Pits crew attire

[chunky]

20 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

league racing is getting too bloated for its own good, you only need one mechanic per rider,

You only need one bike per rider.

You only need one bike rack per rider (on the back of your Cortina).

You only need one tyre per rider (and a Stanley knife).

You only need one helmet per rider.

Those were the days...

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

46 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

To some degree you are correct but perhaps you  have the old ‘rose tinted spectacles’ on as a former rider. Times have changed and we all know it’s not for the better. Riders have promoters by the round things, they have all the aces and dictate just about everything now which is why the sport is dying a slow death. The promoters hands are tied if they want to attract a very demanding crowd these days and it’s a catch 22 situation.

Having clowns who are self interested at the top isn’t going to change things.

Maybe I have got rose tinted glasses on but I am making my points as a fan not a rider or more closely a mechanic as I was for over 10 years, all the gear no idea doesn’t attract fans 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

42 minutes ago, chunky said:

You only need one bike per rider.

You only need one bike rack per rider (on the back of your Cortina).

You only need one tyre per rider (and a Stanley knife).

You only need one helmet per rider.

Those were the days...

You do only need one bike and if they limited the revs down to 10,000 you would only need one tyre 

[E I Addio]

34 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

You do only need one bike and if they limited the revs down to 10,000 you would only need one tyre 

Hi Dean, is there a foolproof way of limiting revs to 10,000, and what would be the effect on the racing ? I ask that because some years ago Lewis Bridger did a pre- Season warm up meeting on an upright and he got blown away by everyone mainly, I think he said, because he lacked acceleration out of the bends. I know everyone would be in the same situation but would it affect the spectacle do you think.?

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

1 hour ago, E I Addio said:

Hi Dean, is there a foolproof way of limiting revs to 10,000, and what would be the effect on the racing ? I ask that because some years ago Lewis Bridger did a pre- Season warm up meeting on an upright and he got blown away by everyone mainly, I think he said, because he lacked acceleration out of the bends. I know everyone would be in the same situation but would it affect the spectacle do you think.?

Yes, you can’t just limit it with a rev limiter, it has to be made so the actual engine can only reach 10,000, then put the rev limiter on, a maximum lift on the cam is one way and is not to hard to police either, the effect on the racing would of no detriment, would it make it better ? Who knows, up till around 2010 it was around 10,000 but in the last 14 years it has gone up and although hardly anybody hits the current limiter except maybe at the start line but it’s those extra revs which are killing the tyres, despite what people think and how it appears speedway in real speed terms is no faster than it was 40 years ago, I posted about this last year, at Sheffield the fastest time of the season was the same time as Chris Morton in 1985,Ricky ashworth still holds the track record there from 2010,  the speed has increased on the straights but the speed has decreased slightly in the corners but the back wheel speed has increased significantly but the bike speed hasn’t , it seems the faster the track the more the speed stays the same, 

Edited February 25 by THE DEAN MACHINE

[Goldhawk]

Is it time for anyone working in the pits at a speedway meeting, to be required to conform to a dress code? Black seems to be the best, but instead of heavy metal bands tour t-shirts, plain polo shirts with "pits crew" on the back, plain black trousers or long shorts, and black shoes& socks (NO flip-flops allowed).

If BSPL could find a sponsor whose logo could be added, then it should be able to supply most of this kit (except shoes) free of charge via riders and promoters. 

This would help to portray a better image when matches are televised and to new spectators.

ABSOLUTELY !

Great idea. Couldn't agree more. i remember the professionalism in the past with track staff (and now hopefully pits staff too) Would be a great step forward to get sport projected well at the clubs and as said on TV.. I remember watching the presentation at Wimbledon back in the day (early 1970s) and with everything else being done there at the time and attention to detail it was very very impressive and all added to the show.

SGP are doing, it so should the Premiership too for starters. maybe a sponsor as Hamish said could be found for uniformity of kit for above at all clubs .

Edited February 25 by Goldhawk
addition

[szkocjasid]

In an ideal world, yes it would look good for a riders pits crew to look smart / wear similar attire if more than one. The simple question is who's going to pay for it?

Plus what happens if a mechanic falls ill & a one-off replacement is needed? Do they have to pay for spare uniforms (in every size) or ban the mechanic if he's not in the correct attire?

[OveFundinFan]

No reason why pit crew attire should cost a lot. Traditional mechanic attire has always been one piece overalls. It’s not a fashion show. Relatively cheap and practical. Doesn’t matter what colour so long as each pit crew is the same. In hot weather standard men’s under garments would be ok. Sorted.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

The teams should provide the shirts which are usually the equivalent of a sleeveless football top with a collar, if brought as a joblot from a local manufacturer would cost around £10 per shirt, buy all sizes, someone takes them home after a meeting and washes them and brings them to the next meeting; if a rider wants their own then tell them ok but they can only put their own sponsors on he arms and the main body design has to be the same as team ones, trousers or shorts must be black or navy blue work trousers which most mechanics wear anyway 

[stevehone]

16 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

You do only need one bike

one of the annoying parts is seeing a rider with 2 bikes sitting in the pits, but if they have an issue with their first bike they are quick to jump on someone elses.

if the 2nd bike is there, use it, have it ready to go.

[Neila]

Another thing several clubs are losing income by riders bringing in more than 1 mechanic , should be 1 rider 1 mechanic anyone else has to pay to get in, also it could be a health and safety issue if too many people are in the confined spaces of the pits

[KK62]

16 minutes ago, Neila said:

Another thing several clubs are losing income by riders bringing in more than 1 mechanic , should be 1 rider 1 mechanic anyone else has to pay to get in, also it could be a health and safety issue if too many people are in the confined spaces of the pits

Not true.

Each club can set its own admission policy, some are one rider one mechanic, a lot are one rider one mechanic and one guest .

Each club also has its own H&S officer and a Clerk of the Course who should sort any issues out as regards issues in the pits.

How they cope at Sheffield always amazed me !

[tyretrax]

40 minutes ago, Neila said:

Another thing several clubs are losing income by riders bringing in more than 1 mechanic , should be 1 rider 1 mechanic anyone else has to pay to get in, also it could be a health and safety issue if too many people are in the confined spaces of the pits

I've see a crew cab van with six in it drive in no problem.

[Hamish McRaker]

13 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

In an ideal world, yes it would look good for a riders pits crew to look smart / wear similar attire if more than one. The simple question is who's going to pay for it?

Plus what happens if a mechanic falls ill & a one-off replacement is needed? Do they have to pay for spare uniforms (in every size) or ban the mechanic if he's not in the correct attire?

Maybe starting off by bringing it in for televised UK matches? BSPL buys a stock (or gets a supply at cost price from a manufacturer that can have its logo on the shirts) and the home club is responsible for giving them out. Then just make anything worn below the waist the responsibility of riders/mechanics but having to conform to the code?

Edited February 26 by Hamish McRaker
Spello

[Najjer]

Again, something we are already miles behind on in comparison to Poland. All clubs over there already have to do this and use a set template with league sponsors all positioned the same on each club’s shirt, along with their role and which rider they are representing. It looks very professional although probably not an essential, given some of the costs already facing teams in this country.

All this about limiting riders to only 1 mechanic and health and safety is a load of nonsense too.

[topaz325]

02.2.9 Pit Marshal To assist the Clerk of Course and specifically to: - a) ensure during a meeting (15 minutes before heat 1 until 15 minutes after the last heat) that only rider, mechanics and officials (including TV crews/press/photographers) who have signed the ‘Meeting Signing On’ form, with a duty may remain in the pits. Anyone under the age of 16, must be SCB Registered. b) report any non-compliance of: - i) non-smoking, vaping rules ii) riding in the pits area c) position all motorcycles in a manner that facilitates quick and easy identification d) ensure riders and motorcycles are marshalled in readiness for the following heat e) keep the pit gate closed at all times, especially during track maintenance and opened only to allow access to and ingress from the track for racing f) prevent unauthorised persons from entering or remaining on the infield or track during racing. In the event of a race stoppage permit

[Bagpuss]

43 minutes ago, Najjer said:

Again, something we are already miles behind on in comparison to Poland. All clubs over there already have to do this and use a set template with league sponsors all positioned the same on each club’s shirt, along with their role and which rider they are representing. It looks very professional although probably not an essential, given some of the costs already facing teams in this country.

All this about limiting riders to only 1 mechanic and health and safety is a load of nonsense too.

Yep, there seems to be a mindset that we never had all this stuff in the seventies when the sport was booming in the UK so why do we need it now? We are fifty years on now, the world, sport and speedway has moved on and anything that can be done to make speedway more presentable and professional needs to be put in place. It's not as if people are scratching their heads trying to think how, the template is there in Poland and has been for years.

The attitude over here is too much about cutting ones cloth too neatly sometimes, sensible speculation will lead to better accumulation in the long run with people who are currently outside speedway. 

[Najjer]

23 hours ago, Bagpuss said:

Yep, there seems to be a mindset that we never had all this stuff in the seventies when the sport was booming in the UK so why do we need it now? We are fifty years on now, the world, sport and speedway has moved on and anything that can be done to make speedway more presentable and professional needs to be put in place. It's not as if people are scratching their heads trying to think how, the template is there in Poland and has been for years.

The attitude over here is too much about cutting ones cloth too neatly sometimes, sensible speculation will lead to better accumulation in the long run with people who are currently outside speedway. 

Im just waiting for someone to give the argument about team suits being a bad idea because they can’t identify them or because it means they can’t show off their individual character…. Get with the times! 

[baxiboy]

On 2/23/2024 at 4:05 PM, Hamish McRaker said:

Is it time for anyone working in the pits at a speedway meeting, to be required to conform to a dress code? Black seems to be the best, but instead of heavy metal bands tour t-shirts, plain polo shirts with "pits crew" on the back, plain black trousers or long shorts, and black shoes& socks (NO flip-flops allowed).

If BSPL could find a sponsor whose logo could be added, then it should be able to supply most of this kit (except shoes) free of charge via riders and promoters. 

This would help to portray a better image when matches are televised and to new spectators.

From what I’ve seen I’m pretty sure Belle Vue pit staff wear hi viz vests with the Aces logo on & the clark of the course has a jacket with clerk of the course on the back? 

Edited February 28 by baxiboy
Spelling mistake

[StevePark]

5 hours ago, baxiboy said:

From what I’ve seen I’m pretty sure Belle Vue pit staff wear hi viz vests with the Aces logo on & the clark of the course has a jacket with clerk of the course on the back? 

I'm pretty sure it's a SCB/BSPL rule that all pit staff must wear hi-viz jackets/coats.