What Are The Five Issues You Would Like Changed In British And World Speedway.?

[Grachan 7,362]

Balancing absences. If each side are missing a heat leader then both forego any facility and promote a junior. This isn't a new idea.

Ditch the tactical rides but allow the losing team to choose gate positions until they catch up. This isn't a new idea.

Pay a rider 1.5 times their points rate for bonus points and pay the leading rider an extra 50% of his points rate.

You could even include bonus points in the team score. This isn't a new idea.

 

I don't seem to have many new ideas do I? But then I didn't break it when it wasn't broken.

 

When were bonus points included in the team score? I'm not sure I'd go along with that idea. It would make scoring more complicated to understand and not everybody fully understands bonus points.

[arnieg 3,643]

 

When were bonus points included in the team score? I'm not sure I'd go along with that idea. It would make scoring more complicated to understand and not everybody fully understands bonus points.

 

1995 Knockout Cup

[Grachan 7,362]

 

1995 Knockout Cup

 

Let me guess. Tried for one year, then scrapped because it didn't really work well.

 

Doing that is fine for speedway nerds like us forum users, but it would confuse an awful lot of people I think.

[waytogo28 2,054]

Gresham said

" 2. Riders who rode Club speedway, would be provided with an engine at each meeting. These Engines would be sealed and owned by the BSPA/Clubs. The riders would provide their own rolling chassis and draw lots for the engines at each meeting. Riders would be paid a wage by the Club, and only ride for one Club in this country. If they have another job or ride abroad, then that can't interfere with Club speedway. Here comes first. Take it or leave it.

3. A Team average is set for the whole season. Riders can only be replaced with riders of the same average to when they leave. EG if said rider starts with an average of 9.00 and drops to 7.00. He can only be replaced by a rider on a 7.00 average. To stop fixing of averages."

I am fully behind this dream scenario! No more doubling up, one big league. I will add handicap racing. Something along these lines is essential and will likely be the way that club speedway turns into within 5 years.

[Gresham 928]

Gresham said

" 2. Riders who rode Club speedway, would be provided with an engine at each meeting. These Engines would be sealed and owned by the BSPA/Clubs. The riders would provide their own rolling chassis and draw lots for the engines at each meeting. Riders would be paid a wage by the Club, and only ride for one Club in this country. If they have another job or ride abroad, then that can't interfere with Club speedway. Here comes first. Take it or leave it.

3. A Team average is set for the whole season. Riders can only be replaced with riders of the same average to when they leave. EG if said rider starts with an average of 9.00 and drops to 7.00. He can only be replaced by a rider on a 7.00 average. To stop fixing of averages."

I am fully behind this dream scenario! No more doubling up, one big league. I will add handicap racing. Something along these lines is essential and will likely be the way that club speedway turns into within 5 years.

Whilst I understand Handicap racing, with Standardised sealed engines, drawn by lots each meeting, that would help with balancing out the difference between those who have money and can afford the set ups they have, with those who don't.

 

Imo...at a certain level, the riders ability is much the same. It basically comes down to a fast engine and set up that makes the difference.

 

I've seen this so often with 'middle order' type riders, who when they have a fast engine and set up, perform just as well, if not better than the so called better one's.

 

Examples of Late...Rohan Tungate...when he's got the equipment he beats many 'better' riders.

 

A very recent example...BWD...on poor machinery and borrowed equipment scores poorly and struggles. Yet had a recent new engine that performed well and scored a paid maximum last week up at Belle Vue.

 

Speedway imo, at Prem level is all about engines and who can afford the tuning and best set ups each week.

 

Speedway in many ways has become like F1.

 

Fine at Individual meetings...fill your boots. But at Club level? 7 men riding for a team all providing their own engines? It just doesn't make sense to me...never has.

 

It has been allowed to evolve like this in Club Speedway over the years, and is what imo, is the number 1 downfall to how Speedway has lost it's way.

[Guest compost]

There are so many things that need looking at (imho).

 

The top 5 for me would be -

 

1. Reduce costs. Standardise the bikes (on a cheaper more mass accessible machine - don't forget the very first Speedway machines were stripped down road bikes) and pass some of the savings made back to the fans via cheaper admission. Make the racing slower and closer, bring back the excitement as a rule and not just as the occassional thing.

 

2. No GP riders in domestic leagues. Make foreign/non-speedway commitments (i.e. mx or grass) secondary to Speedway and need club & governing body approval.

 

3. Indepenent, and public, review of the sport and the way forward (a la Shawcross) and implement at least the body of the recommendations

 

4. BSPA not to control British Speedway. Control to be vested in an independent body which has representatives of the promotors, rider and fans (or at least supporters clubs).

 

5. Get a weekly or fortnightly highlight programme on ITV4

 

 

Too many suggestions on here are too specific, the major issues are not how many rides or whether or not tac sub rides should be allowed but are to with with cost, control, excitement and numbers.

[arnieg 3,643]

1995 Knockout Cup

To be fair most sports use 'minor' competitions to experiment with rule changes.

 

One of speedway's problems is the inability of its administrators to manage the change process sensibly. In particular:

 

I) proposed changes that are frankly bonkers don't get weeded out at the drawing board stage (often they are forced through by one strong personality with a chip on their shoulder)

 

II) The failure to adequately consider the law of unintended consequences and consider the knock-on effects of proposed changes

 

III) The lack of planning for change - too many times a new rule suddenly emerges or is 'discovered' in some unpublished memorandum.

[False dawn 2,298]

 

1995 Knockout Cup

 

 

 

Let me guess. Tried for one year, then scrapped because it didn't really work well.

 

Doing that is fine for speedway nerds like us forum users, but it would confuse an awful lot of people I think.

Okay if you don't like that, although I don't see why team points are so confusing, go for the pairs scoring system, 4 3 2 0.

[Grachan 7,362]

 

 

Okay if you don't like that, although I don't see why team points are so confusing, go for the pairs scoring system, 4 3 2 0.

 

I think 4,3,2,0 is a better way of doing it. A lot of people know nothing about bonus points and don't care about them.

[False dawn 2,298]

A lot of people know nothing about bonus points and don't care about them.

Including riders, unfortunately. I can never understand if a rider is really being paid points money, why he wouldn't work more for the team and raise the number of bonus points scored. Sadly, we are left with the impression that more riders are not paid, on the whole, based on their points scored.

[BWitcher 12,453]

In a Gp now would you say there are about 8/10 who could win any round and at anytime.? In yesteryear in the one off W finals what do you recon 5/6 who could of been a serious challenger so not that much difference really.Saying that the series is in good shape just feel the top eight is going a bit stale could be tweaked some what.

 

No, I would say there are about 15 who can win a round at anytime.

The GP's are as close to the best riders in the world as they ever have been.

 

As for the other points..Averages, they've only been messed around due to the changing formats of the league. Otherwise the 28 match (or however many it is) rolling averages is FAR better than the old system which was easily manipulated.

 

The biggest recent issue is doubling up, it's way out of control. It either needs radically reduced or EL and PL race on separate nights so there is never a clash.

 

Unfortunately the boat has long sailed on speedway in this country. Every year they reduce the strength of the top flight and admission stays the same or rises, every year crowds drop further and still folk don't see the pattern. It's been going on for nigh on 15 years now.

Edited July 19, 2017 by BWitcher

[arnieg 3,643]

Including riders, unfortunately. I can never understand if a rider is really being paid points money, why he wouldn't work more for the team and raise the number of bonus points scored. Sadly, we are left with the impression that more riders are not paid, on the whole, based on their points scored.

Given the importance of averages I'm also surprised we don't see more riders shutting off early and letting their team mates pass them, thus keeping their average down and making them more marketable for the following season.

[Fromafar 10,370]

Biggest issue for me is the number of serious injuries in Gb nowadays,the technology has over taken the sport and a lot of tracks are now unsafe regarding preparation and width.If we want to improve the port as an entertainment we have to slow it down a little and make racing safer.There is hardly a meeting goes by these days that rider is not injured quite seriously .Will never happen though.

[steve roberts 9,246]

Given the importance of averages I'm also surprised we don't see more riders shutting off early and letting their team mates pass them, thus keeping their average down and making them more marketable for the following season.

...like Simmo or apparently Coventry during the Olsen years!

Edited July 19, 2017 by steve roberts

[Trees 2,814]

1) Sell the British Premiership TV rights for £Ms for starters (I wish)

2) Try to buy plots of land to build new speedways on where clubs are tied up with dog track owners

3) Base a few of these new tracks on Polish tracks and buy some of their track material too or source it from GB if possible

4) Get all promotions singing from the same hymn book re promotion, if each promotion has a good idea they must share it with all promotions.

5) Do a study into track prep to assertain what is best for British Speedway and make this compulsory

Edited July 20, 2017 by Trees