You know it’s an art form to finish bottom every year, I’m looking forward to another season battling for the wooden spoon, we do have the almighty Border Trophy that being said.

The rule is that you need to have rode 18 heats to qualify in a Category, in the table by the above poster. It’s on the next page of the rulebook. McDiarmid only rode in 17 heats for ZG. Meaning he is a a Category 6 rider on a 4pt average, however criteria can always change as we know!

Cat  Rider Participates In  Premiership League Average  Championship League Average  1  Any rider who has been an FIM GP rider for 2 consecutive seasons within the last 5 seasons (excluding wild card riders and a reserve rider who has competed in 2 or less FIM GP rounds in any one season)  8.00  12.00  this rider would only be considered dependent on fixture clashes  2  Polish Ekstraliga with an average of 6.00 or above  7.50  11.25  this rider would only be considered dependent on fixture clashes  3  •    Polish Ekstraliga with an average of between 3.00 and 5.99  •    Polish League 1 with a published average of 6.00 or above   6.00  8.50  this rider would only be considered dependent on fixture clashes  4  •    Polish Ekstraliga with an average of 2.99 or below  •    Polish League 1 with a published average of 5.99 or below  •    Polish League 2 with a published average of 6.00 or above  • Swedish Elitserian League published average of 6.00 or above  4.50  6.00  this rider would only be considered dependent on fixture clashes  5  •    Polish League 2 with a published average of 5.99 or below •    Under 24 Polish League only  •    Swedish Elitserian League published average of 5.99 or below  •    Swedish Alsvensken League   •    Danish Super League  4.00  5.00  this rider would only be considered dependent on fixture clashes  6  Not participated in a professional league  3.50  4.00 

He is your man 

The guy you are talking about would be a 4.00. Good 2 page spread on him in this weeks Speedway Star..

But what are the rules. I know Zischke got a 5 when he rode 6/7 meetings in 2022 but do you jump from 4 to 5 if say you only rode 1 meeting ??. MCD only went over to POL on a short stay and joined a training camp with Wroclaw who then loaned him to Falubaz who tried him in  4 matches and signed him on a 2 year deal before he went back to Aussie. If he had ridden 1 meeting would he still have been upped to 5 ?? That's what I'm not clear on as to how many meetings can you ride to avoid being a 5 instead of a 4. Not that we are signing him but would be good to know what the rules are in that respect.