Quite agree, the top six are going to be strong at home and apart from Doyle & Emil who stand out I don't think we need to worry about heats 13 & 15 as much as some people think. As you say we saw some strong performances last season especially towards the end.  Away from home might be different but we shall see

I can't see either of them getting a big number 1 but would be delighted to be proved wrong. I expect Tungate and Magic to settle at 1 and 5 with plenty of riders that are on a 5/6 point averages. Birmingham I really don't have a clue

It depends on who you are up against. At home Lawson will be probably end up at 5 but if I was up against a team away from home where I'm struggling to see wins in certain heats you can try target other heats like heat 8 and 14 etc

Which is what surprises me. Tries a lot harder when racing for Belle Vue etc than he does for Berwick (seems to race for the four laps when with them but doesn't when with Berwick). Supposed to be the home track specialist who was 6th in the Berwick home averages this season.

As soon as a rider agrees his contract then he starts looking for/talking with potential sponsors/mechanics etc. If potential sponsors aren't sure about a rider then they are likely to ask around other sponsors which is one way the whispering starts.

We've got 99 riders but (personally) I don't think Leon is one. I don't have any inside information though so it's a guess on my part