I have not posted on this forum for such a long time, but finding this thread has just brought me back.
Surely the point of Doubling Up is to help develop riders so......
There need to be a 'qualifying' criteria for a rider to be able to double up - it really should not be a free for all. Double up yes, double down no. Why is it right for a rider at the upper tier of the sport, step down for a few easy paydays, what does this do for the future of the sport, and the riders who are looking to progress? If that upper tier rider thinks they should be in the championship, then move down completely. A double up space in a team should be shared by two (or more) lower league riders, The team should consider unavailability when selecting these riders so that the majority of meetings are covered by these riders and not be necessary to bring in additional cover every week.
I would find it a joke, to be honest, to find a rider declared in a team and pretty much never see them in my team's race jacket. The Jack Holder situation at Peterborough could have been avoided had something like my third point been in place. Doubling up is a gamble because there will always be clashes, this is why sharing the team spot would be far more engaging for the fans as it would be their riders on track rather than whoever was available on the day.
Thoughts?