KrisB Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Simmo at his book signing - my hero! Juniors on V early! Poor George Piper - 2 EFs in 2 appearances at Cardiff - best change your mechanic! Biggest attendance yet? Packed along the back straight. Was looking forward to 10 minutes of flag waving and horn blowing leading up to the start immediately after Bonnie Tyler but the organisers screwed-up - one such song then 5 minutes of 'speedway rap', then "Delilah" (bit bizarre!) Atmosphere not as good as last year. "All 4 back" when Richardson took out Lindback and Zagar - ha ha! Pepe falling-off during a practice start - ha ha! All the hype around Nicholls and Richardson - neither were going to do it, they couldn't in past years when they were riding well, neither riding well this season! Simon Stead - barged out of the way by each oponent in heat 6. Hard riding but if he'd fallen, the oponent would have gone! Still a good learning experience for him and looked better in his last 2 heats! Hancock down in final - correct decision! Tony Rickardsson - goodbye Crump - worthy winner and 2006 Champ! Finally the best-kept secret car park in Knox Road, always quiet and easy to access, became an official event car park this year so nearly didn't get in, and I bet the queues to leave were horrendous - luckily a brisk pace along Queen Street meant we got back before the rush! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirelnutkins Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Music not as good as last year (Amerillo and Hey Baby) with the air horns and flags! "All 4 back" when Richardson took out Lindback and Zagar - ha ha! Richardson SHOULD have been excluded Tony Rickardsson - goodbye Tony doesnt seem really interested in it this season! Why doesnt he just pull out? Nice to meet up with some new forum members a61 and Shortoi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subedei Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Simon Stead - barged out of the way by each oponent in heat 6. Hard riding but if he'd fallen, the oponent would have gone! Still a good learning experience for him and looked better in his last 2 heats! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It all looked like hard, fair riding in Ht 6 to me - watching on television. Stead looked bewildered, befuddled and out of his depth. The truth is he's just not GP standard and never, ever will be. Sure, he picked up a few points when the track was at its worst and riders were losing their heads. On a decent track, I think he'd have been lucky to get a point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon.c Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 The park & ride bus driver who didn't know the way to the correct car park !!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzybee Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 The occasion for me was as good as it always is However this year i thought, was the worst ive seen racing wise. Track was terrible. There should not be a blue line after heart 2!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shovlar Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 It all looked like hard, fair riding in Ht 6 to me - watching on television. Stead looked bewildered, befuddled and out of his depth. The truth is he's just not GP standard and never, ever will be. Sure, he picked up a few points when the track was at its worst and riders were losing their heads. On a decent track, I think he'd have been lucky to get a point. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Agree with you on Stead. Sorry to say he was well out of his depth. How many years will we have to wait until we have a competitive british GP rider again? Nothing currently on the horizon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekker Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 (edited) How many years will we have to wait until we have a competitive british GP rider again?A long time till we produce a system that focuses on riders with talent rather who parents can afford 4K engines to ride in CL. You just have to look at scandanavia to see how to run it. Combine this with the attitude of bringing low average foreigners over in the EL and PL speaks volumes for the real attitude of the BSPA which is confirmed by the attitude and actions of eastbourne to pull kennett and bridger from the U21 which speaks far louder than anything peter oakes can say. Edited June 4, 2006 by Dekker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subedei Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Dick Barrie was writing something similar in a recent Berwick programme - basically that a second-hand bike would suffice, until it was determined whether the youngster had any talent. Barrie had apparently seen a youngster, not contracted to any team, with sponsored brand new equipment, including van. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellevueace Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Stead was out of his depth but its a bit previous to state he will never be able to compete at this level, adams and pedersen didnt exactly set the place on fire did they and they are certainly not out of their depth. So barring injury the championship is done and dusted with 6 rounds to go, ive never been a fan of this series as it cant recreate the drama and tension of the one off final. We all remember 81 at wembley as being a great final, if it had been round 4 of 10 there would have been no tension or excitement as there would have been another 6 rounds for the riders to sort themselves out, the wembley round would have been just another event along the way, so with last years domination and now this year going the same way the excitement/tension level of who will be crowned world champion just dosent exsist. The GP series dosent even bring in extra revenue through the turnstiles at club level as after the 40,000 at cardiff its back to 1000-1,500 at elite league level. Sorry im not a fan of this event but a weekend out in cardiff is always welcome as its a great place with some good pubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekker Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 (edited) Dick Barrie was writing something similar in a recent Berwick programme - basically that a second-hand bike would suffice, until it was determined whether the youngster had any talent. Barrie had apparently seen a youngster, not contracted to any team, with sponsored brand new equipment, including van. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Its always happened, i remember a junior at swindon called nick bates in the 80s who was exactly the same, but had regretfully little talent ut he would get beat by or 2 others on hand me down bikes who had far more talent but whose parents could not afford to subsidise them. Edited June 4, 2006 by Dekker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 The GP series dosent even bring in extra revenue through the turnstiles at club level as after the 40,000 at cardiff its back to 1000-1,500 at elite league level. A huge shame that the BSPA couldn't have done what BSI are doing now with SKY on board, then the dosh they make from the british event would be able to be ploughed back into the league ........... perhaps Unless the GB promoters can own more of their tracks we'll never be in the position that Poland, Sweden and Denmark are. We sure could do with more Redcars, Scunthorpes, Eastbournes and King's Lynns!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.N.T. Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 The occasion for me was as good as it always is However this year i thought, was the worst ive seen racing wise. Track was terrible. There should not be a blue line after heart 2!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ANSWER; Dont get Colin Meredith to do the track then When all the Promoters know he prepares a slick track, why let him be the main man on tracks. Allan Bridgett has done a great job at Edinburgh and this year at Wolves while Terry the track over looks things at Wolves and Coventry. Get them on board and get a race track, not a scrambling track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 You've got to remember though that whoever does the track only gets 3 or 4 days to lay it down from scratch and i'd say that's not an easy job. It might be different next year if the play off finals are held at wembley, it might give more time to whoever is asked to prepare the track to get it down and make it more raceable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.N.T. Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Track - no depth, watering should be done on level track and left to soak in, not raked again. Hancock - Great gating, on a smooth track it was a fight for second place Crumpy - The second best on show and with Greg rightly out in final, a deserved winner. Richardson - Got away with his first race, but a definate also ran . . . won be in next season surely TRick - when he rode his last race at Monmore he did a lap of honour and stopped to throw his goggles in the crowd. Thought he would do the same here, but obviously prefers Wolverhampton THE BSFRL NEWS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superguest Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 The GP series dosent even bring in extra revenue through the turnstiles at club level as after the 40,000 at cardiff its back to 1000-1,500 at elite league level. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I was thinking the same. I go to away meetings and I saw many fans in wolves colours who I had NEVER seen before. If Airhorns and flags get people into the stadium, maybe League promoters should take note... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 The occasion for me was as good as it always is However this year i thought, was the worst ive seen racing wise. Track was terrible. There should not be a blue line after heart 2!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Don't think you'll find it was a blue line but the second layer of shale. I will let FTM or other experts go into the finer details later but I understand that the track was in fact deeper than normal and what you saw was the darker shale coming though the red shale that was put down on the Friday afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derwent Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 It all looked like hard, fair riding in Ht 6 to me - watching on television. Stead looked bewildered, befuddled and out of his depth. The truth is he's just not GP standard and never, ever will be. Sure, he picked up a few points when the track was at its worst and riders were losing their heads. On a decent track, I think he'd have been lucky to get a point. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Maybe so, but I don't agree that he was out of his depth based on riding ability. I suspect that maybe his equipment isn't up to GP standards when you consider that a lot of the riders on show are riding works machinery, which is bound to have an affect. It'd be interesting to see how he fared with, say, Scott or Lee's equipment at his disposal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subedei Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Maybe so, but I don't agree that he was out of his depth based on riding ability. I suspect that maybe his equipment isn't up to GP standards when you consider that a lot of the riders on show are riding works machinery, which is bound to have an affect. It'd be interesting to see how he fared with, say, Scott or Lee's equipment at his disposal. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I guess he'd still be pulling full-locks on every other bend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Leslie Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Reckon the crowd must have topped 40,000. Top tier quite full on back straight, but sparse on home straight. Presumably set up that way for the sky cameras? Atmosphere in the build up wasn't good. The P.A. seemed distorted, and there was not real attempt to build the atmosphere up. They did get it going about 6.50 but thn killed it to near silence with the embarrassing 'Speedway ©Rap' on the big screen. Under 16's on WAY too early. About 5.15pm this year to a nearly empty stadium. Disgraceful. Bonnie Tyler OK, but suffered from the distorted sound system. And was eclipsed by Tony Christie. The track was pretty rubbish. But I don't know why people are surprised by this. You can't lay a decent track from nothing in 3 days. It's always going to be flat and without a decent depth of shale. It's impossible to compound a decent depth of shale and build up any banking in such a limited time. What do you want....its the atmosphere of a 40,000 crowd in a mega-stadium with a dodgy track that sorts the men from the boys, or its 8,000 to Coventry with an OK long established track and poor atmosphere....I vote Cardiff. Referee a little dodgy. Richardson a touch lucky in getting away with skittling everyone in his first ride...but maybe the ref giving the benefit of the doubt due to the newly laid track. Pedersen mugs the ref by laying it down on the first corner after being outgated by Crump. Heat 10 an awful ragged start that should have been brought back. Had the ref dozed off? Hampel-Hancock final the only difficult decision and ref was probably right. Going to be one unhappy rider whoever is excluded. tough on Hancock but it had to be him. Crump - the best on display. Deserved winner despite the Hancock/Hampel incident. Hancock - a bit of a rash move in the final cost him. Perhaps should have backed of Hampel and had another go on next corner. Should have been content to keep Crump behind even if it meant letting Hampel win. Pedersen - Where was he? At least we got to see his hairdryer on big screen. Rickardsson - its over. So far behind Crump he now needs snookers. Nicholls & Richardson - Had their moments, but middle order. Didn't utilise the massive home support to make a mark. Stead - Took an awful battering in one race, but got it together at the end. Certainly more worthy of a GP place than Protasiewicz, Iversen and co. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyTasha Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 I found cardiff wasnt the same this year, there was hardly anything noise wise out of the stadium.. Was lovely to meet the fairies again!! We saw Millsy in cardiff too, he became a fairy for the day Will put a link up when i get the picture. Dunno what to think of heat 20 but its good to know what others think as for some reason my dad blames crumpy! Saying it wasnt proper racing because Jason won it.. MEN! Well done Jason for winning, i was waving my crumpy flag for him! Piotr P - His lil mess up at the begining of a heat, HILARIOUS! Can't believe they flew Tony Christie over here just to sing a 3 min song But was great. Was lovely to meet you Rabbit! Couldnt really talk because of that man in the middle.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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