WIE-JA

Indeed it was at 11 o'clock this morning. D'oh!

Is that Caunt with a silent A? Don't give up, even Leicester council saw the light.

Is there two Darcy Wards? The one that is quite talented and the one in your mind?

Rob Mear got injured at the British Masters Championship a few weeks ago.

If a rider has genuine world title aspirations, then he needs to be aiming for maximum scores at each GP. The semi and finals help to add excitement for the crowd and also it helps a rider who has had problems during his 5 qualifying rides to have a chance to come out of the event with something (extra points towards title or the GP win). You have yet to convince me that a one day World final is better than a GP series. Anyway, off to a grasstrack now so GP 3 of this discussion will be held Monday.

The rider crossing the finish line 1st in the final after surviving the pressure of both 5 qualifying rides and a semi-final has obviously proved themselves to be worthy winner of the GP. Not that hard to understand is it? Look at the reactions of riders that win a GP and tell me that they are not that bothered about winning as they get on the podium. Are you trying to tell me that Valentino Rossi, Micheal Schumacher or James Toseland have not really achieved much because they didn't win world titles decided on one day?

OK. I am in favour of the GP system as it provides great entertainment throughout the season. It is a test of which riders can be consistently strong and focused in a series of high pressure meetings. It gives fans in various countries the chance to see a round (or 2!) each year. It's good for casual tv viewers who can relate to it in the same way as they do with F1, Moto GP, WSB, World Rally, etc. It allows riders to sell the product to sponsors. It allows the organisers the chance to sell a good package to tv companies and sponsors. At the moment we get 11 'World Finals' a year . It's damn good excitement to watch, which is what I want. That help you?

It is important to riders to win GPs. Not only is there financial reward on the night, but also status when approaching sponsors, negotiating contracts with continental promoters, and of course they are competitors and they all want to win. The old qualifying rounds had no relevance for casual tv viewers etc. People recognise titles such as European Champion, World Champion and of Grand Prix winner.

Something is always decided at a GP-the winner of that particular Grand Prix! Other motorsports do quite well with this system whether on 2, 3 or 4 wheels. Much better to have 10 or 11 GPs per season on telly than one World Final that casual viewers might forget to watch.

Parsloes, if you look back to the letters pages in speedway magazines from the '70s and '80s, you'll see lots of people campaigning to have a GP style system introduced. People complained about one day world finals being unfair and predictable and not rewarding riders who were consistant throughout a whole season. So now we have a GP system and people complain about that. Just accept that there isn't going to be a system that pleases everyone. Personally I prefer the GPs although it took a season to convert me.

Graham Locke?

Why should he? To watch official practice/testing sessions in any other motorsport you have to pay. Anyway, lets hope the lads perform in the meeting and can come up with a good result. They certainly have the ability.

Ha Ha..Despite evidence you are still blind. Ward is developing into a very good rider, but the sun does not shine from from his ring.

Jensen has scored 10 more points than Ward and has ridden in one less meeting. So based on that, Jensen is the better choice. I make no excuses for pi$$ing on your party, they are just simple facts for a simple poster.

Looks like Ward bottled it in his final heat and had to redeem himself in the run-off.

Yes that is a JAP engine in the bike. From that picture I couldn't tell you the make of the chassis, but is in grasstrack spec with brakes fitted front and rear and number plates.

But if he had an Elite League van that wouldn't of happened

I thought it was a case of if your infrastructure and organisation is good enough then you can have big meetings. SWC organisers either hired the stadium or the KL promotion payed for the rights to host the event. Again, nothing to do with leagues. And again, did any other stadium apply to host the event?

Why should it have anything to do with rewarding league ambitions? Surely the reward was for turning a failing, run down stadium into a reasonable place to visit, being given a prestige event. The meeting Monday was the Speedway World Cup, nothing to do with leagues.

Did any other tracks apply to host the event?

No and it's not Ole Olsen either.Is your name Stevie Wonder?Just can't understand why you're bleating about it being a dull meeting when it wasn't, or is just because Australia didn't qualify? As a neutral fan it was entertaining.

It was still an exciting race to watch which is the most important thing.Are you just a wind-up merchant, or just a very difficult person?

Never said the track was good and had plenty of dirt on it Dirt, just that that there was some good racing and not the borefest/bad advert that some are going on about. Oh and by the way, heat 25 is good with Holder and Bjerre battling away for 4 laps.

I am just watching the replay and there is definatly plenty of overtaking. So you don't remember AJ going from 4th to 1st in the first round of heats? Bjerre passing Ward & Gizatulin in heat 17? AJ battling with Rory Schlein for first whilst the Russian and Dane battled for third in heat 18. Etc etc....

Agreed. Darcy is free to write what he likes. I just saw it as a confident young rider having a bit of a laugh and a bit of light hearted winding up. For a supposedly bad advert for speedway, there seemed to be a fair bit of overtaking and good racing.