FAST GATER

Spot on excellent post we need riders to show more skill not speed .

IMO powerful laydowns should be for the GPS ,I am saying we should have less powerful unified engines in the league ,easier to change the engines than try to build new tracks .I have watch some old racing have seen some good /excellent and boring bit like the racing today really ,the olny difference is a few seconds faster and a shed load of cost today .

I still think we can work with the tracks we have ,one of the great things about the UK is the smaller tracks in the past riders come here to "hone" their skills, I loved the big open spaces of Crewe but riders then had to negociate the likes of Crayford .The sport needs to address costs and it will be easier to adapt what we have than start from scratch ,we don't have the goodwill other counties seem to enjoy for the creation of new tracks .In fact we are often battling to save what we have how long and how much did the NSS cost ,IMO it will probably be that last new stand alone track ever built in this country .

I think that you have to accept with all due respect that overall the standard of riders in the vid were not of the highest order,one of the finest forms of racing is go karts because this brings the driver skills to the fore .You have to use skill rather than raw power to gain advantage and those engines in better hands would make great racing because it is more about setup .You would often see this at grasstrack meetings where it was ( I can say this first hand) much easier to race a 500cc than a 250cc and this is where true skill and ability float to the top not the biggest budget .

Maybe have solos first and s/cars as second half attraction perhaps .

Becoming at least short term semi pro one league and long term second feeder league something like the late 60's early 70's ( Gulf league and NL) with fixed costs for points /start money.Riders can boost their income through their own sponsorship deals but some form of engine/ mod control ,maybe club engines with their own running gear .

I have had flu twice in my life I spent at least a week in bed both times and it was about 2wks after that before I was a 100% fit again ,on both occasions I was under 30 yrs old .

Would agree 100% .

Am I the only one who misses the tape touching the starts seemed so much more of a lottery in those days ,nothing like seeing one of the top dogs heading back to the pits after breaking the tapes . I know all the arguements for the rules today but IMO overall the cream always floats to the top and the best riders will win most of the time ,they can either gate or not .

Wonder how the GP's would manage if they were asked to run on Monday or Thursday instead of monopolising weekends at the peak of the season , UK could run on Friday / Saturday and Poland still on Sundays .

Sadly I think you are right in some respects there but I do think that running on a weekend would make a difference my daughter (30 yrs old and loves her s/way) can't go in the week as she is often at work till 8pm after a 5.30 am start .Week nights are more for the empty nesters and the early semi or fully retired I do think if you want a family sport week nights are a non starter .

We used to run three engines and replace one every year and sell the oldest one off ,the real problem started when our main sponsored rider insisted we buy weslakes and abandon two all but new 4 valve Jawas( 3k worth in late 70's) and a Street conversion . It was the beginning of the end for us ,you put up with changing handle bars .mudguards,seats ,carbs, wheels ,twist grips,and 6 stud instead from 4 stud clutches ,don't forget in those days you could use as many tyres as you liked (2 every meeting sometimes ) it just went mental !. The rider in question did not improve his average did not win more races and ironicly I don't think he ever broke many if any track records again which was his forte ,as I said plain and utter insanity led by I must have attitude .

As I have said we got out when it all went silly ,from my own point of view the Street conversion was the start of the real problems from then on costs went through the roof .The only real mod we had to the engines before that was what they called a Piper Conversion ( having a larger than standard exhaust valve) .

In the 70's they were all mainly semi pro except for the likes of Mauger ,Olsen and the mighty Mich and that was said to be the heyday's of the sport .

I think there will be one league and semi pro at least till the world settles down again ,what ever happens I think there will be many riders retiring if for no other reason than 18mths inactivity .Those the wrong side of 35yrs old will find it hard to pick up from where they left off ,once a rider stops after a certain age it is hard to get back to where they were and somehow the danger of the sport becomes more apparent .

We got out in the early 80's my father saw the sport changing and social demands becoming more sophisticated my younger brother ( by 4yrs ) lost interest very quickly because there were other distractions and he didn't remotely want to have a go at riding .You are right about the sport not investing in it's future but if I am honest my own opinion has changed over the years and I would say s/way is very much like" Marmite" as they say . My daughter and I have stood in mud and watched matches and come away moaning about a doggy pass not wet feet ,I know there are many like us on here still but we are a diminishing breed . Imo one of the main problems is that the demands of the sport mean it fails to meet the modern outlook ,it is deemed noisy ,anti social and it's fan base is so small that the powers that be feel little if any pressure to assist it's continued existance ! One thing you say is true though pay enough money and they will come Top Riders that is, as I always say team sport ridden by individuals but will the fans come ?

One of the biggest effects on league s/way IMO is the GP's they robbed us of weekend team racing in both leagues really ( better for kids to go) the best riders either not in the league or treating it as a top up for income or testing and to sustain fitness levels .

The "Asset System " is only observed because it suits both parties , in my limited and very much in the past experience of riders dealing with promoters it was very much everyman for himself and I always say s/way is a team sport ridden by individuals .Most riders are or were at least on pay as you ride I think it is known as the "GIG Economy " today that is why they were and I would imagine are still considered subcontractors to all intents and purpose .

Just wondering if there was no GP Series this year would Greg perhaps give it another go as non of the other riders would have had any track time at this level for 12mths making his return a little easier .

Anyone who is a s/way promoter in this day and age I take my hat off to , I did everyting I could to get my father into promotion in the mid 70's and he said then it was a thankless and profitless task !

Costs nothing and certainly can't do any harm ,to me that type of approach is one of the appealing qualities of s/way .

IMO we may not see any league racing in this country this season if as has been said we are all locked down for 3mths ,the best we can hope for is open or challenge matches ,not sure what the GP's will do .The worst thing is it will lead to many premature retirements due to the length of time riders are out of the saddle and the loss of income they have suffered .

This is not why I go to speedway certainly don't look forward to seeing it ,anyone can try too hard make a mistake but not just knock someone off and act in such an arrogant manner afterwards there is nothing endearing in that !

Neither of them are riders I like to watch because of their robust styles( their combined injuries in some respects reflect this ) I accept that they are victims of their own reputations but things have a habit of evening out most of the time .

I think this was true of the old NL in the 70's you would get a few old time greats drop down at the end of their career's and do a season or two ,I remember watching Ken McKinlay helping riders in between races with setup in his Scunthorpe days ,got 9 paid 11 on the night aswell .