April 26: European Fim Speedway Grand Prix (bydgoszcz, Poland)

[Triple.H. 1,988]

BSI/IMG failed to bring a fresh face, that's a young Polish pretender, into the 2014 SGP series as a direct replacement for Gollob. Now there are only two Polish riders in it, Hampel and Kasprzak. A third Polish rider would have been desireable, with three GPs being staged in Poland. Harris replacing Gollob wasn't greeted with applause over there.

His invitation certainly wasnt welcomed by many in GB

[waiheke1 4,295]

But bsi didnt have the option of bringing in a young pole once gollob pulled out. The rules stated it had to go to harris. Not sure if fim or bsi set those rules.

 

 

If you ask me, they should have given given the wild card to someone like Premyzalaw Pawlicki or Patryk Dudek already from the beginning.

Plenty argued that at the time, but in fairness it would have been a huge call not to pick gollob. Can imagine the outcry in poland.

 

 

If you ask me, they should have given given the wild card to someone like Premyzalaw Pawlicki or Patryk Dudek already from the beginning.

Plenty argued that at the time, but in fairness it would have been a huge call not to pick gollob. Can imagine the outcry in poland.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

But bsi didnt have the option of bringing in a young pole once gollob pulled out. The rules stated it had to go to harris. Not sure if fim or bsi set those rules.

Plenty argued that at the time, but in fairness it would have been a huge call not to pick gollob. Can imagine the outcry in poland.

Plenty argued that at the time, but in fairness it would have been a huge call not to pick gollob. Can imagine the outcry in poland.

IT was and is an FIM rule that saw Harris get in after Gollob had withdrawn...

IT was and is an FIM rule that saw Harris get in after Gollob had withdrawn...

[Humphrey Appleby 13,971]

IT was and is an FIM rule that saw Harris get in after Gollob had withdrawn...

 

Yes, but why did Gollob withdraw, and relatively late in the day at that?

[oldace 1,678]

 

Yes, but why did Gollob withdraw, and relatively late in the day at that?

 

 

I think the GPs clashed with a basketball game he wanted to watch on telly, so I heard anyway

[Humphrey Appleby 13,971]

I think the GPs clashed with a basketball game he wanted to watch on telly, so I heard anyway

A women's basketball game, I think...

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

 

Yes, but why did Gollob withdraw, and relatively late in the day at that?

BEEN over this many times ... have no idea whether he was under any pressure or even induced by people in Poland to withdraw but there is no doubt that the loss of the Monster sponsorship (in excess of $100,000 I believe) was a major factor.

 

He is also hardly a youngster any more and perhaps all the travelling and time involved in a 12 round series was becoming too much for him.

 

However, I can say with absolute certainty that at the Stockholm GP (where he got hurt) last year Gollob's manager was pleading for him to get a wild card slot after it became apparent that he wouldn't finish in the top eight.

 

You can belittle the basketball game all you like but at least I have spoken to some people who actually live in Bydgoszcz who have said that they and others they know went to the basketball (indoors, out of the weather, cheaper) whereas in previous years they would have gone to the speedway.

 

Maybe not that many, but as the Tesco mantra goes, every little helps...

[theknow 2 180]

BSI/IMG failed to bring a fresh face, that's a young Polish pretender, into the 2014 SGP series as a direct replacement for Gollob. Now there are only two Polish riders in it, Hampel and Kasprzak. A third Polish rider would have been desireable, with three GPs being staged in Poland. Harris replacing Gollob wasn't greeted with applause over there.

Or greeted in the UK

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

Or greeted in the UK

BEEN over this before. The inclusion of Harris in the series was nothing to do with BSI. When Gollob withdrew the FIM's own rules came into play and Harris, like it or not, was next in line from the Challenge.

 

Sadly, the reality is that there are a number of riders along with Harris in the series this year who, so far, have looked well below the desired standard which only goes to amplify the loss of Gollob and Sayfutdinov in my opinion.

[Mark 1,497]

BEEN over this before. The inclusion of Harris in the series was nothing to do with BSI. When Gollob withdrew the FIM's own rules came into play and Harris, like it or not, was next in line from the Challenge.

 

Sadly, the reality is that there are a number of riders along with Harris in the series this year who, so far, have looked well below the desired standard which only goes to amplify the loss of Gollob and Sayfutdinov in my opinion.

 

Apart from Chris Harris who else do you feel is below the desired standard ? Maybe Batchelor but above him is Zagar who was up the top last season..

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

RIGHT now wouldn't say that Jonsson, Lindgren and Bjerre are lighting any fires even if they are not actually at the bottom of the pile. Does watching them ride send a chill down your spine?

 

Speedway in general and the SGP in particular needs some of those up-and-coming youngsters we keep reading and hearing about to actually step up to the highest plate but it is tough to visualise any that have the charisma as well as the ability to occupy the void left by Rickardsson, Gollob and, before too long, Hancock.

 

The Pawlicki brothers, for example, unquestionably have talent and it is good to see them prepared fro spread their wings in the UK but rattling up good scores in the Elite League here can be misleading.

 

Only Australia, Denmark and Poland can lay claim to having a well-stocked well of talent but how many will actually fulfil all that potential? There is no easy answer but it is a problem that will undoubtedly get far worse before it gets better ... if it ever does.

Edited May 8, 2014 by PHILIPRISING

[waiheke1 4,295]

The three you name are world class, but never going to be world champ.

Think most on here wanted one of the lagutas rather than a second swede as wildcard.

And would rather have had say dudek and mjj rather than harris and batch.

Its still a much stronger line up than you would have got pretty much any year in the old world finals.

[SCB 0]

RIGHT now wouldn't say that Jonsson, Lindgren and Bjerre are lighting any fires even if they are not actually at the bottom of the pile. Does watching them ride send a chill down your spine?

AJ has looked more up for it than for a long time and Lindgren has made 50% of the finals! Bjerre is doing what Bjerre does. He'll thrown in a great round somewhere, maybe 2 or 3 of them. He's a Gp styandard rider tbf.

 

And someone has to come last. If you have the top 16 riders in the World in a meeting, someone is gong to be last. It doesn't mean they "fall below the desired standard"

[tyler42 152]

 

The Pawlicki brothers, for example, unquestionably have talent and it is good to see them prepared fro spread their wings in the UK but rattling up good scores in the Elite League here can be misleading.

 

Both Pawlicki brothers ride in The Extraleague in Poland and as you well know is a much harder league than our own Elite League. Chris Harris was riding in Poland's first division which is equivalent to our Premier League. Unfortunately for Harris after a string of poor performances he has been rested in Poland. I think where the FIM got it wrong was, even though Harris had a good meeting at Poole. His scores should never had counted towards qualification for the GP as he was knocked out at an earlier stage. It surely should have gone to a rider who went much further in the qualifying than Harris.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,971]

I think where the FIM got it wrong was, even though Harris had a good meeting at Poole. His scores should never had counted towards qualification for the GP as he was knocked out at an earlier stage. It surely should have gone to a rider who went much further in the qualifying than Harris.

What would be the point of having a wildcard rider in a qualifying meeting who couldn't qualify?