mikebv

In the Speedway Star, Mark Lemon mentioned how he likes to keep as many riders as he can, which does make sense if they have improvement in them (like last season), as you have invested time in them and had to take the "not too good days"... It is much more of a gamble when coming off a season of good increases in averages, and for riders to move up a position in a team and even just keep the same average will be a challenge.. The joys of being successful in Speedway!!😁 The opportunity being of course, that a poor season from "the engine room" could see them having great averages for the 2028 team!!😁 Only in Speedway...

Will be a challenge with three riders moving up a position in the team higher than the positions their averages were gained at.. Blodorn and Cook to HL's and Tate to Second String... And the RS? Won't be as good as Cairns you would have to think.. Klindt at four?.. And ???? at six, probably needs to be a very decent level U21...

Surely nothing is stopping the UK doing this?... And if there is... They didn't think this through very well. Just by coming on here you could see how many lads were moving out of the RS scheme, so, surely, "someone" should have considered who were likely to replace them?... The foreign U21 riders better be good!!! (But I have my doubts as to their level too given how many of the best ones ride in Sweden and Denmark)..

This season is very much, completely different... As all the teams have much longer to pick from pretty much exactly the same riders.. Meaning it will be the best season, ever, ever, ever..* Even better than the seven team 2025, which surely will be talked about for decades to come... * (Unless Belle Vue win again)....

You would think that "the stock car tracks" would automatically run on a Thursday wouldn't you?.. Must be logistically so much easier to prep the track... That would be four of the six, with Belle Vue being the outlier of the other two left... If they went to Thursday's (could still do BHM's), then one meeting a fortnight would be doable, with all teams riding on the same night... Meaning No Guests!!! So that won't happen then...

If we get more top level riders over here then clashes could be inevitable.... However, if we only have a few top tier Polish riders, like currently, then as you say, hopefully they can work around it... Who knows maybe if will focus them on delivering some fit for purpose fixture planning across the season with home matches, weather permitting ,evenly spread out?..

Agreed, however. Just running on Thursday would mean clashes with Poland running on that night.. Eight meetings planned next year plus any rearrangements... And also would mean riders flying out on Friday to possibly race in FIM meetings or Polish top league matches that night.. Scandinavia has the advantage of "being done" by Wednesday evening, so the fixtures at the weekend have prep time...

Josh Grajczonek???? Game over with that on a triple word ..😁

Jason Crump born in Bristol... Our first three time world champ...😁

Hence, hate on the game, not the player of it ..😉

And Eastbourne are building to 30....😯😁

One of the most frustrating aspects of UK Speedway is the lack of these "engine room" type of riders.. Years of not developing UK riders has left many leaving the sport who now could be at this Second String/No6 level.. The very top level riders are a breed apart, but those in what I would describe as the "third level" ie "the average rider" make up the largest individual sector, and this country should have had many more riders of that level, which would have helped the sport in the UK enormously... Hopefully enough is being done to encourage that potential level of young rider to keep going...

Good for selling season tickets and to make a team not look like cannon fodder... Which they then invariably become.. "Look at our league, isn't it competitive?".. Whilst many followers of the sport will already know it clearly isn't, and be proven right, usually around the end of May....

Top tier teams are usually the ones with the regular four figure fan base... With some obvious outliers in tier two.. Hence they can afford to change nights and still, hopefully, keep enough people attending for the Speedway to remain at leasf affordable if not profitable. Eastbourne were not one of those regular four figure attendance teams, hence the Dugard family would put tens of thousands in some seasons, and running at weekend would bring in around 700-800, tops, I would think, (after an initial novelty period that may bring a few more)... Moving to a Monday or Thursday, from a weekend would then be a big risk, especially given the 30% and more increase in rider costs...

Assessed averages often just make a team look competitive on paper.. Everyone knows the reality will be very much different...

If the 40 point Championship level is true, then maybe its been done to get more "mid level" overseas riders to come over??. If they double up, (solving a top tier rider issue), they would ride around 70 meetings a year, if they did the UK, Poland and one other league of Sweden or Denmark.. Doing Poland, Sweden and Denmark would only deliver around 40 something meetings.. The top level riders may be able to pick and choose how often they ride, but maybe enough lower level riders still exist who are happy to earn as much as they can by riding as much as they can??

If no extra riders want to come over and ride... And some from last season might decide to miss the UK.. You could end up with a lower level of rider in the top tier!! Charles Wright would get a top tier spot next season surely?.. Can't think of too many more of a sufficient level to move into the top tier from the second..

I was going to also mention something about "the cartel" but decided not to bother..

Chequebook clubs!!! The Aces certainly are not one of them... What they are though, is almost like a charity given they take huge gambles on riders who may not have made it, like Bewley, Fricke, Ben Cook, Lidsey, Kurtz, etc and then single handedly nurture them into the riders they become later in their careers .. Then, for the greater good, they allow riders to leave so other teams can be competitive.. (Or something like that)...

It is strange that they pay so much when other leagues pay nowhere near the same.. As you say, it must be to outbid other Polish teams.. You would think they would just get together and agree on a maximum figure, meaning a more stable financial footing for the sport.. Lublin's new stadium is costing £48.2m which is being covered by the city council... You need to ensure TV and major sponsors remain interested to keep paying out what they do, and, of course, the fans to keep attending in the numbers they do..

Matt Ford in a Speedway Star interview a while back said something like it would help UK Speedway if Poland paid less to their riders, (and also help Poland I would presume), as their expectations would be much lower when speaking with them to come over... Unfortunately, they do get those huge salaries and also expect the same level of infrastructure around them kit wise, mechanic wise, transport wise etc, that they have in Poland... Phil Morris also alluded to the logistical challenges in riding over here re visas, flights, etc. Where once riders needed to ride in several leagues to make themselves "wealthy", with a "have bike, will travel" mentality, it is no longer the case...

Looking like a "strength in depth" team again next season... Presumably they are hoping that riders are now more dialled in to the track, and that they have now got the consistency needed in its prep... Musielak should suit the track given it's shape and size, but ideally should be a No5 rather than a No1.. If other teams put out two big hitters at one and five then a strength in depth team could struggle in Ht13 and 15.. The Aces in the season just gone delivered several victories by their 13 and 15 exploits.... The No5 for Northampton will be key to their season I would think..

Sweden and Denmark are filling up U21 spaces... And we know the Poles prefer to just "nip over" to Scandinavia rather than fly in an out of GB possibly twice a week.. Therefore, the UK need to get the U21 positions sorted... Presume some of the lesser ranked Poles will fill some places, with the better ones going to, or staying in, Scandinavia?.. Those teams who end up with two UK U21 riders could struggle getting two of the required level... A good time financially to be a decent U21 rider though you would think given the demand for your services .

Hopefully, for Northampton, not at No1....

Would be great for UK Speedway to have Woryna riding over here.. Plenty of "bums on seats" when he visits. .