TheScotsman Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 What's the deal with only grading tracks every 4 heats or so nowadays? Can't believe it's to save time because meetings seem to be taking even longer nowadays. And when they do grade it has to be a jumbo version. Surely a couple of laps with the tractor(s) after each heat, provided they start as soon as the riders are off the track would keep more dirt on the inside? After 4 heats the insides are as bald as coots. And as for start shenanigans....... - put them on a 30 second count down as soon as an unsatisfactory start has been called (unless tapes need to be repaired obviously) - don't open the pit gates again after an unsatisfactory start and don't let spanner men on the track - don't allow gardening in the start area - riders must go through all their rituals/adjustments before they are called forward - assuming it's necessary have hand (or tractor) grading of the start area after each 4 races (by officials or track staff not riders obviously!) At the moment it's a bore fest waiting for a race to start. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proud panther Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Dugard grades after every race, & makes sure he gives the Eastbourne riders an advantage by grading the track to suit his riders gate positions in their next race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Lady Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 And as for start shenanigans....... - put them on a 30 second count down as soon as an unsatisfactory start has been called (unless tapes need to be repaired obviously) - don't open the pit gates again after an unsatisfactory start and don't let spanner men on the track - don't allow gardening in the start area - riders must go through all their rituals/adjustments before they are called forward - assuming it's necessary have hand (or tractor) grading of the start area after each 4 races (by officials or track staff not riders obviously!) At the moment it's a bore fest waiting for a race to start. At Bell Vue last night the ref had obviously spoken to the riders before the meetings cos when a restart was called the pit gate remained closed and the riders went straight back to the tapes. That's how it should always be. Sadly the faffing about at the tapes did go on. 2 minutes should mean 2 minutes. Years ago the 2 minutes sounded and when the riders were in the tapes area if they didn't settle down the green light was flashed. If they still didn't settle many a ref stuck their exclusion light on. Riders coped then so why can't they now? Or is it all a cunning plan by promoters so the fans don't realise how little entertainment they actually see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScotsman Posted August 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 The ref should be able to stop that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OveFundinFan Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 The refs NEED to stop that. Same in the televised Swedish league racing tonight. Too much delay between races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 The G.P's are the absolute worse for messing around, but quite a few E.L. tracks have got the message now that fans don't like hanging around after a false start while riders go back to the pits for another five minutes. Previous to this season the pit gate at Coventry would immediately be opened if the race had to be re-run but it happens very rarely now thank goodness. Not the same with G.P's though - false start and all four riders head back to the pits and we all have to wait while Nicki wipes his face again with his snotty blue cloth and gets the hair dryer out, mechanics rush to tighten clutch plates and add more fuel. I'm sure there would be a new tyre fitted as well if there was enough time. Bah!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 At Bell Vue last night the ref had obviously spoken to the riders before the meetings cos when a restart was called the pit gate remained closed and the riders went straight back to the tapes. That's how it should always be. Sadly the faffing about at the tapes did go on. 2 minutes should mean 2 minutes. Years ago the 2 minutes sounded and when the riders were in the tapes area if they didn't settle down the green light was flashed. If they still didn't settle many a ref stuck their exclusion light on. Riders coped then so why can't they now? Or is it all a cunning plan by promoters so the fans don't realise how little entertainment they actually see Same at Wolves straight back round to tapes after false start which pleased Kelvin,so Sky have probably stuck their oar in regarding these delays and rightly so IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAST GATER Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 I have no issue with the riders gardening IMO it is a way of settling down before the start but I agree that they should go back to the tapes after false starts ,without stopping. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy2706 Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 In almost every other form of motorsport apart from drag racing, the race is started when the starter decides, not when the competitors have finished messing around. In all the years I was road racing the starter dropped the flag when he wanted, if you weren't ready, tough luck, even if your hand was in the air he would probably still start the race. All the nonsense with start marshalls pleading with speedway riders to come to the gate and being ignored is simply ridiculous. Have a concrete start grid, get the start marshall off the track entirely, put on a ten second warning light then the green then release the tapes. No gardening, no messing around, no massive grooves in the track, no problem. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 In almost every other form of motorsport apart from drag racing, the race is started when the starter decides, not when the competitors have finished messing around. In all the years I was road racing the starter dropped the flag when he wanted, if you weren't ready, tough luck, even if your hand was in the air he would probably still start the race. All the nonsense with start marshalls pleading with speedway riders to come to the gate and being ignored is simply ridiculous. Have a concrete start grid, get the start marshall off the track entirely, put on a ten second warning light then the green then release the tapes. No gardening, no messing around, no massive grooves in the track, no problem. Apart from when the riders go from dirt to what will be raised concrete after a short time and back on to dirt again on every flying lap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAST GATER Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 I just have no problem with gardening it is part and parcel of the sport and has always happened in the 40yrs I have watched it one way or another.We lost the tape touching and rolling it has not IMO made the sport better to watch the same riders win races as would if the rules had not been changed.I don't want a meeting going on for hours but I also don't want to watch a match that's over 45 mins either . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Dugard grades after every race, & makes sure he gives the Eastbourne riders an advantage by grading the track to suit his riders gate positions in their next race. Yawn! Point 1 - no he doesn't! Point 2 - how, when the tractor covers two starting posistions, does he mangage to grade 1 but not the other!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScotsman Posted August 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 So Easty can grade after every race - do their meetings take any longer than the general average for 15 heats? I assume not. And if the tractor grades the start area, presumably there is no need for any gardening? All sounds good to me. I've no problem in watching riders going through their adjusting and their general fiddling with clutches, goggles, gloves, helmets, etc. Always enjoyed watching Chris Louis' antics. I just think that should be all they are allowed to do and it should be done outside the start area. All this getting off the bike to kick a bit of dirt around - what the heck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 So Easty can grade after every race - do their meetings take any longer than the general average for 15 heats? I assume not. And if the tractor grades the start area, presumably there is no need for any gardening? All sounds good to me. I've no problem in watching riders going through their adjusting and their general fiddling with clutches, goggles, gloves, helmets, etc. Always enjoyed watching Chris Louis' antics. I just think that should be all they are allowed to do and it should be done outside the start area. All this getting off the bike to kick a bit of dirt around - what the heck!! I thought it showed how ridiculous all this gardening has become when Woofy got a shovel and actually shoveled some dirt on to his grid at the Start on Television recently. He should have been stopped - but - it was funny. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyretrax Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 I thought it showed how ridiculous all this gardening has become when Woofy got a shovel and actually shoveled some dirt on to his grid at the Start on Television recently. He should have been stopped - but - it was funny. But he wasn't delaying the start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAST GATER Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 If you see most riders just before race they enter a certain mode , because the starts in s/way are so crucial and they need some thing to settle their nerves and pepare for the race .How much use gardening is at the end of the day I am not sure but it is something to do while you wait if nothing else ,this is a highly charged time for riders the pressure is huge I can assure you. It would be almost impossible to go out and sit 3/4 inches off the tapes for what seems an eternity .Instead of moaning try and look at how different rider go through their routines it is quite amazing how they are all quite different I find it rather entertaining . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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