Plymouth vs Cradley Heath CANCELLED

Due to the track needing the surface replacing tonight meeting 31st has been cancelled

There are many reasons why we have taken this action

Track Conditions:

So for anyone who has been to Plymouth this season will known we’ve had an ongoing issue with dust and a lack of suitable track surface.

By no means is the Plymouth track dangerous but it isn’t ideal. This week Mark has been watering and ripping the track up and adding more dirt to the current track surface.

For anyone that knows anything about track preparation, you know it’s not just a case of chucking some shale on the track, it’s a slow process and must be done correctly to ensure the new material binds with the current track surface.

Plymouth is not the only club to have suffered from this issue, Poole, Swindon to name a couple have had similar issues this season and they are clubs with more financial backing, racing in the top league of British speedway, so let’s remember we are only a National League club working with the best available stuff we can get our hands on.

Rider Safety:

Rider safety is the most important thing as it should be at any meeting. As I said the track isn’t dangerous but can be a tad sketchy at times with burms and ruts appearing and even at points the base of the track being visible.

To race this Friday would only cause more damage to the track, it’s not sprint it’s a marathon so we must ensure every effort can be made.

Myself and Mark want Plymouth to be an enjoyable race track, for not just our team, but for any away rider or second half rider that should visit.

Again, taking riders safety into account, the league has a lot of new inexperienced riders who are making there debut to National League not to mention our Development League meetings in which the Exeter Falcons race and no rider is going to learn on a track in that condition.

Let’s not forget what happened with Stoke last season and not to mention Jason Doyle made comments on track conditions this week and that’s a former world champion.

Spectators Enjoyment:

Your enjoyment and overall experience is really important to us, and watching a meeting with clouds of dust and minimal racing lines doesn’t sound like much fun for any speedway fan and it’s definitely not something we want to make a regular occurrence.

Also again taking into account rider safety, who really wants to watch riders sliding off and losing control of their bikes due to poor visibility and track conditions. So it’s important to us that you get to have the best possible experience you can.

Speedway as a Product:

Taking everything into account that I’ve already said it is no secret that British speedway has been in somewhat of a decline but the racing is no doubt as exciting as it’s ever been.

In order for the sport to grow into the mainstream again it’s important that the product is promoted to the best of any individual promoters ability and making sure tracks are safe for riders and suitable for spectators viewing.

So I’ve said my bit and do with how you wish, but remember Rome wasn’t built in a day.