Leszno Gp 30th April 2011

[ladyluck]

... when at the start of the tv broadcast we once again had reports of dirt from a superb polish track having been removed for a Grand Prix ...

 

Did you hear the reports that the Leszno club was fined 40,000 zloty for the state of the track during the last official meeting staged there? They were accurate.

Edited May 1, 2011 by ladyluck

[manchesterpaul]

Did you hear the reports that the Leszno club was fined 40,000 zloty for the state of the track during the last official meeting staged there? They were accurate.

 

No i didn't but fined for the state of the track as in???

 

I wasn't criticizing the polish tracks by the way. Far from that i was wondering if it was a case of superb polish tracks that provide great racing week in week out being stripped of their dirt wheneve the GP comes into town. It wasn't the case last year and we had the best ever racing in the series (post Ole Olsen). But one can't help but speculate if the dirt was removed because of Gollob and his gang being trepidatious of the new silencers?

[ladyluck]

No i didn't but fined for the state of the track as in???

 

As in the referee's report stated the track was poorly prepared, the authorities investigated, found Leszno guilty, fined the club a total of 40,000 zloty and suspended the licence of the track manager for six months. Details of the findings and verdict at the following:

 

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/16/unia-ukarana-za-stan-toru-podczas-meczu-z-pge-marma/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhjhZsTCOG4ggxEH3raRqdR9r6dT_Q

 

And Polish legend Zenon Plech believes Leszno got off too lightly:

 

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/22/zenon-plech-walkower-ostudzilby-zapedy-innych-klubow/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhgePkknRCOeR3BGuO-kTvimvIFseA

 

Leszno are not alone, as Wroclaw are now being investigated for the same thing:

 

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/28/wszczeto-postepowanie-przeciwko-klubowi-z-wroclawia/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhiO0FcN7wLjXmmtaf3x35PHZSWmBA

 

Leszno is a great track, when it is properly prepared, but this idea that Polish tracks are always properly prepared and provide fantastic racing until the GP people become involved is just a myth.

Have to say, reading that last link, it seems that there are some fairly draconian punishments available to the authorities (walkovers, closing tracks for four weeks and so on) and with Leszno and Wroclaw already finding themselves "in the dock" this season, it looks like they're intending to clamp down on "dodgy tracks". As I understand it, both tracks had too much dirt, so perhaps not so surprising that some was removed in Leszno.

Edited May 1, 2011 by ladyluck

[Dexter]

First GP is done. I was hoping to see Aussies beating Gollob but unfortunately it is Aussies who got beaten big time. Especially Jason Crump who got completely lost after his first two riders. Holder is a bit unlucky - this is the second time when he scores 9 points in the main event and does not get to the semi finals. Something similar happened to him last year but not sure where.

 

As for the other riders... Gollob was undoubtedly man of the night but seemed to be overconfident in the final heat. That was enough for Nicki who rode like at his best times. Obviously crash in heat no 6 was only Gollob's fault and the refree's decision was correct not to exclude Nicki. Kolodziej and Hampel rode well too and so did Hancock and Lindgren. The track was much better than at the meeting against Rzeszow but not much was happening.

 

I wish you could understand Polish Canal + commentators. They spent most of the time whinging about silencers and... Nicki Pedersen. How could he dare to resist Gollob!!!

[ladyluck]

I wish you could understand Polish Canal + commentators. They spent most of the time whinging about silencers and... Nicki Pedersen. How could he dare to resist Gollob!!!

 

Still, always fun to see Grzegorz Walasek being semi-weird, even if it was as a pundit. I especially liked the bit where he started to answer a question and had to be reminded that he needed to use the microphone. He's a total funhog. But it would be far better if they got His Holiness involved.

Edited May 1, 2011 by ladyluck

[hyderd]

1st GP of the season in the home country of the current World Champion at A purpoise built 25'000 capacity Speedway track and they still can't sell it out.

As for the meeting, the field was 1st class and should of provided excellent racing, unfortunately someone forgot to put dirt on the track and returned it to the O Olsen days of 1st out of bend 2 mostly wins.

 

What has become of J Crump, could it be a case of not winning enough becomes a habit,maybe a spell back in the EL is whats needed.

 

Well done Nicky, when it mattered most you proved the best on the night.

[Sir Jasper]

The meeting definetly got better as it went on and in the end became quite enjoyable. Nicki P winning has to be a good thing for the series, when he and Gollob are fighting against each other its pure excitement drama.

 

Holder must feel hard done by, however about 1/2 way through the meeting I said somebody would struggle to get through on a high score. Crump looked imperious in his 1st ride, looked very ordinary afterwards.

[mickthemuppet]

A rather worrying thing about yesterdays Grand Prix were the empty spaces in the crowd. It looked no more than three quarters full. Are the tickets too dear or is it costing to much to travel to them.. Does not look too good for the next GP at Ullevi where the attendances have dropped every year since they were re-introduced there. If so there could be less than 10,000 in a stadium that can hold 40,000. If you cannot get a full house in Poland will the GP'S survive.

Edited May 1, 2011 by mickthemuppet

[Dexter]

Interesting to see heat 6. Balinski tried rolling start and the referee stopped the race while Gollob was leading. After the race had stopped Gollob shouted to Balinski "Damian, why the f**k do you do rolling starts" which was nicely caught by Canal + camera. It looks like the king is angry and the subjects are to follow. Balinski had no permission to do that. Not unusual "culture" for Mr Gollob.

[orion]

The sooner Ronnie Russell is brought in to do the tracks the better .

[ladyluck]

As for the meeting, the field was 1st class and should of provided excellent racing, unfortunately someone forgot to put dirt on the track and returned it to the O Olsen days of 1st out of bend 2 mostly wins.

 

Curiously, Belle Vue No 1 and renowned "dirt-lover" Chris Harris thought the track was "well prepared" for the meeting:

 

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/05/01/chris-harris-dla-sportowefaktypl-chce-w-tym-roku-regularnie-/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhjV2b15ZTLr6OeA5aBcA4cS6wkf2w

[Ghostwalker]

The sooner Ronnie Russell is brought in to do the tracks the better .

 

from what i can remember from last year the tracks were actually pretty good and its the same person that is responsible for them this season as it was last season.

[Jez]

Glad to see Emil back and on the pace. Looking forward to going to Gothenburg in 2 weeks now to see my first GP of the year

[superguest]

from what i can remember from last year the tracks were actually pretty good and its the same person that is responsible for them this season as it was last season.

 

The track was slick but there was passing inside and outside. Some big crashes and lots of talking points. Nicki Pedersen seemed to be 10mph faster when he was up against Gollob!! He was ruthless with Crump IMO and Gollob in the final. Good for the sport though to have two strong characters battling it out at the top.

 

As for Harris, he scored 7 points which for a bad night, must be considered pretty good. Freddie rode superbly, he looked good at Kings Lynn on wednesday but his gating is still pretty poor and will need to improve if he is to get into finals. Heat 19 was Typical Freddie at Monmore, the way he went under Nicki and then scrubbed his speed off to go under Bjerre too!

Edited May 1, 2011 by superguest

[Druid]

Was expecting Lindback to do more but there is always time.

[ladyluck]

Was expecting Lindback to do more but there is always time.

 

Lindback's record in Polish-staged GPs has always been iffy and twice he's failed to trouble the scorer.

Just checked and his Polish record is:

 

2005..Wroclaw..2,2,3,0,1..2..0 = 10 (16 - 4th)

2005..Bydgoszcz..0,0,0,0,0 = 0 (0)

2006..Wroclaw..0,0,0,2,0 = 2 (2)

2006..Bydgoszcz..0,3,E/F,0,0 = 3 (3)

2007..Wroclaw..0,0,0,0,0 = 0 (3)

2007..Bydgoszcz..0,0,1,3,1 = 5 (5)

2011..Leszno..1,0,0,0,0 = 1 (1)

Edited May 1, 2011 by ladyluck

[Cornishfisherman]

Interesting to see heat 6. Balinski tried rolling start and the referee stopped the race while Gollob was leading. After the race had stopped Gollob shouted to Balinski "Damian, why the f**k do you do rolling starts" which was nicely caught by Canal + camera. It looks like the king is angry and the subjects are to follow. Balinski had no permission to do that. Not unusual "culture" for Mr Gollob.

 

Yes, I admire Mr Gollob for his racing skills but he really does think he is rather more important than he is and his actions over the new silencers tend to confirm this. So far as his apparent ungentlmanly conduct is concerned he really ought to take a look at the way in which Greg Hancock behaves- a true gentleman both on and off the track. He really must remember that no one rider is bigger than the sport itself!

[T.N.T.]

Its a shame the track never had a bit more of a solid dirt to get more grip. A clay based sand type material knitted in would have made it much more grippy and held the water, but overall the meeting became quite good after a while.

 

 

Good to see Freddie in the running and finally letting the bike do the work instead of cutting back in and losing ground. He looked far more relaxed and at ease on the track but I couldn't understand why both he and Jarek chose Gate 3 when 1 and 2 were getting the results.

 

 

Nice in some ways to see Nicki back in the running, but wasn't he a bit lucky !! ... Had Janusz Kolodiej not gone hair brained at Hampel, Nicki wouldn't have even been in the semi finals and up to the final Nicki had won just one race. ... Also weird to see them celebrate Nicki winning the first GP of the season and then show the leaderboard with Gollob leading ! ... Think 10 points should be awarded in the final to the winner, 5, 3 and 1 for the other three.

 

 

They say how Crumpy started well and faded, well his score says that, but when you look at it in depth, was he really on the pace at all ? ... The riders lining up at 13-16 were Crump, Balinski, Lindback and Laguta, so between them they had to score 6 points. Balinski picked up a point when Goolob was excluded and Crumpy managed to get a second place when he blocked the line of Holder. ... Otherwise these four were not really on the pace and scored just 10 points between them in 17 heats !!

 

 

 

At least going into the next round, only 11 points seperates the top 11 and you would expect much better next time from AJ and Crumpy .... This looks like being a cracking series and lets hope the tracks are made to let riders find varied racing lines.

 

 

 

PS; Predictor game now available .... click the link in my signature.

[ladyluck]

Yes, I admire Mr Gollob for his racing skills but he really does think he is rather more important than he is and his actions over the new silencers tend to confirm this. So far as his apparent ungentlmanly conduct is concerned he really ought to take a look at the way in which Greg Hancock behaves- a true gentleman both on and off the track. He really must remember that no one rider is bigger than the sport itself!

 

I think that's unfair to Tomasz Gollob. Okay, he may not have Hancock's trademark grin, or the measured quips of the consumate actor, but it's a long time since I saw any ungentlemanly conduct. He was quick to congratulate Nicki P on his win and took his exclusion an awfully lot better than Nicki P would've done. Most of the leading riders seem to share Gollob's reservations about the new silencer, including "the Grin".

Edited May 1, 2011 by ladyluck

[JCookie]

OK meeting. Good to see the true King is back with a GP win, more than deserved. Laguta shaping up to be 2011's answer to Woffinden and not looking impressive.

 

Nice to see lots of new kevlars and designs.