WIE-JA

I'll second that Vince.

That's the UK price GC. DEP will be about 205.00inc VAT.

Never had you down as fussy eater

You're right there BFD, and even that seems to be going belly up.

Lets hope that something positive comes out of those recent meetings then BFD.

Promoters have to pay for the rights to stage the GP at their stadium. BSI/IMG organize Cardiff themselves so are responsible for all the costs their. Maybe the cost of shipping bikes out to Australia could be split between the promoter and BSI/IMG.

[quote name='dirt' timestamp='1292629668' post='18475 As for a debacle in sydney...maYBE thats what you get when you expect a promoter to foot every bill and pay everything himself, what a joke. That's what most of the other GP promoters have to do Burt. It's up to the promoter to make sure his income from whatever means is larger than the outgoings.

Where I live in the world we have some adverts on TV promoting upcoming GPs and World Cup meetings. I can't speak for what happens in a minority backwater though.

It makes the general public aware of the sport. I know quite a few people who watch TV speedway who thought the sport had died many years ago and are now looking forward to going to Leicester when it re-opens. If it keeps it in the public eye, that's got to help.

TV advertising, bringing in sponsors etc. As for the same tired old tracks, what about Torun, Gorzow, Teranzano which have been added in the last year or so?

It's hardly racism by the series owners that Australia doesn't have promoter prepared to stage a GP. Hopefully as you say, in the not too distant future there will be a GP in Australia and it will thrive. As for the series owners not being very astute at business, you will find they are one of the most successful sports promotions companies in the world. Fingers crossed for the future

It's also beginning to cross the channel

ancestry is a different thing. I have German relatives but don't consider myself to be German and as the area that my relatives were from is now part of Poland I don't consider myself Polish or indeed, Russian

It's quite simple Burt, if they're from Latvia they are, would you believe, Latvian. If they're from Estonia then they are Estonian. If they are from Russia then they are Russian. Are you getting the connection here?

Latvia was part of the USSR, still a country but controlled by another. Prague is in the Czech Republic and was formerly part of Czechoslovakia, a country in its own right but also controlled by the USSR, as were many other countries post second world war. They were not actually Russia. Prague has other countries separating it from the Russian border. Europe is the center for speedway at this moment, which is why it has so much power over the make up of world speedway. The majority of riders are here, the majority of tracks and fans. Most people wouldn't notice if Australian speedway disappeared altogether, but hopefully it won't. Sorry to shatter your little world.

You really do need to go and study some basic European history and geography Burt.

Mark Courtney. Fantastic rider-just needed someone to control him

Bikes are impounded in parc ferme immediately after a riders last race in FIM world championship events. This allows for protests to be made and any checks to be carried out. The bikes are usually in there for half an hour.

I suggested the title of European Championship to make it a marketable series and to make a clear difference from the World Championship. Never said owt about non-europeans being allowed in so no need for you to be paranoid about discrimination.

You started a thread with a vague idea, fair play, that's how ideas come about. I put some ideas forward. If you didn't want anyone to contribute why didn't you say?

I was thinking that maybe the Australasian Series could be based on the old David Tapp thing and have a few rounds in NZ. The European Championship tag could be used as a promotable name for the northern hemisphere series and could include those riders who are just outside the GPs. Could even have a form of promotion and relegation between the two series then. Bottom 8 at the end of the GPs drop down to the European champs, top 8 from that series into the GPs. Would give riders such as Ward, Woffy etc a slightly less pressurized training series.

The problem with introducing another 'World' series would be one of marketing. Maybe putting more emphasis on the European Championship would be the way and an Australasian Championship during your summer would be the way?

They could organize a series for riders aged 21 or below. It could possibly be called The World Under 21 Championship or something.

There is one way to solve all this arguing. The organizers could follow the example of every other motorsport series in the world and sell the 15 permanent 'grid' places to either teams or riders who have enough money. No need for any qualifying rounds then and only the wild card for each round to be decided.

you've just ruined the thread by posting sense!