Prague Gp

[oscar]

Another SGP yawnfest. Tony Olsson has morphed into Ole Olsen with the dodgy track prep

I think some people may be missing the big picture here.We have had 2 gp's so far on permanent tracks,both have taken place in good weather, both tracks have been prepared slick.The question that needs asking to Tony Olsen is why?,last year Tony Olsen oversaw one of the best years of racing in SGP history by ensuring well prepared circuits.But this year something has changed.Is it a directive from above,the organisers or the F.I.M or in my view its being prepared slick to ease the use of new silencers.I thought this after reading a quote from Bob Dugard in Speedway Star dated 7th May,"We have just slickened it out a bit because the bikes have a bit less power to get through the dirt with the new silencers".Unless someone directly asks Tony Olsen this question on TV then I think you can expect more of the same this year.

[PHILIPRISING]

I think some people may be missing the big picture here.We have had 2 gp's so far on permanent tracks,both have taken place in good weather, both tracks have been prepared slick.The question that needs asking to Tony Olsen is why?,last year Tony Olsen oversaw one of the best years of racing in SGP history by ensuring well prepared circuits.But this year something has changed.Is it a directive from above,the organisers or the F.I.M or in my view its being prepared slick to ease the use of new silencers.I thought this after reading a quote from Bob Dugard in Speedway Star dated 7th May,"We have just slickened it out a bit because the bikes have a bit less power to get through the dirt with the new silencers".Unless someone directly asks Tony Olsen this question on TV then I think you can expect more of the same this year.

 

THE best chef in the world could walk a kitchen and be unable to prepare the meal he wanted if the ingredients weren't available. At both Leszno and Prague this year Tony has done as much as possible to improve the racing surfaces that have been presented to him.

 

There was a suggestion (unproven) that the Leszno officials did ensure a slick track because the Polish riders were fearful of the new silencers on a track with dirt on it. Obviously that wasn't the case in Prague but the circuit at the Marketa has been poor for several years now. It has a very hard base and simply throwing dirt down would not work and would, in fact, make the surface dangerous.

 

As one who stands alongside Tony at GPs I can testify to how hard he is working to improve things but quite often the local track guys turn a deaf ear and carry on regardless. Hopefully the worst is behind us now.

 

The Marketa track will have to change next year because of the introduction of new FIM regulations and we are led to believe that they will take this opportunity to provide a new surface which will much more conducive to good racing and will provide more than one line for the riders to adopt ... and that is the key.

 

There have also been efforts behind the scenes to ensure that the local track guys conform to certain pre-ordained requirements but, frankly, that is much easier said than done.

 

Believe me, there is a determination from Tony Olsson down to provide decent racing tracks but it isn't an exact science and, ironically, there is now more chance of that with temporary surfaces put down by Ole Olsen. All the GP boys were fulsome in their praise of the surface provided at Ullevi and were disappointed that the rain intervened to spoil what would have been a great race track.

 

Copenhagen and Cardiff have been very good in recent years, we know what Torun, Gorican, Gorzow and Malilla can provide which just leaves Vojens and Terenzano to get their acts together. But at the end of the day all these venues can be adversely affected by the weather and that remains the great unknown.

[rusky]

I think some people may be missing the big picture here.We have had 2 gp's so far on permanent tracks,both have taken place in good weather, both tracks have been prepared slick.The question that needs asking to Tony Olsen is why?,last year Tony Olsen oversaw one of the best years of racing in SGP history by ensuring well prepared circuits.But this year something has changed.Is it a directive from above,the organisers or the F.I.M or in my view its being prepared slick to ease the use of new silencers.I thought this after reading a quote from Bob Dugard in Speedway Star dated 7th May,"We have just slickened it out a bit because the bikes have a bit less power to get through the dirt with the new silencers".Unless someone directly asks Tony Olsen this question on TV then I think you can expect more of the same this year.

 

I re-iterate Tony Olsson (Note the spelling....) does not prepare the track himself, but is reliant on the local track staff providing the surface for him. Tony does give guidance to how the riders would like the track to be prepared to give a good racing surface, however if the local trackstaff ignore him what is to be done? As has been mentioned many, many times Prague is always slick, not just for the SGP, but always, and the surface was exactly as could be expected. Leszno however was a different kettle of fish, and why the local trackstaff decided to prepare it that way is anybodies guess, but you can be assured, it was not prepared in the manner that Tony Olsson or his colleagues in the FIM would of liked.

[ImpartialOne]

would that be the special clutch set up he had just pointed it down a bit. get rid of pearson and tatum i say

Yes.

 

Dave Lanning on his own or with Johnno or Floppy Norris please.

 

Without doubt, the worst rider I ever heard in a commentary box was Jan Andersson with Clive Fisher for the 1990 World Final. Even Clive sounded like giving up with him a few times.

 

Hang on though, I just remembered Sean Wilson!

[oscar]

THE best chef in the world could walk a kitchen and be unable to prepare the meal he wanted if the ingredients weren't available. At both Leszno and Prague this year Tony has done as much as possible to improve the racing surfaces that have been presented to him.

 

There was a suggestion (unproven) that the Leszno officials did ensure a slick track because the Polish riders were fearful of the new silencers on a track with dirt on it. Obviously that wasn't the case in Prague but the circuit at the Marketa has been poor for several years now. It has a very hard base and simply throwing dirt down would not work and would, in fact, make the surface dangerous.

 

As one who stands alongside Tony at GPs I can testify to how hard he is working to improve things but quite often the local track guys turn a deaf ear and carry on regardless. Hopefully the worst is behind us now.

 

The Marketa track will have to change next year because of the introduction of new FIM regulations and we are led to believe that they will take this opportunity to provide a new surface which will much more conducive to good racing and will provide more than one line for the riders to adopt ... and that is the key.

 

There have also been efforts behind the scenes to ensure that the local track guys conform to certain pre-ordained requirements but, frankly, that is much easier said than done.

 

Believe me, there is a determination from Tony Olsson down to provide decent racing tracks but it isn't an exact science and, ironically, there is now more chance of that with temporary surfaces put down by Ole Olsen. All the GP boys were fulsome in their praise of the surface provided at Ullevi and were disappointed that the rain intervened to spoil what would have been a great race track.

 

Copenhagen and Cardiff have been very good in recent years, we know what Torun, Gorican, Gorzow and Malilla can provide which just leaves Vojens and Terenzano to get their acts together. But at the end of the day all these venues can be adversely affected by the weather and that remains the great unknown.

 

2 years ago under OLE we had predominately slick tracks (fact).Last year under TONY we had well prepared tracks producing good racing(fact)This year so far under TONY we are back to slick tracks in perfect weather(fact).Are you saying that last year TONY had control of local track staff but this year doesn't.I can understand you jumping to defend of any criticism of anything SGP Phil but even your paymasters at SKY were complaining about SGP not showcasing itself well against other sports on its channel this weekend.

[iris123]

Last year under TONY we had well prepared tracks producing good racing(fact)

So you think last years GP in Prague was better than this years?

[oscar]

So you think last years GP in Prague was better than this years?

Yes I do.Have not seen a GP as processional or a wide line which was so unresponsive.When Crump cannot lay a glove on Kus something is very wrong.My biggest beef thou is over Leszno.I go every year,last year was terrific,this year terrible,absolutely nothing round the outside.This year the big losers are the fans and the racers.Feel sorry for Sayfutinov,Harris and Kolodziej.As a fan I felt short changed at Leszno.

[iris123]

Yes I do.Have not seen a GP as processional or a wide line which was so unresponsive.When Crump cannot lay a glove on Kus something is very wrong.My biggest beef thou is over Leszno.I go every year,last year was terrific,this year terrible,absolutely nothing round the outside.This year the big losers are the fans and the racers.Feel sorry for Sayfutinov,Harris and Kolodziej.As a fan I felt short changed at Leszno.

Correct me if i am wrong(because it is possible i have mixed up the tracks),but i think you will find Leszno were fined by the PZM for preparing a dangerous track some weeks before the GP was held there.So they have been having problems this year,before the silencers and before the GP

[oscar]

Correct me if i am wrong(because it is possible i have mixed up the tracks),but i think you will find Leszno were fined by the PZM for preparing a dangerous track some weeks before the GP was held there.So they have been having problems this year,before the silencers and before the GP

Maybe our friends in Poland could give us a better overview on the merits of how good a track Leszno is.All I know is last year I saw a terrific GP in Leszno,this year wasn,t a patch on that.Same riders, same circuit, same weather, same fans,same race director, can anyone explain why it should be so much difference in the quality of racing?.

[PHILIPRISING]

2 years ago under OLE we had predominately slick tracks (fact).Last year under TONY we had well prepared tracks producing good racing(fact)This year so far under TONY we are back to slick tracks in perfect weather(fact).Are you saying that last year TONY had control of local track staff but this year doesn't.I can understand you jumping to defend of any criticism of anything SGP Phil but even your paymasters at SKY were complaining about SGP not showcasing itself well against other sports on its channel this weekend.

 

I HAVE no association with Sky, financial or otherwise, just to put the record straight. And I am not saying that the tracks at both Leszno and Prague weren't disappointing and had an adverse effect on the entertainment provided both live and via TV.

 

I am simply trying to make you and others on here aware of the facts. No one was more disappointed than Tony but by the time he arrives at a GP venue, usually on a Thursday, the tracks are already basically prepared.

 

The truth is that some of the criticism of Ole Olsen was harsh and misplaced and some of the praise of Tony Olsson a little unwarranted and misplaced. There is only so much they can do. No doubt there is a will from Tony to provide a decent surface but he can only work with what is available.

 

There are times when reading this forum it seems only GP tracks suffer from poor preparation when it is endemic across the sport.

[DukesGreg]

Perhaps it would be a good idea if Tony Olsson is in COMPLETE control of the track preparation for a GP.

 

If these guys are as knowledgeable as we are led to believe... and to be fair, it they are put there by the FIM powers-that-be to prepare and oversee tracks at this level, then I am willing to accept their knowledge... then they should be there, say a week before, CONTROLLING the preparation of a track.

 

I know there are guys who prep these tracks every week, fair enough, but they will prep a track no doubt in favour of the home team racing there.

 

Somebody like Tony Olsson, in conjuction with (but with the last word over) the regular guys, should be instructed to get the BEST AVAILABLE racing GP for the track he is working on.

 

Of course, I appreciate that you can't just throw dirt on, and expect it to be raceable. But surely it can be better, racing wise, than it has been.

 

If not, and they won't let the FIM curator oversee the whole thing, then I'd remove them from the circuit (that track), find an alternative, either at another stadium or have a GP elsewhere, country wise... ie Australia, USA or another in the UK. Poland can host more than one, I'm sure we can too.

 

 

Whatever the situation, I find it hard to accept that this track in Prague could not be better. If that's the best that they can do, due to it HAVING to be slick, then shame on the SGP and the FIM for accepting this meeting onto the series. Knowingly having bad GP's is not the way forward.

 

 

A rubbish advert for the sport in general.

Edited May 30, 2011 by DukesGreg

[oscar]

I HAVE no association with Sky, financial or otherwise, just to put the record straight. And I am not saying that the tracks at both Leszno and Prague weren't disappointing and had an adverse effect on the entertainment provided both live and via TV.

 

I am simply trying to make you and others on here aware of the facts. No one was more disappointed than Tony but by the time he arrives at a GP venue, usually on a Thursday, the tracks are already basically prepared.

 

The truth is that some of the criticism of Ole Olsen was harsh and misplaced and some of the praise of Tony Olsson a little unwarranted and misplaced. There is only so much they can do. No doubt there is a will from Tony to provide a decent surface but he can only work with what is available.

 

There are times when reading this forum it seems only GP tracks suffer from poor preparation when it is endemic across the sport.

If tracks are already basically prepared and there is only so much he can do why do we have numerous riders when interviewed saying the track was completely different to practise?.

[iris123]

Maybe our friends in Poland could give us a better overview on the merits of how good a track Leszno is.All I know is last year I saw a terrific GP in Leszno,this year wasn,t a patch on that.Same riders, same circuit, same weather, same fans,same race director, can anyone explain why it should be so much difference in the quality of racing?.

Here is the thread on the Leszno meeting which was complete chaos.In one heat Crump was the only rider to finish.And they were fined.maybe you can even find archive video of the meeting from a few weeks before the GP.And it obviously wasn't the same "track" that you saw last year.So why has it changed?Things do change.Not always for the better

 

Leszno Ekstraliga

[rusky]

If tracks are already basically prepared and there is only so much he can do why do we have numerous riders when interviewed saying the track was completely different to practise?.

 

From the information that I have, the track in Leszno was better on race day when compared to practise day. By all accounts it was significantly slicker on practise day than it was on race day, and the trackstaff were advised to get their fingers out and sort it. There was some improvement on race day, but it could of been better

[PHILIPRISING]

If tracks are already basically prepared and there is only so much he can do why do we have numerous riders when interviewed saying the track was completely different to practise?.

 

THERE are various reasons for that, many to do with mother nature. Weather and climatic conditions on a Friday afternoon at 3pm are invariably very different to 7pm on a Saturday evening. High winds, sun, rain, etc can be critical factors. And, frankly, track preparation is more often than not a bit hit and miss.

 

The problem with temporary tracks some years ago was that a perfect surface was prepared for practice only to be torn up on a Friday afternoon. Experience and a new combination of materials has helped Ole Olsen to eradicate that particular problem but he is able to start with a blank canvas on a Sunday morning.

 

It would be nice if a specialised team under the control of the Race Director could arrive a few days before each SGP event and produce the perfect racing surface on a Saturday evening. But unfortunately that is neither practical nor financially viable.

 

It is as frustrating for the likes as Tony Olsson as for those watching, especially on TV, but there were those actually at the Marketa on Saturday who thought in one of the best meetings staged there for a long time.

 

And there were no complaints from Greg Hancock.

[iris123]

It is as frustrating for the likes as Tony Olsson as for those watching, especially on TV, but there were those actually at the Marketa on Saturday who thought in one of the best meetings staged there for a long time.

 

And there were no complaints from Greg Hancock.

It is so often different there in the flesh,rather than watching on tv.Vojens comes in for a lot of criticism,but the Danish fans are often "under the influence" and seem to have a good time regardless of the racing.All the more so if a Dane wins.From what you often hear,the Polish fans are also half cut and seem to enjoy the proceedings.Again all the more so if a Pole wins.If the racing is good that is a bonus.But i think we all agree it could be so much better.But as you say,that is a problem for speedway in general.I have watched some rubbish from England,Sweden and Poland this last week alone

[The Know]

THERE are various reasons for that, many to do with mother nature. Weather and climatic conditions on a Friday afternoon at 3pm are invariably very different to 7pm on a Saturday evening. High winds, sun, rain, etc can be critical factors. And, frankly, track preparation is more often than not a bit hit and miss.

 

The problem with temporary tracks some years ago was that a perfect surface was prepared for practice only to be torn up on a Friday afternoon. Experience and a new combination of materials has helped Ole Olsen to eradicate that particular problem but he is able to start with a blank canvas on a Sunday morning.

 

It would be nice if a specialised team under the control of the Race Director could arrive a few days before each SGP event and produce the perfect racing surface on a Saturday evening. But unfortunately that is neither practical nor financially viable.

 

It is as frustrating for the likes as Tony Olsson as for those watching, especially on TV, but there were those actually at the Marketa on Saturday who thought in one of the best meetings staged there for a long time.

 

And there were no complaints from Greg Hancock.

 

dont agree track preperation is hit and miss.yes it can be affected by the weather but a good race track can be made with the right materials and the will to do it.i spent a long ride a few years back with ole from poznan to bydgosh and he believes slick tracks make good racing so make ya own mind up on that one

 

why cant a team team up early. only reason i see is money. this is a gp so why not invest in this and the future. also why is tony not there say from the tuesday if this is a problem?

 

racing has always been poor here but that was bad and anyone saying it wasnt needs glasses i believe.

 

dont think greg would of complained if it was tarmac as he won

[Humphrey Appleby]

If not, and they won't let the FIM curator oversee the whole thing, then I'd remove them from the circuit (that track), find an alternative, either at another stadium or have a GP elsewhere, country wise... ie Australia, USA or another in the UK. Poland can host more than one, I'm sure we can too.

 

I actually have a bit of sympathy with respect to the problems of track preparation. With the best will in the world, BSI are dependent on the quality of materials and pre-existing preparation when they front up for a GP. Sure given enough time and expertise they could produce a decent surface, but a couple of days isn't enough if the groundwork hasn't been done, and undoubtedly it's logistically impractical if not cost prohibitive for a curator to turn up much more in advance.

 

In an ideal world they'd boot the poorly performing tracks off the circuit, but equally they'd need to find a replacement track/promoter to front up the money...

[DukesGreg]

 

 

And there were no complaints from Greg Hancock.

 

 

There shouldn't be Philip! If I could drop the clutch and get out of the start faster than most of the guys in speedway, I'd want it even slicker!! :wink:

Edited May 30, 2011 by DukesGreg

[PHILIPRISING]

I actually have a bit of sympathy with respect to the problems of track preparation. With the best will in the world, BSI are dependent on the quality of materials and pre-existing preparation when they front up for a GP. Sure given enough time and expertise they could produce a decent surface, but a couple of days isn't enough if the groundwork hasn't been done, and undoubtedly it's logistically impractical if not cost prohibitive for a curator to turn up much more in advance.

 

In an ideal world they'd boot the poorly performing tracks off the circuit, but equally they'd need to find a replacement track/promoter to front up the money...

 

QUITE right