szkocjasid

I think Sheffield are favourites to go through, but at least Belle Vue have made the second leg interesting.

Not want Castagna after his best season yet?

Why should Emil riding mean one less Polish rider racing in the GPs. The wild cards don't have to be based on nationality, they could just go by ability. I'd certainly hope so.

The fact that everyone is eager to believe the story without any evidence, should be a wake up call to Jack Holder to improve his attitude & actions, after all he is a professional sportsman, representing his sponsors / clubs / country. Had this story been about Emil Sayfutdinov, I would not have believed it at all!

Surely a 6 point rider would be expected to score 7 at home & 5 away. So while 5 points wasn't a good performance how can one point off your average be "well below par" especially riding at number 5, meaning he meets Bewley & Kurtz twice?

I have no doubt that Chris Holder & Pickering is a very strong partnership & splitting them no doubt weakens the middle order, but to not split them leaves a vulnerable pairing of Harris & the reserves anyway. Guess the management have to work out what's best for them.

I don't think Harris was that bad, don't forget he's a 6 point rider, so 5 points away from home riding in the difficult number 5 position isn't a major shock. I agree he wasn't great, but average wise he wouldn't be expected to beat any Belle Vue heat leaders. In Thursday I'd certainly put Chris Holder at 5 & move Harris to a "second string" position.

Assuming it's a 40 point limit. Always thought the Americans should suit Plymouth's small circuit. Plymouth Dan Thompson 7.36 Broc Nicol 5.95 Ben Barker 5.87 Joe Thompson 5.63 Dillon Ruml 5.47 Alfie Bowtell 5.07 Jacob Hook 4.28 Total 39.63

Really hard to come up with realistic top end riders for Lynn next season, so strength in depth is most likely. Just guessing the foreigners assessed averages. King's Lynn Przemek Pawlicki 7.00 Richard Lawson 6.91 Niels K Iversen 6.83 Nicolai Klindt 6.59 Jan Kvech 6.58 Kai Huckenbeck 6.00 Nathan Ablitt RS Total 39.91

That would mean they could stay with the same two clubs doubling up the following season i.e Brennan & Zach Cook at Birmingham & Poole. But what if the Spires got relegated & the Cheetahs got promoted?

Information from Leicester The outcome of that semi-final has an effect on the date of the Grand Final at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena, Beaumont Park. If Sheffield win on aggregate, the Lions will stage the first leg next Monday, September 23 before travelling up to South Yorkshire three nights later. A Belle Vue victory would mean the Lions travelling to Manchester next Monday and then hosting the second leg on Thursday September 26. So how is it acceptable that they have to wait till the Thursday to know where the final will be raced on the following Monday, when this wasn't acceptable for the semi finals? For "commercial reasons" couldn't Leicester just have agreed to host the home leg first to allow Belle Vue or Sheffield 7 days to publicise their leg of the final? There is nothing anyone could ever say to make me believe the "fixing" of the semi finals is acceptable.

I have no issue with running the RS scheme like Poland does with their U21 reserves, but British Speedway does. A couple of times they've had rules for British reserves, but declined to keep them there for the season.

You can finish 6th, lose in the play-offs quarter finals & still be champions.

Could it work against them, knowing Oxford are "definitely" in the final, would some fans, stay at home & just go to the final instead? Is this a situation where a 4 point deficit would've been better to bring in a bigger crowd?

Why not, I'm sure fans would rather beat a full strength team, but also rather beat a weakened team than lose to a full strength team. Obviously good that the riders are not seriously hurt.

I understand what you're saying, but disagree. I'm sure many fans like the finals, think it's exciting & enjoy the extra races. I think it detracts from the event, certainly in Richard Lawson's last ride instead of thinking "he could win the meeting here" you're thinking "he could qualify top to have another go". So yes the final may be more exciting, but the heats leading to it can become less exciting (i.e. it doesn't matter if a certain rider is last, they'll get another shot). Even if it was my favourite rider, I wouldn't be happy about them having a chance to win after finishing 6th, as I'd feel they didn't deserve it (despite it being within the rules). Seems to be they way speedway works these days, with finals & play-offs etc. Can't see it changing, but it's not for me.

But they would still say they picked up an injury, then suddenly be ok for the play-offs the next day (Howarth). Should run the CLRC before the play-offs & any rider who qualifies but doesn't ride, can't ride for his team in the play-offs / can't guest on the play-offs.

But the reverse of that is a rider on a 15 point maximum, who gets his bad luck in the final has no chance of winning the meeting.

Promotion & relegation would only work if the Championship teams want to get promoted. Plus it'll never work when there's restricted race nights.

Yeah Oxford have to sign Killeen & Boughen for 2025, otherwise why would they have weakened a play-offs chasing team of bit to benefit the following season (which was a stupid thing to do anyway).

I really hope it doesn't, plus the timing we be very odd. With Poland forcing their muscles and more riders missing fixtures, you'd think they'd want more Brits in teams & especially avoid riders who race on Thursdays in Poland.

I wouldn't trust Tarasenko to turn up every week, probably not Musielak either.

Starke was signed because he fitted in the averages, personally I thought he'd up his average (I was wrong). I said pre-season of have Vissing before Flint, didn't understand that change. Pearson having such a low away average, makes it understandable they'd drop him. Plus the fact he was a 4 point rider in the top 5, then puts a point on his average once he dropped to reserve. Starting next season on a 5+ average as a second string, can easily see that dropping again! Now Jack Smith would be available at reserve again on a 3.68 average, he could be in the team plans.

If everything went well then they could've been. Harris riding like the number one he is, Worrall putting half a point on his average, Flint improving like Tom Brennan, Pearson showing his Plymouth form after leaving Birmingham, Complin putting 1+ on his average, this putting Starke to reserve - see his Workington scores, then Pijper at reserve scoring above oppositions 2.00 riders. Now these aims weren't realistic, but they were possible, to expect them all to happen at the same time was unlikely. Imo they certainly overrated thier riders, then the team rode below even most fans realistic expectations.

No complaints with that, even if it's not 14, at least a 7 day recovery period.