Tsunami

Redcar is a better team now than the one we have met in earlier season meetings. Carl is struggling but Kus has woken up, and Davey replaces Dilger. Still don't reckon it will make them strong enough to beat us, but a better meeting will result tomorrow. Looking forward to the Bears hoards to swell our ranks. Forecast is good with no rain, and with our superb track, how can anybody miss it.

Quite agree. Early calloffs are very welcome for travelling fans and away teams, so you would think it would be applauded. Instead some on here always seem to be '2 minutes from the track no sign of rain'. Wish they played golf with me, and I wouldn't have so many non starts or walkins due to rain.

You have just enriched it by replying screm.

I think it happened more in the then Conference League.

Does make you wonder whether his UK entry visa is valid.

As if there isn't enough competitions to create more havoc with the fixtures of the British Elite League. I applaud their attempts to give EL fans more continuity, despite the FIM, and the desperate involvement by John Davis poking his nose in it for his self interest.

At our televised meeting a couple of years ago, SKY issued the race times before the proper ones were telephoned to the announcer. No advance hint what would happen the night, SKY just did it.

Weren't trying to copy Belle Vue were they.

At the end of a season,and sometimes during the season, there is a reconciliation between club statistics and the BSPA ones that have been published.

I run the training school in the afternoon, but I am sure we will have a bike for you.

Sorry, just seen this George. For a number of years we used to be at Glasgow at about 12 Noon, and the return was back at our place for about a 7.00pm start. Very frantic, especially if you got injuries in the first match, or if riders had mechanical probs. Although a fans favourite on a Bank Holiday, it was not always popular with the riders, and eventually agreed Glasgow on the Sunday(they have priority) and Newcastle on the Monday when it is always a local holiday, as opposed to Glasgow.

It looked like the new Redcar trackman was on loan to the Swedish GP last night. Did someone say that he resigned on Thursday night.

What about Jason K.

I believe Luddi has had Man Flu, and was under the weather. Good meeting with some excellent racing. Still got big queries about the corners on the 2nd and 3rd bends but other than that the track is level, grippy and passable both inside and especially the outside. Christian though he had made it with Screen, but come the forth bend and Screen took the inside for a change and must have gained about 3 metres, emerging ahead of Christian and then getting the win. Richie slipped up early on when, in the lead from the gates, he chose to ride the inner line out of the second, and James G obviously just went around him easy and took the win. Thought we had blown it after the early two 5-1's, but we hit back later with our own, but still couldn't win after winning heat 13 but losing heat 14. However, as Paulco said, it was a great atmosphere with some super racing. Must admit, when I first saw the names of the young Aussies preseason, I thought here we go again, but got to admit I saw enough today to say the Aussies and young Joe will serve you well in 2013. Bager I am not sure about and I would be already looking for a replacement and looking for an opportunity to introduce them as son as poss. Very impressed with changes to the track, the hightened fence on the 3./4rd bends, the new bar, the new hospitality suit, the bouncy castle(although I though it was a bit soft for me ) as well as a happier atmosphere than usual. Lovely to see, and I hope Glasgow capitalise on the current enthusiasm. A very good day out. Nice to meet up again with regulars Paulco and Alistair, and of course Wee George, who never changes. Sorry to hear that Bongo Brian is still posted missing, and not in attendance. Wonder who get's Wee George home these days.

It was the guest that cost you not your own team members.

So how do you stop existing supporters get their hands on them for free.

Too many wrongs assumptions and condescending comments Volty, to justify and/or attempt to debate. I think I will leave it there and let you wallow in your problems. Given the condescending nature of some of the replies I get from the Leicester faithful, are you saying that only they are allowed to give it, but I am not allowed as a neutral. Only on a Leicester thread eh. Joe was on the track on his own for all his rides.

Yes Newcastle, Wembley. It is, or was, more noticeable when teams like Sheffield used to come to Newcastle and just go straight across the corner, and have to ride the fence line, doing more distance, when the likes of Stuey Swales. Kevin Little,etc, used to cut to the line and sneek around the kerb and getting ahead of the faster rider. It's down to the rider how to ride it, it's not the tracks fault. BTW I obviously haven't been to Leicester as much as you have, but so what. Does that make you a more neutral, and better judge to decide what needs to be done cos you have been there more times. It's not logic. Perhaps listening to neutrals who regularly talk to track curators, might introduce something to the table instead of carrying on with the same old, same old. BTW I have following and debating on the Leicester project for all the years since the P & P was first granted. Check the archives. I am no newcomer on here, just ask the original protagonist speedibee, who thankfully has left this thread some time ago.

Apart from the 1st and 2nd bends, I have never seen all 4 back for a stoppage. I have seen 1 rider deemed to be the primary cause of the stoppage, and I have also seen 2 riders excluded for the same incident, but never all 4 back cos the ref couldn't make his mind up.

No, why should I. You all seem to be giving him it but none of you have got it right. I visited Leicester in April and had a good look at what has been done. There obviously had been a change to the inside line, and I watched Joe Screen ride flat out, for the youngsters in the British Championship, and he rode the inside line never leaving the new part of the track. I was there to see it, but you would have thought it hadn't been done or happened according to the bile on here by the usual few. Your attitudes and inflexibilty to serious discussion about what might be done to improve the situation, will always get in the way and DH will always be the villain regardless. Don't worry, the folks on here on the protest will eventually have their way, but I wonder if Coventry will be around then in their search for the perfect speedway. Hi Glyn. Why then is the top surface nearly all chippings and allowing drift coming out of the bends, particularly the 4th bend. I accept in April the track was very dry and could have had more water on, but it was chippings not shale on the top. NB Feel free to PM me if more appropriate.

I have similar views to you Vince. There are plenty of tracks that have long straights and tight corners, namely Newcastle and Belle Vue. BV has stocks but Newcastle doesn't. Our track is fairly consistant and enjoys good racing on a smoothish grippy track. Even with little banking on either bends, riders know they can pick up the dirt and ride both outside and inside and gain an advantage. Like all tracks, gaters are fancied to win but there is the chance inside or out to pass. At Leicester, there is little wrong with the shape, and it has the great advantage of good banking. In my visits to it, there is an inability to stop drift coming out of the bends and riders need to shut off a little to save drifting into the fence. Berwick, Worky, Redcar, etc, suffer from the same characteristic. My solution would be to increase the shale and clay in it, to make it grippy and neutralise the chippings which seem to be the majority material used and is the prime cause IMO of the drift due to lack of grip. It does not need any major surgery, the shape is NOT that different from many other tracks. It is certainly a better shape than some of the current and past square or trick tracks where home fans raved about the standard of racing at their track. Get the material mix right, add some water and you will get decent racing and yes from the riders that are in the current team. I have tried to post as a neutral, but unfortunately some posters on here are totally unable to, and seem to only want to seek remedies that are not or cannot be delivered. Change the clay./shale mix, not the Promotor or the track shape. Newcastle has proved what can be done with a grippy track which has long straights and tight turns. Leicester can do it as well.

I said in an earlier post when the H & S council officers made their judgement, that the steps should be treat as three different areas. The worst area, the middle section, should have had a prohibition order to be repaired in say 6 months, and the outside flanks repaired with 6 months each to repair them. Their total ban on all the three sections is totally over the top, and shows a complete disregard that businesses have to be treat sympathetically and kept in business. It only affects the speedway really as the dogs punters are all behind the glass having meals, whilst the handful of oncourse backers lurk on the lower steps to keep in touch with the oncourse bookies at the front fence. I believe specifications have been prepared and tenders are being invited by suitable builders to repair the steps. How long it will take, I don't know.

All the alternatives are either unworkable, or the fans would be further outraged with poor standin riders. Guests are a necessity.

Rain shower at about 5.00pm seemed to badly affect the track. It looked OK and when i was on it before the meeting with Archie, it just seemed nice and smooth with just normal level of loose dirt. No problem for him. Unfortunately with the big lads, the surface was loose with very variable grip causing a lot of lifting and sudden grip. Most mastered it but it was graded heavily after heat 2 which was an early indicator that it did have a few concerns. Schramm was an early faller round the outside of the third bend but to be fair he was very close to the fence to start with with no room for error. Nevertherless, the third bend was looked at and graded. The times were about 2 seconds slower than normal, but most riders rode accordingly and produced some good safe racing. All going well and a large heavy raincloud passed to the North probably over Longbenton and shortly afterwards in heat 1, it went dark and we had our own raincloud over the stadium and I thought heat 12 would not be run. It was, but it was obvious Mark could not see properly in front, and Christian stayed safely at the back. The winning time was over 70 secs and Mark was indicating that his vision through the goggles was impaired. The two captain got together and very shortly the ref called the meeting off on safety grounds. and this was a decision that everyone agreed with. So with the Diamonds winning the away meeting, and leading 42.5 to 29.5, the result was that the Diamonds move on to the next round of the KO Cup. Experienced a dead heat in heat 3 when Mark was in the lead for all the race but Luddi caught him on the line with a fast finish and taken the lead or so I thought. Some fans on the line think that Mark got it by about half a wheel, and the ref called it a dead heat. Some good hard riding and best ROTN was Proctor who has never been this good before with Redcar, but he gated and rode hard for his wins tonight. Some good solid performances from all the Diamonds with every team member getting either a heat win or a paid win. Proctor and Mark were the only real points scorers but a decent performance from Dane Nicki B who could have scored more. Not sure he has ridden Brough before. Disappointing crowd last night on a cold night with always the threat of rain. We really do need to convince more fans to return, or introduce new fans. We have a great winning team, on a great racing track in one of the best stadiums in our league. We need to support it and increase the support quickly.

We are hoping that the Wheatsheaf Hotel is going to put the speedway on the teles.