Cheating

[T.N.T.]

Cheating could be done in various ways and no doubt it goes on to a certain degree, but machine examiners at each track are always checking silencers, dirt deflectors, tyres etc to ensure they are as permitted. Should any team feel an opposing rider is doing something to their machinery that is illegal they can protest at a fee and it is checked out, but how many want to do this ?

 

 

Tracks have two machine examiners at each meeting and quite a few of these are ex riders or been involved with bikes and racing for some time like Alan Grahame, Jim McMillan, Phil Ashcroft etc and they do a very good job. However I do wonder what would happen if each team had a machine examiner with them at each meeting to check the oppositions bikes on a regular basis.

 

 

However there are many ways of cheating. We all know the talk about how tracks are prepared and tricks done to help the home team while there is also certain circumstances that happen that raises questions. An example is gate positions and how touching the tape can favour a rider. The rider off gate one (or two) is struggiling while his team mate off gate three (or four) is going well but is off a gate that isn;t working.

 

The inside rider touches the tapes and goes off 15 meters from gate four meaning his team mate now goes off gate two that is going well.

 

 

 

Overall I think there is very little real serious cheating in speedway and I don;t include drinking and drugs in that as it's an off track matter and a personal matter that they choose to do. Yes this needs acting on whenever a rider falls short of the levels required but while we can all have our views on what Darcy has done and how it is going on, I do question one aspect of this and other cases.

 

 

We are awaiting the verdict from the FIM. ...... Why can't the SCB step forward and say YOUR SUSPENDED and until the rider gets the all clear, then they can look at the issue again. However as it is, an alcohol test was done and was positive so until he is proved innocent, the SCB should be able to be in a position to act themselves and suspend riders until they are cleared, if at all.

[Vince]

_{Im with TNT on this, there will always be somebody willing to cheat in any sport however there is nothing to say that there is wholesale cheating in British Speedway anything like that suggested by the opening poster. After all there would be little advantage to nitrous or a 590 motor around Eastbourne or Ipswich! Could be different on the bigger tracks abroad but it seems to me that most cheats get caught pretty quickly.}

 

_{As for wanderers spare fuel tank, tap and don't forget the give away line to the carb I think that would be better used to keep the spare power bands in.}

[BritPete]

Years ago,Barry Briggs told the story about how he, and Ronnie Moore,went to all the

Model Aeroplane shops they could find on the day of the final, to buy as much nitro as they could find. On Hearing this,Ove Fundin asked if it was cheating,but I do not think it was at the time. Not sure though.

[Lord Skid]

Nitro is the easiest way to cheat, but it's not in the fuel tank, crafty, will all be used up before the end of the race, answer: test the fuel in the float bowl and fuel pipes prior to a race. Ignition retard/advance button fitted under clutch handlebar grip. Engine upped to 580cc quite easily. Plenty more but not enough time to type them.

[mac101]

It's not always the fastest bike that wins if the motor is too strong will spin too much ,if it's too slow not spin enought it's all about getting the set up right for each race and thats where experience come into it

[jim the whipper]

Years ago,Barry Briggs told the story about how he, and Ronnie Moore,went to all the

Model Aeroplane shops they could find on the day of the final, to buy as much nitro as they could find. On Hearing this,Ove Fundin asked if it was cheating,but I do not think it was at the time. Not sure though.

I have heard this story . but with a completely different rider , no suprise you have heard it was Briggs though , nice little anecdote to put in a book . might even sell a few extra copies

[teddy2706]

Some years ago I was partly involved in preparing a bike that was road racing with the VMCC. The rider was a good lad, but a right monkey. All season long we had grumbled about other people cheating in the class in which he raced.

Monkey had to win the last two races of the championship and the current leader finish third or worse for Monkey to win the championship.

At 2am of the day of the meeting we were still dyno testing his bike and the results weren't wonderful, he had obviously been tinkering again.

From his van he produced a bottle and tipped it in the tank. "What's that I asked suspiciously?"

"Nitro", he replied.

I kicked off immediately shouting that we could not complain about cheating, then indulge in it ourselves!

Monkey was unmoved, we ran the bike on the dyno, the crown of the piston fell in and wrecked the engine.

The only other engine we had was a dog, but he tried his hardest in the race, falling at Cadwell Gooseneck, injuring himself and trashing the bike.

You could have heard a pin drop all the way home from Cadwell to Derby....

[iris123]

Thing is some of these rumours come from longstanding riders.We had the suggestion from Stekkers that things aren't quite kosher in Poland from the SWC.I'd expect that he had some knowledge to back up this claim.We also had the suggestion from Mads that cheating was widespread.Again as an experienced rider i would expect he had some real knowledge to back this up.We have the Madsen affair.We had the claims that were even aired on Sky about Emil.These all come from within the sport and i would say there is no smoke without fire

Seemed to have all blown up again this morning when i looked into Facebook.

 

Stefan Andersson stil ,who i guess is the former rider,but didn't have time to investigate was stating that riders need to have their bikes checked every meeting as average riders are beating good riders too often and stated Poland as the worst.What made me think it was the Stefan Andersson was a couple of former eastbourne riders also jumped in.David Norris said Poland was terrible for cheating and he had a long list of riders he could name.....Another former Eagle then asked him to name names,which he as usual didn't.Even Joe Screen seemed to have a jibe as if he knew something

 

Why is nothing ever done?No-one comes out with any facts,just the usual accusations.......

[waytogo28]

Of course there is cheating ( and in every sport where it is possible to cheat ) We know that some riders have cheated, not so long back Eddie Kennett cheated by using a drilled exhaust ( we don't know who did it, but it happened ) And before that that other riders threw races for money from gamblers. Drink or drugs are unlikely to improve a riders performance but those on track tricks have been going on for years. From what we read about the way things operate in Poland, anything is possible - with so much cash at stake.

[HenryW]

One of Gorzow's reserves Hubert Czerniawski is currently suspended after being caught with an illegal carb at one of the under 21 matches over there.

 

After that incident they did a round of checks at the next set of Extraliga fixtures and all those tested were OK. The suggestion seemed to be that they were going to increase technical checks now.

[speedibee]

Years ago,Barry Briggs told the story about how he, and Ronnie Moore,went to all the

Model Aeroplane shops they could find on the day of the final, to buy as much nitro as they could find. On Hearing this,Ove Fundin asked if it was cheating,but I do not think it was at the time. Not sure though.

back in the days of the old 2 valves with straight through exhausts, nitro gave more power .due to the inefficiency of the intake and the fact that the extra gases could be cleared easily . it was a simple additive , but these days intake cycles are as long as it's possible to make them , and exhaust is restricted , putting nitro in a modern engine would only stifle it with the extra gas created , as its already running at maximum intake and exhaust efficiency

[False dawn]

...... and exhaust is restricted.....

Unless you poke holes in the baffles.

 

I'll get my coat.