norbold

They did away with the old system to stop Andy Smith qualifying every year.

Crickey! Has it? That's the trouble with being a speedway historian. I'll catch up with it in about another 10 years.

What about the World Championship?

Not quite true. He has appeared on at least two lists on this thread so far.

Do you mean this Count Strachwitz? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyazinth_Graf...e_und_Camminetz I think you are possibly right if you do. At least I don't remember him riding for New Cross.

Bengt Brannefors also rode for New Cross.

It's simple Derek. All you have to do is remember that a red light means stop!

See what I mean?

Yes, well done, Jason. A great rider and a great ambassador for the sport. Just one more podium finish to equal the record of the great Ove Fundin for consecutive first three finishes. Not even Mauger, Nielsen and Rickardsson managed that. Also well done to all Australians reading this. World Champion, World Under 21 Champion and should have won the World Team Cup but for ridiculous joker rules.

Gollob's action was unforgivable and he should receive a ban, in my opinion. However, what I do find interesting about this thread and the many others like it, is that there are 101 different opinions about who was to blame for a racing incident. It was Pedersen's fault; no it wasn't it was Gollob's fault; no it wasn't it was a racing incident; no it wasn't the track was to blame; the first incident was Pedersen's fault but the second was Gollob's fault; the first incident was Gollob's fault but the second was Pedersen's fault etc. etc. And then you get the people who always blame the referee for making the wrong decision. Well, if we can't agree amongst ourselves what the right decision is after much reflection and reviewing, just imagine how hard it is for the referee having to make a quick decision on the night.

Sprouts Elder was mentioned back on 1 March 2004.....

Thanks BOBBATH. If I ever get to Canada I'll be over for that drink. I believe Canada is quite a small country so wherever I am I'll be able to find you I should think...

There's a fair bit about Mike Parker written by Reg Fearman on John Skinner's "Defunct Tracks" website: http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Reg%20Fea...m#Mike%20Parker

Shouldn't this be in Years Gone By, not Speedway Museum? Anyway, the answer is he rode for Harringay in 1930.

Once speedway had gone international there were no qualifiers direct from GB, Scandinavian or any other national rounds. Riders qualified from the British, Scandinavian and Continental rounds to meet in semi-finals, with the top 16 going through to the final. Different countries organised their own rounds differently. For British riders in 1994, for example, the last year before the Grand Prix, there were quarter finals, then semi finals and then a British Final. From there the top qualifiers joined the Australian and New Zealand qualifiers in a Commonwealth final. The top qualifiers then went in to the Overseas Final, which included the American qualifiers. The qualifiers from that then joined the Scandinavian and Continental qualifiers in two semi-finals before they could get to the Final. Hardly the same thing as being allocated a place!

Due partly to that bloke who used to write about Dons' history....I always found his articles very interesting.

Did he ever ride against King Alfred?

You're right, Bryan. Len says in his biography, "The Mighty Atom", that he first tried his hand at speedway in practice sessions at The Firs in 1945. So, no pre-War British riders then.

You went all the way to Latvia to see Scott Nicholls and Chris Harris. Fair play to you, mate.

Sorry you won't be there, Bryan. I'll have to book in Keith to guest for you...

I believe Tony Millard did once mention in passing that Crumpy was born in Bristol....

Yes, I realised that, but not one with a chance of winning the Grand Prix. What I'm getting at is that I don't think that not having a full GP British rider at Cardiff would make any difference to the gate. I don't think not having a British rider would make any real difference to the interest in the Grand Prix series as a whole. After all, it's not as though British riders have any chance of winning the GP at the moment. Does anyone here watch the Grand Prix on television or go to see them live just because Scott Nicholls and Chris Harris are in them?

Oh well, Bryan, we can ask him in a couple of weeks.

Cardiff is, of course, an important venue. But how many fans would NOT go to Cardiff just because there was no British rider in it? Very few I would think.

Talking of Len Read, who was 90 this year I believe, did he not have a go at Norwich before the War, Bryan? So perhaps there is one pre-War English rider still going strong.....