Handicap Racing?

[Trees]

Certainly not the saviour of british speedway but I'd love to see a meeting of handicap racing. I realise it would be more dangerous but put the safest, most skilled riders in the country out there and how thrilling it would be for the fans

[Scunny Stag]

Yeah, don't most of us love it when riders go off 15 metres? The Scunthorpe crowd loved it on Sunday when Wayne Carter too 3.75 laps to get to the front.

 

I too would love to see a proper handicap meeting.

[Guest Steve Dixon]

Havn't been to the Olympique at Monmore for a few years, do they still do it there?

[stevehone]

if it was in EL racing it would certainly make it interesting.

[Trees]

Blimey I think I have cracked it, THE WAY TO MAKE SPEEDWAY MORE POPULAR, not so sure the riders will be very chuffed mind

[AndyM]

Having seen various attempts at handicap racing, I've never been terribly impressed. When I saw the Olympique meeting, various riders are able to use the handicapping rules to their advantage, so they didn't appear to be trying too hard in some races. In a league context, it would be very difficult to apply without gross distortion.

 

Perhaps we should take a leaf out of horseracing and strap weights to Crumpie, Trick and Adams?

[SCB]

Simple answer is anyone with an average over 6 starts 5 metres back and anyone with an average over 8 starts 10 metres back and anyone with an average over 10 start 15 metres back

 

I've always suggested handicapping when I posted my "ways to make speedway better" posts, always have people tel me it's not viable, well I don't care, I want to see handicapping! I always felt the BLC would have been better if the EL teams had started 10-15 metres back or started at the tapes on there real averages.

 

AndyM, problem there is you can't take weight off Joe Screen

Edited April 7, 2005 by SCB

[AndyM]

Unfortunately, on some tracks and weather conditions, you might just as well award the race before it's started because passing is almost an impossibility without mistakes. No matter how brilliant the handicapped rider, they can't take a short-cut or break the laws of physics!

[whowasthatberntpersson]

The loss of handicap racing at various venues in Australia is definately seen by some as one of the main factors behind the decline in speedway solo racing.

 

Speedway needs something different to draw in the neutrals, maybe more handicap racing would help.

 

Watching some talented youngster trying to hold off an experienced top liner certainly appeals to me.

[Wessex Wanderer]

For a long time I have thought that handicapping would be a good alternative to tactical substitutes and the current tactical rules. Quite simply a team 6 (or maybe 8) points down would go off the gate with the other team off (say) 15 metres.

 

That would mean every match would either be close scorewise or there would be a lot of passing. At least one or the other would be guaranteed. With it usually being the home side facing the handicap it should also lead to tracks being prepared for passing (pressure from the home heat leaders would see to that).

 

I don't think it will ever happen (massive opposition from the riders would be one problem!) and I am not too sure I would like to see it applied to the CL due to the inexperience of most riders but it would turn EL racing into a can't miss surefire spectacle every match.

[Trees]

but it would turn EL racing into a can't miss surefire spectacle every match.

Heyyyyyy isn't that exactly what we ALL WANT!!?

[Wessex Wanderer]

Sure is Trees. Trouble is that wanting and getting are two different things.

[father jack]

Didn't they try this in the late 50's early 60's, wern't Briggo & Peter Craven handicaped, I remember readung Briggo being dead chuffed giving 15 yards to riders like Nigel Boocock .

[Wessex Wanderer]

Rather different. At that time the "Big 5" of Fundin, Craven, Ronnie Moore, Briggs and Knutsson were handicapped 20 yards in all league races. They still managed to be among the top scorers every season though. From what I remember most others were off 10 yards with some reserves off scratch. It was abolished (?during the 1964 season?) partly due to pressure from Barry Briggs. It probably was a bit unfair that the 5 had to start behind riders like Nigel Boocock, Peter Moore and Ron How on away tracks. Pity they didn't tinker with it a bit though rather than abolish the whole thing.

 

What I was suggesting would apply to all riders and would depend solely on the scores in the match at the time. Like I said though I doubt very much whether it would ever be accepted.

[Old Saint]

With the utmost respect to the riders of today, I doubt that there would be many who would be able to win off the old 20 yard handicap. The vast majority of riders would have the same handicap which would nullify the whole system.

 

In the days of handicapping (cetainly when it first appeared), there were indeed the big five. I watched Barry Briggs and Bjorn Knutsson regularly at Southampton and they were virtually unbeatable, despite being heavily handicapped. We had a fair spread of different handicaps throughout the team.

 

Tracks in those days were very different to now and the style of riding was also different. Handicapping did produce passing but I fear that the tracks of today would not allow this to the same extent. Heat results would therefore end up being determined by the handicapper rather than by riding ability.

 

Having said all this, I think that it might worthwhile trying it as an experiment and I would hope that my fears turn out to be unfounded. If I remember correctly, and at my age I could easily be wrong, the reason for introducing handicapping all those years ago was exactly the same as those put forward now - too much processional racing.

[Trees]

What was Barry Briggs argument against handicapping at the time? I probably have a good idea but just wondered what he said.

 

On the face of it it is unfair that the top boys should be handicapped but for the sake of the popularity of the sport it would be grrrrrrreat. Perhaps if there was another "Big 5" for example they could be billed and sponsored as something very special, which indeed they are/would be! I say this as though sponsorship is easy to come by, but with tv involved it might be possible?

[Wessex Wanderer]

By the time it was abolished there were only 3 riders on the 20 yard handicap. (Peter Craven died the year before and Ronnie Moore had retired from British racing.)

 

That left just Briggs, Fundin and Knutsson and it really had become a bit much to expect just those 3 to start 10 yards behind (say) Nigel Boocock at Coventry.

 

Probably all three wanted the system abolished (or at least made a bit fairer) but from what I remember (40+ years ago now!!) Barry was the most vocal and all credit to him for saying what he thought.

 

Like I said before though it was a pity they didn't tinker with it a bit (maybe a second level of riders being also handicapped for just their home matches) rather than throw the whole system out.

[Vince]

I believe Briggo's objection was that they were spending a fortune on engines and that the riders they were giving a start were getting better. Much the same argument would apply now I would have thought in that only those riders with the best (most expensive) motors would be succesful from a handicap. I would also expect riders to have to take greater risks to pass quickly and therefore the injury rate to go up. I can see how it would work in the States on smaller tracks where the speeds are lower but can you imagine Boycie having to give 20 yards to Watto on the Island, it would be carnage if he could catch him. Same in reverse at Newport.

[SCB]

Vince, I don't think the idea is for Boyce to start behind Wato (or vice-vesa) but more for Wato and Boyce to start behind Karlis and Steen Jensen. That way, Wato would not only have to battle with Boycey but Steen Jensen too to try and get the win.

 

The ideal senario would be that all riders get an equal average and there worth would be based on there handicap rather than their average.

[Vince]

SCB, I was talking about the suggestion that the team that was x amount of points behind went from the gate while the other team went from 15yds. Even with your suggestion there are going to be times when you have riders with 0.X higher average than their opponent having to give them 15 yards (home or away). I honestly believe that would produce the most processional racing ever. It would also still be a fact that the engine tuners would be the ones to benefit the most from any form of handicapping. At the moment a guy on not quite so good equipment can still win races if he gets his nose in front, he certainly won't do that from a handicap.

Can you imagine what Boycie would do to Karlis if he held him up for 3 1/2 laps when the team needed the point to win