Star Fever

I haven't read all 41 pages here but have got the impression that nothing has yet been officially announced regarding Sky EL coverage - and do we know for certain yet that Eurosport are still doing live GPs? Like many others I'm sure, I need to renegotiate my Sky package as I don't need Sky Sports for anything except speedway!!

Its bad enough now when one of your top 5 gets injured and replaced by reserve in vital races - your team is obviously weakened. It'll be even worse now :/ There really needs to be a supplementary reserve from the top 5 in these instances, or an 'instant R/R' rule or something .. especially as you'd be able to have it in the very next meeting anyway!

OK - Apologies for my poor memory. Doesn't deflect from the question I was answering though - to name somebody with a worse record than Harris.

No I didn't contradict myself - Smith managed to scrape thru via the challenge OR he was chosen as a wild card for GB representation - if my memory serves. However, If my memory is wrong that he wasn't picked as a wild card at least once - then I apologise. It still doesn't deflect from the point though - that Smith had poor GP campaigns, and that Harris could possibly emulate Smith's 'achievements'. And whether Harris was picked by BSI or the FIM or the ACU or whoever is irrelevant to the point - which is that he should NOT have been in the meeting and DEFINITELY NOT in the meeting with a chance of qualification!! He had his chance in the earlier qualifier and blew it! I suppose we must be grateful at least that he only managed to get enough points for reserve....

Andy Smith. Another Brit who was only in it because he was a Brit (although he did actually EARN his qualification for many years.. unlike some). [and yes I realise its not Harris' fault that he's an official reserve - I'm just astounded that BSI deem him worthy/eligible when he'd failed to qualify for the meeting. I wonder if they'd have done the same if a track reserve (i.e Kyle Newman) had scored the same?!]

Exactly, but that's hardly a good statement in defence of Harris is it? Apart from his amazing win at Cardiff he's shown over many years that he does'nt really have what it takes compared to the rest of the GP riders for whatever reason. His time has passed - he's had his moment. I've nothing against him - he's certainly got what it takes to be a speedway rider and can be a pleasure to watch - just not in GPs.

Unfair?? I'm sure many riders who actually QUALIFIED for the Poole GP Round think its unfair that a rider who didn't even manage to quality for the meeting should now be no19 for the main event? What is the point of doing qualifying rounds in the first place ?? I bet there'd be plenty of complaints if the QR had been in Poland and it was Protasciewicz (for instance) that we were talking about!

As I thought ... he shouldnt be anywhere near a GP next year let alone a reserve !!!

What is Harris doing at no19? Was'nt he just a wild card at Poole? I thought he'd already been knocked out in an earlier qualifier or did he qualify as reserve for Poole?

Quite agree - if Nicki P hadnt EF'd the title would've been Denmark's, was just bad luck. As they dont let teams have a reserve to possibly help by replacing off-form rider(s), the joker is the only way to help - and like a reserve replacement it similarly doesnt always work anyway.

Or is it just highlights till the mega-important volleyball starts?

Have to agree - I'm not a Nicholls' fan but he was a great presenter, and his missus was asking intelligent questions too. Another plus for Eurosport is showing all the official riders' intros before the meeting and the presentations after - Sky would have 'gone back to the studio' for more drivel from Keith Huewen ....

Good to see a sensible decision by the ref in GP - Lindgren's move was definitely 'dangerous riding'. About time he was picked up on some of his moves.... Unfortunately it didn't stop him taking the gloss of the meeting though :/

Was having a discussion with my brother about ex-Stars riders and we came to Alan Cowland! Its not mentioned in your list, but we both think he had a brief stint with Lynn but not sure when...... ...or are we both imagining things?

Well yes - thats more or less what i was getting at - Buster was obviously planning to continue PL for next year, so i would think/hope the deal would be compensation to him for being taken over for the year. Then again of course, it might be 'son of Buster' in charge And it'll still be a team racing as 'Kings Lynn' - unless ofc theyre billed as the 'EL All-Stars' or summat lol. Anyway - this is all speculation at the moment, all 30 odd pages of it Roll on monday....

Can't see Buster stepping into an abyss - and don't think he'll be the promoter. More likely a BSPA consortium as promotion and Buster's only involvement will be to accept the money offered for letting them do it and of course receiving the stadium rent, and the catering monies, and loan fees for Lynn assets. If it all goes t!ts up in a year's time hopefully Buster (and PL Lynn) will resume in 2012 where they left off this year with no financial damage done.

ooerr... 5 or 6 years ago id have loved this rumour but must confess ive grown to like the PL - must be the fact that we're good at it lol would think that another promoter might come in if its true - that way Buster gets rental money and doesnt really lose out if at the end of next year things all change again. what are the odds it'll be the ex-Bees who are the backbone of the team and promotion for that matter..... im semi-excited at the mo

Who else is there?! Chris Holder for one - he'd do better than 50% of the contenders, let alone Harris!

By newbieoldboy 'Course not - but presumably he was 'in charge' at Rybnik/ Malilla too? He didn't mess them up so (if it had been at Lynn) dare say that wouldn't have been messed up either. In other words, its whats there to start with thats important - so Reading was a bad idea from the outset I'd have thought....

People are complaining I'd guess because the track didnt produce the racing it could have done - and it wasnt only the Poles that suffered as apart from Richardson the rest of team GB are racers. Even the Danes were stuffed if they missed the gate yet they're quite capable of passing on a decent track too. Surely its better to see all 4 riders have a chance of coming from the back on a track with several racing lines on a properly prepared track like we saw at Rybnik (in particular) and Malilla? As I've said earlier the Lynn track the previous night (also after a day of scorching heat) was perfectly prepared. I'm sure ALL of the riders would have preferred the meeting there - but of course that has no BSI connection...... (who said yippee?)

Hmm - maybe By Loyal royal But after 10 races at Lynn last night the track was as good as new again after the interval (about 20 mins) However do agree that not enough thought was given by the organisers into track prep in the first place, so yes - not the track staff's fault, they can only work with what's set before them I suppose, silk purse/ sow's ear etc etc

Strange that, considering it was just as scorching yesterday yet the Lynn track was prepared perfectly with plenty of shale

Yes I guessed ! My comment was an attempt at humour I'm afraid - obviously got lost in the translation....

Indianerna Jonas? ....will Harrison Ford be attending too?

By Subedei To be fair though he invites trouble doesn't he? If you leave enough room for a bus to pass, then a rider keen to win will endeavour to fill it. He admitted after the (almost identical) incident with NickiP that he was as much to blame by realising too late he had to close the gap - and he did the same with Lindback tonight.