salty

Just imagine if Lindback doesn't buck up his ideas in the GP's, will it be a toss up between him and PK for a second Swedish spot?

So it's Jagus, Rune and Hans with PK missing out after getting 14 points in qualifying. Well done to the 3 qualifiers - delighted Holta is back where he belongs.

Another year in the Elite (hopefully making more appearances) and maybe next year The Gaffer will be in with a shout for the GP's - any chance of him getting the Wild Card for Latvia this year?

If Gb gets a 2nd spot, Bomber should get it. He's not out yet though, Jagus could run a last!!!

Both off Gate 1, from where Holta just ran a 3rd. Up to Stead to do his fellow Brit a favour.

Don't know if 11 will be enough, both Jagus and Holta beat Bomber in Heat 5.

Even that hope has gone now, another win for Bomber! giving him 9. Steady languishing on 5, bad last for Pepe.

If he doesn't out perform Bomber in the next couple of races I can't see him even getting a seeded spot.

Way to go Bomber!!!!

Come on Norbold it's easy. Just think of some easy questions, look earlier in the thread for some tips on how it's done.

Don't forget Pepe. Started with a win and a 2nd. Steady needs a win next time out.

Very good point SCB. No point backing someone to win an event where it only matters to finish in the top 3. With the odds for Hans and Holta being so short there is plenty of e/w value to be had.

Bit of a lazy post this (because the answer is probably earlier in the thread) but is the format 20 heats and a 4 man final? If it is, with only 3 qualifiers that is going to be a tasty 1st turn in the final. I would expect BSI will be as nervous as many of the riders as to what happens tonight, as it will effect their options when it comes down to picking the 4 seeded spots. Imagine a scenario where Hans fails to qualify, given his form in the GP's it would be sure he would get seeded. Most people expect Hampel, Lindback and Zagar to be included (if they don't get top 8 spots), this would leave BSI with little flexibility. So if none of the Brits go through tonight they must surely hope that Hans does and leaves them with a chance for that 4th seeded position. My picks for tonight...Hans, Rune and Jagus. But would love to see someone like Kai, Bomber or Matej F sneak through, not to mention "The Gaffer!!".

I'm sure the last World Cup before BSI took over was raced with a format where each team had 2 riders in each race. In the 60's, 70's and 80's the WTC was a 4 team 4 rider 16 heat affair with a reserve who could come in when desired.

Extremely pleased that AJ finally won a GP (especially as I backed him) and particularly that he beat Hans in the final. Thought the ref got the Crump/Lindback decision right. Usual Anti-Crump hysteria from Mr Shovlar, but it looked a good pass to me, a more experienced rider would have been aware of Crump's dive and cut back under him. When I listened to Sam and Kelvin they must have been speaking a different language because they were giving Crumpy the benefit of the doubt. Nicholls/Pedersen was a no brainer well spotted by Floppy on the commentary as a dive. Ref got Nicholls/Andersen wrong in my opinion, definitely a 50/50 call so the rider who goes down should be deemed the primary cause of the stoppage. Good to see Crumpy get off the track quick in the final 2nd time round. Interesting to see these riders giving it their all... are these really the same guys who didn't want to ride at Swindon and Poole in much better conditions at easter time? Lost count of Millard's mistakes about Heat 6, surely it is time for this clown to go?

Just means that though he picked the right Speedway team to follow, he has picked a slightly dodgy topic subject to start.

One of my pet hates is the way the presenter, whether it be Green or Huewen, then feel the need to apologise for the language heard, in that oh so serious manner that they adopt. We know that Sky love to show things like that otherwise they wouldn't be sending in the interviewer immediately after an incident, so why do they have to then get all pious and apologise. It's not as if its any worse than the language you can hear on other programme. Before anyone writes and talks about programmes like Big Brother being after the watershed and having warnings I understand that, I just hate the double standards of it all.

I think you will find that it is to do with the fact that two of the qualifiers had 5 go through and the one in Slovakia had 6. Gafurov finished 6th in Tarnow so got one spot, Ruud finished 6th at Miskolc so got the next spot. As he is injured his spot then goes to the 7th rider at Miskolc which was Howe. Regardless of points scored you couldn't have 7 from one quailifier and 4 from another.

Terrible news. RIP Toni.

Agree with a lot of what you say. As it stands, after the top 8 the next 3 in line are Zagar, Hampel and Lindback. I would imagine they would all be given seeded spots for 2007. However, if there were 2 or more Poles qualifying from Vetlanda then Hampel would be struggling. If Hans qualifies from Vetlanda as current form suggests he should then that gives a 2nd Brit the possibility of the 4th and final seeded spot (unless one qualifies by right). My guess is that if either Bomber or Steady have a good one in Vetlanda then they may well find themselves in the GP's for 2007. Would like to see Holta back in the GP's along with Hans, 3rd spot? Wouldn't it be great if The Gaffer could do it? I think it would be great for the sport to have a Russian in the GP's.

Come on Herbie, fess up (as they say nowadays), are you and BB one and the same?

I think Tony's role in this publication is best described as a "ghost", as well as publisher. It clearly says "by Malcolm Simmons", and it is a good read, though obviously lacking in page after page of track times.

You must have read a slightly different review to me. I'm assuming (and hoping) you are making some sort of ironic point regarding our overiding desire for facts and figures in our Speedway literature. If you like reading numbers there is always the telephone directory. I'm enjoying this thread but I'm not sure I'm totally understanding it.

Only the front cover mind. I think the back cover followed in 1973. Only trying to be constructive with my earlier comments, on the whole as I said I like the new style mag.

Majority of Speedway books (apart from the recent wave of Autobiographies) are written by people I would class as fans. John Chaplin always conveyed his love of the sport in his articles as have Norbold, Brian Burford, Peter Foster and Chris Fenn in their various works. I guess the distinction is being a fan who can write professionally or a fan who can't.