24th August 2013 Gp Challenge @ Poole

[oldtimer]

Unfortunately Harris is not the rider he was, you only have to look at his Elite League average and who is beating him in the League. For his sake I hope he does not take part and save him and us the embarrassment of watching him trail round at the back in another GP season.

[PHILIPRISING]

With Chris Holder guaranteed a wild card selection for 2014 I wonder whether Chris Harris will accept the chance to ride in the NZ GP with all the expense and travel involved ? As Chris Holder has openly said he expects to miss this and possibly 1 or 2 more

 

FULLY expect Chris Holder to be fit for NZ...

 

Yes he did and I didn't like it then either. This year though there are also allot of other riders who finished ahead of Harris in the qualification who got overlooked/wasn't asked.

I am of the same opinion when it comes to Freddie Lindgren, who 5 out of 6 times have failed to make the top 8.

Yet doesn't bother with doing the qualifications and for that one can only blame him for not doing it.

You could claim that Freddie have a busy schedule with his three leagues, but Iversen is doing four leagues and still have managed to win the Grand Prix.

 

BUT that simply isn't true. Harris was only allocated as one of the meeting reserves when other riders were either unwilling or unable to do so. When no other riders are available it is incumbent upon the host nation (this year GB) to provide reserves for the meeting. Normally they would simply be on stand by to take a ride in place of riders excluded for tape-breaking or who might withdraw during the event.

 

In this case when Zagar withdraw he was replaced by one of the meeting reserves (Harris) from the outset. You can hardly blame Harris for saying yes when others said no.

 

ONLY my opinion but very much doubt Gollob will get a wild card pick. If he is only half-heatedly taking part this year why should 2014 be any different? Think being left out of a SWC winning Polish side has also left him deflated. Why should he get his Polish place back next year?

 

Hard to think that Ward won't overtake Gollob and with two Poles (Hampel and Kaspzrak) qualified if a wild card goes in that direction more likely to be Dudek or probably Janowski ... as said previously, a much better rider on continental (SGP) style tracks.

 

With two GPs in Sweden and live TV coverage there as well, at least one wild card will go to a Swede, perhaps two. THJ seems a million miles away from being a GP rider but currently not much to choose from.

 

Doubt that there is any appetite to give a wild card to Harris. One Brit is enough especially when he might even be the defending World Champion.

[Ghostwalker]

I know Phil & Spook but I still don't like it regardless of nationality and/or reason.

 

Regarding wild cards I definitely don't think there should be two Swedish wild cards, I find it hard to justify even one wild card.

I also would prefer to have only one GP then two as there isn't enough people "fill" two GPs.

 

Also If I could pick four riders I would pick Holder, Dudek, MJJ and Grigorij Laguta,

On the other hand someones like Lebdaev (spelling) or Poudzuks could be interesting but they would probably need a year or two to get more experience.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Ghostwalker

[racers and royals]

"In this case when Zagar withdraw he was replaced by one of the meeting reserves (Harris) from the outset. You can hardly blame Harris for saying yes when others said no ".

 

Hi Philip it is still bugging me as to whether Buczkowski was asked on Friday to ride in the meeting-he was certainly qualified as he was in the run-off to determine the last two qualifiers in Lonigo(Zagar qualified in Lonigo)Maybe you could ask this question tomorrow-was he asked ? if not why not ?(he was in the uk Friday)

Edited August 25, 2013 by racers and royals

[rob tatum]

Why would any rider take part in this meeting knowing that even if they managed to qualify then they wouldn't be allowed to compete in the gps. ? All the people slagging of chris surely should be having a go at those who run the GPs. Personally I really like chris and whatever you may think of him he is very exciting to watch but I felt that as he blew his chance in the qualifying rounds then he shouldn't of been even offered a reserve berth at poole. That's just my opinion but I still lost my voice cheering on chris yesterday despite my views felt he was VERY LUCKY to be in the meeting but VERY UNLUCKY on the day. What do I know about speedway bugger all as I have never rode a bike but bombers gating is b***** abysmal if he is in the mix at the gate he has the ability to do well in the gps.

[PHILIPRISING]

"In this case when Zagar withdraw he was replaced by one of the meeting reserves (Harris) from the outset. You can hardly blame Harris for saying yes when others said no ".

 

Hi Philip it is still bugging me as to whether Buczkowski was asked on Friday to ride in the meeting-he was certainly qualified as he was in the run-off to determine the last two qualifiers in Lonigo(Zagar qualified in Lonigo)Maybe you could ask this question tomorrow-was he asked ? if not why not ?(he was in the uk Friday)

 

WILL ask...

[uk_martin]

... from what I gather he's not known for having the best kept machinery.

 

Do a search on this forum for "Smolinski" and "600cc" to see what other people think about the upkeep of his machinery

 

...great to have a rider like Smoli in the GP, he may not be the most naturally gifted rider around and not a rider you would instantly think of as future world champion but he's a showman and thoroughly nice bloke...

 

That said he is a former World Champion, at Longtrack Speedway. So he's not totally without skill, ability, and a head for speed!

[nw42]

Do a search on this forum for "Smolinski" and "600cc" to see what other people think about the upkeep of his machinery

 

 

I've seen/heard all that rubbish, maybe it's something from a couple of years back regarding the standard of his machinery, or maybe I'm wrong, either way he has certainly upped his game this season. I hope he does really well, it's not often you hear the words 'likeable' and 'German' in the same sentence but he definitely seems to fit that mould, good luck to him.

[Cornishman]

So Harris fails AGAIN. Quel surprise. And in his home country. Let's hope he takes a leaf out of Iversen's book and never relies on a Wild Card ever again. I won't hold my breath.

 

 

 

Surely by entering the qualifiers in the first place he isn't 'relying on wildcards' and is trying to qualify on merit?

 

To be honest your posts over the last couple of days have been so bitter that they've just made you look silly.

 

On a separate note:

 

Everyone is talking/moaning about bomber being brought in, my opinion is it shouldn't have been necessary in the first place.

 

If I was Pavlic and was serious about qualifying for the GPs (which I assume he was as he entered the qualifiers) then being first reserve I would have been at Poole with my bikes, just I'm case. It was common knowledge that there were injury doubts and although Matej's withdrawal was late being confirmed it was talked about over a week ago as a serious possibility.

 

Surely it makes sense for the first reserve for such a big meeting to actually be able to be the reserve if required?

Edited August 25, 2013 by Cornishman

[superguest]

I think AJ and Freddie are two of the most technical riders but they just can't get it together on the world stage. Maybe time for the both to sit a year out and let THJ carry the Swedish flag.

Edited August 25, 2013 by superguest

[Ghostwalker]

Surely by entering the qualifiers in the first place he isn't 'relying on wildcards' and is trying to qualify on merit?

 

To be honest your posts over the last couple of days have been so bitter that they've just made you look silly.

 

On a separate note:

 

Everyone is talking/moaning about bomber being brought in, my opinion is it shouldn't have been necessary in the first place.

 

If I was Pavlic and was serious about qualifying for the GPs (which I assume he was as he entered the qualifiers) then being first reserve I would have been at Poole with my bikes, just I'm case.

It was common knowledge that there were injury doubts and although Matej's withdrawal was late being confirmed it was talked about over a week ago as a serious possibility.

 

Surely it makes sense for the first reserve for such a big meeting to actually be able to be the reserve if required?

 

You do realize that its an 17 hour drive (approx 1800km) från Gorican to Poole?

Would you drive 1800km there and then 1800km back home again if you didn't know if you were going to do a single lap?

 

What if he did the journey just to realize when he reaches Poole that Zagar is there to participate?

Then the time and money spent would all be in vain and I do believe that riders have things they would rather do then spending 2-3 days

in a van going to Polle and back without riding.

 

The short notices could be at least partially solved by requiring a notification of withdrawal 5 days in advance.

Riders who fail to notify a withdrawal within the specified time will get 1 week mandatory rest from the day of the event,

An injured rider would still not ride anywhere and a non-injured rider would probably not want to risk missing league meetings

because of a missed deadline.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Ghostwalker

[PHILIPRISING]

AS I said before, medical certificates are easy to come by.

[Cornishman]

 

 

You do realize that its an 17 hour drive (approx 1800km) från Gorican to Poole?

Would you drive 1800km there and then 1800km back home again if you didn't know if you were going to do a single lap?

 

 

 

If I was a professional speedway rider who was serious about getting into the world championship and knew that there were genuine doubts about riders taking part and I was first in line to replace them then yes I definitely would actually.

 

I travel thousands of miles a year in my sport, almost always at my own expense, to try and succeed at the top level. If I was told there were serious doubts about someone playing in the world championship and if I was there I could take their place I'd be there, without question.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Cornishman

[JT]

Surely by entering the qualifiers in the first place he isn't 'relying on wildcards' and is trying to qualify on merit?

 

The fact he was said to be 'irate' when King got one for this meeting, suggests he expected to be seeded straight through. Does that mean he entered the qualifiers fully expecting to ride in Poole, however he fared? Who knows?

 

Look, league wise, Harris can be thrilling, I accept that. But the GP is a very different kettle of fish and unless he qualifies by right, I just don't think he should be a full time rider. That's my opinion and you're entitled to your different one.

 

Of course it isn't his fault he keeps getting offered wild cards, but aside from raising his profile (and obtaining sponsorship), I don't think the constant wild card picks have benefitted his career in the long run. Look at my earlier reference to Iversen, who's realisation that he'd never receive one again, transformed his career. I'm not sure if Harris' gating will ever be good enough, but it would be nice to think he would try this approach, and publicly vow to qualify on track, not via the wild card system.

 

JT.

Edited August 26, 2013 by JT

[mrlincolncity]

 

 

The fact he was said to be 'irate' when King got one for this meeting, suggests he expected to be seeded straight through. Does that mean he entered the qualifiers fully expecting to ride in Poole, however he fared? Who knows?

 

Look, league wise, Harris can be thrilling, I accept that. But the GP is a very different kettle of fish and unless he qualifies by right, I just don't think he should be a full time rider. That's my opinion and you're entitled to your different one.

 

Of course it isn't his fault he keeps getting offered wild cards, but aside from raising his profile (and obtaining sponsorship), I don't think the constant wild card picks have benefitted his career in the long run. Look at my earlier reference to Iversen, who's realisation that he'd never receive one again, transformed his career. I'm not sure if Harris' gating will ever be good enough, but it would be nice to think he would try this approach, and publicly vow to qualify on track, not via the wild card system.

 

JT.

 

Loram couldnt gate could he. If some of the tracks were prepared properly so riders could actually race, gatin shouldnt be that much of an issue

[broadsider 55]

the trouble is most of todays top riders could not ride a proper track will dirt on it , so gating is paramount, I.M.O the lack of well prepared tracks is whats killing the sport, more and more meetings are becoming boring ,inc the gps, I thing each track should be prepared with a certain amount of dirt on it and if the start tarts don't like it go and race a road bike

[Mixy230]

If a reserve was 100% commited he would travel at own expense. (Thats life, thats business) You have to lose / risk something to try and get better.

For all the moaning about Harris he seems to grab every opportunity to ride, not sure being in the GP is the the best thing for him but its up to him to decide that not us.

 

I agree that he MUST improve gating to compete at the highest level. He is so skilled, brave and commited on a speedway bike it would be a waste of talent if he never improved his gating!

Bomber you must spend the winter getting coached, practicing, focusing, adjusting, setting up for GATING!

[rob tatum]

Gating has always been paramount just ask Ivan Mauger. I remember an article by peter collins when he said that him and mark loram with better gating would possibly have won more than 1 world title. Don't see a lot of difference today IMO to years gone by.

 

Gating has always been paramount just ask Ivan Mauger. I remember an article by peter collins when he said that him and mark loram with better gating would possibly have won more than 1 world title. Don't see a lot of difference today IMO to years gone by.

[skeletor]

If a reserve was 100% commited he would travel at own expense. (Thats life, thats business) You have to lose / risk something to try and get better.

For all the moaning about Harris he seems to grab every opportunity to ride, not sure being in the GP is the the best thing for him but its up to him to decide that not us.

 

I agree that he MUST improve gating to compete at the highest level. He is so skilled, brave and commited on a speedway bike it would be a waste of talent if he never improved his gating!

Bomber you must spend the winter getting coached, practicing, focusing, adjusting, setting up for GATING!

Harris gating will never get better due to the slowest of his brain, meaning he can't react quick enough .

[The Doctor...]

Unfortunately Harris is not the rider he was, you only have to look at his Elite League average and who is beating him in the League. For his sake I hope he does not take part and save him and us the embarrassment of watching him trail round at the back in another GP season.

 

Again with this "embarrassment" thing. Why are you, as a human, even thinking about getting embarrassed over this ?

 

Do you seriously imagine yourself sitting in front of your telly going red in the face, shuffling nervously as you watch Harris possibly trailing in last ? If you do, i suggest you pop in to your doctor's surgery first thing tomorrow.

 

I cannot fathom how so many people on this forum seem to want to immerse themselves in the sport so much that they are living and breathing every single emotion and argument connected with the sport.

 

Unless you're a rider, or actually involved directly in the sport, is it beyond you to actually just enjoy the meetings and leave the embarrassment to the rider himself ?

 

If I was a professional speedway rider who was serious about getting into the world championship and knew that there were genuine doubts about riders taking part and I was first in line to replace them then yes I definitely would actually.

 

I travel thousands of miles a year in my sport, almost always at my own expense, to try and succeed at the top level. If I was told there were serious doubts about someone playing in the world championship and if I was there I could take their place I'd be there, without question.

[

Pointless reply really. I don't believe that little tale either. Riders don't have a bottomless pit of money to spray up the wall at the drop of a hat. A 4000km round trip is not something to take lightly.

 

Putting myself in that kind of position, and not in the cloud cuckoo land some of you lot live in, i would be thinking...blimey, am i ready to risk x amount of money to do the 4000km trip for potentially nothing ? if i was to race and go through, am i ready to go in to the gp's full tilt next season anyway physically and financially ? am i prepared enough right now to fancy my chances at at the meeting anyway ?

 

All these are valid questions that professionals would ask before they do something. Unless you know the answers to all of them, probably best not to guess at reasons or to wind some elaborate tale about chasing your own world championship dream in whatever "sport" you compete in.