Ole Olsen Has He Ever Been Asked To....

[manchesterpaul]

Does anybody know if Ole Olsen has ever been asked about the appalling consequences of the tracks he prepares. Be it at a SGP press conference, an interview in Speedway Star or any publication or form of media. Surely at some point in recent years he has had to answer to criticism.

 

I'd be grateful if links to any defences or reasoning behing the way he prepares the tracks are given. You can have dirt on a track and it be safe.

 

The SGP puts the sport in the shop window and occcasions like Prague clearly heavily damage the sport - that is indisputable.

[AndyM]

I remember Olsen being interviewed about the disastrous GP at Ullevi in Gothenburg, where you will recall he did not have responsibility for preparing the track and which later proved so bad the whole thing had to be rerun. He said words to the effect that he always prepared the best track he could in the time available but where temporary tracks were required it was a very imprecise science and the results were never as good as when you had a solid base on which to work. Not that I saw it, but presumably last night was one of those occasions where he could have done with more time?

[superguest]

Olsen wants all tracks to be slick. They believe it gives better racing, with riders having to go extra wide to find the grip neccessary to over take. He did say something like 'We need to take away the dirt' - to make it more proffessional in the eyes of sponsers I presume.

[AndyM]

Olsen wants all tracks to be slick. They believe it gives better racing, with riders having to go extra wide to find the grip neccessary to over take. He did say something like 'We need to take away the dirt' - to make it more proffessional in the eyes of sponsers I presume.

That certainly suited him as a rider, but how is it "more professional" or "better racing" for riders, fans, sponsors or anyone to have processional races on a track that gives no grip? That way lies madness and extinction for the sport!!

 

Come to think of it, has anyone else heard him say that we need less dirt? I haven't!

Edited April 26, 2009 by AndyM

[manchesterpaul]

....That way lies madness and extinction for the sport!!

 

They're coming to take Ole away today, Ha-ha

They're coming to take Ole away, Ho-ho Hee-hee

To the funny farm, where tracks are slick all the time

And he'll be happy to see the track staff in their clean white coats

And the speedway riders in their clean Kevlars

They're coming to take Ole away, ha-ha!

 

 

[iris123]

I thought from what an "insider" posted on here last month that Ole and his new assistant from Sweden don't have a lot of say in most of the track prep.Only i would guess in Denmark for instance does Ole have full say.In the other tracks it would seem the locals have the say.......i don't know though.But Ole must take at least some of the blame.....but Prague is a pretty dire track over the years.....

[MARK246]

but Prague is a pretty dire track over the years.....

 

 

But no different to Lakeside, Coventry and Swindon on Sky tv

Would have thought it suited the Brits.

[iris123]

But no different to Lakeside, Coventry and Swindon on Sky tv

Would have thought it suited the Brits.

There you are absolutely correct.I watched a few meetings last year and one this.....and i would say 80-90% of the tracks/racing were at least as bad....Belle Vue last year was far worse....even the home riders couldn't ride the track......apart from Crump

[Trees]

But no different to Lakeside, Coventry and Swindon on Sky tv

That's NOT the point though, the GP Series is THE showcase for speedway and the racing SHOULD be THE BEST for the good of the sport, in these meetings are THE BEST and MOST TALENTED riders in the world who should be given tracks to RACE on to the best of their abilities. Obviously BSI/IMG don't think like this though .................

[iris123]

That's NOT the point though, the GP Series is THE showcase for speedway and the racing SHOULD be THE BEST for the good of the sport, in these meetings are THE BEST and MOST TALENTED riders in the world who should be given tracks to RACE on to the best of their abilities. Obviously BSI/IMG don't think like this though .................

If it was the best meeting ever you would find something to moan about........probably already mentioned the fact that despite the young exciting Russian winning that he isnÄ't the finshed article yet....just to try and put a dampers on that one

[spook]

I thought from what an "insider" posted on here last month that Ole and his new assistant from Sweden don't have a lot of say in most of the track prep.Only i would guess in Denmark for instance does Ole have full say.In the other tracks it would seem the locals have the say.......i don't know though.But Ole must take at least some of the blame.....but Prague is a pretty dire track over the years.....

 

Over the years ive found it interesting how when the brown stuff hits the fan Ole washes his hands of it straight away..... its always someone elses fault

 

If he really wasnt in charge (and we know he is at the very least in charge of temporary tracks) then how do we explain the inexplicable slick tracks that are served up time after time... arent they just a little consistent?............... If one guy (or indeed a pair) werent in charge then wouldnt we expect for a range of surfaces to be served up? Ones where the riders who ride for that league team didnt feel like they were riding on a completely different track? Why has Bydgocscz been so very slick for so many years when it hasnt been for the league racing? It doesnt strike me that the track staff have been preparing the track how it would normally be

 

and then we get the occasional stories on here from people who were on the track staff at a GP ... stories of how they were asked to grade the opposite way around the track at a crucial moment in the GP and before riders x and Y were due to shift to the gates that hadnt been working.... of the inexplicable changes made between practice and the GP etc etc