mikebv

ITV showed every major event for years when England were having success and I dont think it was coincidence that this was a boom time for the sport. Virtually every fortnight there was a meeting beamed into literally millions of homes. Riders were household names, standing alongside the most famous sportsmen of the day... As a kid growing up in the 70"s, weekly magazines like 'Tiger' and their annuals, had full pages dedicated to the likes of Peter Collins, with posters and interviews.. When PC won the World Title in 76, the Sunday Mirror (for one) ran the story on their back page sharing the lead headlines with the football.. In fact, as an 8 year old kid, I remember being in Rhyl on a day out the day later, where outside one of the newsagents was one of those 'A frame' boards advertising certain papers and "PC lands World Title" was the message on it..(Things you remember as a kid).. But that very advertising board showed (just by being there), the awareness level of the sport in the nation at that time, and would have been replicated all over the country in front of newsagents premises that morning as it was the lead corporate advertising from that newspaper.. However, when any domestic team won their league, hardly any coverage was given to it nationally, and I can guarantee that many of those who attended domestic speedway in those days did so because of the national team's success, and subsequent major coverage in both written and visual media. In fact, I know we had the race fixing scandal which would have had some impact but, for me, the stranglehold of the Danes and the Yanks in the 80's did the most damage to the sport in the UK, as no longer was there a 'success story' to be shown on TV or written about in the Newspapers, hence their coverage reduced massively.. And when World Of Sport went, ITV obviously didnt see any mileage in keeping showing Speedway as a 'stand alone' sport nationally like they did with others.. As I said before, the media love a national success story, (its good for viewing and readership numbers), and both rugby and cricket realised this and radically changed their focus to ensuring their national teams became successful. Because they realised that it didnt matter how many times the likes of Leicester or Saracens won their rugby titles, or Middelsex or Essex were County Champs in cricket, it would only deliver 'local coverage' in a major way, and that it was only by having success globally as a national team that their domestic leagues would benefit from that 'feel good' factor.. This blueprint has subsequently been attempted to be followed by Basketball and Ice Hockey who have both tried to increase the number of 'genuine not flag of convenience' UK participants to try and improve their national teams standing, in the hope more coverage and money comes their way, which can then filter down into the domestic game.. Speedway wont become successful again whilst promotions all do their own separate things in splendid isolation, all trying to out do each other in trying to win competitions hardly anyone cares about.. However. Win the SWC three years on the bounce, and have three or four riders in the top 10 in the World for 10 years or so, and I can guarantee domestic Speedway would benefit..

Someone put a 50 zloty piece into the meter...

Excellent.. Look forward to lots of different surnames for the riders.. If you listen to Sam, you would think there must be approximately 36 riders on view..

24 points difference going into the last heat and they all race their knackers off. . Got to love Polish Speedway haven't you?

Very impressed with Lambert this year.. Especially considering he got excluded for the Lebedevs crash which resulted in him getting injured.. He has showed great resilience , maturity and belief to seemingly put that out of his mind, and not let it impact his racing, which isn't easy considering it's a team mate.. And whilst never a 'big lad' by any means, he looks like he has trimmed down a couple of kilos or so too.. Heading towards the top level without a doubt..

Track looks fine...

And the Promoters over here understand that one day, regardless of how much they have 'invested' in the riders development, that they will 'lose them' to Poland, but realise that the more GB riders 'lost' to domestic UK Speedway means the more successful the GB team will inevitably become.. Bringing far more wider media coverage, as the newspapers and TV do love a GB success story.. No disrespect to any team in this country, but not one (however successful) can 'sell' GB Speedway nationally like a winning GB team can..

Craig Cook said a few years ago in an interview that it cost £35k to set yourself up over there... And I presume the British lads (effectively initially on trial), won't be getting big signing on fees and 'top money' until they prove themselves. Also, by doing Poland, they lose the DU potential (and money) as they will be required to ride Fri, Sat or Sun in a normal season.. And then of course you can get replaced very quickly after just a couple of bad meetings, meaning your investment is now bringing in no money at all.. It is a big risk for those who do it, and truly a world away from the 'comfort zone' of riding in the UK, where when you get to a certain level you become 'bomb proof', with absolutely zero chance of losing your place in the top division, and you also get the opportunity to pick up lots of race win money in the 2nd Division.. There is no doubt though that if your ambition is to reach the top, then you do have to race out there as it gives you a true barometer of what level you actually are at, and where you need to improve, as well as delivering true pressure to perform against the world best.. You can only sink or swim, hence those who swim are the ones who move on to the highest level..

For me, the biggest and most important step is for the UK to stand alone, away from the global sector of the sport. Fundin said that those who progress to the GP's should then move out of UK domestic racing to free up places for others coming through.. The two worlds of Poland and the UK are you could say 'poles apart' so why the UK still clings on to the odd GP star or two is beyond me.. As all it does is unbalance the league anyway, raise overall costs for those who then try and compete with teams with GP riders, create inconsistent fixture lists to accommodate them, and often mean guest replacements when fixtures cant be rearranged which impacts the whole credibility of the league. When the UK sees itself in it's true position, as that of a stepping stone to greater financial rewards and global fame for those who progress through it, it can then rebuild itself a framework that is fit for purpose to grow the sport in the UK.. Not holding my breath obviously.. Too many egos involved who refuse to accept that the UK are simply not important, or influential anymore, in the grand scheme of things globally I think to let it happen.. The irony being of course is that if they had a very successful GB team their influence on the global stage would grow accordingly, with wider UK media interest also growing the same.. The UK should be a conveyor belt for UK talent to progress through to the top level, which will then have the knock on effect of increased public interest, which can only then benefit the domestic leagues accordingly.. Like the RFU and TCCB acknowledged many years ago now when their domestic sports were respectively somewhat in the doldrums, a successful National team brings in the interest, sponsorship and crowds which then permeates down to the domestic level of competition.. A blueprint worth following I would suggest..

Many do seem to do it 'globally' for a lot of years don't they? Seems a long time to do something (especially something as dangerous as speedway), if all you will do is end up with not very much.. Especially as so many ride from being a teenager to mid to late 30's, and some even longer.. That's a lot of years to keep not making any money.. In another excellent Speedway Star, the current edition has an interview with true Legend, Ove Fundin, who is truly amazed in quoting an interview which appeared in a Swedish speedway magazine with a rider called Philip Hellstrom Bangs (yes THE Philip Hellstrom Bangs), a 17 year old kid making his first tentative steps into the sport.. He has openly said he has spent the Swedish equivalent of £130,000 on "three complete bikes, six engines, a van and 'all the extras', including a full time mechanic" (ex rider Robert Fils)... "That's what it has to be if you want to go anywhere" was a quote.. How much will he want per point? The problem of course is how this hyper inflates costs for others who may see that really is the only way to go. . All running to stand still, all paying out fortunes, and all risking their necks to take a slice of an ever diminishing pie.... Absolute crackers...

Or use two thirds of a sand egg timer?

Looks like a fantastic line up assembled... The British lads have got to start getting involved in this. . It's clearly a huge bridge to use from the level of domestic racing to the GP's given the amount of truly World Class riders who take part in it.. You can see without any doubt how Robert Lambert has benefited from doing this series... Rubbing shoulders in the pits, and observing some of the very best, must help you along massively, as only then can you realise what it has taken for them to get to the top.. And what you must do to achieve the same.. No point beating 2nd Division riders in the UK, week in week out, if you have any serious ambitions to become a global star. .

It was also mentioned on this thread how it clearly helps to reduce first bend incidents too, by having all riders leaving the tapes in an arrow straight line... Rather than the all four firing off in different directions like we can get over here.. It sometimes resembles the start of Wacky Races... The ref and marshall are linked up too, so should a rider roll back when the marshall's back is turned when he moves on to another rider, or even if he goes straight into 'under starters orders' mode, the ref will let him know if anyone has moved and he goes back and sorts them out again... With some conviction and authority.. Be ready to race when the 2 mins clock expires following the marshall's instructions.. Or you are out... So simple and yet so effective... And so professional....

100%. And as a watcher of Polish Speedway over the past few years, it gets even better when the crowds are filling the stadiums to capacity.. The racing seems to take on even more of an edge when tens of thousands of fans are either screaming out in adulation, or disgust at their riders.. This year there has been some cracking racing, and I think some fans just equate passing in races as a benchmark to their standard.. In Poland you seldom get one rider miles in front of everyone else given there is usually two decent world level heat leaders in most races, and many of the races have two seperate battles for 1st and 2nd and then 3rd and 4th, given the close nature of the standards of the riders.. You can have some great racing with no passing at all, eg cant remember which race the other day, but it ended 5-1 to Czestowocha but it looked like synchronised speedway with the Wroclaw riders riding five yards behind for virtually the whole of the race, trying to find a way through.. (Might have been Woffy and Chugunov?) The whole experience from the mechanics in club colours, the fans in club colour T shirts, through to the 2 mins use and start marshall/ref communication to align the riders straight and right up to the tapes, and then the racing itself, is truly light years ahead of what we have over here.. And that's no disrespect to British Speedway as that it the way it should be with the millions of PLN it attracts.. But to think what we see in the UK is better, I do have to say is pushing the boundaries of reality a little bit far..

And from what I saw yesterday Drabik and Janowski had as much straight line speed as Madsen. There does appear to be a 'Karlsson corridor' at Czestowocha, coming out of the second turn and he seems to use it better than anyone.. Down, it seems to me, to the way he can ride the whole bend tighter than other riders, at a speed similar to his opponents who are using the wider arc nearer the fence... He then manages to get his wheels in line without locking up, and scrubbing speed off, even on such a tight line.. And he does this at most tracks.. He isn't going faster (sideways) than his opponents I would suggest, but he is just taking the shortest route, and gets the rewards exiting the bends, which at World level racing pace takes some doing..

Do they all still get their methanol from a communal drum? Or do they all provide their own? If so. His might be 4 star..

And that's just the 2nd Division. . And that's the reduced rates...

Do the likes of Lindback and KK bring sponsorship money to the club? Similar to buying a ride in F1? Shamek the same.. All pretty average but seem to get a place each year. . Protasiewicz another who seems to get a team place. Is it due to Pentels money?

Check out YouTube. . Usually two or three live streams.. Some get caned but usually at least one makes it..

I am sure MJJ's biggest fan will be on soon to tell us all about how good he is.. As soon as they log off from their current name obviously and sign in with one of their other ones..

That win from their reserve a few races ago looks very important now..

Taxi for Lindback... He must be on borrowed time?

Spot on, well said.. Some balloon the post before had called their manager an idiot for not bringing Nicki P in...

Shamek's career has fallen off a bit of a cliff hasn't it over the past few years?

And lots of places they went got lots of people moaning about them.. I am old enough to remember the "War of the Rose's" matches that the Aces had with Sheffield in the 70's.. Loads of Sheffield fans always decended on Hyde Rd and the atmosphere in those meetings generated by both sets of fans is something I remember even 40 odd years later such was the 'raw passion' shown on those nights.. It was 'electric', with lots of good natured (and sometimes not so), vocal sparring.. Sadly most meetings nowadays have no atmosphere due to hardly any away following, and home followings that see a polite round of applause as the way to celebrate race victories add nothing to it either.. For me, just getting away fans there would make a huge difference to the 'event' and start to create an experience that those in attendance would want to regularly repeat... As well as making meetings feel like a 'proper contest' which so many sadly dont come across as being today.. Selling discounted tickets to the away fans must be worth a try? (Maybe initially to get some momentum even make them free?).. They dont come now so no loss to the home side and tickets could be sold directly at the away teams track so home fans cant get hold of them.. Too many meetings sadly appear to have no relevance, so get some rivalry there to make it relevant..