Panthers v Tigers 29/08/22

[uk_martin 1,606]

Murphy's Laws of Speedway:

...
13.  Your tyres are supplied by the lowest bidder.
...

Seriously though, how come if we are to believe that it's all down to mechanical progress and tyres not being able to cope with today's more powerful engines etc etc, how come, that they aren't popping like popcorn everywhere else in the world? You'd have thought that on Polish tracks, or on Long Tracks, that these tyres would be disintegrating all over the place, wouldn't you?

As was said, the procedure is that these tyres are called-off from a BSPZzz secure stock held somewhere, and distributed at random before the meeting. Well, maybe that's where the focus of attention should be. If these tyres are warehoused somewhere, has something got in that's degrading the rubber?  I know that (at least some kinds of) rubber is susceptible to degrading when exposed to certain substances. Diesel fuel for one, will cause some kinds of rubber products to fall apart. Don't know if this kind of rubber is diesel proof or not, but maybe there's something else, that's gotten into the storage unit that's weakened these tyres. Or could it be the continued storage in hotter than expected storage conditions, during the prolonged hot spell have affected the rubber? Be interesting to see what happens in the next few meetings to see if there is a continuation of the problem. If not, then someone will need to take a close technical look at the Peterborough track surface, to see what's causing this.

Maybe next year, speedway can take a leaf out of F1's book and offer up a choice of soft, medium and hard compound tyres, with each rider needing to run at least two different sorts during the meeting?

Edited August 30, 2022 by uk_martin

[iainb 5,086]

Taken from the Peterborough website this morning:

"There was a sufficient number of tyres at the venue in order to run the meeting; however, with the failures taking place with alarming frequency, it was not safe to run the final five races of the meeting, and there was full agreement over this point."

This is how I understood the announcement made over the PA

[iainb 5,086]

10 minutes ago, uk_martin said:

Murphy's Laws of Speedway:

...
13.  Your tyres are supplied by the lowest bidder.
...

Seriously though, how come if we are to believe that it's all down to mechanical progress and tyres not being able to cope with today's more powerful engines etc etc, how come, that they aren't popping like popcorn everywhere else in the world? You'd have thought that on Polish tracks, or on Long Tracks, that these tyres would be disintegrating all over the place, wouldn't you?

As was said, the procedure is that these tyres are called-off from a BSPZzz secure stock held somewhere, and distributed at random before the meeting. Well, maybe that's where the focus of attention should be. If these tyres are warehoused somewhere, has something got in that's degrading the rubber?  I know that (at least some kinds of) rubber is susceptible to degrading when exposed to certain substances. Diesel fuel for one, will cause some kinds of rubber products to fall apart. Don't know if this kind of rubber is diesel proof or not, but maybe there's something else, that's gotten into the storage unit that's weakened these tyres. Or could it be the continued storage in hotter than expected storage conditions, during the prolonged hot spell have affected the rubber? Be interesting to see what happens in the next few meetings to see if there is a continuation of the problem. If not, then someone will need to take a close technical look at the Peterborough track surface, to see what's causing this.

I saw hundreds of them stock piled in the open air at the NSS back on Easter Monday, all exposed to the elements (in Manchester!). Some of them were in a right state

[NeilWatson 1,995]

1 minute ago, iainb said:

I saw hundreds of them stock piled in the open air at the NSS back on Easter Monday, all exposed to the elements (in Manchester!). Some of them were in a right state

That would be the pile of used tyres awaiting disposal

[uk_martin 1,606]

 

Just now, NeilWatson said:

That would be the pile of used tyres awaiting disposal

Give them to Glasgow, they can be burned on the track next time they need to "dry it out" after a bit of rain...and of course, it never rains in Glasgow, does it?

[Trees 2,814]

2 minutes ago, NeilWatson said:

That would be the pile of used tyres awaiting disposal

Oh god, how bad rumours start eh!!!!

[iainb 5,086]

18 minutes ago, NeilWatson said:

That would be the pile of used tyres awaiting disposal

They looked new and unused to me... Yesterday you had me questioning what my ears had told me... today you have me questioning what my eyes tell me 

2 questions: were you at the meeting yesterday and did you see the pile of tyres at the NSS?

Edited August 30, 2022 by iainb

[wtf 621]

The tyres not being fit for purpose has been known about since pretty soon after the Anlas tyre started to be used. The ONLY reason additional tyres were being used at some tracks for the last two years is because of excessive tyre failures at those tracks. But tyres were failing all all tracks to some degree. 

The Mitas tyres used previously suffered from a gradual wear and catastrophic failures were rare. 

The facts to consider are as follows:

British speedway agreed a contract with Anlas for Tyres. A large amount over a long term. This was a big money contract. 

These tyres have been proved as not fit for purpose. (british speedway needs a tyre to last for one complete meeting, not two races)  

If these tyres were supplied on the basis of being able to last a meeting, then why haven't they been returned and refused as not fit for purpose? You have to wonder?

If you buy something for a specific reason and it's not up to the job, then you return them? 

But no, this has been constantly covered up, extra tyres issued, riders told you can't put pictures on social media etc 

The problem is simple. In order to deal with the situation, some people need to admit they were wrong and have been shovelling this under the rug for 2 years. But the cover up has been going on too long. people have too much at stake to admit, they signed a flawed contract, for a flawed product. 

The only way they will be flushed out is in a coroners court and I really hope that it never comes to that.

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,771]

2 hours ago, f-s-p said:

The FIM should rule that from 1.1.2024 the width of the piston is limited to xx.xx mm. I dont even know how much they are now, but taking 10-20 % off it would pave way for longer stroking engines, wider power curve and it would level up the engine playing field for a couple of years between JRM and GM. Also it woud reduce high end top speeds resulting in less damage in crashes both rider and machinery wise.

I have in my workshop a short stroke GM with 93mm piston, I can’t imagine how hard that would be to ride in a British track but clearly someone did, thing is there are ex riders out there who speak up about engines but get shot down by the current riders, saying things like “you can’t stop progress” but it isn’t progress , the sport is paying more to stand still or even go backwards, there could well of been a faulty batch of tyres yesterday but the tyre problem has been around for years but we plod on putting a plaster over gapping wounds, it breaks my heart what this sport has become and it has become unnecessarily 

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,771]

1 hour ago, uk_martin said:

Murphy's Laws of Speedway:

...
13.  Your tyres are supplied by the lowest bidder.
...

Seriously though, how come if we are to believe that it's all down to mechanical progress and tyres not being able to cope with today's more powerful engines etc etc, how come, that they aren't popping like popcorn everywhere else in the world? You'd have thought that on Polish tracks, or on Long Tracks, that these tyres would be disintegrating all over the place, wouldn't you?

 

In Poland and in the GPS you are allowed a new tyre every race they are now using tubeless tyres (using moose’s I assume) yet more expense to go the same speed

[False dawn 2,307]

I think we have to bang the drum on all the social media platforms asking for the truth of why this meeting was abandoned. We can speculate endlessly about tyre quality, engine performance, track surface etc. But until the truth is made known, we have no chance of seaking a real solution.

Edited August 30, 2022 by False dawn

[Hamish McRaker 601]

Peterboro track being oval shape and flat, does it exert stress on these tyres which take them beyond their tested limits, so maybe should not be used there and instead provide Mitas tyres ?

[Fromafar 10,413]

1 hour ago, uk_martin said:

 

Give them to Glasgow, they can be burned on the track next time they need to "dry it out" after a bit of rain...and of course, it never rains in Glasgow, does it?

What has burning tyres on the track got to do with Glasgow?

[Fromafar 10,413]

9 minutes ago, False dawn said:

I think we have to bang the drum on all the social media platforms asking for the truth of why this meeting was abandoned. We can speculate endlessly about tyre quality, engine performance, track surface etc. But until the truth is made known, we have no chance of seaking a real solution.

We all know what the Powers At Be think of social media though.It only their Press releases that matter.

[Fromafar 10,413]

4 minutes ago, Hamish McRaker said:

Peterboro track being oval shape and flat, does it exert stress on these tyres which take them beyond their tested limits, so maybe should not be used there and instead provide Mitas tyres ?

You would have question why this doesn’t happen every meeting then.