King's Lynn Stars 2017

[Danny Connor 351]

Here here

Edited August 18, 2017 by Danny Connor

[Haza 1,774]

Firstly, I can assure you I'm not delusional in any way. I am well aware of Busters involvement in most of the arguments. Buster for one, is acutely aware that fans come through the gate, pay their money and expect to see speedway racing. The sport is not a charity and bills need to be paid . All issues, surrounding arguments with Buster, is normally related to the financial side of the business. If the promotions cant make the venture pay, then the club will close.... Argument with Riders like Schlein, Holder and Batch will always create conflict, them thinking only of themselves and all their arguments are centred around personal opinions, Never once do the fans come into their thoughts....

 

People like yourselves have short memories. It was Buster, who no doubt , footed the bills to bring each of these riders to Kings Lynn hoping their expertise would reap rewards for the club.,. I would imagine Buster has given them far more than they have given to the club. And yet you still think they did no wrong. I think it's time you woke up and see the real world. If British Speedway relied on the likes of the 3 mentioned above , our sport will be dead years ago....

in Holder and Batch case I've never said they did no wrong on that night what I don't get though why Robert Lambert has been conveniently forgotten he didn't come out to race either- in Rory case though on the night in question though you say there is no night in question- Rory most definitely did no wrong he was 100% correct there was no way that meeting could have been run but if you say it could have been we will go with that you must be right .

[g13webb 4,254]

Sometimes you talk utter rubbish. You see everything black and white. Unfortunately life is not like that. The speedway in this country is in such a precarious position that Promotor and Riders need to be on the same side. Every argument and counter decision has a cost to bear, and usually its the promoter who has to foot the bill . Each called off meeting must cost thousands in lost revenue and payments, When Buster has a bust-up like the Poole match and with Rory last year, nobody wins, the disgruntled fans go home not having seen a match, the riders go home not earning a full package, but it is Buster who has to foot the bill. Now, surely even you can see the problems situation like this cause.

 

How times have changed. Looking back to a Good Friday morning (March 1975) Kings Lynn were due to ride against Leicester, in the Border Trophy. During the night, and the following morning the Snow came. the roads were blocked, and some the riders failed to arrive. World Stars like Terry Betts, Trevor Hedge, Ray Wilson Dave Jessup all turned up ready to race. Team were made up with reserves but the show went ahead . There were never any thought of the meeting being cancelled. We had snow on the infield and round the boards but the rider just got on an rode. That day, 2000 people went home happy, having seen the introduction of the new sensation, Michael Lee.

 

The riders today seem to forget the fans, yet without them there is no sport. The bust-up with Rory shouldn't have happened. Rory had just survived a horrendous life threatening accident, that no doubt played on his mind. probably he was the wrong man to ask? Had Rory been in Buster shoes, probably he would have thought differently. I sure Rory could have rode round slower to suit the conditions. The same with Holder and Batch, had they had thought about the fans, non of the trouble would have happened.

 

As we have all seen, the fans are drifting away from the sport because of the contemptuous way they are treated. There're not many left, and while riders think they are bigger then the sport, the trend will continue. The sport has to put the fans first... and if that means riding in poor conditions then so be it.....

[Trees 2,814]

The fans wouldn't be satisfied these days to watch riders poodling around in boiler suits on a wet track or giving it 50% at the back of a race though.

 

Should riders be given the choice to race in tricky conditions if a promoter decides to go ahead with a meeting with a dodgy forecast, with no penalty, just to get the meeting over and done with? If say 10 out of 14 riders agree then go ahead, just give them extra rides. Obviously there would have to be a limit but the meetings can go ahead, promoter not lose money, fans erm go home happy?

[Aces51 2,778]

According to reports on here the track preparation has been much improved since the Poole meeting resulting in better racing. The question is why it has been so poor for the last couple of years? By getting it right now the promotion have shown that it can be done, so why wasn't it? It's not as if it's a different track curator.

[Trees 2,814]

It hasn't been like that Thursday for sure.

[Danny Connor 351]

I'd recon it's because the new material has settled and we have riders now who are prepared to stick it in. Auty is a racer, jonason is a racer and it's a team full of riders with something to prove.

 

When you have something to prove in anything you try harder.

 

Also the opposition have been of a similar build. No out and out world class stars and no 3 pointers poodling around (well 1) so it's been very level.

 

it will be interesting to see how it holds up after the 1st meeting Wednesday . Irecon 4 races for some lines to appear. The rest of that meeting producing racing then maybe slickening off to blue groove and dirt on the fence later on in the 2nd meeting. But I'm not going to pretend I have a clue about it.

 

Buster normally rips it up for the 2nd half of the meeting but I don't know how many times you can effectively do that? I'd love to learn about track prep from some experts. For their opinions on things. We always here fans and riders views. Something for the speedway star in the winter maybe.

Edited August 20, 2017 by Danny Connor

[IronScorpion 1,407]

From memory, on a few threads, notably this & Sheffield's, some posters had said that the tracks had been prepared how the riders wanted it, slick. There was, also, talk of a shale shortage & some had been waiting a few weeks & were told it would be a few more. The last 2 years, prior to this year, we have had a mountain of shale at the EWR but this has now been used up by the requirements of other tracks.

[g13webb 4,254]

According to reports on here the track preparation has been much improved since the Poole meeting resulting in better racing. The question is why it has been so poor for the last couple of years? By getting it right now the promotion have shown that it can be done, so why wasn't it? It's not as if it's a different track curator.

 

It would be unfair to label the problems of that Poole match to lack of track preparation. We all are aware the problem was caused by using new shale that didn't mix with that we use to have. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I'm sure Buster wouldn't have gambled, had he been aware of the problem. We had moaned for some time about the Gate and go racing and blamed it totally on the shale. But since that Poole meeting, the racing has been much improved, and long my it continue. I would never label Buster with that lack of track preparation, I always think he spends too much time on the tractor... As with all issues surrounding materials, it is governed by cost, and affordability.

[Aces51 2,778]

I'm not sure that the number of laps done by the tractor necessarily bears any relationship to the quality of the preparation. I would expect a competent track curator to check and to know whether new shale has bound properly with the existing shale and if not, to know what to do to resolve the problem. The remedial work after the complaints from the riders at the very least greatly improved the track, so it seems plain that the solution was simple and relatively quick to carry out. I wonder what Chapman would have said if the track has been prepared by someone else. I suspect we may have been subjected to one of his usual outbursts.

[g13webb 4,254]

I'm not sure that the number of laps done by the tractor necessarily bears any relationship to the quality of the preparation. I would expect a competent track curator to check and to know whether new shale has bound properly with the existing shale and if not, to know what to do to resolve the problem. The remedial work after the complaints from the riders at the very least greatly improved the track, so it seems plain that the solution was simple and relatively quick to carry out. I wonder what Chapman would have said if the track has been prepared by someone else. I suspect we may have been subjected to one of his usual outbursts.

 

Well, of cause you would!!! You are obviously another Buster hater. ... Hindsight is a wonderful thing. The Norfolk arena was used 3 times for different applications the week prior to the Poole match. New shale had arrived just before. Situations are not as black and white as you may think... What ever the state of the track, does not justify Holder and Batch's walkout.

What needs to be remembered here, the times recorded in the first 3 heats were the quickest we had seen for 9 years.... So the track couldn't have been so bad.....

[semion 2,192]

Batch didn't walk out GRW, he was injured, we know that to be true cos he said so.

 

On a side issue, where has Baggy ( AKA Gordon Bennett) got to lately ? I did wonder if he had been on a crash course learning German ( Canary version)

Edited August 21, 2017 by semion

[Trees 2,814]

Farke, nooooooo, Semion, he's still about, lost a lil enthusiasm, like you.

[Aces51 2,778]

Well, of cause you would!!! You are obviously another Buster hater. ... Hindsight is a wonderful thing. The Norfolk arena was used 3 times for different applications the week prior to the Poole match. New shale had arrived just before. Situations are not as black and white as you may think... What ever the state of the track, does not justify Holder and Batch's walkout.

What needs to be remembered here, the times recorded in the first 3 heats were the quickest we had seen for 9 years.... So the track couldn't have been so bad.....

A very grippy track will produce fast times but the facts are that a number of riders didn't come to the tapes and remedial work was done so that destroys any argument that the track was ok.

 

As I said in my original post none of this absolves Holder from blame, Batchelor,I don't know, like many I have my suspicions but he withdrew on medical ground and you cannot get beyond that.

 

I find this trend of calling those who happen to criticise an individual or team haters a bit childish. I see it often now, particularly against those who criticise Woffinden. It's an attempt to diminish their argument by branding them as people who only say what they do because they hate the individual or team rather than debating their criticism like an adult.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Aces51

[g13webb 4,254]

A very grippy track will produce fast times but the facts are that a number of riders didn't come to the tapes and remedial work was done so that destroys any argument that the track was ok.

 

As I said in my original post none of this absolves Holder from blame, Batchelor,I don't know, like many I have my suspicions but he withdrew on medical ground and you cannot get beyond that.

 

I find this trend of calling those who happen to criticise an individual or team haters a bit childish. I see it often now, particularly against those who criticise Woffinden. It's an attempt to diminish their argument by branding them as people who only say what they do because they hate the individual or team rather than debating their criticism like an adult.

 

I'm sorry if I come under your childish category , but that was my thinking of your comments, for ' Buster bashing'.

I didn't think the track was too bad , until it started to rain. But I don't race the bikes, only look at the races... But my philosophy is, if one rider can race it so should the rest. There is a lot of talk about Lambert and Huckenbeck not going out to race, but this was only because the ref refused to go down to the pits to sort out the problem. I thought the ref was wrong to exclude them both before he went to investigate the issues. Once he went down to meet the riders, surely he should have re-instated them seeing that the ref was the reason for not going to the gate in the first instance.

Bearing mind the other issues surrounding Lynn officials I believe Lambert was in a no-win situation. At least he resumed the racing with the others once the remedy work had been done.

 

PS. I'm no team hater, But I dislike Holder and Batch with a vengeance for the way they have behaved this year. Probably the worst signings the Stars have ever made...

Edited August 21, 2017 by GRW123