FAST GATER

This will always happen I think that Poole rolled out Hancock a couple of years ago for half dozen meeting at the end of the season ( every team would do what ever they can to make the play off's and win the league if possible ) so would it be much different if Tai did the same for his team to whom he an asset as well.I personally don't like GP riders dipping in and out of the EL but if it is within the rules fair enough and as has been said we will see one of the best riders in the world is that not worth something at the end of the day.

Do nothing and let them get faster and faster tilll say one of the top riders in the world meets his demise as a direct cause being a passenger on an overtuned missile !!!!

If that happened the riders might have to rely totally on their own skills perish the thought

Sadly both reasons I suspect

Watched the Coventry /Swindon match last night and yet again brought to light the need to address the power of engines within the the sport when they break away they are lethal even in the hands of exprerienced top level riders ,it has to stop never mind what the riders want or tuners for the matter.Both Tatum and Havvy were biting their tongues last night about aspects of the sport including restarts and engine power ,these men have 40yrs experience between them and they appear unable to speak out about important issues in our sport. I asked an informed person why all of a sudden Peter Karlsson was not the gater he was ( I ventured to say that it was an age thing) and the reply was to make the bike rideable he may have to compromise on setup ultimately effecting his gating thus not having to worry that he may be heading to the fence at any moment .This is a rider with 25yrs experience having to do this if it is true it is absolutely rediculous ,what is going to take before someone takes the bull by the horns a multitude of serious injuries of god forbid worse . The other thing that needs sorting for next year is starting IMO if a rider sits still and gets a flyer without touching the tapes so be it and if there is a restart for a false starts pit gate stays closed and straight round for the restart.

Needs to go ASAP!!!!!!!!! EDR was not for cost saving it was to bring riders on or was it just to save money which is what I have always said poor show if the EL can't function without it !!!

IMO the greatest of all time huge influence on the sport always the ultimate pro may the rest of his days be the best they can be my own father is in the later stages of this horrendous condition

Would it not be worth giving Andre Compton a chance in the team ?

IMO speedway has to accept that the so called big names are not coming back any time soon ,they can earn more money else where and as self employed men I understand that they have to meke the best living they can .The sport should therefore need to turn it's attention to matters that will help the sport and use the riders that want to race in this country and change and adapt rules to to suit that situation .Personally I have no issue where a ride comes from if he is willing to race here week in week out and not treat it as a fiil in if he has a window in in his racing diary,and wants a king's ransom into the bargian. The changes have to start with the running costs and work from there on. Control of engines ( stopping tuners sucking the cash out of the sport many ex riders making more that way than they ever did as riders ) riders are all obsessed with more speed and should not be allowed to dictate what happens in this area except for possible safety issues. Merging the Leagues regardless of what people say and I have no agenda one way or the other ( but hate the FTR with a passion ) I like EL or Pl racing just want to watch 7 EL riders again if the leagues remain separate if thay can't have a team of 7 EL riders then merging is a long term must. Value for money is vital and 15 heats is fine but you need to give good racing with equally match riders and machinery I often could not careless about the final result if we have had close a entertaining racing . People go to s/way for various reasons they like to see their team win and four men dicing in very close proximity almost touching each other not one of them with the deepest pockets half a lap ahead or being reluctant to race because the track can't accommodate their rockect ship powered bikes

Sounds far too sensible for s/way sadly

Sadly I think that the riders need to accept change and they are often reluctant to do so unless it involves greater speed which is the last thing the sport needs .

Riders can always find the money to go quicker now they need to realise they need to invest in their futures and accept they may have to write off some of the cost of current machinery .

ts My previous post proves Mr Berry correct and Havelock wrong as we left the sport from a sponsorship point of view because of the costs and that was in the late 70's!!

we spent 5yrs sponsoring riders and one in particular in the 70's ,the main reason we stopped was the arrival of 4 valves in the last 2yrs we spent twice as much per year than the first 3yrs .All we got was unreliable engines and bigger servicing bills the racing as a spectacle IMO was overall no different as the best riders had the best engines .It is my belief just like football agents speedway has tuners in both cases they are an unnecessary and expensive parasites of their respective sport.

Or use throttle control and not just hold it to the stop for four laps , and not become a race of the best tuner which is happening more and more by the day .

Let's see what tonight brings as for Doyle hats off faultless performance just hope it doesn't end up a battle of the" rocket ship" engines tonight but suspect it will.

The track was TOO GOOD smooth ,grip and every rider loved it so your saying that when they get the racing surface they all ask for it is no good to race on ,this could only happen in this sport !!!!!!!!!!

Let the rider skill be the difference not what is done in the workshop

My brother's favourite Rod never saw him sadly (too young ) but Pistol Pete always seemed to have an extra gear just at the right time and would break his opponents heart in the process. IMO if a rider makes the gate without breaking the tapes or moving the race should be his whether he has guessed right or read the Ref's starting routine so be it

Imo the rule was brought in to try and level the field( in fact it had the oposite effect because top riders would often get caught out) because some felt that Ivan &co would not win as many races as they did but cream will always float to the top and Ivan ,Ole and the rest would have adapted because were great riders .

In my own case I love the starts I believe they are as entertaining as the races and love the different methods and ways in which each rider sets himself up ,from my own point of view this has been wrecked by the strict and IMO boring robotic rules implimented today .I believe Colin Mererdith is to blame sorry one of the main reasons that we have gate and go s/way today would not mind but if my memory serves me correctly he was at best a very average rider perhaps this is his revenge on Mauger & Co .

I have been to about 18 mens finals ( my brother was an LTA concillor ) IMO the two stand out player were/are Sampras and Federer ,it is no accident the number of titles they have between them and Roger shaves it by the sheer grace he plays with .In recent times I have only missed the finals because a certain Scotsman was in them and I refuse to watch him under any circumstances because his contempt for the English which he barely conceals .

Good meeting worthy winners great racing have to mention Hancock who was more than a gater tonight and just can't believe he rides at this level consistently at the age he is amazing really .

Years ago most but not all riders( the likes of Kelvin Tattum , Andy Smith and Joe Screen went in BL straight off) started in the second half of meetings in those days the old NL and the Gulf British league ,firstly in the NL s/halves making the team then about a season later having ago in the s/halves of the Gulf league .From this position they were then offered BL places to cover injury etc before D/U on regular bacis ultimately moving up to full time BL after about 3yrs.This seemed to work quite well IMO as a general rule of thumb a NL number 1 was the same level as a BL reserve of course you had riders that never left the NL or never made the grade or could not make a living in the BL.

I saw Michael Lee doing a few laps as 15yr old at Boston you could just tell he was a star in the making ,but that can be said for most riders IMO if they have not made it within a couple of years in most cases they have reached their potential be it NL ,PL or EL .