2016, Rain-offs, Postponements, Abandonedments, Are There Other Reasons, Not The Weather?

[waiheke1 4,295]

Refer Dave Allan's post a few up for year by year stats

[Star Lady 5,400]

A few years back, probably before Sky became involved, very few league matches were raced before April. The season didn't start until March 15th and the first few weeks were taken up with challenges, individual meetings and Spring Cup type fixtures. Those matches were far less important, so postponements didn't have such an impact.

 

Personally I think March is far too early for evening (and sometimes daytime) meetings it's far too ruddy cold. Not that I thought that when I was younger of course

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

When I was younger, I used to really look forward to going to the speedway, if the weather was iffy, the conversations were about which team would adapt better to a heavy track, would the rain give the advantage to the visiting team, a leveller, would any of our riders be able to find their gating gloves...

It was never, well, this will be cancelled because we've had a bit of rain, we looked forward to seeing a different kind of meeting..

We never expected a rain off, we always looked forward to a different kind of meeting..

[SCB 0]

When I was younger, I used to really look forward to going to the speedway, if the weather was iffy, the conversations were about which team would adapt better to a heavy track, would the rain give the advantage to the visiting team, a leveller, would any of our riders be able to find their gating gloves...

It was never, well, this will be cancelled because we've had a bit of rain, we looked forward to seeing a different kind of meeting..

We never expected a rain off, we always looked forward to a different kind of meeting..

Same. At Newport in Tim Stones era there couldn't have been more than half a dozen ran offs and if a meeting started it almost always finished - the first meeting being the exception! If it rained before a meeting the track was sometimes a mess but we still got a meeting.

 

When did it change?

[longlivefrankie 458]

Same. At Newport in Tim Stones era there couldn't have been more than half a dozen ran offs and if a meeting started it almost always finished - the first meeting being the exception! If it rained before a meeting the track was sometimes a mess but we still got a meeting.

When did it change?

True about time stone era, one of the wettest meetings I ever seen was wasps v a Russia team on a good Friday I think

 

A boat would have been of more use

[Woz01 3,589]

Today Coventry postponed their meeting just before 4pm after it started raining at 3.15ish, 3and a half hours before start time. Robert Lambert wasn't happy it wasn't called off earlier but track was fit to ride until the rain came. What if they cancelled it at lunchtime and the rain didn't come? A no win situation for the promotion.

[cityrebel 2,960]

Rye house held their nerve on Saturday when every forecast said heavy rain near to start time. The fact that the rain moved into the midlands instead of going east was a reward for their efforts. I doubt if Len silver would have been so brave.

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

Rye house held their nerve on Saturday when every forecast said heavy rain near to start time. The fact that the rain moved into the midlands instead of going east was a reward for their efforts. I doubt if Len silver would have been so brave.

 

 

And that is the problem, Doyley let rip when Wolverhampton called off late, dry day, threat of rain, that did arrive, but surely, as a professional rider, you get your kit ready, and travel to a meeting and if it is called off, well, you made the effort to go to work....

Obviously, there are occasions when a weather forecast is absolutely set in stone, and a club calls it off at lunchtime on the day, but it should NEVER be called off 24/48/72 hours before start time based on a forecast that at best, that far ahead is only ever going to be 10, maybe 15% accurate..

 

Speedway has turned into oval road racing, no dirt, no bumps, and heaven forbid no wet shale!!

[cityrebel 2,960]

And that is the problem, Doyley let rip when Wolverhampton called off late, dry day, threat of rain, that did arrive, but surely, as a professional rider, you get your kit ready, and travel to a meeting and if it is called off, well, you made the effort to go to work....

Obviously, there are occasions when a weather forecast is absolutely set in stone, and a club calls it off at lunchtime on the day, but it should NEVER be called off 24/48/72 hours before start time based on a forecast that at best, that far ahead is only ever going to be 10, maybe 15% accurate..

Speedway has turned into oval road racing, no dirt, no bumps, and heaven forbid no wet shale!!

japanese speedway used to be raced on Tarmac, surely this has to be the way forward if the sport is to survive in this country!

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

Today Coventry postponed their meeting just before 4pm after it started raining at 3.15ish, 3and a half hours before start time. Robert Lambert wasn't happy it wasn't called off earlier but track was fit to ride until the rain came. What if they cancelled it at lunchtime and the rain didn't come? A no win situation for the promotion.

That was a good example of why it should not of been cancelled earlier. The band of rain could easily have stayed exactly where it was a 3pm, it was touch and go wether or not it moved north.... And in the end it did nudge north and caused Coventry to be rained off, but it was a knife edge forecast... And it just, and I do mean only just went against Coventry..

[hrhbig 69]

It seems today's riders will only ride on wet tracks if the cameras are there.

 

I am not sure how the sport can recover from all these issues of the past months.

 

It could take 10 years to rebuild the sport with the mess it's in now.

I remember going from Poole to Hyde Road for the British League riders Championship, it was raining very hard when we arrived and when we left, but the full programme was competitively run that night, with no withdrawals by riders .

[dave69 1,534]

True about time stone era, one of the wettest meetings I ever seen was wasps v a Russia team on a good Friday I think

 

A boat would have been of more use

The LUK Oil team.It was torrential and they all had a go though the Russians did get a thumping.

[WembleyLion 413]

This is part of what a former top rider of the 70's said earlier on Facebook.

 

"With the old 2-valve and 4-vale upright bikes, you could still race on wet or bumpy tracks (bring out the sawdust!) but these laydown missiles are easier to ride on a slick track but just take off when they hit a bit of dirt"

 

I think this summarises much of the problem as the super tuned 'missiles' are best suited to dry billiard table type tracks and many modern riders are just unable to cope with bumps, ruts, patchy surfaces and the wet.

 

Tarmac it is then cityrebel!

[cityrebel 2,960]

This is part of what a former top rider of the 70's said earlier on Facebook.

"With the old 2-valve and 4-vale upright bikes, you could still race on wet or bumpy tracks (bring out the sawdust!) but these laydown missiles are easier to ride on a slick track but just take off when they hit a bit of dirt"

I think this summarises much of the problem as the super tuned 'missiles' are best suited to dry billiard table type tracks and many modern riders are just unable to cope with bumps, ruts, patchy surfaces and the wet.

Tarmac it is then cityrebel!

we certainly saw a few 'take offs' at mildenhall yesterday Eddie!

[StevePark 2,790]

Forgive me, but what mess and why does the sport need rebuilt? Simply because a few meetings have been postponed?

 

I haven't been a regular at the speedway for five years, so may be missing something, but meetings have been getting postponed since time began.

 

Perhaps, therein, lies the answer to your question.

 

There are many, many more, like yourself, who have been lost to the sport, for whatever reason.