Speedway Agm

[Humphrey Appleby 13,961]

Speedway is so confusing and different to pretty much all other sports.

 

Speedway is confusing to the newcomer...it's neither a team sport or an individual sport.

 

You have teams with riders who all ride for other teams. Those riders also provide their own machinery. Those teams are also effected by what a rider is doing in 'individual' events. You now have 'Red Bull' teams and 'JAWA' teams etc...like in Road racing...I could go on....the sport is so mixed up, it has no idea which way it's going... it's mental.

 

Either become an Individual sport...or purely a team sport. Or....make it so that riders can only be in one 'code'.

Whilst I agree with many your points, I don't really think there's a inherent problem in it being a team/individual multi-format thing. I don't have much interest in individual racing and I think it's bad for long-term continuity. It's okay occasionally though, provided the riders still have links to teams.

 

Being able to watch a league match, 4TT, pairs or whatever was part of the appeal for me and is what originally made speedway more interesting over others. In addition, whilst the sport can be watched at a simple level (4 riders 4 laps), the multiple levels of complexity also add intrigue once you've got beyond that.

 

You can draw parallels with cricket which is a much more popular sport globally. It's simple at a basic level, but you spend a lifetime learning the nuances if you want. And it has multiple formats as well - T20, ODIs and Test matches - all played in different ways. There's even an individual format - single wicket cricket - which is almost unheard of nowadays but which every kid has played and which used to be popular professionally.

 

Yes, riders competing for different teams (and the SGP/SEC) isn't ideal, but it's currently necessary because of economic realities. Furthermore, even cricketers are now competing in multiple T20 competitions, and even years ago would overwinter playing in Australia, South Africa or wherever.

 

I don't think the corporate team idea is such a great development, but it's hardly unknown in other forms of motor racing, cycling or even football in some places. And don't tennis players use their own equipment?

[IronScorpion 1,407]

I have a new take on the new Brit ruling, even though my previous post of my interpretation was genuine, the wording of the rule & subsequent tweets are ambiguous.

The ruling could have said " All British riders new to the Championship will start on a new minimum assessed 2. Any rider from 2016 who is still assessed at 3 will be amended to their true average (Bailey 2.05, Greaves 2.32, etc) but not lower than the minimum of 2."

[Skidder1 7,637]

Has there been anything official about what the Prem team building limit will be after the first set of rider averages (May 1st??)

[waiheke1 4,295]

No. But logically it should be 43 for both formats, with riders based in green sheets for respective leagues.

The "one average" concept imo should apply only to 2018 team building.

[Skidder1 7,637]

So whether it remains the same or is reduced to say 43, after riders have attained 'real' averages, then any replacement rider - especially any new or previous foreign rider - would come in on their previous actual average - assessed or 'real' rather than inflated?!

Edited November 9, 2016 by Skidder1

[waiheke1 4,295]

So whether it remains the same or is reduced to say 43, after riders have attained 'real' averages, then any replacement rider - especially any new or previous foreign rider - would come in on their previous actual average - assessed or 'real' rather than inflated?!

I would say an El rider should come in on 1.2. to reflect that averages will bl have dropped overall by 15%. There would be an argument that pl averages should be converted at 0.85. But I don't have faith in the powers that be having reached the same conclusion...

[Skidder1 7,637]

Maybe we can hope for a bit more 'meat on the bones' in this week's Speedway Star?!

 

Although I'm fairly sure after previous AGMs the promoters have had a 2-3 week window to fully consider all the proposed new rules and consider any major issues - ie look at a number of scenarios that they couldn't do in depth at the 2-day AGM and reconsider those proposals before they are rubberstamped by the MC and SCB?!

[Skid Sprocket 243]

Maybe we can hope for a bit more 'meat on the bones' in this week's Speedway Star?!

 

Although I'm fairly sure after previous AGMs the promoters have had a 2-3 week window to fully consider all the proposed new rules and consider any major issues - ie look at a number of scenarios that they couldn't do in depth at the 2-day AGM and reconsider those proposals before they are rubberstamped by the MC and SCB?!

 

Maybe even trawled through these pages to see where they went wrong

[IronScorpion 1,407]

The SpeedwayGB twitter feed states the "The minimum average for foreign riders is now 4"

 

Does that mean new riders or riders that are still assessed at 5 will now have a true average but not lower than 4 in 2017?

Edited November 9, 2016 by IronScorpion

[New Science 1,059]

i think they should go back to the old style TS when 6 pts behind replace a rider normal pts gives team managers room to work and keep meeting alive

with out silly double pts

ALL this would give is teams building top heavy. Why should a team manager have the option of putting his 2 star riders in heats 13, 14 and 15 if trailing by 10 points. Ive seen it done many times 3 five ones in a row to win the match by 2 "ITS DAYLIGHT ROBBERY" just as unfair as double points in my opinion .I'm all for tac subs replacing double points but mot in the form it was.

[Bagpuss 10,784]

Could be limited to one per heat, none after heat 11 and only when you are ten down. For example.

[waiheke1 4,295]

Could be limited to one per heat, none after heat 11 and only when you are ten down. For example.

I wouldn't apply a heat cut off, but would agree with the rest.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,961]

Could be limited to one per heat, none after heat 11 and only when you are ten down.

There may be reasons to introduce two tactical subs in one heat, such as to cover injuries. Also not sure why you'd want to have a cut-off as if you make the points gap enough, then the cut-off will effectively be 2 or 3 heats before the end anyway.

 

If you want to limit the impact tactical subs, then make it 8 points down (so at least two heat maximums to catch up) and limit to 2 or 3 substitutions in total.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Humphrey Appleby

[waiheke1 4,295]

There may be reasons to introduce two tactical subs in one heat, such as to cover injuries. Also not sure why you'd want to have a cut-off as if you make the points gap enough, then the cut-off will effectively be 2 or 3 heats before the end anyway.

 

If you want to limit the impact tactical subs, then make it 8 points down (so at least two heat maximums to catch up) and limit to 2 or 3 substitutions in total.

To cover injuries you would use IRR, not tactical subs.

10 points down, one per heat, 3 per meeting would be my restrictions (and not before heat 5).

[mike1944 151]

And who wants to be at a meeting rushed through in great haste to finish within a hour. Dream on, the meeting needs track preparation and some sort of purpose, rather that a rush to get the punters out of the stadium as quick as possible. If it was tried it would possibly put people off attending another meeting. Hardly in speedways interests or the Fans. Minimum time would be something like 90 minutes IMO.

I was not advocating rushing a meeting through but pointing out that the actual racing and necessary preparation took so little actual time. If the presentation was too slick it would be over and done in a very short time. This has been proved in some of the televised Swedish edited matches even when they do manage to fit all the heats in. The punters need more than just this for the admission that is charged and that does not necessarily mean wasting time, but providing some sort of entertainment, maybe a few heats after the main meeting showing junior and reserve riders. Another idea is a lap or honour by the winning rider round the whole track not a rush shortcut back to the pits. I also notice that in Swedish meetings the centre green is filled up with advertising boards but our tracks appear to do very little like that whatever income they brought in would help