Poole "preparing" their starts

[old bob at herne bay 828]

Staggered and shocked to read in this weeks Speedway Star that Neil Middleditch "prepares the starts"  to suit his home riders. Actually quite surprised that a man of Middleditch's standing in the sport should confess to using such "tactics" 

This sounds very much like the trickery used at Eastbourne where the start grids for the home riders were doctored before each heat to suit the home riders. This included selective watering of start grids.  

Could anyone explain please what "preparing the starts"  to suit the home riders entails ... and is it within the rules ?

 

[Skidder1 7,658]

14 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Staggered and shocked to read in this weeks Speedway Star that Neil Middleditch "prepares the starts"  to suit his home riders. Actually quite surprised that a man of Middleditch's standing in the sport should confess to using such "tactics" 

This sounds very much like the trickery used at Eastbourne where the start grids for the home riders were doctored before each heat to suit the home riders. This included selective watering of start grids.  

Could anyone explain please what "preparing the starts"  to suit the home riders entails ... and is it within the rules ?

 

Most tracks do it and have done it for years. Currently if you watch BSN streams their pre-meeting track walk always comments on how the 'starts are ripped up' ! Exactly what is done will depend on the amount and type of shale , temperature and how wet the track is at each track.

[Bojangles 602]

If you're the home team, why wouldn’t you do it? I’m surprised every team isn’t using make full use of home advantage. 

[Essex 67]

Surely when they do the track walk they can all see the start line and set their bikes up accordingly.You can't hide the dirt and must be able to clearly see what it looks like so why do people moan about it when it's common knowledge that apparently Poole is a gaters track of which I have no idea I don't ride bikes but are people saying only Poole can gate at Wimborne Road  if you look out the window and it's pouring with rain you don't go out without a coat so it no surprise when you get wet

[HGould 2,215]

5 hours ago, Essex said:

Surely when they do the track walk they can all see the start line and set their bikes up accordingly.You can't hide the dirt and must be able to clearly see what it looks like so why do people moan about it when it's common knowledge that apparently Poole is a gaters track of which I have no idea I don't ride bikes but are people saying only Poole can gate at Wimborne Road  if you look out the window and it's pouring with rain you don't go out without a coat so it no surprise when you get wet

Pretty stupid comment and not Poole specific response.

If a Team does a Track walk at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start then the Start Line (or any other part of the tRack) can be significantly changed by a minimal amount of watering, grading, rolling, rain, sunshine, temperature drops etc.

I've always been very surprised , considering it's supposed to be a professional sport, that Teams don't have someone specifically allocated as part of the "management" of the team at the Event to keep an hawk-eye on this sort of thing and to report any fiddling via the Clerk of the Course to the Match Referee IF it does go beyond the bounds of fairness. Ultimately any team can request a Referee inspect a track at any time and said Referee can insist on changes.

With regards to Poole, having been there in the 70's  up to recent years on occasions, I think it's the MODERN bikes that have turned it in to a "gaters track". Very similar to what had happened at Blunsdon before they changed the Track. straights too long for the tight bends with bikes now revving far higher than they used to so making it much more of a one line track. That's part of the demise of speedway in my opinion, laydowns, engine revs and tuning and the ridiculous extra costs on the financial side and bikes no longer fit for purpose at many of the traditional UK tracks on the riding side.

Interesting that the BEST race tracks now are either modern or significantly amended e.g Belle Vue, Glasgow, Redcar as prime examples.

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by HGould
clarity

[lisa-colette 6,049]

Surprised this is an issue now. Danny King used to go on about it last season. I am not sure it is done because Poole riders like it or that away riders really don't! 

Going by the race scores during the meeting Redcar don't let it affect them! 

[Skidder1 7,658]

1 hour ago, HGould said:

Pretty stupid comment and not Poole specific response.

If a Team does a Track walk at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start then the Start Line (or any other part of the tRack) can be significantly changed by a minimal amount of watering, grading, rolling, rain, sunshine, temperature drops etc.

I've always been very surprised , considering it's supposed to be a professional sport, that Teams don't have someone specifically allocated as part of the "management" of the team at the Event to keep an hawk-eye on this sort of thing and to report any fiddling via the Clerk of the Course to the Match Referee IF it does go beyond the bounds of fairness. Ultimately any team can request a Referee inspect a track at any time and said Referee can insist on changes.

With regards to Poole, having been there in the 70's  up to recent years on occasions, I think it's the MODERN bikes that have turned it in to a "gaters track". Very similar to what had happened at Blunsdon before they changed the Track. straights too long for the tight bends with bikes now revving far higher than they used to so making it much more of a one line track. That's part of the demise of speedway in my opinion, laydowns, engine revs and tuning and the ridiculous extra costs on the financial side and bikes no longer fit for purpose at many of the traditional UK tracks on the riding side.

Interesting that the BEST race tracks now are either modern or significantly amended e.g Belle Vue, Glasgow, Redcar as prime examples.

 

Strange, when the refs also usually do a track walk and then sit in their refs box usually directly overseeing (or very close to) the start! I thought refs were in charge of everything as soon as they arrive at the track?

I also think at Poole that having choice of gate positions for heat 1 can also have an effect on how the meeting goes. Not sure about other tracks, but you often hear at some tracks that gate ?? is a 'graveyard'! I notice that BSN give gate stats 2 or 3 times during a meeting.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Skidder1

[Cast1rn 467]

9 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Staggered and shocked to read in this weeks Speedway Star that Neil Middleditch "prepares the starts"  to suit his home riders. Actually quite surprised that a man of Middleditch's standing in the sport should confess to using such "tactics" 

This sounds very much like the trickery used at Eastbourne where the start grids for the home riders were doctored before each heat to suit the home riders. This included selective watering of start grids.  

Could anyone explain please what "preparing the starts"  to suit the home riders entails ... and is it within the rules ?

 

The Star edition your refering too is last week's I believe, page 22 if anyone's Interested. I also think it's a wee bit on the way the report has been written, suggesting that due to the fact that the scores have been close they then had to "have a word with the track curator" to make the starts more desirable.

Again as has been mentioned, you can prod the ground with a screwdriver and kick it as much as you like, 5 mins later put a 5 tonne tractor round it a couple of times, spray some water on it and the composition will completely change.

It somewhat amazes me that unlike tarmacked based sports where the resistance of the track is measured, speedway relies on one man and a £1.50 Lidl's screwdriver.

On the tactical front i dont think Middlo was stating they had deliberately adjust the track to have an unfair advantage, more that the advantage that the may of had in the past (which their more than entitled to)  wasn't their and the home riders set ups weren't matching how the track should be performing so they had a word with the curator to try something different.

 

[Mr Blobby 2,684]

11 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Staggered and shocked to read in this weeks Speedway Star that Neil Middleditch "prepares the starts"  to suit his home riders. Actually quite surprised that a man of Middleditch's standing in the sport should confess to using such "tactics" 

This sounds very much like the trickery used at Eastbourne where the start grids for the home riders were doctored before each heat to suit the home riders. This included selective watering of start grids.  

Could anyone explain please what "preparing the starts"  to suit the home riders entails ... and is it within the rules ?

 

Every team prepares the track and starts to how the home team wants it. So they’re dialled in from the start and they know what setup to use. Nothing tricky about it standard stuff around the world.

[Racin Jason 72 1,288]

Nothing to see. Move along 

[Gazc 7,140]

Don’t see an issue with it, assume home teams can prepare a track whatever way they want.

Preparing it to suit your own team is self explanatory.

[SSL84 541]

33 minutes ago, Gazc said:

Don’t see an issue with it, assume home teams can prepare a track whatever way they want.

Preparing it to suit your own team is self explanatory.

The Poole track is not done different to what other tracks do at the starts.  Maybe it's worked a lot more ripped watered packed 3 or 4 times. 

[Steve Shovlar 10,439]

Non story. Every track prepares their track for their team.

[foreverblue 6,113]

Don't see what the point is of this apart from having another dig at Poole for no reason.

[Lefty 1,268]

Is it time to award a trophy at the end of the season to the best 'doctored' starting gate. A fitting award could be called, "The Bob Dugard Arlington Memorial Cup".