An Open Letter To The Riders At The Elrc

[Steve Turner]

The next 4 Sky meetings all feature Coventry (great variety there), so it's fingers crossed they're not jinxed this year !

[Subedei]

I'm 100% convinced of your dedication towards, and belief in, Tomek's chances in the GP... 

 

Just as an aside, seeing as how I am mentioning GP riders. Someone may already have commented on this, but why was the figure of 75% of the field being GP riders being bandied around on Sky tonight?

 

Adams, Pedersen, Crump, Hancock, Richardson, Pedersen and Nicholls don't seem to equate to 75% of the field...

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Because young Crump bandied it about. In fact, 43.75% were current GP riders, but, as young Turner pointed out, 100% of the field had GP experience. So, whichever way you look at it, young Crump was wrong with regard to the percentage.

[HenryW]

The next 4 Sky meetings all feature Coventry (great variety there), so it's fingers crossed they're not jinxed this year ! 

Do they?

Sky's site list the live meetings as :

Wolves - Bees.

Slovenian GP.

Panthers - Cheetahs.

Pirates - Cheetahs Bees.

Polish GP.

Eagles - Bees.

Bees - Panthers.

Swedish GP.

Cheetahs - Hammers.

Aces - Bulldogs.

British GP.

EL Pairs.

[Steve Turner]

I wasn't counting the GP's on Sky, Henry...the Poole meeting is against Coventry, not Oxford. Hadn't spotted the Peterborough one though. So it's 4 out of 5

[HenryW]

I wasn't counting the GP's on Sky, Henry...the Poole meeting is against Coventry, not Oxford. Hadn't spotted the Peterborough one though. So it's 4 out of 5 

Fair enough to ignore the GPs. Wasn't aware of the switch in the Poole meeting, so it all makes more sense now.

I think that a few people might be best to ignore the Oxford visit to Peterboro if recent results are anything to go by.

[Guest Sir Lunchalot]

The one thing that does strike me is that apparently those in charge of track preparation have said it wasn't fit to carry on riding.  If that was the case I don't see how they could do anything else but call it off.

 

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I wasn't there either Lioness (naturally !!) but from reading between the lines both in this case and in Oz the summer just gone the fans are getting peed off with meetings called off on a largely fine day. No one expects racing when there has been rain all day or a huge downpour but with minimal or no rain and providing there is time for some track preparation is it asking too much to expect the meeting to be held, even if there has to be a delay ? Whether that's down to the riders, the track staff, the officials, the promotion, or Sky is another thing.

 

The inference in this case is that the riders had schedules in Poland to meet and Sky had a time deadline and the calling off of the meeting all seemed a little bit too easy and convenient.

[Gemini]

The inference in this case is that the riders had schedules in Poland to meet and Sky had a time deadline and the calling off of the meeting all seemed a little bit too easy and convenient.

Which just about sums it up.

[Aries]

just going off topic for a quick second to talk about one of the heats we did get to see, fantastic ride from Mark Loram going from last to second including a terrific move on home track specialist BP. Not bad considering Nicki Pedersen said it was "impossible to pass". Is there any wonder why Loram is so popular? still an absolute joy to watch

[Custom House Kid]

I see people are putting forward ideas for new venues for the re-staging. How about Arena? excellent race track and first class facilities

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Could not agree more!

[Champs175]

The way the riders acted today was appauling. Last year at wimbledon v rye house, about heat 4 it absolutely bucketed down, rained heavy for half hour, and the meeting still went ahead and the riders where more than happy to ride. A new venue should be suggested as the elrc is one of the biggest meetings and one of the best meetings off the year.

[spook]

what did you get if you won this  event a bike wow! or a easter egg maybe ?the elrc is a joke and has no place in modern day speedway get rid of it once and for all it means nothing now 

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wrong this is/should be one of the biggest events of the season it always used to be

 

 

and the ELRC becomes a more diluted event as the years go by, it is time to scrap it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

wrong the riders need to be forced to recognise the prestige of the event - not be allowed to devalue it

 

When the ref said lets give it a go, but we'll stop if we get anymore rain,  Crump said "come on let's do it" and the riders were ready to go back to the pits to get ready to race.

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why does Crumpy feel the need to be heard? it is no wonder people look in his direction when trouble is afoot (and im a fan)

 

What was clear was that none of the riders seemed keen to sit and wait for any prolonged period of time. Given that there was dry weather all around and the meeting was started so early, waiting for 30 minutes or even an hour would have been the sensible course of action.

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Possibly the smart move may have been to hold the meeting a lot earlier in the day - a meeting this large (ie attracting a lot of long distance travelling high paying fans) deserved the chance to overcome a shower or two rather than riders clock watching and getting ready for the rush to Stanstead

 

 

Half of them havent exactly appeared to be top riders for their club this season when they have ridden hardly any meetings and half of the top guys havent wanted to race in it before-It is totally and utterly devalued

Scrap it or run it later

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I believe the riders are contracted to ride in the ELRC if they are chosen to and that the threat of fines etc is very real - if this event is allowed to be devalued by the BSPA, Promoters, Refs, Riders then it will be ............a ridiculous situation

 

Not all have forgotten Lunchy. Workington and Glasgow riders rode in snow last week (even Shane <removed smilies> ).

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and this for me is the point - yes the guys face dangers but this is their chosen profession! Are we saying that they dont know how to throttle off? are we saying that they would not be able to adapt to the conditions? Yes im sure some would have looked far from world class but maybe if they didnt give up so easily they would learn to ride in all conditions like Mark Loram

 

the true story as far as im concerned is that

 

1) the starting time was a mistake the day before polish fixtures

 

2) the ref was weak (and where was the BSPA representative giving a steering hand?)

 

3) the riders have forgotten why events like the ELRC are held - if there is no entertainment there are no fans - if there are no fans there are no clubs - if there are no clubs there is no ELRC (and if there are no clubs where will the likes of Trick test his engines before the GP's? )

 

finally as an aside I feel that since the days of laydowns we have increasingly seen an attitude from the riders that everything has to be perfect and clinical - this goes against the speedway grain for me

 

 

Is there any wonder why Loram is so popular? still an absolute joy to watch

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did anyone notice his wry smile shortly after the meeting had been cancelled? - the picture said it all

[12bore]

Totally agree with that (except the 40 years it's 15 in my case) it's just not worth the expense, the time of work, the mickey taking from people I work with. Like other people say I've seen worse tracks ridden on (Pride of the East, Commonwealth final, Lynn home matches) without dirt deflectors, Air Fences and riders just used their commonsense and a knack called throttle control.

 

Only last week i attended the BSB round at Donington where racers on Ducati 999's, R1's, Fireblades rode in the most treacherous conditions, worse than any speedway meeting but they used common sense and their skill to ride through literally rivers across the track but as many said you gotta use commonsense.

 

A sad sad day for Speedway and I would not be surprised if Sky said enough is enough.

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quite right Jive if our heroes had been asked to ride in those conditions they would have shrivelled up in a corner in floods of tears

[rainbow]

Well what a sham!!! Does it not rain in OZ or what????? Agree with all Steve posted(and that doesn't happen often!!)Maybe Mr Prima was worried that a certain Danish rider was going to win - cos it rains in Denmark and they are used to it !!And to all the stupid fans that were banging on the Sky sports vehicle blaming them - they were the last people that wanted it called off - cost them thousands !!!

And yes the sun did come out again! And yes it is me Shazz!! Long time since I've been on here - but I'm back !!!

[Trees]

just going off topic for a quick second to talk about one of the heats we did get to see, fantastic ride from Mark Loram going from last to second including a terrific move on home track specialist BP. Not bad considering Nicki Pedersen said it was "impossible to pass". Is there any wonder why Loram is so popular? still an absolute joy to watch

I'll agree with that .................. REALLY GOOD that Mark is enjoying his racing this season, goodness knows WE enjoy watching him

Keep entertaining us please old boy

 

HIYA Rains, WELCOME BACK!!

Edited April 17, 2006 by Trees

[Steve Shovlar]

just going off topic for a quick second to talk about one of the heats we did get to see, fantastic ride from Mark Loram going from last to second including a terrific move on home track specialist BP. Not bad considering Nicki Pedersen said it was "impossible to pass". Is there any wonder why Loram is so popular? still an absolute joy to watch

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sorry to tell you Bjarne's bike was packing up on him a lap earlier and he slowed enough for Loram to pass. Sullivan would have more than likely have been passed by Bjarne onif his bike was working properly. It was the slowest ride of the night, 3 seconds off other races.

[rabbit]

All I can say this morning is that with Polish meetings today, and the forecast for that part of Europe being light showers, I'd be very interested to hear from some of our Polish friends what conditions the riders race in today over there and how keen the riders are to continue should anything drop from the sky. Somehow I don't think they'd dare try a repeat of yesterday at their respective clubs!

[Trackman]

I'm back !!!

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G/Day Rainbow ...... WELCOME BACK!! from down under.

Regards.

[Bryn]

And yes it is me Shazz!! Long time since I've been on here - but I'm back !!!

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Ut oh!!! Look out one and all - Rainbow, Shazzy & Tabby - the fearsome threesome!

[Guest thetiger2799]

aaaaaaah the "big boys" letting the sport down again eh. You should get into the Premier League, mind you dont know if I could be bothered having to explain to the Elite League fans what an overtake is, every two minutes

[rusky]

TBH, I'm not 100% convinced about that.

The riders that did voice complaints on camera were saying that the track was just ridiculously greasy in some areas. That's surely a classic case of a little rain on an over slick surface, with nothing to soak the water up. Presumably that's was in the areas where the traditional blue groove appears around that particular track.

Maybe if there was more dirt on the track there wouldn't have been so much of a problem. 

 

 

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I have to say that I agree with you 100% on that one HenryW. If the levels of rain had been as described, and if there had been no watering past 15:30, the ONLY explanation was that once again we were going to be presented with an Ole Olsen track. The equipment on display whilst they were trying to repair the damage to the track, suggested that available equipment was basic in the extreme - not really a good reflection on Poole/BSPA (delete as appropriate).

 

As far as blaming the riders, I think that is plain daft. The discussions between the riders/ Clerk of the Course / Referee on SKY showed quite clearly that the riders were coming out to race (not ride) on the proviso that it didn't start raining again. We all saw what happened, and I can't believe that the riders can be held responsible for the meeting being abandoned. The clerk of the course intimated that everything possible (with limited resources ?) had been done on the track. (By the way, I am intrigued what H&S would make of the guy's tryong to manhandle the bag of sawdust - a definite lack of appropriate equipmet, and hence a risk assessment)

 

IF blame has to be aportioned to what was yet another fiasco really, then I would say it should be Weather 20%, Riders 20%, organisers 60%.

 

Does anybody think that we should have another topic entitled ' An open letter to the organisers of the 2006 ELRC' ?