Speedway's Twisted Mentality...

[Gresham 928]

.... right...this is not me slagging off speedway before certain people start.

 

It's trying to understand a mentality in speedway, that I really can't get my head around.

 

We all know Speedway is susceptible to the elements, and it's hard to race in wet conditions...always has been.

 

So in this weeks SS we have a bit of a Rant by Rosco... who imo, speaks a lot of truth the majority of the time.

 

In reference to a recent meeting being abandoned because of the weather...

 

He Quotes about fans moaning...

 

''They are so quick to complain about the riders, but the bikes have changed so much. Well I was fortunate to have ridden lay downs and know exactly what they are like. I totally get it because they are so unpredictable. The characteristics of the bikes are so different.

 

At Kings lynn it is grippy going into a bend, then turns 'icy'...all you do is a 360. An upright bike could control that, these days they are so unpredictable...you can't say...back in the day''

 

So knowing full well tracks are open to the elements and rain iis most certain in most countries....why have we allowed a sport to develop bikes that can't race on the slightest bit of rain?

 

It's not rocket Science is it?

 

All seems to me, that it is the Engine tuners and developers that run this sport...done in a way to make more money.

 

Any thoughts?

[sparkafag 746]

Personally, I am not that interested in seeing speedway riders race on rain effected tracks even if they have a bike to suit a rain effected track

 

The mentality that went on for years off “get a meeting on” irrespective of the conditions went some way to damaging the sport IMO, in particularly meetings on Sky watching riders follow each other around the track upright on one dry line, nah, absolutely rubbish and short changing people.

 

In short, it’s not a water sport.

[Gresham 928]

So we have a Poole Promotor that wants to bring in approx. 25 home meetings in per season. One home meeting a week. How many of them are going to get rained off at first attempt or even second attempt? How is it possible to run a bigger fixture list in a season, with the bikes we have, with the weather conditions common to Britain?

 

What percentage of rain off's have we had this season?

 

Imo, it's the amount of rain offs we have, and the irregularity of speedway meetings being on, that is the problem...as people get fed up of travelling miles only to be told it's off.

 

I personally enjoyed seeing riders battle the elements as well as one another.

 

Perhaps that's why County Cricket, Lawn Tennis and Speedway suffer falling attendances...because they can't deal with the normal conditions of the Country we live in.

[Fromafar 10,378]

Personally, I am not that interested in seeing speedway riders race on rain effected tracks even if they have a bike to suit a rain effected track

 

The mentality that went on for years off “get a meeting on” irrespective of the conditions went some way to damaging the sport IMO, in particularly meetings on Sky watching riders follow each other around the track upright on one dry line, nah, absolutely rubbish and short changing people.

 

In short, it’s not a water sport.

That could be the reason most tracks don't bother with the use of track covers, the weather on the day is so unpredictable .

[damosuzuki 696]

Glasgow (wettest place in the world after Manchester) have only had one home meeting called off this year, and have had meetings in extremely damp conditions. EG Coventry meeting - track was very wet and it was a cracker. Maybe some tracks are worse than others.

 

I don't think a return to uprights is on the cards!!!

[The White Knight 9,039]

Glasgow (wettest place in the world after Manchester) have only had one home meeting called off this year, and have had meetings in extremely damp conditions. EG Coventry meeting - track was very wet and it was a cracker. Maybe some tracks are worse than others.

 

I don't think a return to uprights is on the cards!!!

A pity that. :sad:

[Deano 1,318]

The bikes and riders suits are the only thing that has moved on in the last 30 years.

 

Everything else around them is exactly the same as it was back in 1986 barring the air fence.

 

So, it mates you wonder that it's probably everything else that needs to catch up with the bikes.

[Daniel Smith 5,666]

The bikes and riders suits are the only thing that has moved on in the last 30 years.

 

Everything else around them is exactly the same as it was back in 1986 barring the air fence.

 

So, it mates you wonder that it's probably everything else that needs to catch up with the bikes.

 

So the bikes & suits ain't the only things to change in the last 30 years then

 

I think this whole thing about laydowns being more unpredictable is nonesense. Things move on over time and if a modern engine was produced in an upright fashion I'd have no doubt it'd be pretty much the same performance wise.

[The White Knight 9,039]

 

So the bikes & suits ain't the only things to change in the last 30 years then

 

I think this whole thing about laydowns being more unpredictable is nonesense. Things move on over time and if a modern engine was produced in an upright fashion I'd have no doubt it'd be pretty much the same performance wise.

Perhaps they should give it a try.

 

I might even make the Bikes safer?

[Star Lady 5,400]

 

 

I might even make the Bikes safer?

 

but they will only be interested if it makes them faster

[The White Knight 9,039]

 

but they will only be interested if it makes them faster

I'm afraid that you are right Star Lady. :sad:

 

Faster does not make the Racing better in my opinion. For the sake of a few tenths of a second, they have changed the Bikes in to very dangerous machines indeed. Racing is definitely faster these days - but it was better in years past.

 

There were still injuries then - but not so many serious ones.

 

Of course, I know I will be called a rose coloured spectacled old duffer - but it is what I believe to be true.

[daveallan81 330]

Gresham, on 29 Jul 2016 - 12:31 PM, said:

What percentage of rain off's have we had this season?

 

Imo, it's the amount of rain offs we have, and the irregularity of speedway meetings being on, that is the problem...as people get fed up of travelling miles only to be told it's off.

 

I personally enjoyed seeing riders battle the elements as well as one another.

 

Postponements sit a tad under 20%, abandonments at 4.5%. That includes all 2016 meetings up to last night.

[The White Knight 9,039]

 

Postponements sit a tad under 20%, abandonments at 4.5%. That includes all 2016 meetings up to last night.

Like the Avatar Dave.

 

Who is it?

[customhouseregular 1,651]

I'm afraid that you are right Star Lady. :sad:

 

Faster does not make the Racing better in my opinion. For the sake of a few tenths of a second, they have changed the Bikes in to very dangerous machines indeed. Racing is definitely faster these days - but it was better in years past.

 

There were still injuries then - but not so many serious ones.

 

Of course, I know I will be called a rose coloured spectacled old duffer - but it is what I believe to be true.

Let's have a cheer for all us rose- coloured spectacled old duffers. Long may we live to continue loving our speedway.

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,756]

I've said many times it boils my piss when I see tuners taking the credit for riders , it shouldn't be like that, in speedway fans don't care about what bikes and who tunes them ,it's about the rider , it is not a bike sport it's a team sport on bikes , tuners and riders are dictating the direction and the cost of the sport and if you let the tail wag the dog for long enough the dog will fall over , the lesson is there to see and it's been there for long enough but will anything change ? I doubt it