martinmauger

Just seen this (don't post or read as much as some), not criticising I meant they didn't have ther 'grid-table' like graphic across the bootm of the screen as in the GPs showing e.g. Red Gate1 Tai Woffinden GB ??Pts, White Gate2 So and So ??Pts, Blue Gate 3 Robert Lambert GB ??Pts, Yellow Gate 4 So and So Else ??Pts. Y'all know what I mean....

I'd say Peter Kildemand is an a-typical Dane for riding style and that Martin Smolinski is a bit of a character....

Can't get clip to work for some reason (so much for Win 10 which is supposed to solve everything), so can't comment directly but making a generalisation: at many tracks the roving mic person has interviewed folk when bikes are running and you can't hear a blooming thing. Hope the new venture works out, good luck....

Should have typed "Have to say I'm friendly with someone who works for BSI and can confirm the race bibs in SGP, SON & SWC are designed and made exactly how orgnisers BSI & the sponsors want them". Still just sayin'....

Thought the SON went ok-ish, but the formula is well complicted, doubt viewers at home could follow it, the graphics didn't help just the minimal design unlike the excellent GP coverage. Track was good shape but needed more dirt on the outside, but can't beleive some countries can't even raise a team of 3 riders, there must be some junior who would at least make the numbers. I'd be surprised to see this competition continuing next year, it was supposed to make it easier for smaller speedway countries to compete as they couldn't get a team 4 or 5 good riders together, seems some can't even get 3. Also I'm following the IOM TT on ITV4 a well mental sport; 200mph through streets and villages. Don't understand the different classes, but it's still good to watch and peeps say speedway is complicated (ok, we know it can be). But as mentioned before I watched SON at my biker mates' house and they happily recorded the TT in order to watch the SON live, I may have neglected to mention GB weren't competing last nite (!), but we still enjoyed it. Still, Tuesday nite to look forward to, when GB will be rdiing, see how that pans out, I'd also go if I could...

Have to say I'm friendly with someone who works for BSI and can cofirm the race bibs in SGP, SON & SWC are designed and made exactly how orgnisers BSI want them....

And me 3, we'll see how it pans out....

Ideally both, but most suits don't match or show the correct number. Eastbourne changed their club colours to suit their sponsor, fair enough if helps keep their club in business, but the suits don't even have a logo or 'Eagles' on the front....

While riders know what they sign up for, who would really after travelling 4 hours or so, p'raps on a hot day, feel up to taking 5 or maybe 6 rides, driving home or to an airport, work on equipment (at least clean and maintain it) maybe make a few changes or repairs, then do the same again. Rinse, repeat until well tired. Riders reckon once race fit they mostly can ride 7 nites a week, it's the travelling that tires them out, thought about this a few times I for one need my sleep & really wouldn't fancy it....

Ona very similar subject, in about 2000 me and the girlf were thinking of staying at a caravan park about 30 miles outside of Hull, on enquiring in the reception among the usual stuff I was amazed to find 30+ leaflets advertising Hull Vikings. Never seen 'em before, nor had anyone I spoke to, and being a collector of such things I naturally 'collected' a couple. Reception was unstaffed, not a good impression, so couldn't ask who had dropped the leaflets off.....

Well so far it isn't exciting me that much, it's 'just' Best Pairs under another title and we already have a best pairs championship. I didn't see a lot wrong with the Speedway World Cup nor why they couldn't run both side by side and hope the new SON doesn't replace the SWC permanently. That said, I will be watching as I view as much speedway as possible, mostly on 'the box' it has to be said, and I hope the competition is a success. Interestingly, and I've mentioned this before, I will watch at least Event 1 on Saturday at my bikers mates' house and they will happily record the Isle Of Man TT programme to watch later as they do enjoy watching Brit Tai Woffinden going handlebar to handlebar with the best in the world....

The local Asda now displays a smallish range of leaflets advertising local attactions: animal parks, stately homes etc. Well today I picked one up which is all about Santa Pod Raceway, drag racing, and it occured to me that speedway could benefit from such a leaflet campaign. I seem to recall leaflets depicting speedway info & fixtures were available at tracks in mid 2000's. The numbers of leaflets in Asda of the same subject increase and decrease so are at least some are being picked up and replaced. Interestingly none of the leaflets I've seen in offer any kind of discount just the basic info: what, where, when and how much. Just sayin'....

I was talking to folk about speedway and everyone corectly guessed what Best Pairs meant and also the Speedway World Cup but no-one knew what Speedway Of Nations meant. When I told them they said "why not just call it World Best Pairs ?". Good question....

Another very good issue, only just managed to finish it. It must have interesting and at the same time extremely difficult due to the timing, but a great tribute to the great man....

Without casting judgement on Chris Holder, or any other rider, if anything on a passport or visa application isn't 100% perfect then it will be rejected. Case in point: a few years ago mate had loads of hassle re-newing his wife's passport (English, lived in UK all her life, no dodgy past, etc) and it was rejected 3 times. Myself and others looked over the form but couldn't see anything wrong and following the usual jokes about "refusing passports to undesirables" , we were all stumped. Then someone noticed his habit of putting a full stop after everything, even every. one. word. answer, as many folk do. He wrote out the form again, identically but without all the full stops unless where necessary, and it was quickly approved. Just sayin'....

Having a somewhat 'helicopter view' of speedway with no team of my own to support (sob) gotta say it's tough luck for Poole & Scunny, neither of whom can afford to lose another rider. But gotta feel for Stefan after returning from injury I saw him v Worky, can't make this week, he looked good & and joint top scored also Poole were poss leaning toward giving him a more permanent team spot. Over a season there would always be the odd broken arm or leg, neither of which are any fun as I can confirm having broken both in the past (!), but 'only' maybe one or two thigh bone injuries, though of course one is too many. There does seem to be more broken thigh injuries already, traditionally and sadly usually a season-ending injury....

I've heard of that ^^ happening. Not forgetting £40 fuel tank caps, essential equipment.....

Reckon Ivan, and also Ove Fundin, would have won more World Championships under the GP system. And Ivan a-l-m-o-s-t won 6 in a row ! As we know: he took out 1968-1970, Ole Olsen won in 1971, Ivan won again in 1972, and had he waited another 3/4 of a lap to pass the Pole Jerzy Szczakiel in 1973, it could have 6 on the bounce. But any rider will say if you see a gap then you really must go for it as you may never get another chance, though there are relativley few 'must win' races under the GP format. Ivan disproved his 'just a gater' tag in that 1973 Final when he was passing for fun around the outside on his longstroke JAWA, and while he must have been well peeved at the time (to say the least !) and also afterwards at being constantly asked about it, he bore no ill will towards Jerzy "he was a better rider than most people thought plus he deserved to win because I fell off and he didn't", says a lot about the man Ivan Mauger....

Off the top of my head (busy at work !) + Wembley Stadium & Wembley Arena....

- courtesy of defunctspeedway.co.uk: http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/York Long Track (Nun Monkton).htm I remember the year as being 1980 as I couldn't go for some reason....

Very sad news indeed, deepest sympathy to the Mauger family. Difficult to know what to say that hasn't been said already, except Ivan Mauger was The Best and is still a Hull Vikings legend. RIP Ivan....

Promoters have right to sign who they want within points limits, and sack them if comes down to it, but the way Batchelor & Holder were treat was well out of order IMO. Was surprised they didn't appeal to SCB, ACU or otherwise contest it in some way. Still, we all move on, water under the bridge and all that, hope both riders concerned, and every other rider, have good a safe season....

Thanks, that woud be cool. And Redcar (formally Middlesbrough) returned too and Northside & Duns, + all of the above show it can still be done. Just....

This is what I alluded to re: new Belle Vue stadium that raising funds was 'almost' the easy part. I could literally write a book concerning the efforts required in order to build a speedway track, were I not sworn to secrecy . To get a flavour of what is invovled, I challenge anyone to find an area of land, or even an existing stadium for that matter, away from housing & known to be empty and unused for years, then enquire of the local authority about the possibility of a running speedway on said land. Then let the fun begin. So much time, effort, travelling, phone calls + some money, though not a lot initially, will be spent and potenially much blood, sweat and tears expended just to discover either someone owns the land and (frustratingly) refuses to sell or even lease, or that no-one actually knows who the owner is . One will wonder why one is bothering, apart from the desire to build a speedway track and possibly resurrect one's team. I won't say it will be a waste of time as anyone attempting the above will learn a heck of a lot, and you never know it, maybe, may just pay off....

Bit of politics. It was once explained to me that changing anything government or politics related is a bit like driving an huge ocean liner: you turn the rudder in order to adjust the course or adjust the engines to speed up / slow down but in both instances it takes quite a while before anything noticable happens. In other words: time will tell, as always....