chunky

I feel bad for you if filling in a prog is really that taxing...

I think we ALL do (except Iain, that is...)

They tried their best to give us a reasonable season. If that involves six GP's in Poland, then tough titties. If we could only have three or four meetings this year - because of Covid - then that wouldn't be worth it.

If only...

If it's only going to be a three meeting season - and you don't want them held in Poland - then there's no bloody point in having a season...

Then write to them and tell them to cancel the GP's until Covid is all finished...

That is my point! What is so wrong with a traditional 20-heat meeting?

Not true... They started introducing the poxy things YEARS ago, well before any of this...

IT. IS. CALLED. COVID-19.

I don't disagree with that, but as I asked; is it fair for the guy who finished 6th to score more than the GP winner?

You want to know my question? Why does every individual meeting these days need a final (and often semi-finals)? Why can't we just use race points from 20 heats?

Amazing the things we'd forgotten about, eh?

I'm asking a serious question...

Was there such a marked difference in gates back then? I know that nobody used to rattle on about it like they do now...

But it shouldn't count for Poles in Poland - apparently that's unfair...

Bloody hell, Steve! I'd forgotten all about that!

But why 10? It could be 8, 9, 11, 12...

But it's only now you are admitting that there was a flaw?

Sigh... You know, they don't even have to award points for those; think of it as a bonus! Nobody complained that the Daily Mirror GP only awarded points to the Top 10...

lt's all very simple, you see; there are three goals in the current system. 1) Qualify for the semi-finals by finishing in the Top 8. 2) Qualify for the final. 3) Win the final and the GP. There is absolutely nothing unfair to it - not to the riders, anyway. Everybody knows the rules, and everybody has the same chance... But you were okay with it in the days of the old World Final? That is my whole point...

The same way that a rider could score 6 points in the Inter-Continental Final and then win the World Final. The first 20 heats are just there to decide the Top 8 finishers - and then everyone starts from scratch.

As I said, I preferred it, but is it right when the winner of a GP gets a lot fewer points that the guys behind him?

It's bad enough travelling around the world for five minutes of action; who the hell would want to do it for TWO minutes? Everyone is so concerned about "being fair" to the fans, but what about being fair to participants?

Exactly. There is no perfect system, and there never will be...

Didn't take long! I've always had my opinions on formats, and I've always been interested in stats! The biggest problem this year is that two riders are running away with it, and the bottom few are really being outclassed. Sometimes that happens, as it's always done.