Sheffield V Somerset 30/3/2017 Challenge

[Tigerite]

Should be a good one to start the season at Owlerton.

 

Sheffield Tigers
1. Josh Grajczonek 8.90
2. Josh Bates 5.02
3. Lasse Bjerre 6.64
4. Todd Kurtz 5.76
5. Kyle Howarth 7.18 ©
6. Rob Branford 4.60
7. Jack Parkinson Blackburn 2.00

Somerset Rebels
1. Rohan Tungate 9.03
2. Paul Starke 6.62 ©
3. Charles Wright 6.59
4. Jake Allen 5.96
5. Patrick Hougaard 8.70
6. Jan Graversen 4.00
7. Nathan Greaves [g] 2.32

[Cue Ball]

Weather forecast looks like it should be on, so let's hope for some good racing to attract some newbies!!

[Steve55]

To say that they're expecting a capacity crowd there's not much being said on this thread!

Hope to see a decent performance from both sides dependant on how the track is we might get some entertainment.

Nothing at stake from this meeting so hope all stay safe and get some competitive practice.

[IronScorpion]

Big crowd expected because of the "freebie".

[ekimba]

Should be a good one to start the season at Owlerton.

 

Sheffield Tigers

1. Josh Grajczonek 8.90

2. Josh Bates 5.02

3. Lasse Bjerre 6.64

4. Todd Kurtz 5.76

5. Kyle Howarth 7.18 ©

6. Rob Branford 4.60

7. Jack Parkinson Blackburn 2.00

 

Somerset Rebels

1. Rohan Tungate 9.03

2. Paul Starke 6.62 ©

3. Charles Wright 6.59

4. Jake Allen 5.96

5. Patrick Hougaard 8.70

6. Jan Graversen 4.00

7. Nathan Greaves [g] 2.32

 

Is this the exact Somerset team that will race in the Premiership or is anybody missing as I cant see them winning any matches in their own league.

Sheffield should have no problem seeing the Rebels off tonight.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

Is this the exact Somerset team that will race in the Premiership or is anybody missing as I cant see them winning any matches in their own league.

Sheffield should have no problem seeing the Rebels off tonight.

Josh G cant ride for both sides.

Greaves guesting which is why it looks more even.

Hope the free night works out for Sheff and plenty become regulars. 👍👏

[Cliffeboy]

Just a warm up, both sides stay safe, hope the track is in top shape.

[ekimba]

Josh G cant ride for both sides.

Greaves guesting which is why it looks more even.

Hope the free night works out for Sheff and plenty become regulars.

Cheers for that, didn't know the make up of Somerset team, still think they may struggle in the premiership though.

[Tonga]

Big crowd expected because of the "freebie".

Good promo I would say.

 

Mmmm and how many you expecting on Sunday??

[Cue Ball]

I imagine that the stadium was close to capacity, great to see and a few decent races as well.

 

Branford impressed as did Kurtz. Lasse will be better, JPB didn't disgrace himself and the 2 Josh's did alright for the first night. Considering it's a new home track for 5 of the 7 I think there should be definite cause for positivity.

[acef]

Perhaps I'm spoiled watching speedway at BV every week, but apart from heat 15 that was utterly boring.

 

So boring that free entry could potentially have done more harm than good.

 

I don't know what has happened to Owlerton, it used to be such a cool track.

[keepturningleft]

So, would the newbies have been impressed by what they saw tonight?

 

A warm evening, a great crowd - but this is speedway so something is bound to come up short.

 

Riders were busting a gut to find some grip around the outside but there was none to be found, so it was follow my leader for just about every race.

 

Long gaps between blocks of races with nothing happening except a tractor going round and sometimes long gaps without a tractor going round.

 

Not much in the way of presentation.

A competent, but flamboyant free centre green mic man.

 

Hundreds of people were drifting away from around heat 12 or so.

 

It could have been much better.

[psycho3a]

Well what more is there to say apart from thr promotion tried and what a good effort, Stadium full, Bars and food outlets busy.. BUT

I go for the racing and a few fast hard 1st/2nd corners then that was your lot....

Im sorry but reading the promoters comments then this is as good as we can expect...

 

The crowd was fantastic,” Bates said. “We drew in 3,000 people and I never expected that many, so the response was superb.

“The atmosphere was electric and the racing was great, so if that doesn’t entice people back then I don’t know what more we can do.

“Heat eight was fantastic, with Josh (Bates) battling with Paul Starke, Todd Kurtz and Robert Branford were superb in heat 14 and there were some really close battles.

 

This is sad as i was looking forward to this season but looks like another season of i might go but if something else is on or the weather is iffy i wont bother and newbies... Well not a chance they will return im afraid, back to one man and his dog next week.

 

Nice try but people go to see close racing and passing inside and out, chasing the wheel different lines of attack !!

 

Sad but if your a regular then expect a lot of no racing in 2017

Edited March 31, 2017 by psycho3a

[Siggytastic]

 

It was a challenge match that had no meaning so couldn't the riders be told, "big crowd in, a lot of first timers so keep the racing close and keep the crowd interested instead of arse down and go"? And hope the next meeting is good when they come back.

[Gunner85]

One good race in heat 15.

 

Small amount of passing elsewhere.

 

Big crowd but disappointingly, it took 1hr 45 for 15 one minute races. That is 7 minutes per race where the race lasts one minute.

The PLRC LAST YEAR 2 hrs 45 for 23 races.

 

I had 8 meetings penned in for Sheffield this year... I have now dropped that down to two and will look elsewhere to fit more meetings in.

[bigcatdiary]

Interestingly this is what Damien Bates said about the racing this morning.

 

“The atmosphere was electric and the racing was great, so if that doesn’t entice people back then I don’t know what more we can do".

 

 

It's quite clear his view of the racing last night is vastly different to some of the fans who watched it on the terraces because it's sounding like nothing's changed.

[BILKO]

Let's be honest would he go public and say it was a crap night.

No don't think so.

[graz gp]

I agree with everything that's been said. Great crowd same racing as last season, boring. I saw Mr Boocock with the overhalls on doing the track, that says it all. Get some dirt on the outside and let's have some good racing. Not gate and go. I will give it a few week's if no improvement it's by by.

[keepturningleft]

On the plus side - I haven't been to Owlerton for a couple of years, but it looks as if the track lighting has improved, which is good.

Also, and I don't know if I am imagining this, but there seems to be some banking on the turns when previously there wasn't.

Am I right?

 

As already mentioned by another poster, the riders seemed unaware or didn't care about the significance of the meeting.

I didn't see a single rider making any attempt at looking for his partner and maybe slowing the race down which could have resulted in closer racing.

 

This was supposed to be a 'showcase' meeting but gate and go indulgence on a poor track destroyed the spectacle.

 

Sheffield should have produced a questionnaire to gauge reaction from the newbies - it would have been very interesting.

[Steve55]

They managed to make it a last heat decider and heat 15 was quite exiting - compared to the majority of what had gone on before. However what others have said is correct and the crowd was visibly diminishing as the meeting got to the last three heats. The amount of vehicles in the car park may have had some impact on this as leaving after the meeting is always an issue, and if you ain't paid to get in who cares who wins may have been the attitude of a lot of people.

The sport shot itself in the foot again with the tapes not working on a couple of occasions and the green and red lights not coming on, when necessary. To anyone coming for the first time it made things look 'amateur', not what you want if you're show casing your business.

As for the racing, well it was what I expected, nothing at stake for either team and a track that didn't help those who went looking for it.

As for the riders I liked the look of Kurtz and Branford who never stopped trying. As for Somerset Hougaard looked a class above the rest and Wright looked like he's in for another good year. As for their guest - well I'm just glad we didn't opt for him again!