Starting Proceedure

[ragdoll64]

It's all very well saying the Start Marshall must make the riders do this or that, the simple truth is that he cannot physically make the riders do anything at all!

It has always seemed to me that being a Start Marshall is the most thankless and difficult task in speedway, akin to herding a thousand cats through the streets of London in a hailstorm.

I wouldn't do the job for all the tea in China.

Bringing them in one at a time from gate one works at Glasgow

[Fromafar]

Which is exactly the point that Shale Searcher was making, and I was saying still happened at Berwick.

Iread shale shifters post different to you I'm afraid ,he is saying the rope 30 mtrs behind start prevented riders going back to pits,at Berwick the rope is beyond the pit gate towards 4th bend ,therefore there is nothing to stop the riders returning to pits.therefore we will beg to differ.

It's all very well saying the Start Marshall must make the riders do this or that, the simple truth is that he cannot physically make the riders do anything at all!

It has always seemed to me that being a Start Marshall is the most thankless and difficult task in speedway, akin to herding a thousand cats through the streets of London in a hailstorm.

I wouldn't do the job for all the tea in China.

Agree,I'm disappointed that the refs don't support the Start marshal more often by throwing out the riders who do not conform to his instructions .

[The White Knight]

Iread shale shifters post different to you I'm afraid ,he is saying the rope 30 mtrs behind start prevented riders going back to pits,at Berwick the rope is beyond the pit gate towards 4th bend ,therefore there is nothing to stop the riders returning to pits.therefore we will beg to differ.

Agree,I'm disappointed that the refs don't support the Start marshal more often by throwing out the riders who do not conform to his instructions .

I believe that once Riders are lined up they should be under total control of both the Starting Marshal and the Referee. There should be a line, a couple of bike lengths from the Tapes, then once the Bikes are in that area the Riders must do as the Starting Marshal instructs immediately or they are given a ten yard penalty. It would only have to happen once or twice and the Riders would soon learn.

 

Just a thought.

[barrow boy]

All the starting marshall has to do is invite the rider in gate 1 to move up to the tapes and not until he has, does he then invite the rider in gate 2 to do likewise and so on. If a rider is deemed by the referee to be taking too long to comply he should then be warned by the referee after the race has finished via his team manager that if he does it again he will be fined for delaying the starts.

[The White Knight]

All the starting marshall has to do is invite the rider in gate 1 to move up to the tapes and not until he has, does he then invite the rider in gate 2 to do likewise and so on. If a rider is deemed by the referee to be taking too long to comply he should then be warned by the referee after the race has finished via his team manager that if he does it again he will be fined for delaying the starts.

Another good idea.

 

Let's hope that something is introduced to tighten up on Starting Procedures.

[weatherwatcher]

It annoys me that when the start marshall has finally got all 4 riders to stop there shunting to and fro and setting a row of potatoes, that we then see one of the riders do an about turn and ride a few meters down the track and then come back to the start. Surely once lined up they are ready to start and any rider leaving the tapes should be disqualified.

[speedwaysliders]

What about a yellow/red card system issued by start marchall and backed up by the ref.

[Shale Searcher]

I think at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many lines you draw, rope off areas, etc, the riders will always push these lines/areas to the limit, and some beyond so they in their own mind are in control of the start grid...

I reckon the clock at the start gate would kill most if not all the start delaying, mind games, riders rituals that goes on. Once the clock is activated and on a 2 mins or even a 90 second countdown, that's it, when it reaches zero, the green light goes on and that's it... If you miss the start, tough luck on you....

[The Voice Of Reason]

Clock on the centre green (Max of 2 minutes from the start of heat siren to tapes up) and secondly, bring back concrete starting grids.

 

But here's the problem guys. We are all looking at various potential solutions that will most likely never be enforced. And why is that? Simple. Promoters are happy these days stretching out 15 minutes of racing over 90 minutes - 2 hours. Gardening and messing about at the tapes doesn't cost them anything.

 

Heaven forbid we ever go back to second halves with 'Rider of the Night', or Silver Helmet match races. Let's just continue to dilute the product with a myriad of lesser-skilled riders (dressed up as 'British Development') and raise admission prices for speedway's ever-ageing faithful. After all, they are all quite happy standing in the freezing cold, watching a tractor go round (and round, and round) whilst listening to a Woolworths 'Top of the Pops' album from 1972.

Edited February 26, 2015 by The Voice Of Reason

[barrow boy]

After all, they are all quite happy standing in the freezing cold, watching a tractor go round (and round, and round) whilst listening to a Woolworths 'Top of the Pops' album from 1972.

Excellent

[The White Knight]

Clock on the centre green (Max of 2 minutes from the start of heat siren to tapes up) and secondly, bring back concrete starting grids.

 

But here's the problem guys. We are all looking at various potential solutions that will most likely never be enforced. And why is that? Simple. Promoters are happy these days stretching out 15 minutes of racing over 90 minutes - 2 hours. Gardening and messing about at the tapes doesn't cost them anything.

 

Heaven forbid we ever go back to second halves with 'Rider of the Night', or Silver Helmet match races. Let's just continue to dilute the product with a myriad of lesser-skilled riders (dressed up as 'British Development') and raise admission prices for speedway's ever-ageing faithful. After all, they are all quite happy standing in the freezing cold, watching a tractor go round (and round, and round) whilst listening to a Woolworths 'Top of the Pops' album from 1972.

Woolies has closed in Sunderland. :sad:

 

I'd prefer Records from the Fifties myself.

[Tsunami]

Clock on the centre green (Max of 2 minutes from the start of heat siren to tapes up) and secondly, bring back concrete starting grids.

rooters these days

But here's the problem guys. We are all looking at various potential solutions that will most likely never be enforced. And why is that? Simple. Promoters are happy these days stretching out 15 minutes of racing over 90 minutes - 2 hours. Gardening and messing about at the tapes doesn't cost them anything.

Heaven forbid we ever go back to second halves with 'Rider of the Night', or Silver Helmet match races. Let's just continue to dilute the product with a myriad of lesser-skilled riders (dressed up as 'British Development') and raise admission prices for speedway's ever-ageing faithful. After all, they are all quite happy standing in the freezing cold, watching a tractor go round (and round, and round) whilst listening to a Woolworths 'Top of the Pops' album from 1972.

You must have the most inapproriate forum name on here.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the old chestnut of 'higher sales at the bars and food outlets'. It's not the promoters that are living in the past, it's you and like minded others that 'like' your post.

[The White Knight]

You must have the most inapproriate forum name on here.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the old chestnut of 'higher sales at the bars and food outlets'. It's not the promoters that are living in the past, it's you and like minded others that 'like' your post.

I 'Liked' the Post for the Woolworths comment - as is reflected in my reply.

 

Not that I should have to explain of course.

[The Voice Of Reason]

You must have the most inapproriate forum name on here.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the old chestnut of 'higher sales at the bars and food outlets'. It's not the promoters that are living in the past, it's you and like minded others that 'like' your post.

Name calling eh? Wow. The kind of thing generally associated with children in playgrounds - but hey ho.

 

In response to your point above. Actually, I wouldn't.

 

You see I've possibly been actively involved with this sport (in a certain capacity) just a little closer than you have over the years.

 

Suffice to say that I know only too well that, at many tracks, it doesn't matter if the catering outlets/bars earned fifty grand a week - the Speedway Club wouldn't earn a copper coin out of any of it.

 

And if living in the past meant seeing more racing, then so be it. Giving people more value for money may, just may, attract people back. You see, the alternative is people like you living for the present - and accepting a sub-standard, overpriced product that (given dwindling attendances) potentially doesn't really have any future.

[E I Addio]

But here's the problem guys. We are all looking at various potential solutions that will most likely never be enforced. And why is that? Simple. Promoters are happy these days stretching out 15 minutes of racing over 90 minutes - 2 hours. Gardening and messing about at the tapes doesn't cost them anything..

Pity you didn't consider Colin Pratts well balanced comments in this weeks Speedway Star before shooting from the hip.

[Tsunami]

Name calling eh? Wow. The kind of thing generally associated with children in playgrounds - but hey ho.

 

In response to your point above. Actually, I wouldn't.

 

You see I've possibly been actively involved with this sport (in a certain capacity) just a little closer than you have over the years.

 

Suffice to say that I know only too well that, at many tracks, it doesn't matter if the catering outlets/bars earned fifty grand a week - the Speedway Club wouldn't earn a copper coin out of any of it.

 

And if living in the past meant seeing more racing, then so be it. Giving people more value for money may, just may, attract people back. You see, the alternative is people like you living for the present - and accepting a sub-standard, overpriced product that (given dwindling attendances) potentially doesn't really have any future.

I doubt it. Can't wait to go back again to concrete starts, that'll bring them back eh.

[barrow boy]

You must have the most inapproriate forum name on here.

Surprised you haven't mentioned the old chestnut of 'higher sales at the bars and food outlets'. It's not the promoters that are living in the past, it's you and like minded others that 'like' your post.

I just thought it was funny

[Tsunami]

I just thought it was funny

Sadly it is.

[The Voice Of Reason]

Pity you didn't consider Colin Pratts well balanced comments in this weeks Speedway Star before shooting from the hip.

It's not a case of 'shooting from the hip'

 

It's a case of having an opinion.

 

As of the time of this post, you appear to have had 2,722 of them.

 

Just to add, it's just a tad difficult for me to consider someone's comments in the Speedway Star, when I don't get it.

Edited February 28, 2015 by The Voice Of Reason

[YAMYAMBANDIT]

It's not a case of 'shooting from the hip'

 

It's a case of having an opinion.

 

As of the time of this post, you appear to have had 2,722 of them.

 

Just to add, it's just a tad difficult for me to consider someone's comments in the Speedway Star, when I don't get it.

I do, generally a waste of money, but I am scared I might miss something.