British U21 Final, Coventry, 14/04/15

[Bagpuss]

Howarth and Lambert both had 6 rides. Both had 5 wins and 1 second place.

 

How is Lambert any more deserving?

 

Well done to both of them. Two bright British prospects from what we've seen so far this year.

The idea I suppose is that once everybody has had five rides across twenty heats that should be that as in 'the old days' which as a point of view I can very much appreciate. However the argument for a final is much the same as that for Play Offs, ie bringing the meeting (season) to a grandstand finish. In terms of any of our lads making the world class grade perhaps having a final is a good habit for them as GP's have them. In some ways going through the card but missing out in the final might do Robert more good in the long run, he'll probably learn more from that than winning the final comfortably. Was still a great night for him and he can be more than pleased with his season so far.

[lucifer sam]

Well done to Kyle Howarth. He produced a very determined second bend in the re-run of the final and deserved to win. And that was after a heavy fall in Heat 20.

 

Meanwhile, hugely impressive performance from Robert Lambert. His ride to bid his time and then make his move on Howarth in Heat 5 was top drawer. He's not just fast, he's got a great racing brain too. I think he was the youngest rider on parade, but that didn't stop him from almost winning the thing. He's still got four years left to try to do that, and I have no doubts he will.

 

All the best

Rob

[arnieg]

Given Lambert and Howarth were a class above the rest of the field, and given that they met in heat one, then the meeting would have been effectively over at that point had there been no grand final to look forward to. Any last doubt would have been removed when Lambert won heat 17.

 

I like the mathematical symmetry of the 20 heat formula but the two extra heats work well for me.It also means more riders are still meaningfully in the competition for longer which can make for better racing.

[g13webb]

Riders know the rules before the meeting starts and you can provide the argument you do enough to reach the semi/final without taking that extra risk you leave for the nitty gritty at the end? So Lambert scored 15 in the main event but didnt quite do enough in both stagings of the final..he will learn from that...not the first time thats happened and wont be the last....it's not as if Howarth stuggled through on 9 or 10 is it like certain past winners??! well done Kyle overdue but in the nick of

 

I have no problems with Howarth winning or anybody else to that respect, but its the principal I think is wrong. Like you say someone could struggle through to the semi on 9 or 10 and win and that's what makes the process a joke. Like wise someone could be in the semis without even winning a race, and what a joke that would be.

 

Of course the riders know the rules before they start, but it doesn't make them right......... The fact Kyle won after scoring 14 pts in the main part of the meeting is fortunate that he was one of the best on show. Imagine the out roar had James Shanes won,........... and this process allows that to happen.....

[teddy2706]

Am I alone in thinking this meeting was processional to the point of tedium almost until the last few heats?

I think I have seen more boring races and meetings at Brandon than anywhere else over the last thirty odd years and last night, by and large was no exception.

 

This meeting would have been more exciting held at any other track in the country. That does not detract from the efforts of the riders in any way, but I would always hope to see close exciting racing for my money, with lots of passing, this was not the case last night.

[britmet]

The idea I suppose is that once everybody has had five rides across twenty heats that should be that as in 'the old days' which as a point of view I can very much appreciate. However the argument for a final is much the same as that for Play Offs, ie bringing the meeting (season) to a grandstand finish. In terms of any of our lads making the world class grade perhaps having a final is a good habit for them as GP's have them. In some ways going through the card but missing out in the final might do Robert more good in the long run, he'll probably learn more from that than winning the final comfortably. Was still a great night for him and he can be more than pleased with his season so far.

.

Yes, it's the same argument, - they should be done away with, as the NL has now done! (Are the EL & PL bold enough to bring fairness to their spheres?)

 

Yes, the GPs have them, but those Finals don't necessarily make you the Champion. . . Mark Loram did it without winning one.,( and no one denies that he was a deserving World Champ.)

.

.

[ivanhoward]

Well done to Howarth. Lambert will have several more opportunities to win the title. It should be mentioned that Howarth is already 21 years old having been born in Feb 1994 and he has been riding since 2009!

[stratton]

The thing that has struck me about Lambert, is that he rides like an old hand a thinking rider brilliant with awesome throttle control.I can remember seeing him in a race on sky when he team rode he looked like he had been riding for years.I would love him in the WTC squad now,my six would be Tai, Scott( got to persuade him? superb this year a true Brit ) Harris, Lambert,Lawson,Howarth.

Edited April 15, 2015 by sidney

[Robbie B]

Congratulations to Kyle on winning but I must feel gutted for Robert for losing his title after a maximum during the heats.

 

It was not surprise to me that Kyle did win the event I thought he had a very strong chance before the meeting started.

 

I just can't believe that Coventry let him go during his performances last season especially in the EL grand final when he was easily Coventry's best rider, if I was their manager he would've been the first rider that I signed.

 

Please let's hope that Robert & Kyle are both in the Great Britain SWC team, at King's Lynn.

[CB252]

Am I alone in thinking this meeting was processional to the point of tedium almost until the last few heats?

I think I have seen more boring races and meetings at Brandon than anywhere else over the last thirty odd years and last night, by and large was no exception.

 

This meeting would have been more exciting held at any other track in the country. That does not detract from the efforts of the riders in any way, but I would always hope to see close exciting racing for my money, with lots of passing, this was not the case last night.

 

It was processional, but a blind man could have seen that coming before the event had even started given the quality of the field. If you'd have filled a programme in yesterday afternoon and compared it to the actual results, I think you could have predicted the heats with about 95% accuracy.

 

The meeting would have been more entertaining at a Wolverhampton or a Lakeside type track, purely because the bottom half of the field would have spent the night ploughing through the fence like they did at Monmore last year, resulting in a near 4 hour running time for the meeting!

 

The quality of this meeting is an indictment of how far behind our U21s are compared to the rest of the speedway world than the quality of the track. Howarth met Lambert twice and we saw two decent races. A field full of riders of a similar quality would have made for a far more entertaining evening.

 

Dare I say it that Coventry is actually being prepared too well at the moment to provide decent racing. Wonderful for the precious riders. Boring for the rest of us.

[Gemini]

This meeting would have been more exciting held at any other track in the country. That does not detract from the efforts of the riders in any way, but I would always hope to see close exciting racing for my money, with lots of passing, this was not the case last night.

I doubt it would make any difference what track the meeting was held on being there is such a gap between the top riders and the likes of Ryan Terry-Daley, Connor Coles, Josh Bailey, Tom Stokes, Oliver Greenwood, Connor Mountain etc. No disrespect to those riders but they are not in the same class at the present time.

[CB252]

I just can't believe that Coventry let him go during his performances last season especially in the EL grand final when he was easily Coventry's best rider, if I was their manager he would've been the first rider that I signed.

 

Howarth elected to leave, citing differences with Horton in a recent Adver article, so it wasn't Coventry's decison.

 

Retaining him would have compromised the strength of the top 5 in any event, and wouldn't have been worth it for a rider that is only present 50% of the time due to doubling up.

[jenga]

the,the,the, the golden child that is robert lambert. if lambert had won the meeting, you would all be basking in the glory of the next big thing. even though it was the same line up.. kyle , lambert , lawson for the gb team.. no thanks.

[sommelier]

How much experience did Emil have when he first rode in the GPs? And won one? I'm not saying Robert is near that yet but experience counts for nothing if you don't use it properly etc. If Robert decides to go down the route of the qualifiers and make it to the GPs then he's ready! I still think he's a few years of doing that anyway but I'd love to see him give it a go. Rather him than Nicholls, Kennett and King again!

Emil is a exception to the rule, like i have said, IMO Lambert was the best 16 year old i have seen apart from Emil & Mike Lee who where on another planet!

[customhouseregular]

I say NO to semis and finals, race-offs, play offs etc.

 

The old system was not broke so which bright spark fixed it?.

 

As far as I'm concerned Lambert won.

 

Question...Would Mauger have won 6, Fundin 5 and Briggs 4 if they had to ride 2 more races in every World Final?. And yes I know I'm a fully paid-up member of the Nostalgia Brigade (aka Boring Old Farts).

[stratton]

I say NO to semis and finals, race-offs, play offs etc.

 

The old system was not broke so which bright spark fixed it?.

 

As far as I'm concerned Lambert won.

 

Question...Would Mauger have won 6, Fundin 5 and Briggs 4 if they had to ride 2 more races in every World Final?. And yes I know I'm a fully paid-up member of the Nostalgia Brigade (aka Boring Old Farts).

Spot on Custom but on the other hand would those riders like Briggo! Ivan, Ronnie,Knuttson (ect) might they have won the extra title here and there.?by reaching a semi and final.?.I am like you i like the best out of 15 pts, with maybe having a couple of added races for decent money for a semi and final winner. Edited April 15, 2015 by sidney

[E I Addio]

I have no problems with Howarth winning or anybody else to that respect, but its the principal I think is wrong. Like you say someone could struggle through to the semi on 9 or 10 and win and that's what makes the process a joke. Like wise someone could be in the semis without even winning a race, and what a joke that would be.

 

....

It's in the nature of the sport that there is no perfect solution. In the 20 heat formula every rider gets one ride off three of the gates and two rides off the other gate. That means 4riders get two goes of the best gate position and 4 riders get two rides off the worst gate position.

World finals have been won and lost in the past depending on gate positions. It can be argued that the semis and final give the opportunity to even things up.

 

FWIW I would go for the straight 20 heat formula every time as a matter of personal preference but it's far from perfect, and it's really a matter of personal preference which one people prefer.

[jenga]

I say NO to semis and finals, race-offs, play offs etc.

 

The old system was not broke so which bright spark fixed it?.

 

As far as I'm concerned Lambert won.

 

I BET YOU'RE GUTTED THAT RIDERS HAVE PROGRESSED ONTO LAY DOWN ENGINES WITH 4 VALVES, CDI IGNITION AND ALL THAT. WHAT EVER NEXT ,RACING SUITS NOT MADE OF LEATHER ?.. TIMES AND RULES MOVE ON .. EVOLUTION THEY CALL IT.feel really sorry for robert if only he was around 20 years ago, he would be champion.

[waiheke1]

I'm a traditionalist too, but you could argue that in some ways this format is fairer in that a rider who wins 4 heats but has an EF or controversial exclusion in the other can still win the title.

Anyone think the 82 world final would have been interesting if carter and penhall had to meet again in a final?

[YerRopes]

 

I say NO to semis and finals, race-offs, play offs etc.

 

The old system was not broke so which bright spark fixed it?.

 

As far as I'm concerned Lambert won.

 

 

Agree as regards semi's and finals in individual meetings, what really is the point ?

 

Well done Kyle though and an excellent performance from Lambert too

 

As for the PO's, well they are here to stay as they make money, however, the EL winners should be the team that wins the EL whilst the PO winners can claim some other title..

 

More winners too...