mikebv

Fair play to Dudek.. Full on.... Rough track.. Tai, Dan and Robert all in the semis... (Though it probably doesnt say much for the tracks they rode over here in their development years to be able to handle it....)..

The Danes do like a smooth surface dont they?

With the previous regime, they kept the "jewels in the crown" for themselves and everyone else paid them to run a meeting... Maybe this is a legacy of that re contracts already signed, and going forward Discovery will focus more on the tracks which provide the best racing and not who pays up the most to them?

Freddie's Czestowocha fans must be delighted to see him to do so well in the GP's once more..

"Lions Led By Donkeys".. Is always a phrase that leaps to mind...

My lad asked me whether we were going, and I told him no as it was on TV... He said he knew it was on TV but that he would pay (), given he had done a fair amount of overtime... And said that Jason Doyle and Max Fricke would be good to watch against each other.. I then told him the line ups... He shook his head, laughed, and simply said "Why do they always run Speedway so f*****g s****e?".... 19 years old, and already so wise... #soproud...

Very...

They will also need two Guests to replace me and my lad...

"Freddie not so fast anymore"... No need for translation then....

Damn those fixture planners... Dont think even Bomber could get up and down the M6 between his races...

Truly is baffling how he cannot control a ride around the kerb at pace...

They cannot get their rider graphics correct. ... But can show some random race watchers from the pits instead of the racing......

Wow... What a race....

You have to be very, very, special to keep repeating the same mistakes though, year on year.... To be fair though the year we had no racing due to Covid it was pretty well organised .. Ironic that when we finally get Grand Prix riders back we then plan meetings to prevent them from riding..... Amazing...

Just ten league meetings to fit in and over six months in which to do it...? With the FIM meetings scheduled in advance...? And fixed race nights of Monday and Thursday so no clashes...? And yet they still plan a meeting whereby the likelihood would be "top level" riders may be elsewhere ? And on a TV night too? I bet Eurosport must be mightily impressed at such capability from their partners...

Job for Bomber maybe...? If he isnt doing anything else obviously...

Maybe have less teams in the league then? Would stop so many "haves and have nots" too, making it far more competitive than it currently is... And would mean NDL could be stand alone being given the "main stage" and not a "support act", and also nean the riders riding on tracks that are not bereft of shale, thus increasing both their experience of such tracks which will help their development, and the entertainment value on offer.. Less teams would not only mean plenty of dates freed up, but also would mean more riders of a certain level to stand in for injuries from a pool of talent that isnt contracted to any of the teams in the league.. Eg a "live example" would be if Complin was riding for Neecastle in the NDL he could be Berwck's No8, thus keeping the integrity and credibility of the sport intact...

???? Re "taking risks".. I was replying to someone who said the top tier should strengthen up rather than the 2nd Div reduce its strength.. I was merely pointing out that if they did that (and they would be mad to do so given the small potential impact to their crowds), that many of the current HL's would be jettisoned and have only Div 2 earnings to fall back on.. I presume Poole and the other Div 2 teams desperate to win, would like to subsidise any riders that happens to by paying them two wages worth of cash? No? Thought not... Therefore the best scenario for Div 2 is to maintain the 'as is'... Bottom line is the top tier cannot afford the top names and the 2nd tier cannot afford to pay the money on their own that jettisoned Div 1 HL's would need, so what we have is what we will always have, hence enjoy the racing for what it is and dont worry about the results.. Because it still can be a great night out when done well.. And as for Sweden and Denmark? No idea what trouble (if any) they have... I was just pointing out that they run a lesser level than Poland but still keep credibility within their leagues.. Sweden do though have a large international company sponsoring their league, so it appears they are doing something that at least one big company sees advantageous to them by being associated with the sport.. Even though when you watch Swedish Speedway the demographic of the crowd appears to be exactly the same as the UK... Yet. The UK seem to struggle badly with getting any of their leagues sponsored, and have done so for decades, even with multiple hours of prime time TV coverage... Makes you wonder how the Swedes can get a sponsor and the UK cannot.. (?).

Considering the meetings are live on TV, there has been some very decent crowds this season... Certainly a lot more than their UK counterparts seem to get when going out live.. Presume It must be the standard of rider which helps? Having Bauhaus as league sponsor must help pay the bills I would think given the amount of Polish top league riders who play their trade in Sweden...

"Brady Kurtz looking like a completely different rider in his last ride.." Indeed he did.. Because he was Rasmus Jensen...

Ambition to win something hardly anyone bothers about? And that is the top division never mind the 2nd tier... And should the top tier ever "take the risks" and bring top level riders over then lads who need to double up/down will get replaced by these riders thus meaning they wont earn enough to keep going.. That will hardly help Div 2....

Cut your cloth accordingly then... Have clear demarcation within the leagues... And run at the level your pockets dictate, not your ego... Bottom line is... You will never grow the sport using the current free for all of using whoever you want, whenever you want, and competing at a level you personally decide to compete at, rather than one your actual performances and infrastructure dictates... It won't ever change though given so many different agendas are involved.. Therefore, best not to take it seriously and enjoy, what still can be, a cracking night out...

Indeed... There is a reason Poland don't follow the operating model of UK Speedway... And that is they would lose all credibility, and with it, the fans, the major TV and other media coverage, and (critically), the big ticket sponsors.. The UK could very easily run a similar operating model "Poland Lite", (like Sweden and Denmark do), but steadfastly seem to refuse to do so.. A few teams trying to win the 2nd Division, using Division One Heat Leaders, is obviously more important than the sport itself becoming popular it would appear...

It isnt really two tiers though is it? More like 1.25..... The glaring issue (continually unresolved) is that if you want to run without relegation and promotion (like some other sports do so its not unique), then you need to ensure every team is competitive, and that they only compete in the league which suits there true level.... Otherwise it becomes brand damaging..

The well being of your home town club is more assured (and probably cheaper and easier to deliver), by employing a No1 you will never use and instead use every other teams' riders... Seems to work well.... Personally, the cost could be prohibitive for those who are not interested in the NDL, but for those who are it could be real VFM... For me, 30 heats of Speedway do often drag and the tracks are often "bald" early into the second meeting, meaning the racing isnt great, hence the double headers dont engage me.. But, as I say, for the die hard devoted "club before sport fan", it could offer real value...