abbo Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) Went to Stock cars etc Boxing Day track very wet but I can't believe that they were unable to get the Cracker on the weather forecast for the weekend was very good fine, wind etc all the things that are required to set a decent track.I don't know if they are sincere about a rearranged date then forecast for Mon/Tuesday are not good, an opportunity lost I fear.! Edited December 28, 2013 by abbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Jasper Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 After yesterdays freak weather I am not surprisedit was cancelled, even now the pavements are not dry and thats with the wind (although it was a biting cold wind so nothing will dry) also there was a small frost to have to contend with. We have seen during the season that the track is unpredictable after a Stox meeting so imagine what it would have been like with the winterish weather we experienced yesterday, its a shame as we are actually on course for one of the mildest and dryest Decembers for many a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) What was the track like after the Stock Cars had finished plowing it all up? Do you think it could have been prepared properly for Speedway mid-day Sunday? That was a reply to abbo as Sir Jasper has posted at the same time as me. Edited December 28, 2013 by Gemini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 We had heavy rain and hail yesterday afternoon 2 miles from Brandon, that and the stock cars the other day would have made it difficult to get the track ready. Hopeful of a restaging as I couldn't make the original date! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbo Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 The track was very heavy at Stock car in fact first heat they were getting stuck in the deep stuff on the outside. As the meeting went on the racing improved and was quite a good spectacle. The inside was dry but I think they were through to the concrete. Still think with weather they have had last two days it would have been possible to prepare the track. I must say to try to run Stock Car and Speedway within four days of each other would be optimistic in summer never mind deepest December winter! Just a further comment on the arrangements WHY didn't they run Speedway first and Stock car after makes more sense?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted December 28, 2013 Report Share Posted December 28, 2013 In hindsight you are probably right and Sunday 22nd December would have been better but perhaps there are reasons why this date wasn't chosen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee 26 Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 All gone quiet on here, suppose we're not used to having our team complete this early! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Aren't we still waiting and hoping for a change in team manager and also presenter? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve0 Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Aren't we still waiting and hoping for a change in team manager and also presenter? Christmas is a long way off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BANANAMAN Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Aren't we still waiting and hoping for a change in team manager and also presenter? I am sure after reading the continued comments on here the Manager wont want to come back ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naffer Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Christmas is a long way off April fools day is quite near though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedwayTShirts Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 The team are looking very strong, should be a cracking season, Happy New Year Bees Fans have a great 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTM Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Having been Track Curator at Cov for two periods totalling 7 yrs and Peterborough for 2 yrs,once the horrendous weather came in before the Stox meeting believe me there was not a cat in hell,s chance of getting the Speedway meeting on.Abbo posted previously the track was dry on the inside but already down to the base while the cars were having trouble getting through the deep shale (mud) on the outside .That is where the trouble starts .To prepare a track you have to have a workable surface of dry shale to mix with what is already on there but this old shale has to be fairly dry also .I had a similar problem more than once and all you can do is keep turning over the old stuff going round and round the track until you get something resembling shale but you are obviously totally reliant on the weather.This entails many hours of moving the old stuff then mixing in the new. On top of all this you have to work in a possible sleep pattern if you are lucky .Three days goes very quickly and I know most trackmen go way beyond what normal workers have to put up with regarding lack of sleep.Just a quick guide to prepping a track . 1 Dry out as much as possible old shale involving many many laps of the track on tractor with grader or small spikes then once it looks workable 2 JCB or tractor with bucket attachment load new shale from shale bays drive out to track spread it evenly over all parts of track this can take anything up to 2 hrs just driving in and out of bay to track and back . 3 Then more driving tractor/grader mixing old and new together over and over again until you know its worth laying as a surface . 4 This then involves filling water tanker/tractor and bowser full of water for weight purpose then driving round and round very precisely to remove any tyre marks in track surface. Most times this took me between 5 to 6 hrs for the first base track then you have to repeat the process maybe another three or four times (repeat 2 3 4* the tanker needs to be refilled with water as you have put a load down on the finished surface you have prepared ) before you get the track up to its SCB recommended height in regards to the inside kerb .If the weather is ok you can take 2 days (with sleep in between ) to do this but if dodgy you have to keep at it all through the night . As we all saw this Xmas weather wasn,t good before the stox and the big cars do rip into it due to the fixed differential system they use on their set up .Add to all this (I have bored you with so far) once the track is as it should be the Air fence has to be erected I don,t think we ever got below 8/9 hrs to get it all totally right /safely secured. So as you can all appreciate the time scale with out the crap weather was pretty tight and with the weather we had IMO impossible . Hope this insight into a trackmans nightmare wasn,t to boring Happy New Year to every fan cheers Mick C aka FTM 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranktonBee Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Great insight FTM. Thanks for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 I am sure after reading the continued comments on here the Manager wont want to come back ! You mean there's still hope? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naffer Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 You mean there's still hope? Probably no hope and bob hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villain Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Is there any hope of the Christmas Cracker being rescheduled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Is there any hope of the Christmas Cracker being rescheduled. Later this year maybe..............much later!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 valve Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Aren't we still waiting and hoping for a change in team manager and also presenter? As a regular (neutral) attendee at Brandon I can see why you would want for a change in manager but surprised at the wish to change the presenter assuming you mean the guy on the mike who works from the centre green and pits...He seems quite professional, lucid, informed and can string quite a few words together when talking about a particular speedway related subject or indeed interviewing a rider or team manager. Now if your were to say Leicester needed to change their presenter(s) I could entirely agree on your sentiment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj350z Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I thought the team manager had been confirmed by Neil on this thread so I can't understand the speculation! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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