New SGP Format.

[Daniel Smith]

Think Discovery should bring in the 16 lapper with all the top 10 riders in it at once 👀

 

[BluPanther]

For the first time ever, I have zero interest in this year's GP's. The lineup is same old same old, and weak, and the new scoring system is absolutely ridiculous. They have turned it into a clown show...

[Technik]

It's all to complicated, How can you get new people interested in a model the exisiting fans don't understand or accept.

I think it would be better to have a D, C, B & A final that way points positions from top to bottom would be without question.

[racers and royals]

1 hour ago, Technik said:

It's all to complicated, How can you get new people interested in a model the exisiting fans don't understand or accept.

I think it would be better to have a D, C, B & A final that way points positions from top to bottom would be without question.

I wonder what bit existing fans can’t understand ? They might not like it but the changes to the GP are hardly rocket science.

top 2 after 20 heats to final

3, 6, 8 and 9 in 1st semi

4, 5 ,7 and 10 in 2nd semi

both winners to Grand final.

[mikebv]

On 4/26/2025 at 5:55 PM, racers and royals said:

I wonder what bit existing fans can’t understand ? They might not like it but the changes to the GP are hardly rocket science.

top 2 after 20 heats to final

3, 6, 8 and 9 in 1st semi

4, 5 ,7 and 10 in 2nd semi

both winners to Grand final.

Far too complicated ...😁

[midlandred]

Can we go back to 1994 when we had a proper World Speedway Championship

[IainB]

1 hour ago, midlandred said:

Can we go back to 1994 when we had a proper World Speedway Championship

In this current era I'm tending to agree with you, I'd rather have 1 night of jeopardy than 10 nights of mediocrity. 

Edited May 3 by IainB

[tyler42]

1 hour ago, midlandred said:

Can we go back to 1994 when we had a proper World Speedway Championship

No the woke FIM would never allow such a thing. You can't have top riders of today having to qualify. They simply would refuse, saying the are too busy! We now have riders being chosen by the FIM who are chosen because of their nationality, rather than ability but in this culture appropriate world they meet the criteria. Look how Kurtz has already made it better. Add the two Russians and Madsen, then it would start to look like a proper world championship again. I know Bomber certainly benefitted back in day. But it has supposed to have move on since then.

[IainB]

2 minutes ago, tyler42 said:

We now have riders being chosen by the FIM who are chosen because of their nationality, rather than ability but in this culture appropriate world they meet the criteria.

Just wait until Paco gets given a place in the GP 😂

[midlandred]

The winner should be the top scorer from 20 heats (after any necessary run-off).  It was bad enough when 21st heat was introduced to individual meetings, so that the winner could be the fourth best.  Now the GP winner could be the tenth best.  Nonsense!

[old bob at herne bay]

Agree with midland red.  A rider finishing 10th in the scorechart after his scheduled rides (scoring say  just 6 points) could win the SGP by  2 good wins in the last chance qualifier and the final. How ridiculous is that ? Maybe they should copy the  Formula 1 circus and introduce  different grades of tyre , soft , medium and hard, that have to be used in at least one race each.

Grasstrack meetings used to have this silly idea  effectively devaluing the qualifying heats, with canny top riders deliberately taking their time saving their motors until the "last chance"  and the final 🙂 Winner takes all.

 

 

[Rich]

9 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Agree with midland red.  A rider finishing 10th in the scorechart after his scheduled rides (scoring say  just 6 points) could win the SGP by  2 good wins in the last chance qualifier and the final. How ridiculous is that ? Maybe they should copy the  Formula 1 circus and introduce  different grades of tyre , soft , medium and hard, that have to be used in at least one race each.

Grasstrack meetings used to have this silly idea  effectively devaluing the qualifying heats, with canny top riders deliberately taking their time saving their motors until the "last chance"  and the final 🙂 Winner takes all.

 

 

British Masters and National Championships all have winner takes all Finals. Not silly at all.

[old bob at herne bay]

Sorry Rich but in my experience of Grass Track meetings from some years ago, the top riders just took the mickey out of the qualifying heats, playing the system by taking it easy in the qualifying heats. There was no point in them racing flat out until the last races of the meetings.  Seems its still the same. The SGP seem also to be following the same route.

[Rich]

On 5/4/2025 at 5:28 PM, old bob at herne bay said:

Sorry Rich but in my experience of Grass Track meetings from some years ago, the top riders just took the mickey out of the qualifying heats, playing the system by taking it easy in the qualifying heats. There was no point in them racing flat out until the last races of the meetings.  Seems its still the same. The SGP seem also to be following the same route.

And I pointed out that Grass Track still has Winner takes all Finals

[AFCB Wildcat]

On 5/4/2025 at 5:28 PM, old bob at herne bay said:

Sorry Rich but in my experience of Grass Track meetings from some years ago, the top riders just took the mickey out of the qualifying heats, playing the system by taking it easy in the qualifying heats. There was no point in them racing flat out until the last races of the meetings.  Seems its still the same. The SGP seem also to be following the same route.

I wasn't sure about the new format, but surely it discourages riders from taking it easy in the qualifying heats compared to last years format.

It would certainly be a brave strategy, with 8 riders chasing just 2 places in a 'must win' last chance race. Especially when there was such a disparity in the gate positions on Saturday. Surely, the finishing positions in the qualifying heats are even more vital now, in order to avoid a grave yard gate in the LCQ, when only a win will suffice?

[FAST GATER]

Regardless of what  format you use over an extended period ( 10 GP'S ) unless there is a consistent run of bad luck the cream will always float to the top ! 

[IainB]

6 hours ago, AFCB Wildcat said:

I wasn't sure about the new format, but surely it discourages riders from taking it easy in the qualifying heats compared to last years format.

It would certainly be a brave strategy, with 8 riders chasing just 2 places in a 'must win' last chance race. Especially when there was such a disparity in the gate positions on Saturday. Surely, the finishing positions in the qualifying heats are even more vital now, in order to avoid a grave yard gate in the LCQ, when only a win will suffice?

I can't remember which heat it was, was it one involving Zmarlik and he was lining up a pass but the commentators said "it's not worth it"? That's not what I want to be hearing when watching my Speedway.

Also the "graveyard" gates... gate 4 had 3 wins, Lindgren, Kubera & Bewley came 2nd from it in the semis and final.  Gate 3 was a total dud though.

[FAST GATER]

2 hours ago, IainB said:

graveyard" gates.

BZ spent most of the early heats on them thanks to Morris/daft rules !

[AFCB Wildcat]

9 hours ago, IainB said:

I can't remember which heat it was, was it one involving Zmarlik and he was lining up a pass but the commentators said "it's not worth it"? That's not what I want to be hearing when watching my Speedway.

Also the "graveyard" gates... gate 4 had 3 wins, Lindgren, Kubera & Bewley came 2nd from it in the semis and final.  Gate 3 was a total dud though.

I did remember a comment like that, so I skimmed back through it and nothing like that was said in any of Zmarzliks heats.

Do you mean heat 14 when Kurtz was chasing down Kvech for a lap? Kelvin said "I thought for a moment Kurtz was going to take the chance, but maybe now he's thinking why do it? 2 points will be better than none" ....

Chris then said during the replay, that Kurtz probably thought, I'm not going to hurt myself here, it's not worth it.

Not unreasonable in the circumstances, seeing that 2 points would keep him a point clear at the top of the leader board with a race to go, but ending up on his arse would relegate him to a LCQ position.

No different from a rider in the old style  world final not pushing for a win when 2 points would be enough to take the title.

During the meeting, Kelvin also said "you can't throw in the towel or cruise around in this format, because every point will earn you a better gate position"

Gate one was clearly dominant. Only two third places & one last, which was a retirement. 12 firsts & 8 second places, so clearly a huge advantage.

Having said that, you wouldn't bet against Zmarzlik in any gate! 

I don't get the comments saying that it's boring because he has no challengers. If it was Lambert or Bewley dominating in the same fashion, it would be a different story.

 

 

[Bagpuss]

1 hour ago, AFCB Wildcat said:

I don't get the comments saying that it's boring because he has no challengers. If it was Lambert or Bewley dominating in the same fashion, it would be a different story.

Not for me. While it would be lovely for a Norfolk lad to be a multiple world champion, it's a big issue for me that almost all jeopardy has been removed as we already know who is going to win the series and probably will carry on doing so until Bartosz retires. Would be the same whoever it was. Phil Taylor winning the darts every year was no different. City winning the PL too.