leanne1706 Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Jonas Davidsson crash - doesn`t look so good :-( They need some air fences on that track... desperately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anders Posted August 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Yes, perhaps you have seen too much of the drivel served up at Vetlanda through the years so that you no longer can regognize proper speedway? Yes, must be it then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 They need some air fences on that track... desperately. yeah all tracks do (except those who already have it). Although in statement in local radio today SVEMO's "president" Per Westling claimes that airfences isn't necessary. he claims that its down to riders to ride safely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leanne1706 Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 yeah all tracks do (except those who already have it). Although in statement in local radio today SVEMO's "president" Per Westling claimes that airfences isn't necessary. I'm not sure poor Jonas would agree with that. Load of rubbish, anyway - this sport is dangerous, whether the riders ride safely or not. No brakes... asking for trouble! He'll have them crawling round the track to prevent injury with statements like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 (edited) They need some air fences on that track... desperately. Puzzles me that in such a safety conscious country like Sweden air fences on speedway tracks have not been installed yet. Although in statement in local radio today SVEMO's "president" Per Westling claimes that airfences isn't necessary. he claims that its down to riders to ride safely. That like saying that seat belts in cars shouldn't be necessary cause its down to drivers to drive safely. Edited August 21, 2008 by tommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 (edited) Although in statement in local radio today SVEMO's "president" Per Westling claimes that airfences isn't necessary. he claims that its down to riders to ride safely. Is he stupid or something? Gary Stead, Kim Jansson, Jonas Davidsson, last year`s 17 year old kid`s crash broke his spinal column as well...who`s next? I don`t want the people would have to ask this question again... Michal Matula`s and Kenny Olsson`s deaths wasn`t enough? If SVEMO`s president thinks what he says, let him ride on speedway`s bike...was he a rider in the past? Did he felt an adrenaline in his vains whenever? A racing passion? Or is he just a puppet in someone else`s hands?? What a stupid sentence he said..."Let the riders ride safely" - It should be an anti-quote of a year... RIP for him... Edited August 21, 2008 by Lawrence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 sorry my translation maybe wasnt 100% he said that "airfences isnt a solution" but IMO thats the same thing. He also says that "SVEMO would recommend/demand airfences if it solved all problems but since it doesnt SVEMO will not put in demands for it. "But i dont think that is the sokution (that=airfences) i think that we have to look into what caused the accident." my personal opinion is that airfences is one part of the solution, rider attitudes another, riders personal safety equipment a third part... several things that together makes the solution he is looking for. you can read the article in Swedish or in Google English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f-s-p Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Is he stupid or something? Gary Stead, Kim Jansson, Jonas Davidsson, last year`s 17 year old kid`s crash broke his spinal column as well...who`s next? I don`t want the people would have to ask this question again... I heard that there's a photo sequence somewhere of the Jansson crash and it apparently shows that he landed on the fence (just where the the post is) back first. How would an airfence help there? Robin Johansson flew over the fence and hit a light post outside the track back first. How would an airfence help there? Havent seen the Davidsson crash yet. Like a friend of mine said, sometimes these things just happen. Even with no fences speedway would still be dangerous with riders tangling to others in high speed. Fence or not Joonas Kylmäkorpi still dislocated his shoulder in the tumble with Woodward. An airfence helps/would have helped in certain situations for sure. Not in all of them though. I've been scared sh1tless a few times this and last season in Finnish meetings with riders of limited skill overtaking from the outside and diving under others while entering the corner. A lot of work has gone into working with them and the one's that have been willing to accept the advice have progressed immensely and lately I havent even felt compelled to close my eyes in the meetings. They dont do the most stupid stunts anymore and even if it happens, they know what to do next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leanne1706 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Air fences certainly don't solve everything, but they would add to helping in some crashes - isn't that enough? Ok, some riders still get battered and bruised (or worse) when they crash into an air fence, but having watched the Davidsson/Pedersen crash, wouldn't an airfence have softened the blow a bit? And, looking at it from the other angle - remember Bomber's crash into the airfence at Cardiff this year when he busted his face up? That, surely, would have been a lot worse had there been no airfence at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f-s-p Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Air fences certainly don't solve everything, but they would add to helping in some crashes - isn't that enough? Making airfences compulsory at tracks will most certainly help with crashes. At some if not most it will put an end to all crashes for good as the tracks cant afford to install them and will close them down. Until we get to a situation where most if not all tracks are able to install them, the wise thing to do is to concentrate on all other aspects. Such as the skills and responsibility/respect towards other riders. If Målilla and Eskilstuna get the money from the community, good for them, go and buy them. Will Örebro get the money for their track, will Sittingbourne or Plymouth? I know Tampere wont get it. A quote from Sam Ermolenko from a few years back (I've used this before) is that the Swedish tracks dont need airfences. The fences are different than the UK ones I've seen and most of the polish one's. They are designed to flex 30-50cm on impact around the track. Thats a bit different to the one in Heuzden-Zolder Belgium, where a WC qualifier was staged back in -04. The fence was built of plywood that was supported by concrete blocks. Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leanne1706 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Making airfences compulsory at tracks will most certainly help with crashes. At some if not most it will put an end to all crashes for good as the tracks cant afford to install them and will close them down. Until we get to a situation where most if not all tracks are able to install them, the wise thing to do is to concentrate on all other aspects. Such as the skills and responsibility/respect towards other riders. If Målilla and Eskilstuna get the money from the community, good for them, go and buy them. Will Örebro get the money for their track, will Sittingbourne or Plymouth? I know Tampere wont get it. A quote from Sam Ermolenko from a few years back (I've used this before) is that the Swedish tracks dont need airfences. The fences are different than the UK ones I've seen and most of the polish one's. They are designed to flex 30-50cm on impact around the track. Thats a bit different to the one in Heuzden-Zolder Belgium, where a WC qualifier was staged back in -04. The fence was built of plywood that was supported by concrete blocks. Just a thought... I didn't know this, and that certainly goes some towards compensating for not having an airfence. It would be awful if speedway disappeared from these tracks that don't have the funds, and for those riders that never crash - or at least never suffer bad injuries - then it's all well and good. But what about those that have lost their lives? Wouldn't it be worth it, even if it saved just one life? I don't know - we could go on forever with different ideas, different debates. I guess I'm just feeling pretty off with speedway at the moment with all the injuries flying around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f-s-p Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) They need some air fences on that track... desperately. Now seen the accident. I'd say that was first bend punching and all four back. Dont really mean to blame anyone (I dont) but Davidsson was the one who had moved the furthest from his own gate 3 line. The track in Eskilstuna has a very long start straight (if not the longest) as the tapes are not middle of the straight but very early on the straight so the speed is high in the first corner. Even with an airfence there still was the bike travelling very fast that hit the riders before they hit the fence. Edited August 22, 2008 by f-s-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leanne1706 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Now seen the accident. I'd say that was first bend punching and all four back. Dont really mean to blame anyone (I dont) but Davidsson was the one who had moved the furthest from his own gate 3 line. The track in Eskilstuna has a very long start straight (if not the longest) as the tapes are not middle of the straight but very early on the straight so the speed is high in the first corner. Even with an airfence there still was the bike travelling very fast that hit the riders before they hit the fence. Then why make the comment in the first place? You can see in the replay that the start line is set further back than most which would, of course, have added to the speed the guys were traveling at. Such an appalling looking crash, particularly the way they collide with the fence. You can actually see the fence gives a little, but this was still undoubtedly the cause of Jonas's fractured rib and shoulder injuries - they do hit it with some force. I still think an airfence would've made a difference as it would have at least cushioned the blow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f-s-p Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Then why make the comment in the first place? You can see in the replay that the start line is set further back than most which would, of course, have added to the speed the guys were traveling at. Such an appalling looking crash, particularly the way they collide with the fence. You can actually see the fence gives a little, but this was still undoubtedly the cause of Jonas's fractured rib and shoulder injuries - they do hit it with some force. I still think an airfence would've made a difference as it would have at least cushioned the blow. Because it's was what happened as I saw it. You dont think the bike hitting the couple with 60mph had anything to do with the outcome? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leanne1706 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Because it's was what happened as I saw it. You dont think the bike hitting the couple with 60mph had anything to do with the outcome? Did the bikes actually hit the riders? I've just re-watched the video and it looks like they go off to hit the fence just to the left of the guys... Anyway, I feel we're going round in circles - my point still stands, airfences would go a long way to stopping many bad injuries, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 pictures from the meeting can be found here (scroll down towards the end): http://www.smederna.nu/?page=73 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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