Starting Gate Shenanigans

[racers and royals]

Anyone who watches any Polish speedway will know that they are very strict on the start procedure over there. There is no lining up a bit behind the tapes-every rider has to have the front tyre almost touching the tape, also they are quick to ensure that all the riders(normally it`s gate 4 they pick up on) are lined up straight in their grid. Just before the start the start marshal always looks up to the ref for I presume the thumbs up before he walks away.

[barrow boy]

I must say I quiet enjoy the build up to each race? Getting the line up read out as the riders are at the tapes, seeing who's off what gate, anticipating who's going to make the break first, who's the better gater, who looks comfortable on his bike, who looks raring to go, who can take the pressure better than his opponent.. All this in 2 minutes. I think it creates the excitement of the race, especially if it's a last heat decider etc.

 

 

Maybe it's just me....

But it is not all in 2 minutes . It sometimes seems to take forever.

[Bruiser McHuge]

I don't think it's got worse...starts are much quicker now than probably ever before

 

Look at 70's videos and the early part of the 80's...starts were ridiculous...I didn't think much of it at the time as it was the norm but gardening , riders pulling away and then coming back...riders pushing the tapes about 6 times before they went up, with often riders rolling or pulling back when they did...starts are tame these days in comparison...

You will never stop gardening...it is vital for a rider to do it ....that will always happen and with uneven start gate conditions then it shouldn't be stopped....but starts on the whole are much quicker than in the past, although all the tape pushing used to add to the tension I must admit, but it's fairer now........Michael Lee was surely the worst tape pusher and roller....great rider though.

[f-s-p]

I must say I quiet enjoy the build up to each race? Getting the line up read out as the riders are at the tapes, seeing who's off what gate, anticipating who's going to make the break first, who's the better gater, who looks comfortable on his bike, who looks raring to go, who can take the pressure better than his opponent.. All this in 2 minutes. I think it creates the excitement of the race, especially if it's a last heat decider etc.

 

 

Maybe it's just me....

+1

[iris123]

The ref put's the 2 minute warning on when riders enter the track. If a rider is not ready to start when that time runs out, he's excluded. The rider has two minutes. If it turns out he's had more, the ref is a tosser.

At Teterow a rider was excluded for two minutes.He wasn't even on the track.It was announced and then the rider came down to the gate and the bloke blooming well opened it and he rode up to the tapes and it took a while before the start marshall gto wind and told him and he rode off the track and parked by the third bend.......then he was told to leave the track......Good that the Finnish ref stuck by his decision....well he couldn't really not,but why the hell after it was announced he was excluded was the gate opened and he was let onto the track causing more delays in an already long delayed meeting because of the number of falls?????

[f-s-p]

At Teterow a rider was excluded for two minutes.He wasn't even on the track.It was announced and then the rider came down to the gate and the bloke blooming well opened it and he rode up to the tapes and it took a while before the start marshall gto wind and told him and he rode off the track and parked by the third bend.......then he was told to leave the track......Good that the Finnish ref stuck by his decision....well he couldn't really not,but why the hell after it was announced he was excluded was the gate opened and he was let onto the track causing more delays in an already long delayed meeting because of the number of falls?????

First thing that crossed my mind was that the rider in question was German.

[FAST GATER]

Simple let em roll and risk touching tapes then chuck em out or start 15 metres back

 

if they get a flyer good luck to them

Could not" AGREE" more

I must say I quiet enjoy the build up to each race? Getting the line up read out as the riders are at the tapes, seeing who's off what gate, anticipating who's going to make the break first, who's the better gater, who looks comfortable on his bike, who looks raring to go, who can take the pressure better than his opponent.. All this in 2 minutes. I think it creates the excitement of the race, especially if it's a last heat decider etc.

 

 

Maybe it's just me....

I am with you there could not agree more ,

Edited June 11, 2014 by FAST GATER

[Mr Blobby]

All this coming to the tapes last stuff turning around and then coming back it's all mind games.

 

Nothing wrong with the way the riders go about their business at the start gate they have two minutes to get to the gate. they get there with a minute and half to spare they can do what they want with it sit their doing nothing do a wee bit of gardening have a chat with the start Marshall if they want.

[barrow boy]

All this coming to the tapes last stuff turning around and then coming back it's all mind games.

 

Nothing wrong with the way the riders go about their business at the start gate they have two minutes to get to the gate. they get there with a minute and half to spare they can do what they want with it sit their doing nothing do a wee bit of gardening have a chat with the start Marshall if they want.

But it is quite often 4 or 5 minutes before they start after the 2 minutes is applied.

[f-s-p]

But it is quite often 4 or 5 minutes before they start after the 2 minutes is applied.

And thats all down to the incompetent ref.

[BWitcher]

But it is quite often 4 or 5 minutes before they start after the 2 minutes is applied.

 

No it isn't. I doubt there are more than 1 or 2 races in an entire season of EL, PL and NL races that start 5 mins after the 2 mins is applied... if any at all.

[daveallan81]

From tonights Bet365 broadcast of Swindon v Wolverhampton, here are the approximate times taken from two minutes being sounded until tapes were released for each heat (mins:secs):

 

Ht 01: 2:11

Ht 02: 1:53

Ht 03: 2:01

Ht 04: 2.38

Ht 05: (RR) 1.52 (missed first attempt, making tea!)

Ht 06: 2:04 (all 4 riders on track when 2 mins sounded)

Ht 07: 1:57

Ht 08: Not Sounded

Ht 09: 1:21 (3 riders at tapes when 2 mins sounded)

Ht 10: 1:39

Ht 11: 1:33

Ht 12: 1:48 & (RR) 2:36 (Worrall arrived at tapes at 1:54)

Ht 13: 2:08

Ht 14: 1:57

Ht 15: 2:19

 

I didn't time Ht 8 but there appeared to be no discernable delay in the race starting without the 2 minutes being sounded. Some leeway awarded to Worrall in the restart of Ht 12 otherwise the slower starts were all attributed to riders not obeying start marshall instructions to approach the tapes. The countdown clock would eradicate that and I'd implement it in the same way as Poland - miss the 2 mins and you're out, no replacement.

[Fromafar]

From tonights Bet365 broadcast of Swindon v Wolverhampton, here are the approximate times taken from two minutes being sounded until tapes were released for each heat (mins:secs):

 

Ht 01: 2:11

Ht 02: 1:53

Ht 03: 2:01

Ht 04: 2.38

Ht 05: (RR) 1.52 (missed first attempt, making tea!)

Ht 06: 2:04 (all 4 riders on track when 2 mins sounded)

Ht 07: 1:57

Ht 08: Not Sounded

Ht 09: 1:21 (3 riders at tapes when 2 mins sounded)

Ht 10: 1:39

Ht 11: 1:33

Ht 12: 1:48 & (RR) 2:36 (Worrall arrived at tapes at 1:54)

Ht 13: 2:08

Ht 14: 1:57

Ht 15: 2:19

 

I didn't time Ht 8 but there appeared to be no discernable delay in the race starting without the 2 minutes being sounded. Some leeway awarded to Worrall in the restart of Ht 12 otherwise the slower starts were all attributed to riders not obeying start marshall instructions to approach the tapes. The countdown clock would eradicate that and I'd implement it in the same way as Poland - miss the 2 mins and you're out, no replacement.

I think the 2 min clock should be introduced certainly works in GP's.All this turning back re-tensioning chain is it really necessary ,they get to the gate then spend another minute ignoring the start marshal,Refs have to stamp this practice out and support the starter.Im sure a couple of exclusions early in the meeting would solve the problems.

[f-s-p]

I think the 2 min clock should be introduced certainly works in GP's.All this turning back re-tensioning chain is it really necessary ,they get to the gate then spend another minute ignoring the start marshal,Refs have to stamp this practice out and support the starter.Im sure a couple of exclusions early in the meeting would solve the problems.

The clock is not a necessity. The ref and speaker working together and announcing 1 minute left mark and 30 second left mark is enough. Then the start Marshall takes care of the rest. Start this next monday:

1. Two minutes on everytime!

2. Exclusion if not obeyed ( or - 15 m, whatever the rule)

3. All this through talk between the ref, speaker and start Marshall.

4. Continue it for two weeks, it's sorted for the rest of the season...

 

It sounds easy, doesnt it. It took me three years to make the Finnish refs to understand this. And there's only 4 of them.

[Fromafar]

The clock is not a necessity. The ref and speaker working together and announcing 1 minute left mark and 30 second left mark is enough. Then the start Marshall takes care of the rest. Start this next monday:

1. Two minutes on everytime!

2. Exclusion if not obeyed ( or - 15 m, whatever the rule)

3. All this through talk between the ref, speaker and start Marshall.

4. Continue it for two weeks, it's sorted for the rest of the season...

 

It sounds easy, doesnt it. It took me three years to make the Finnish refs to understand this. And there's only 4 of them.

It does rule out any arguments if the riders can see the clock when ignoring Start Marshall.

[Shale Searcher]

The clock, 2 minute countdown viewable to the ref, riders, start marshalls is a sound idea, it's also concise and not negotiable! And mistof all its visually final and shoud be implemented as soon as possible, perhaps get it sponsored by Casio, Hublot, Sekonda, Timex or another timepiece maker....

[spinkox]

Its the fiddling with the clutch lever adjuster that gets to me - utterly pointless. . . It looks like the riders have an uncontrollable twitch.

[Ghostwalker]

I think it is a bigger problem when the riders go back to the pits between restarts, Like when there are restarts for unsatisfactory start and the riders go back to the pits for 2 minutes.

In these cases those riders that does not immediately return to the gate should be excluded.

 

In an Allsvenskan meeting 2 years ago between I think it was Smederna and a team, which I don't remember which it was at the moment, it actually happened

in a heat that the referee excluded all 4 riders for not being ready when the 2 minutes expired.

 

*edit I found the correct meeting.

 

It was Örnarna - Ikaros Smederna in Allsvenskan 2012, heat 14.

 

http://ta.svemo.se/Public/Pages/Competition/DrivingSchedule/CompetitionHeatSchema.aspx?Branch=Speedway&Season=2012&Serie=Allsvenskan&Resultfilter=APPROVED&Columns=FromDateShort%2cName%2cHeatSchema%2cHeatResult&pagesize=20&CompetitionId=1279

http://ta.svemo.se/Public/Pages/Competition/DrivingSchedule/CompetitionHeatResult.aspx?Branch=Speedway&Season=2012&Serie=Allsvenskan&Resultfilter=APPROVED&Columns=FromDateShort%2cName%2cHeatSchema%2cHeatResult&pagesize=20&CompetitionId=1279

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=63303&page=46&do=findComment&comment=2117178

Edited June 16, 2014 by Ghostwalker

[Ommer Mon]

Any thoughts on Woofy's gardening antics at the British Final last night?

 

I think the use of a shovel was taking things to excess somewhat!

 

This may come in useful though if the Millennium Stadium track needs relaying again this year.

 

I have to confess I have never seen anything like it unless you count Egon Muller's watering antics in the 1983 World Final

[The White Knight]

Any thoughts on Woofy's gardening antics at the British Final last night?

 

I think the use of a shovel was taking things to excess somewhat!

 

This may come in useful though if the Millennium Stadium track needs relaying again this year.

 

I have to confess I have never seen anything like it unless you count Egon Muller's watering antics in the 1983 World Final

I thought it was WRONG - unless all four Riders had shovels.

 

You could have a Red Shovel, a Blue Shovel, a Yellow Shovel and a White Shovel. Perhaps Buckets could be provided, in the correct Colours too, of course, so that the Riders could carry the Dirt about. The only difficulty that I can see is getting a Black and White Double Shovel and Double Bucket as the Ladies will tell you - colour co-ordination is everything. :rofl:

 

Seriously though - it really was, and looked, ridiculous.