Swc Round 2 Coventry 14th July

[RacerDon]

We just weren't good enough and I can't see us doing any better in the race off either. Poland 1st, Sweden 2nd followed by the Lame Brits in third place.

 

Based on Monday's effort beating the Russians would be a fantastic result.

 

[richsimpson]

It did cross my mind, but we can't be THAT bad surely????? Well maybe LOL

[philfromcov]

i think the big concern is that next year the final is in the Uk, i assume coventry but thats not the point.

 

as a nation we are going backwards, the odds that next years final will take place without the home nation is strong, unless of course the rounds are rigged!

if you rank the nations in terms of quality

Denmark

Australia

Polland

Sweden

 

 

team GB

czech

russia

hungry

 

so unless we get to the final we will be drawn next year against 2 of the top 4, meaning in all likely hood the play off will be against

australia

sweden

team gb

another

 

basically were out......... unless the draw is fixed!

[21st century heathen]

...Coventry are also doing very poorly this year so the home track advantage was never a real winner either!

 

Mostly because more often than not CM is preparing a slick track. When it's been grippy, usually when it's been rained on and he can't do anything about it, the Bees have ridden well and picked up good results.

[richsimpson]

Mostly because more often than not CM is preparing a slick track. When it's been grippe, usually when it's been rained on and he can't do anything about it, the Bees have ridden well and picked up good results.

Agreed, but thats not the point. The riders like Harris, Stead, Schlein should ride any track well, not just the Coventry one.

 

Coventry track is too fair, its not egg shaped or anything dodgy like that its just a race circuit which any rider should perform well on.

 

Looking to the track curator for the blame is a lame excuse IMO.

 

The away team riders can perform on it, the premier league riders who rarely get to ride the track did okay too.

 

Most riders swop team to team nowadays anyway so all tracks should be well known. I can understand the youngsters in the first couple of seasons riding worse away than at home, like Risager but after so long you have to think its the riders not the tracks.

 

Not being convincing on all the different tracks is our biggest issue, if we can't get set up on the Coventry track where many have ridden before, how are we going to attempt a Polish track that some of the team have never seen, or a Danish track like in the Race Off?

[screm]

Agreed, but thats not the point. The riders like Harris, Stead, Schlein should ride any track well, not just the Coventry one.

 

Coventry track is too fair, its not egg shaped or anything dodgy like that its just a race circuit which any rider should perform well on.

 

Looking to the track curator for the blame is a lame excuse IMO.

 

The away team riders can perform on it, the premier league riders who rarely get to ride the track did okay too.

 

Most riders swop team to team nowadays anyway so all tracks should be well known. I can understand the youngsters in the first couple of seasons riding worse away than at home, like Risager but after so long you have to think its the riders not the tracks.

 

Not being convincing on all the different tracks is our biggest issue, if we can't get set up on the Coventry track where many have ridden before, how are we going to attempt a Polish track that some of the team have never seen, or a Danish track like in the Race Off?

Dont buy this slick track excuse that our riders seem to hide behind all the time.They have all raced at a level that a slick track should be easily overcome,please dont tell me that Coventry is grippy every week.

Chances are we will have to race on a slick track thursday and maybe saturday so monday will have been useful practise but you can bet we will have another round of excuses from riders/management.

[21st century heathen]

For the last year the track has been prepared on the slick to very slick side by CM. Not as bad as it was on Monday though. It doesn't matter what size and shape Brandon is. The problem was the Brits inability to adapt to the surface.

 

I hope nobody mistakes my posts as making excuses. I'm simply stated what I see as the facts (although I could be wrong of course). The Brits should be able to adapt and ride to a good standard on slick tracks, even if they don't enjoy it. It just seems a cold hard fact to me that, generally speaking, they can't. As I said yesterday on one of the SWC, threads this is no different to some foreign riders that can't adapt to heavy/grippy conditions with deep/wet shale. Many have ridden enough times to have come across such tracks in Britain, but ride the conditions well.

 

I'll start a campaign. Lance Sealey to prepare all SGP and SWC tracks in future. If Scott and Bomber still don't score well they'll need a slap.

[Subedei]

Ah grippy tracks. Aren't they the best? Riders shooting off in all directions, while the few able to cope make hay and it's called great racing. Most of the time you have to wait until the track slickens off to see some half-way decent action.

[21st century heathen]

A properly prepared grippy track is superb. It's a cocked-up grippy track that causes problems.

[speedy den boy]

A properly prepared grippy track is superb. It's a cocked-up grippy track that causes problems.

 

I agree it would be nice to have a grippy track,but what with the bikes they are today with the angle of the engines it seems everyone wants slicker tracks.I remember when it was a skill to control a bike on a grippy track but sadly that has long since gone.They (loram.etc)came from grass track to a grippy track but who comes from grasstrack these days.Only chris Harris.

[Gemini]

i think the big concern is that next year the final is in the Uk, i assume coventry but thats not the point.

 

You may be assuming wrongly. Subedei has stated elsewhere on the forum that next year's final is in Poland and he's always right isn't he?

[mikegum]

Absolutely right, the Brits were simply not good enough, Scott Nicholls four points, come on, he is our National Champion and Swindon wasn't a foot deep in dirt when he won that was it!!!

 

Swindon wasn't a foot deep in quality opposition either!

 

[Hazzman]

You may be assuming wrongly. Subedei has stated elsewhere on the forum that next year's final is in Poland and he's always right isn't he?

 

Unia Leszno recently confirmed it..that the Race-Off and Final will be there for 2009.

[Subedei]

Unia Leszno recently confirmed it..that the Race-Off and Final will be there for 2009.

 

They certainly did. To me. After reading Peter Oakes recent article on Lee Richardson in the Speedway Star, where Oakes stated "a dress rehearsal for 2009 when the final will be at Brandon", I e-mailed Unia Leszno asking them what was going on. Their reply:

 

There is no doubt that SWC race off and final in 2009 are in Leszno.

Edited July 16, 2008 by Subedei

[Robin Reliant]

I agree it would be nice to have a grippy track,but what with the bikes they are today with the angle of the engines it seems everyone wants slicker tracks.I remember when it was a skill to control a bike on a grippy track but sadly that has long since gone.They (loram.etc)came from grass track to a grippy track but who comes from grasstrack these days.Only chris Harris.

I really dont believe the state of the track was the root cause of the problem.I believe the Danes provide their riders with better backing finacially.Are Bjarne Pedersen,Bjerre and Iversen really that much faster around Brandon than Nicholls and Harris.Only when provided with the equipment to do so.I can't remember seeing pedersen and Bjerre passing that many opponents in league racing.Didn't Mark Loram say afew years ago that it cost him money to compete in the World Cup?

[Big Diamond]

Britain were just not good enough which considering we were the home nation. Track wasnt suitable for the team which is stupid, the Danes will surely like their track, but are probably good enough to challenge on most tracks.

[Subedei]

Didn't Mark Loram say afew years ago that it cost him money to compete in the World Cup?

 

I remember him being asked whether the £100,000 bonus the Polish riders had just earned through winning the final at Wroclaw in 2005 would cover their engine and tuning costs for the tournament and him replying "probably not".

Edited July 16, 2008 by Subedei

[MACK1]

Those 5 riders you suggest there might wear the Union Jack with more pride unlike the 5 on show tonight.

 

Can I also say how annoying it is to constantly be told they can't get a set-up or can't get their bikes right. What!? 5 Professional speedway riders can't get a set-up right for a track they know well. They knew how the track would be because most had a good guess before the meeting even began. How often do you hear Leigh Adams (as an example) say well things aren't going quite right, we can't really get the set-up right. Top riders don't!!!! Load of sh**e

As I watched the meeting,with the Danes and the Swedes powering out the starts and the first bend, my mind went back several decades to the time when the late Les Owen was riding for Coventry.At that time everybody rode with JAP. engines.Suddenly the Swedes[no mean performers even in those days]upped their game and started flying.It transpired that they had fitted to their engines what became known as the 'big cam'.All perfectly legal of course.Somehow this got known and a handful of British riders obtained supplies, fitted them and quite mediocre riders started flying.My point being:are there some ace scandanavian engine tuners out there carrying out advanced developement of engines etc ?for the benefit of their riders ?

[Subedei]

And passing those secrets on to the Poles, Australians and even Adrian Rymel, but not the British boys?

[MARK246]

I believe the Danes provide their riders with better backing finacially.Are Bjarne Pedersen,Bjerre and Iversen really that much faster around Brandon than Nicholls and Harris.Only when provided with the equipment to do so.I can't remember seeing pedersen and Bjerre passing that many opponents in league racing.

 

The Danish riders earn their money racing as do the other riders.

Point is they will be paid more than the British riders by promoters because they perform better, not only in Britain but also abroad. This allows then the advantage of better equipment. If you ran a team and could pay a rider 4,000 quid a meeting would you employ Bjarne Pederson or Simon Stead.

How riders spend their earnings is up to them and are not dictated by federations or promoters. But in sport as in life you can only reap what you sow.