martinmauger

When Hull Vikings won the treble in 2004, the attendances hardly went up at all, staying at circa 1,100 - 1,200,. Like with the Comets I'm sure the amount paid out for higher points in 2004, as all those hugely enjoyable home & away pastings with trophys won almost for fun had to paid for, had a huge & similar impact on the club the following season. Think the final speedway crowd at Craven Park in 2005, when the Vikings closed with 2 matches outstanding, was around 650 ....

What Dean says is true; in the old Weslake days speedway bikes revved to around 9,000RPM, now they often rev to 12,000 or more (!), which is too much for a 4-stroke single cylinder engine. A bit like riding a regular i.e. not sporty, bike on the road or driving your car in 1st or 2nd gear all the time. There was an excellent 'lockdown interview', could been by Lee Ashby ?, with Shawn Tacey and one of the posted questions was if 'speedway bikes rev more and produce more power, why aren't more track records being broken ?'. Tacey said due to the higher revs and modern tyres the back wheel is spinning so many more RPMs faster, I forget the actual figures quoted, & tracks are slicker to cope so not producing hardly any more speed, if any. I recall a series of Speedway Star articles on the Czech Golden Helmet meeting in Pardbuce (sp?), the 'Star' interviewing winners like Jeremy Doncaster & Jason Doyle. I forget which it was but one said he was amazed that the winner's times in the older 2valve JAWA days with spindly telepscopic forks and lower power outputs were not that different from more the modern machinery of higher revvimg GMs with leading link forks, better frames etc. Think this was when Ole Olsen semi-seriously suggested changing back to 2 v JAWAs, I don't think the Pardubice (sp?) track has changed since it was built, possibly a bit slicker surface ?. So, yeah, as Dean said; spend more to stay the same....

Jumping in very late; Bewley still won though admittedly only just made the final. Still not a huge fan of the format as riders really just need to pace themselves to score ideally 9 or more to make the semis, finish top 2 to transfer to the final itself then go flat out, Smarzlik does this and makes it work so gotta say good luck to him.....

Bewley did it again, this time he kicked the Poles backsides in their own backyard. Look out Smarzlik, Dan Bewley is coming to get you !...

Me too , loved that, if the Poles gated on him they may have made it, difficult, either way Dan IS The Man of Cardiff 2022. Get in !...

Heard on BBC Radio2 this morn "we are on our way to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff for the Speedway GP, shout out to all the riders", from Martin Jones think it was, either way good on him. Tough luck for Ellis after all the issues re; missing last year & British Final....

The return of speedway to Birmingham was a tremendous achievement, with Brian Buck himself involved in no small way. Thing is, some, not all, local authorities & stadia owners just don't want speedway no way, no how, and refuse to even entertain the idea despite the sport bringing more people and therefore more spending into an area. Sad fact....

Thanks for 2022 rule update. Musta bin another year when a championship was decided by a coin toss, pretty sure it happened though; poss Tony Briggs / Dennis Sigalos / Ron Preston / (early) Tommy Knudsen & Erik Gundersen U21 era ?...

Nutshell: Not sure of the exact regs or rider opinions on then night but as the meeting didn't reach a satisfactory result to 'just let the previous winner keep the title' is a new rule on me. Obviously very disapponting to the riders well in the running, gotta feel for Harris & Brennan in particular, and surely once the meeting, pretty much any meeting, starts there is no holder of the title as it is effectively vacant and so up for grabs. Of the top of my head way back 1977 the then World Junior Final, now World U21, after 3 rides each (I think) the meeting was rained off with Joe Owen & Alf Busk, and maybe Les Collins, tied on 9 points so a coin toss decided the winner, which was Busk. Ok many moons ago and an FIM event, opposed to an SCB / BSPL meeting, but the coin toss was between the two 2 (or 3) leading riders at the time of the stoppage. (can't recall anymore as it's 2.49am & I'm v tired) TBF Ellis didn't look too happy at still being British Champion and securing the Cardiff GP Wild Card given the circumstances, but sadly the 2022 British Final had an unsatisfactory ending for everyone.....

Yeh I was there, but kinda wished I wasn't, terrible crash hope Kennedy is ok, a real 100% trier bringing entertainment and enjoyment in spades, wishing him all the very best ....

Cold, cold ?! I laugh in your general direction (cleaned up Monty Python quote) . At Hull's Craven Park it was ALWAYS cold, benefitting as it did from the 'cool freeshing breeze' directly off the River Humber . Tip for Monarchs promotion:- BEFORE you start digging for the new, planned Edinburgh West Lothian Comunity Stadium - hold a wetted finger in the air to check from where the wind blows, fans will thank you in the future. But seriously, best of luck with the new stadium; remember 'wetted finger in the air'...

Text editor issues, double post....

I was at Scunny on Sunday and can confirm Masters took one heck of a knock on1st bend of ht5, dunno about his track perferences but he easily won Ht1 after blasting from gate 4 like a scalded cat, winning by almost length of the straight....

All the very best to Dave, family & friends, hope he has a quick and complete recovery....

Track & set up looking good. Even better (?) are the raised viewing areas, speedway looks so much better when viewing the track from at least a bit of height....

Speaking as a neutral; some of the racing last nite was brilliant, the likes of Douglas, Allen, Worrall, Lawson & King (late on) gave terrific entertainment, loved it. A meeting where you could've dragged non-fans 'kicking & screaming' (!) to watch and they would've said "that was great, I can understand why you enjoy speedway". Good stuff ....

Jumping in late, don't always agree with Rob Godfrey but he did good by fans allowing re-admission tics for Leicester match to be used, I was due to attend that meet but couldn't last minute due to, reasons. So Scunny v Redcar, never really fan of afternoon meetings as tracks dry out and go slick, it happens, but the racing got better and main thing I enjoyed it and will defo return. (I'd have returned anayway as I love speedway). Oh, and I musta missed any announcement but is the ever-trying Connor Coles a permanent replacement for the desperately unlucky Joe Alcock ?......

And in days of yore people said the likes of Exeter, Hull (Boulevard), Newport (Somerton Park) & Newcastle (early 1960's) were a tad bumpy . Still, it was experience for the riders not used to such choppy comditions and hopefully the riders who spilled weren't too badly shook up. And new GP scoring takes a bit of getting used to, not 100% sold on it myself but it is what it and being speedway could well change at the end of the current season....

Correct me if I'm wrong (or I didn't pay sufficient attenion) but don't think cameras showed the home stand last nite. My point being when the YTV Trophy was filmed at Hull, Boulevard 1974-81 often few fans stood on the terracing at either end, while both stands on the straights were packed, so would give the impression hardly anyone was there. Just sayin'....

Jumping in late: I watched the event live at a mate's house and then the hi-lites on Quest; it came across great and people watching may just think "wow that looks cool I'll check that out", hopefully they may do. Just a tiny critique, think the text graphics are still a bit too small. The hi-lites package 24 ish hours later on Quest came across good too, better if were shown at 10 or 11pm as opposed to midnite. But Discovery have produced an excellent TV slot for speedway....

This is true. As I stated before the facility at the Abbey was a recent convenience, a modern 'Toilette De Stade' if you like, built as it was in 1947 compared to the more tue historical 'back straight cess trenches' circa 1895 at the Boulevard in Hull , which I visited once - and only once. Ironic that Hull Angels, Hedon finished up at the Abbey in 1949. But historical interest (sarcasm ?) aside, as a self-confessed track anorak I watch the developments in Swindon with interest, the shortened and re-shaped track was great & better than I thought it would be if I'm being honest, just needs a stadium around it.....

Yeh I got the racing at Odsal / The Shay the wrong way around, s'what happens when you post when supposed to be working. i.e staring into, rather than at, the screen to check no-one is standing behind. Racing at the Shay prob looked more spectacular as you could get more than up close and personal, was my first permitted away trip as a youngster; "no Halifax isn't far, I won't be back late" (nor from Berwick, Coventry, King's Lynn, Reading, Swindon, etc, etc, LOL!). Would welcome speedway back at Odsal, you never know, always enjoyed my visits there....

Very shocking news, RIP NIgel....

And Hull. Gotta say, obv more hope for Swindon & Coventry as the venues still exist, well kinda in Coventry's case, but goes to show, tracks can and sometimes do return even at new locations. Very good news....

I visted both the Shay & Odsal, in days before & after Hull's 1995 return, and enjoyed both. As at Hull, Craven Park, the view from the main stand at Odsal was great but of the two I preferred The Shay though, reasons of smaller stadium so better atmos and in pre-2m safety barrier days (which must be said was defo needed at The Shay !) one could literally get more than up close and personal with the racing and great pits viewing too. Racing was mostly brilliant at the Shay, unless it was a hot, dry day and then it got pretty slick, otherwise it was great. Both sadly missed venues still, Odsal has a shale track once more so looking good for poss speedway return.....