Is Speedway Better As A Team Sport On As An Individual Sport?

[phillipsr 2,057]

Saw some discussion on a lack of team riding and it got me thinking on which type of Speedway i prefer to watch. Although i was brought up on team speedway i now much prefer it as an individual event (GPs etc). If a teams two riders pop out of the gate then thats usually it for the racing (i know sometimes they get split etc) what i like about individual speedway is that there can still be a battle over position no matter who gates and where they are.

 

Thought it might be interesting to discuss

[AFCB Wildcat 1,362]

At one time I would have disagreed but it does seem that team speedway at elite league level has lost its way a bit.

Maybe run the elite league as per the world cup format? 4 man teams named from a 7 man squad in 4 team tournaments.

Less fixtures, more top riders able to commit, less guest riders along with the benefits mentioned by the OP.

Okay, no team riding but how much do we see anyway. If it leaves teams with not enough fixtures then run a NL side and develop the next generation of riders?

[Gemini 4,894]

If it was just individual meetings that would be the end of speedway for me after 65 years. Not interested.

[kitten2502 263]

Only team racing for me I'm afraid.

[moxey63 1,785]

It is team racing all the way, with a sprinkle every now and then of individual stuff, the way it's always been.

 

Team speedway is the bread-and-butter stuff... but just too many riders are riding for just too many teams... and team speedway has been reduced to suiting the individual.

 

Nowadays it isn't who you ride for, it is how many teams you ride for. Riders are akin to agencies workers in the real world.

[weatherwatcher 664]

I must say that you don't get to see to many meetings in a year when riders actually race together as a pair. Far to much blast off from the tapes and stay out in front not even bothering to know where your other rider is.

[sussex bulldog 41]

Team racing is far better than individual racing IMHO. When the top rider looks for his partner and gets him by there is real skill. Gordon Kennett, Martin Dugard and David Norris were always good at this at Arlington.

[foamfence 2,917]

I think there should be a better balance of both, I can remember when riders had three qualifying rounds with every track holding a round towards the World Championships, then there were semi's and a British Final (before moving on to international rounds). Obviously with the GPs you couldn't go back to that but you could have a British Open Championship running through the season with the final as a climax to the season. You could also go back to 13 heat matches and have a set structure for the second half, which was the same at every track, that could all go towards some sort of championship as well. I think more individual events would interest more sponsors and the media.

[SCB 0]

I prefer to watch my team. If thats not an option then individual generally. I don't get fake teams. Riders do it at testimonials all the time, what a waste of time Who cares if the Darcy Ward drunk selects beats the Chris Holder stay-away select? I also can't get into Swedish or Polish speedway in any big way as I don't care about any of the teams. At least when it's Poole vs Eastbourne I want Eastbourne to win (or Poole to lose more importantly) or Wolves vs Lakeside I want Wolves to lose etc etc.

 

So it's my team, individual, then teams that I care about.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,974]

I have virtually no interest in individual racing. It's okay for a bit of variety, but it's utterly one-dimensional and has none of the tactics or intrigues of team racing, even if the concept of team riding has very much diminished in recent times.

 

When I used to watch WC meetings, it was to follow riders from my team rather than having any inherent interest in the individuals.

[kelvinht 356]

Team speedway always wins hands down...but has to be UK....and my team or the league my team is in. Happy watching meaningful world championship type events, but run of the mill filler individual meetings rarely do it for me although less stressful than worrying about how my team will perform

[Vince 9,459]

I have always much preferred individual meetings, afraid I just don't see racing as a team event.

[billybikespeedway 75]

I have virtually no interest in individual racing. It's okay for a bit of variety, but it's utterly one-dimensional and has none of the tactics or intrigues of team racing, even if the concept of team riding has very much diminished in recent times.

 

When I used to watch WC meetings, it was to follow riders from my team rather than having any inherent interest in the individuals.

I'm with you Team Racing for me every time I do watch the GP's on Eurosport ,I live in Newport but have only been to the cardiff GP twice due to mylack of interest in individual meetings, back in the old days I used to Go to Wimbledons Internationale but as part of a Whole day of Speedway

[Gemini 4,894]

I think I saw a bit of team riding at Coventry on Friday - Milik and Pawlicki riding side by side for four laps in heat 5, passing and re-passing each other. Great to watch....if only it wasn't just a battle to get 3rd place.

[AFCB Wildcat 1,362]

So have people found the elite league meetings on Sky better quality than the GP's?

I have enjoyed both and the Swedish league but I just don't feel riders are passionate about team speedway any more, just mercenaries.

Just personal opinion but to me the GP a better product.

Having said that I'd kill for another chance to watch the Wildcats at the Wessex.

Edited October 19, 2014 by AFCB Wildcat