Mark Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 If no brit is good enought then bad luck top 16 in the world, that is the goal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz W Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 If no brit is good enought then bad luck top 16 in the world, that is the goal But how do you decide who the top 16 in the World are? Harris made the semi's in Malilla does that mean he's in the top 8? Ward made the top 3 in Torun, Does that mean he's in the top 3, If you held a Grand Prix at Monmore Green there's a pretty good chance that Lindgren would win it, so does that mean he's then the best in the World? What would the criteria have to be to be classed as one of the top 16 riders in the World? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Once again a Debate that NEVER took place when you had to QUALIFY for the World Final. GIVING somebody a place for ANY reason is MORALLY wrong and cannot be justified in any Sport. You need to check your facts. Peter Craven was seeded direct to the final as holder in 1956. Morally wrong and unjustified? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandorum Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 (edited) short answer NO.....long answer fill that in yourself Harris deserved to be there this year as he made the top 8. But 2012 ...you are having a giraffe. Artem Laguta is awful but deserves a place as he qualified. Same as the three who did the same in the QR final. The Brits don't take that route seriously as they know one will get in as a charity pick. This needs to stop. Let Brit riders earn a place and maybe one might rise from the dross and do a Havelock or Loram and win the world title. I like Bomber he is a good rider but deserves nothing that he does not earn. Lots of young riders deserve a pick over him. Hancock, Pedersen, Emil, AJ would all deserve a pick if they had a bad season but none of the Brits fall into that catagory. Brit speedway is run badly and until it wakes up will never have a world champ again. Wild cards for Brit riders should be made on how much the riders deserves it rather than thier nationality. Wuffy and even that crazy man Barker have shown promise this year. Ben was the best Brit in the SWC. So maybe 2013 might be the year for one or both of them. But they gotta earn their place. Having charity pick Brits in the GP has not worked as mostly they stunk the GP out. Yes worse riders have gotten there but mostly they earned a place by qualifying. It's not about who the top 16 are because nobody can come up with a criteria for gauging that. It's about common sense. The people who do the picking know who is worth a punt the same as most speedway fans. Darcy ward is an obvious no brainer the same as Emil was....Wuffy merited a pick when he got one but does not for 2012. The SGP is not about the fielding the top 16 riders in the world. it is about making an entertaining product that makes a profit. The old system NEVER had the top 16 and this one does not either. Babbling on about the old way of qualifying is stupid. The good old days that never existed except in some peoples minds. Entertainment is what it is about and making a profit from that. Mistakes have been made and lessons learnt. having a Brit was thought worthwhile once but now it's detrimental as the Brit challenge is non existent. Chuck in some good youngsters like Ward and Vaculik and maybe Wuffy or Barker in 2013. Edited August 29, 2011 by pandorum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Perhaps it all depends on whether BSI's british sponsors want a brit in ........... EXACTLY!!! Sotonian: You need to check your facts. Peter Craven was seeded direct to the final as holder in 1956. Morally wrong and unjustified? Thank you for that - I must admit I did not know that. I STILL believe it is WRONG though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 If Bomber does not finish in the top 8 and it looks that way, then it is difficult to justify his inclusion, even though he qualified outright last season by finishing in the top 8, this season he has looked out of his depth not just in the Grand Prix but in all the league matches in all the main leagues. Of the rest Kennett is and will never good enough, Tai still not ready and could be a couple of years before he will, Ben Barker needs to prove himself more and Lewis Bridger will never be a Grand Prix rider unless he has a change of attitude. Unfortunately until the BSPA and Promotions invest in the young British riders with a plan to improve matters we will never ever get a rider in the Grand Prix never mind one that actually looks as though they will challenges for the title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pollyanna Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Pretty naff response I must say, the issue is not to do with gate receipts its is how the sport is being run - the lack of British riders isn't to do with a lack of funds I will congratulate you however on you being able to unearth some British talent in that Australian Speedway Academy on the south coast! The last time I looked, there are many teams (EL and PL) whose line-ups include Australian riders, including Somerset Rebels! Not just Poole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelfan Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Yeah, they love living on the streets. So all 17, 18 or 19 year old's first consideration is a mortgage to avoid being thrown on the streets........honestly, on what planet are you on? I knew a guy in his late teens was holding down a full time job, also a part time job to fund his motor racing career, he lived in modest accomodation (not quite on the streets but not far off) and he would beg & borrow to go racing and fulfil his dream, he now drives in the American Le Mans, has won a number of championships both sides of the pond and can afford quite a few houses! It's about hunger & ambition to win, if a mortgage is the first consideration then he's in the wrong career Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
home straight Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 So all 17, 18 or 19 year old's first consideration is a mortgage to avoid being thrown on the streets........honestly, on what planet are you on? I knew a guy in his late teens was holding down a full time job, also a part time job to fund his motor racing career, he lived in modest accomodation (not quite on the streets but not far off) and he would beg & borrow to go racing and fulfil his dream, he now drives in the American Le Mans, has won a number of championships both sides of the pond and can afford quite a few houses! It's about hunger & ambition to win, if a mortgage is the first consideration then he's in the wrong career They have up live somewhere. Whether it's a mortgage or rent they still have to come up with the money at the end of the month. Also I never said anything about it being the first consideration, don't put words in my mouth please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPNY Posted August 29, 2011 Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 My opnion for what it's worth (nothing thats why it's free ;-) ) is that life always works in Cycles and at this moment in time, GB have few - if any world class riders. In the 90's the Americans were very domminent and Aussies hardly had any top riders. Look at it now. Who in the 80s would have thought anyone but Denmark would have a chance at world honors... Difficult to blame people for lack of young british talent. Speedway is not a cheap hobby for a kid to get into plus most kids wanna play football, rugby, cricket, basketball, vidoe games, watch tv before trying things like Speedway. Sad, but true. Saying that, there is definately more we could do to have a youth set up like the Scandi's and if you see on youtube the Billy Hamill academy in Cali, you'll see the efoort thats going in there to produce young talent. With regards to seeding Bomber (or another Brit) next year... Difficult one. On his day he can be great. The World Cup he was fantastic, Mallila he was very good. Torun, was disgraceful, I mean shameful. 0 points unacceptable. But when he's on form he does add something to the mix. But if he is seeded and Holta, Niki, Ward someone like that isnt, then I can see how people would be annoyed. But there are no other Brits worthy of a place in the series right now. People mentioning Barker is a little far fetched. Great kid, bags of heart, but would be even further behing then Tai was last year. Tai, seems to be the one who could 'make it' but needs to sort out his motors first. Just doesnt seem to have the speed on the big occasions. I personally believe the qualifying series should be at the start of the year anyway as a lot of 'form' riders miss out. A la Hans Andersan in 2006, Loram 1999, Joe Screen 1995... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukesGreg Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) No, if nobody is good enough, then there should not be a British rider in the GP next year. Guarantee the home GP wild card, of course, but that is all. The sport should totally be run on merit. However, ^^^ that last line really is one to ponder over, from the bottom of speedway right to the very top. Sadly. Edited August 30, 2011 by DukesGreg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIE-JA Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 All this arguing could be avoided if speedway GPs were done like any other motorsport. Qualifying rounds and seeded riders could be avoided if the grid places in the series were just sold off to either individual riders or teams. 15 places available for the season plus one wild card at each round for the local organisers to put in. A grid place in the GP series should be worth something in the region of 55k for the season. It is then up to the riders/teams to make money from it from sponsorship and prize money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabbsjoe Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Is Lee Richardson still the top Brit in the averages in Britain, Sweden and Poland ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Is Lee Richardson still the top Brit in the averages in Britain, Sweden and Poland ? he is in Sweden, 1,724 (~6,89) vs. Harris 1,640 (~6,56) and Tai 1,303 (~5,21). and Scott 1,370 (~5,48). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUDGIE Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 At present the British set up is a joke. No-one through to the GP Challenge, not a hope in sight in the U21. It also looks as though we will not have a qualifier in the SGP, and will have to rely on someone being nominated. Should that be the case?, depends who you are I guess, if you have a GP to sell in Cardiff, at an unusual time of year, will it help you to move tickets if you have a Brit permenantly in the series, or will just a Wildcard be OK, I know which way I would jump, if I was BSI, and at the end of the day that is who will make the decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornishman Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 There has to be a British rider IMO. Sky will loose too many viewers if not. Personally I want to see riders like darcy in there full time and nationality not be an issue but it won't happen. And as for which British rider, I still think bomber is the best bet we've got. Yes he had a shocker last week and generally has struggled all season, but he did finish 6th overall last year and proved in the gp previous to last week that if there is grip on the track he is as good as anyone. Tai deserves another chance in the future, but not for another year IMO. And as much as I'd love to see Ben Barker in there and believe he would cause a few shocks, I don't think he will do as well as bomber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george.m Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 There has to be a British rider IMO. Sky will loose too many viewers if not. Would they really lose viewers? My perception of most speedway fans is they want to be entertained by good racing with plenty of overtaking. We are also used to the grand prix having few brits in it anyway, so not to have any doesn't a make much of a difference. Do many not support their home team riders as well as a brit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richiej95 Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 I also don't think Sky would lose viewers were there to be no Brit in the series. Most people who watch speedway support a British team, and will usually support their riders (if they have any) in the GP's. For example, I know when I watch the GP's I support Lindgren every time over Chris Harris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 IF BSI want good british riders in their series then perhaps they need to be pumping some money into training them/sponsoring them? Instead of expecting ready made great riders to be there to perform in their meetings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUDGIE Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 IF BSI want good british riders in their series then perhaps they need to be pumping some money into training them/sponsoring them? Instead of expecting ready made great riders to be there to perform in their meetings? I guess you are suggesting that the UK should get preferential treatment from BSI because at present we are not competitive, and that would help their business. That idea is totally unfair to everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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