Gresham Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 ...when did Speedway stop using these and why? For the life of me, I knew this, but can't remember. Seems such a sensible idea to me, gives everyone a fair start and would stop all the gardening. However...there must have been a reason for them to stop...anyone know why? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 would certainlystop the gardening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=64311 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A ORLOV Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 Is it not difficult to keep the shale graded at the same Ievel as the concrete start section therefore sometimes causing either a lump or a drop in level causing the bikes to jump in the air when they hit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 Having read the link to another thread...cheers Iris...it seems no one knows the real answer...just a lot of guessing! As for a lip being created...that's easily solved. You put a base in, where it's angled, rather than 90 degrees straight down on the edges. Tempered at say 30 degrees would easily solve that problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 it worked in the past, but don't know the reason it ended..would surely make for fair starts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I've found the answer...scroll down this link. http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/misc%20page%204.htm Apparently it was because of the lip of the concrete meeting the shale and bikes jumping. How ridiculous, that they tore the whole idea up and reverted back to dirt. So easy, like I said, to create a base that was angled so there was no lip. All a bit daft when you think about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I know this is going to make me sound even more ancient but I can remember a rider named something like Fritz Dirtl (who probably no-one has ever heard of) breaking his back after flipping over onto the concrete bit when the tapes rose during a race at Blackbird Road. This must have been in the early 50's I should think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 (edited) Fritz Dirtl has been mentioned a few times on this forum.Was in the same meeing in Vienna when a tragic accident happened to a polish rider who rode into concrete stairs that were incredibly over the track at the time.Dirtl himself was tragically killed in 1956 when another polish rider rode over his head after he had fallen http://www.reisemosaik.at/Oldtimer/Personen/Rennfahrer_Sandbahn.html#Dirtl Actually Gem,on the other thread previously you mentioned a rider,Sid Hipperson who flipped and had a bad accident.Are you saying this is another incident at the same track,as someone else mentioned Billy Bales having a bad accident at Leicester as well!!! Edited May 16, 2016 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Fritz Dirtl has been mentioned a few times on this forum.Was in the same meeing in Vienna when a tragic accident happened to a polish rider who rode into concrete stairs that were incredibly over the track at the time.Dirtl himself was tragically killed in 1956 when another polish rider rode over his head after he had fallen http://www.reisemosaik.at/Oldtimer/Personen/Rennfahrer_Sandbahn.html#Dirtl Actually Gem,on the other thread previously you mentioned a rider,Sid Hipperson who flipped and had a bad accident.Are you saying this is another incident at the same track,as someone else mentioned Billy Bales having a bad accident at Leicester as well!!! I remember seeing footage of that crash in Vienna....and thinking wtf! It's still on youtube...nuts! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBO9qbV_chI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Fritz Dirtl has been mentioned a few times on this forum.Was in the same meeing in Vienna when a tragic accident happened to a polish rider who rode into concrete stairs that were incredibly over the track at the time.Dirtl himself was tragically killed in 1956 when another polish rider rode over his head after he had fallen http://www.reisemosaik.at/Oldtimer/Personen/Rennfahrer_Sandbahn.html#Dirtl Actually Gem,on the other thread previously you mentioned a rider,Sid Hipperson who flipped and had a bad accident.Are you saying this is another incident at the same track,as someone else mentioned Billy Bales having a bad accident at Leicester as well!!! Yes, Sid Hipperson too. There have been quite a few nasty accidents at Blackbird Road. I can't remember the Billy Bales one, but remember bad crashes involving Colin Cook, Tony Davey and Mike Lanham. Thanks for the Fritz Dirtl details. I didn't know he had been killed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucifer sam Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Surely concrete starting gates are a huge safety hazard. Why on earth bring back something very dangerous? All the best Rob 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 With the backwheel virtually spinning all the way round the track, I can imagine with modern machinery it would be hazardous. However, what about a hardstanding starting platform that is removed on tapes up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Going onto concrete from shale every lap and back again would just be stupidly dangerous especially on smaller tracks or those where the bikes aren't upright hardly at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 How do we know...has anyone tried it? A lot of assumptions on here otherwise. The dirt and shale would build up onto the surface during racing...you would only need a strip of concrete a bike and half's length. Whenever any suggestion is made to benefit the sport, it seems people want to find reasons not to do it. Perhaps if tracks were deeper with more shale on, we could go back to bikes with less revs, and a different gearing to stop wheels spinning furiously. If it worked in the past...why not? It seems the only reason it stopped was because of a lip...that could be rectified by creating an angle, and tapering it down to the base. You've only got to watch flat track racing to see dirt and concrete can be worked together. Who knows until you try something...surely it would have to be tested first? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shale Searcher Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Wondering if anyone of any stature as a rider could find some concrete and do a couple of practice starts off it? Got to be some at the New Belle Vue track....? I personally think riders would fit some sort of brush head to the right foot to sweep any dirt off the gate? Cleaning instead of gardening!! Perhaps fit a little cleaners basket to the handlebars, more sponsors real estate!! It could have a mini dustpan and brush, an air duster pehaps? And they'd then want to "rubber" it in with wheel spinning, it would end up being just as bad!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 do we know the reason for ending concrete starts? think a warning /exclusion for rolling back AFTER the start marshall got you placed would help, as lets face it, they only roll back for one reason.....to cheat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkafag Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 This thread is mental. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 This thread is mental. why come on it? go elsewhere to a thread that suit.......simple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkafag Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 (edited) why come on it? go elsewhere to a thread that suit.......simple! What an idiotic post….. My reference to this thread being mental was that it asks why there isn’t concrete starts, it is referenced one rider died and another broke his back as a result of concrete starts, but apparently that’s just people dismissing suggestions, I mean it isn’t like a guy dying and another breaking his back is just common fn sense to remove something from a sport that is already dangerous. While some things were great in the good old days, other things were not and were removed for a decent reasons, what next? More wire fences and ow sod an air fence get back that steal fence they had at Exeter, things were great then. Edited May 16, 2016 by The Mockingjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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