Time To Bring Back The Gp Challenge ?

[ballinger]

With Trick looking set to make it title no.6, interest in the GP series will no doubt focus on the battle for the Top 8 over the remaining 4 rounds.

 

What do other forum members think about re-introducing the GP Challenge to the calendar, as surely it would re-invigorate interest in the Speedway World Championship.

 

The closed shop approach as will apply for 2006 onwards cannot in my opinion be right, as it relies too much on opinion and political positioning within the corridors of BSI and the CCP.

 

Could BSI not recognise the financial benefits of using a GP Challenge meeting, a meeting that worked well in the past.

 

A straight 16 rider 20 heat meeting made up of riders placed 9-12 from the GP series, plus the World U21 champ, plus the National Champions from GB, Swe, Den, Poland, along with a selction from other nations (determined however is best) would, in my opinion, be a welcome addition back on the calendar.

 

Thoughts people?

[born_2b_mad]

Definately need the return of the GP Challenge.

 

Bring back the good old days when the National Championships were the start of the qualification system to the World Final.

[suzuki star 882]

Good idea. There has to be some sort of formal qualification for SGP based on rider ability. Also it would help national championships to regain credibility, well ours at least !

[AndyM]

Whether you call it the GP Challenge or anything else, the GP circus is badly in need of being opened up. It should be an open qualification system every year in my book.

[sjw ministerofport]

I agree with you every rider should have the chance to get in the GP's.

I wondered whether a golden helmet match race system running throughout the top leagues in Europe maybe the answer. The riders who hold the helmet for the longest time qualify for the GP's. The holder has to defend the helmet on each league meeting he rides in against the top scorer of thge opposition.

[Subedei]

I agree.

But the thing about the GP challenge that BSI don't particularly like is that a rider like Chrzanowski gets into their circus.

[TwoMinuteWarning]

What do other forum members think about re-introducing the GP Challenge to the calendar, as surely it would re-invigorate interest in the Speedway World Championship.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I should think the vast majority will agree, but it dosen't look like it will happen while Possletwit and co are in charge - still, they've only got the rights until 2020!

 

Meanwhile the GP will have less and less credibility, and become more and more like a touring circus.

 

I blame the FIM for selling off speedway's crown jewels.

[fatface]

Some bizarre suggestions above! Golden Helmet match-races as qualification?!Bring back the one-offs?! Come on guys, it's 2005. You'll be wanting them back on Japs next...

 

I think the GP Challenge does have a lot of merit...and in an ideal world, then yes that should be the format. But I still think that there needs to be a fair amount of flexibility in riders being nominated for the following year. You simply have to have an international mix to broaden the appeal of the sport.

 

It's quite conceiveable that no Poles or Brits would be in the GPs without the nomination process. Quite simply that would be a disaster for attendances and viewing figures. The World Championship is our biggest opportunity to sell the sport to the world - it would be a lot harder to do that with riders from only three/four nations taking part.

 

We're not alone in this. The two biggest sporting events in the world - the Olympics and the World Cup also place great emphasis on internationalism and it certainly works for them.

 

There will be top European teams who will miss out on the next World Cup at the expense of some Asian/African teams who they would normally be expected to beat. Likewise, there will be top American and African athletes who miss out on Olympic places taken by smaller countries.

 

Ultimately, it doesn't affect the winner, the best guys still win, what it does do is simply broaden the appeal and make them into truly global events. That's the challenge for the SGP.

[born_2b_mad]

I didn't mean bring back the one-off Final, as I am a fan of the current GP Series.

 

What I meant was that qualification for the 8 unseeded riders should be done through a qualification system, like that which was used for the 'old' World Final.

 

National Championships, Commonwealth Final, Intercontinental Final, Overseas Final etc

 

As suzuki_star says it will help bring much needed credibility back to the British Final.

[fatface]

Yes, but my point still stands that the GPs need a real international flavour to be successful. And as much as I enjoyed the rough and tumble of the old British Finals...you can't expect the whole system to be changed to satisfy the whims of nostalgia..

[Guest Jim Blanchard]

Another senior moment here but can anyone tell me what is the GP challenge is and when did it last happen?

 

I do not think we need to go back to the 'one off's' or even the JAP's (might struggle a bit with that part) Chris. A GP series using the 45 year old formula perhaps. Often run off's will be the climatic endings I am sure.

 

Though I just feel that if a rider goes through the card unbeaten and then comes third in the semi and is out of it - is a bit harsh. Did not that happen to Scott Nicholls at the British championship? No disrespect to Joe, but I think it was a bit unfair on Scott to come away with nothing after five blinding wins. There is got to be a better way. I am not an expert on all the different possiblities I just feel for the riders like Leigh Adams etc who has qualified high - then failed at the semi's.

Edited June 28, 2005 by Jim Blanchard

[born_2b_mad]

Yes, but my point still stands that the GPs need a real international flavour to be successful....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which you would get by re-introducing the old qualification system.

 

I'm not sure if you understand what I'm getting at (apologies if you do! )

 

The GP Series would stay as it is, it just means that the qualification for the following seasons GP series would run alongside, just as it was last year.

 

Bringing the National Championships in as the first qualification stage would mean all riders from all nationalities would get the chance to fight for a place in the GP's.

Currently they have next to no chance.

[ballinger]

The GP Challenge ran from 1995 to 2001.

 

It was replaced by the "Grand Final" which ran from 2002-2004.

 

The GP Challenge acted as a "catch net" for those placed down the GP classification during the year, and was usually the most cut and thrust meeting of the year. It was made up of about the bottom 7 from that years GP, plus 8 from qualifiers, plus one other.

 

The GP Challenge itself suffered when it adopted the GP 24 rider knock out formula, as it meant that riders from the GP started in the "Main Event" and so only needed 2 good rides to be back in the next years GP.

 

From 2002 onwards BSI adopted the policy of seeding riders to the GP series, where they were joined by a number of "Grand Final" qualifiers.

 

From 2006 onwards, it will be seeds only, with no "on track" qualification process at all, bar league(s) form or wild card performances.

 

Additionally, I would also like to see a change to the current GP system, where the top 2 after 20 heats go straight to the final, the next 4 contesting a Semi, like has been done in ELRC/PLRCs in recent years.

[davidncohen]

Additionally, I would also like to see a change to the current GP system, where the top 2 after 20 heats go straight to the final, the next 4 contesting a Semi, like has been done in ELRC/PLRCs in recent years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I agree with above - it would certainly reward the riders who've really delivered the goods during their 5 rides, and with the top 6 instead of the top 8, going through, it would make it more cut and thrust.

 

Good thread and posts. Formats will always be on the agenda, but at least there have been changes - you _must_ try new ways from time-to-time. Should there be some form of qualification to get into the GP series - I think on the whole it's fair (compare with football world cup, where all countries, bat the host) contest qualifying rounds. How this should be done I don't know. BSI probably like it now - they have the control which allows them to match riders, venues, host county popularity etc. They probably think this is the best way to try and get the sport more popular - it's hard to argue.

 

David

[Old Saint]

One small change I would like to see is riders being rewarded for winning races. This could be done by awarding an extra point for each race win at the end of the meeting when calculating the overall GP points awarded.

[AndyM]

It might be an accident of the draw that a rider has 4 comparatively easy rides and one difficult, and score 33330. Somebody with a more even draw might score 32232. Why should they be punished for something out of their control?

[Old Saint]

AndyM, to be perfectly honest, I cannot see any system being regarded as the best by everyone. Whatever system is devised, (for qualification, points, etc) there will be dissenters and in most cases their arguments will be valid.

 

I am old enough to remember when the one off World Finals were only held at Wembley , nowhere else in the World. The qualification system and the Final itself were exciting and right for those days. Sadly, the world in general has moved on and that system is now outmoded. If that sounds like a "grumpy old man" talking, I plead guilty.

 

At least the system is evolving and is not static. Were it to remain static, it would soon lose its appeal as the world evolves around it.