mikebv

That sounds reasonable, and fair....

Only saw it from the camera coverage, but the fact Cairns' back wheel caused the issue to Piper's front suggests there was a gap there long enough to give it a go... As you say, "youthful exuberance", but good to see all the same... It wasn't a reckless act by any means which would rightly have been criticised accordingly... To reach the highest levels you need to take calculated risks, which, sometimes, you fail with... I do think an U24 Championship would be something worth considering until the U21 level can stand alone with enough riders of sufficient quality... It would also give any "wunderkinds" (that we seem to have very regularly considering we are a nation who end up with very few top level riders), a more realistic appraisal of where they are in the "real world", and may also then have people being less over the top, and pressured, in their expectations of them...

Only saw it on YT but there did seem to be a Zmarzlik sized opportunity to dive bomb into turn three... Cairns took that chance and, given the one camera angle from his side of the track, looked like he may have got passed without touching Piper... Either way, good to see someone prepared to take racing risks...

EVERY meeting should have some junior racing incorporated into it.... The old Scottish Junior League structure would do if they wanted to make "teams".... Track time being the gain, rather than money being made... That can come later when progression happens...

The more "names" the merrier...

Watched the last SON from the top of the Monster rig situated there... (Thanks Monster Joe, free food and bar for two days!!!).. And seeing the riders fly down the straight, and cut across each other, at full speed, at the last moment on that third turn, is incredible to see...

Ex riders, and sponsors of riders who take over clubs, are, in the main, the ones who provide the sport.... They are too close to the sport and know nothing other than what has gone before, therefore, do pretty much, exactly the same.. The raw material of a fast, high octane, colourful, exciting sport, all done in a minute so perfect for modern day attention spans, is clearly something that has potential to be exploited. However, white, middle aged males, with almost zero marketing, media and entrepreneurial skills, certainly need some people working with them who do possess those skills...

Cardiff was no Wembley was it?... The racing isn't as good as it used to be is it?... The riders of today are not as good as their counterparts of yesteryear are they?... Etc. Etc. Etc ..

We have two so it is viable... The cost of purchasing the event to run would be too prohibitive for one nights takings.. The East Stand means the capacity increases sufficiently to ensure ticket prices are affordable to "enough people".. Even with its huge cost to set up... On a one night GP you would have no East Stand, a 4,500 or so capacity, and, therefore, no ticket less than £100.... I presume the GP promoters are happy too, as they will get paid for two GP's rather than just the one payment they usually get..

They'd have to make sure David Sullivan stayed away....

It is very much a "UK Speedway thing" isn't it... Your comments will no doubt generate plenty of "what do you expect?", or "we should be lucky they cover the sport"... Fans are now conditioned to make allowances for UK Speedway... The reality of course is that so much of what UK Speedway delivers is down to an absence of any defined "Quality Control"... Phil Morris had the amazing ideas to start meetings on time, have a 2 min clock visible to fans, had those coloured helmet starting mats, and told tracks to make the centre greens look good with the sponsors clearly displayed... Imagine needing someone to tell you that?.. Amazing that so much off track mediocrity is delivered by the very people who wouldn't be too pleased if the lads on track delivered the same..

They should have ran it at Cardiff... I bet the stream would have connected if it had been ran at Cardiff... Loads of shops with free WiFi in Cardiff too, so that would have helped connnecting... And Cardiff has a roof too, to keep the internet in.... Should have ran it at Cardiff...

Tom B is a perfect example of the gap between where he is and the top lads are... A decent rider who will have a decent career in the UK, (if you can still have a career in the UK five years from now)... Tom found bikes being fired at him from all angles, full throttle, with not a thought to switch off, nor any split second of doubt from riders when committed to a manoeuvre... Even Dan Bewley struggled for a fair while when he was coming back from injuries and suddenly the levels went skywards from the usual domestic racing, when at the GP's.... Even Dan couldn't give three World Class riders a lead out of bend two, lap one, and expect to consistently get by all three... Probably half way through last season, Dan visually started to mix it more and his results showed the improvement needed, and this year he carried on from where he left off with an obvious more attacking approach.. The lads at the "next level down" certainly have a huge gap to bridge to get to that rarefied level that many have been at now for a good many years...

The younger riders who rode last night, and those watching on TV, or in the stands, could truly be traumatised by watching the level of capability of the very best.... They must see a gulf between their level and the level of the top lads... People say that want "new faces" in the GP's, but the bottom line is the older heads, of many GP years standing, are still considerably better, and even, still now, more attacking and aggressive.... Add in Bewley, Lindgren and Kubera to this weekends action and it would have raised it up even more, even higher from the incredible standard it was....

The GP's serve up, easily, some of the best racing I have ever watched... A ridiculous level of ability shown these days by the top riders... Reactions are hair trigger and made whilst doing over 80mph, with other riders within a few yards doing exactly the same... Last night MJJ, 100% was considering a dive bomb, block pass on Zmarzlik into turns one and two when Kurtz came underneath the pair of them like an express train... Amazing racing from all three involved... Zmarzlik almost hit MJJ's back wheel, went straight, locked up, went to last, and still passed Holder within a lap!!! An incredible race, on an incredible track which serves up passing opportunities from front to back in almost every race...

I can speak a fair bit of Polish so can translate some of it .. They said that... "Brady Kurtz was hard charging".. And that he was "coming on strong".... And also, at the end, said "this is Speedway out of the top drawer"... "SPEEDWAYYYYY!!!!!"

I presumed it must be an instruction given all did it... As the last rider exited the track, the next four came out almost immediately....

Madsen used it well on Friday... The banking must mean plenty of moisture around the kerb remains and no one seems to use it from heat one..... Hyde Rd was similar and PC and Mort used to often use the inside to pass riders later in the meeting when all were riding the boards, and it was mentioned in their books.. However, you do need a large amount of talent to hold that line, and not lose momentum...

The racing improved because riders were no longer brainwashed into riding the fence for four laps.. Dan Bewley won the SON riding the white line.. For some reeson many riders ignore the inside...

Just watched heat nine where Kurtz, brilliantly, went from third to first. . The commentators are going mad at the end of the race, and the camera pans to the Grandstand. Rows and rows of seated fans, heads down, pens out, and programme filling in... "Did you get the time of the last one?"..

Definitely a rider in there.... Slow burner but isn't fazed racing with the top riders.

Just watching the Polish coverage of the last race... "Pheeenominarllllllll" and "Speedwayyyyyy!" (Said at the end), were the only two words I understood... But they certainly enjoyed it...

I was in the South Stand, and it was brilliant.. I said to a mate that in Poland, several races would have had the Grandstand going mental... Hardly anyone even stood up....! Must have paid so much for their seats that they didn't want to leave them..

Cardiff isn't just for Speedway GP's... It's for life!!!!

It is a truly ridiculous level of ability at this level... Surely someone can make the sport the level it deserves to be at over here?..