were riding in the BL often the field assembled was better than that for the World Final. It was held at a venue befitting its status, that being Belle Vue's old Hyde Road home which was a purpose built speedway stadium. A prestigious meeting that its participants really wanted to win. Sadly last night's shambles showed that its only a pale imitation of its former self.

 

Let's face it shouldn't of gone ahead. Following the downpour at 4pm the track was left saturated with numerous puddles on the surface and despite the efforts of the track staff the first 4 heats showed it wasn't fit to race on. We then had what must have been about an hour's delay whilst further work was carried out to try and produce a vaguely raceable surface.

 

While this was going on the poor old fans, many who already had a good soaking, had to to endure standing on muddy grass banks in a breezy old relic of a 'stadium' ( and I say that as a Swindon fan).

 

Great credit to Rory Schlein who I thought was outstanding on the night along with NKI, Jason Doyle and one or two others but I don't blame any rider either who didn't fancy it on the night; it's the end of the season and a track in a treacherous condition so why risk having a serious crash?

 

At the end of the day riders and fans lost out along with the sport itself. Just imagine if you'd brought somebody along for their first visit to a speedway meeting - how would you have sold the sport to them on that showing?

 

As A Orlov says perhaps the meeting should be moved to earlier in the season and at a venue with better facilities, Brandon for instance.

 

Which ever way you look at it, it was a sorry end to the season and did little to enhance the sport's reputation.

[Chalkie 263]

 

I asked on updates and was informed it was poor.

 

I beg to differ, I was there at what turned out to be a poorly run borefest but the crowd was very decent. Congrats to Rory, who was one of the few who gave it their all. I was a bit confused by the BSPA apology and offer of a future discount to 'something' next year-anyone who manages to hang on to the scrappy little rain check for the best part of a year will be doing very well!!! It seemed to me that there were some lengthy negotiations with the competitors at the point at which the track had improved sufficiently to allow quite decent competition and then news of the curtailment, so don't fully understand why they went that route but anything which gives a discount to something from that crowd of crooks is welcome.

 

Just as a byline I left home 9 miles away at 5:15 and got home at 10:30 to a rollocking from Mrs White for being so long and I missed Casualty on the telly!!!!!

 

Am I mistaken or was the rescheduling of the ELRC today? If so I am sure that a great many of you will be interested to know that it is now lagging it down in the Swindon area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[orion 7,615]

Really looking to the Blunsdon blog on this subject and how somehow this meeting was on after the Lakeside was called off ..should be a great read