Ipswich 2020

[orion]

2 minutes ago, Grachan said:

He says on twitter that he is "scratching an itch".

And we still talking speedway ?

[foreverblue]

Crumpy is a terrific signing, i am sure most Panthers fans are gutted he isn't riding for them. 

[PHILIPRISING]

38 minutes ago, orion said:

Why has Crump come back ? is he broke or missing the buzz or both . so sad that at his age he feels the need to do this . Hope he stays clear of crashes and injuries 

HE will be spending months in the UK supporting his son Seth who is racing in championship events here. He knows that at most he will only ride twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, Has time to do his own bikes etc and have weekends with Seth while earning a few bob. JC has always loved riding motorbikes and if speedway rather than say Moto-cross satisfies that itch then why not? 

[wealdstone]

31 minutes ago, orion said:

And we still talking speedway ?

Preparation H  could be the Panacea

[Mark]

Crump was a gater in his prime.  Not the most exciting .    If he gating reflexes have gone backwards with age then he will probably struggle.   It is good to have him back in UK racing but apart from putting a few bums on seats in the opening few weeks there is little upside.

[semion]

A 44 year old Crump is well capable of hitting an 8 point average in this League.  It’s not as though he is going to come against anything that is World Class every week.  
 

Give him a few weeks to get himself up to speed and he will well up the League averages.

Edited February 18, 2020 by semion

[acef]

Only problem I see is the assessed average,  quite how they’ve arrived at that figure is beyond me.

From Jason’s perspective I think this is purely about his son. He is over here anyway, so he will have to earn some money. Gives him time to spend with him whilst only riding twice a week.

He has some good sponsorship and in turn will have quality kit. You don’t forget how to ride a motorcycle and as long as he’s fully fit, I expect he will manage at least a 7 point average.

Will take a few meetings to get his sharpness back, gating etc, but once he does he will be absolutely fine in my opinion.

On a personal level it’s great to see him back, my favourite rider. 

[DC2]

Just now, Mark said:

Crump was a gater in his prime.  Not the most exciting .    If he gating reflexes have gone backwards with age then he will probably struggle.   It is good to have him back in UK racing but apart from putting a few bums on seats in the opening few weeks there is little upside.

 

Little upside?

One of the greatest riders ever is returning to the sport. If he can do well or even only entertain, what’s not to like?

 

[Mark]

2 minutes ago, DC2 said:

 

Little upside?

One of the greatest riders ever is returning to the sport. If he can do well or even only entertain, what’s not to like?

 

Hope my view is wrong but there will be little upside to a once great rider showing his skills have gone a long way downhill.     I did say it is nice to see him back.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Mark

[DC2]

3 minutes ago, acef said:

Only problem I see is the assessed average,  quite how they’ve arrived at that figure is beyond me.

 

 

Agreed.

Considering the norm for new GP riders in the recent past has been 8, Crump should be 7.

 

[acef]

7 minutes ago, Mark said:

Hope my view is wrong but there will be little upside to a once great rider showing his skills have gone a long way downhill.     I did say it is nice to see him back.

You don’t forget how to ride a motorcycle. It’s in his DNA. 

The most important thing is equipment and with the sponsorship Jason has lined up, he will have first class kit.

People look at age but sport in general is a changing dynamic and Greg has proved that 44 is actually no age if you are fit and healthy.

Like I said in my last post, it will take Jason a few meetings to get his race sharpness back and gating but once he does, he will comfortably get to a 7 point average imo.

[BWitcher]

If he has stayed active and been on a bike regularly I think he will be fine.

Sam Ermolenko stayed fairly active and in a few meetings here and there, years after retirement, showed he was still competitive, mixing it with Lindgren and beating Darcy Ward in one race.

He was much older, far more battered through injuries etc than Crump.

As said, as long as he gets some decent equipment together I think he'll go well enough to maintain his average at least.

Edited February 18, 2020 by BWitcher

[Mark]

2 minutes ago, acef said:

You don’t forget how to ride a motorcycle. It’s in his DNA. 

The most important thing is equipment and with the sponsorship Jason has lined up, he will have first class kit.

People look at age but sport in general is a changing dynamic and Greg has proved that 44 is actually no age if you are fit and healthy.

Like I said in my last post, it will take Jason a few meetings to get his race sharpness back and gating but once he does, he will comfortably get to a 7 point average imo.

See what happens when the tapes go up.    His equipment will be top Aussie dollar so that is an advantage    Hancock was a one off.   Name a few other riders who have kept to a high standard at that age.  Name ther riders who have made a comeback at age 44..     I want him to do well but until he proves it then I will have doubts.

[Taylorj]

5 hours ago, Baldyman said:

Ipswich Sheffield or Sheffield Ipswich will surely be televised. 

Now that could be a meeting worth travelling to watch 

[acef]

13 minutes ago, Mark said:

See what happens when the tapes go up.    His equipment will be top Aussie dollar so that is an advantage    Hancock was a one off.   Name a few other riders who have kept to a high standard at that age.  Name ther riders who have made a comeback at age 44..     I want him to do well but until he proves it then I will have doubts.

Non. But that’s my point in that it’s a changing dynamic. Jason has come back. Niki is still going. Greg would still be going if not for personal reasons. 
 

Being fit is the key. If you stay clear of imjury I see no reason why riders can’t go on into their mid forties/fifty.

[crescent girl]

56 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

HE will be spending months in the UK supporting his son Seth who is racing in championship events here. He knows that at most he will only ride twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, Has time to do his own bikes etc and have weekends with Seth while earning a few bob. JC has always loved riding motorbikes and if speedway rather than say Moto-cross satisfies that itch then why not? 

Absolutely spot-on, Philip.    Your fine magazine carried a mention over the winter that Seth would be campaigning in Europe this summer, and this is a neat way of getting Ipswich to pay for their trip, plus a bit more.     

[redlead]

I can't see Jason Crump being anything but a success, the standard in the Premier League is relatively much lower than when he last rode. Great to see him back, he's a quality rider and great with the fans. When he rode in the Silver Helmet at Redcar, at 10 o'clock, he was still in the pits in his Kevlars, chatting to fans, having pictures taken. great gesture.

[FAST GATER]

20 minutes ago, acef said:

Non. But that’s my point in that it’s a changing dynamic. Jason has come back. Niki is still going. Greg would still be going if not for personal reasons. 
 

Being fit is the key. If you stay clear of imjury I see no reason why riders can’t go on into their mid forties/fifty.

I hear what you are saying but IMO Greg was aone off at GP level never mind league ,I was shocked when Michael Schumacher made a comeback what a disaster that was and only after a couple of years .Once they stop they are never as good again courage ,concentration you name it just leaves them forever .

I would not want to see him getting 4/5 a match and getting hurt in the proccess ,I really do think this is a bad idea from his image or legacy point of view nothing to prove which makes it worse .

[acef]

1 minute ago, FAST GATER said:

I hear what you are saying but IMO Greg was aone off at GP level never mind league ,I was shocked when Michael Schumacher made a comeback what a disaster that was and only after a couple of years .Once they stop they are never as good again courage ,concentration you name it just leaves them forever .

I would not want to see him getting 4/5 a match and getting hurt in the proccess ,I really do think this is a bad idea from his image or legacy point of view nothing to prove which makes it worse .

Don’t think he’s trying to prove anything.

I think the top and bottom of this is Seth. He is here to support his sons road racing career and basically needs some cash flow.

Had Seth been doing something else I don’t see Jason even contemplating doing this.

Whatever the reasons I think it’s great for British speedway.

[Fromafar]

34 minutes ago, Taylorj said:

Now that could be a meeting worth travelling to watch 

Jason won’t see which way Nicki went IMO.Still if Ipswich are stumping up good money to subsidise his Euro jaunt with his son(who is going places in his sport) why turn it down.Good luck to him though.One of the greats of the sport.