PHILIPRISING

EXCEPT when they fall off a la Gollob and Sayfutdinov amongst many others!

WATCH out for SS this week!

THERE will be a full report on the new engine in SS shortly. Designed by Marcel Gerhard, Kelvin Tatum has had a massive input, and being built by Sutec AG in Switzerland. Obviously created a lot of interest in the Marketa pits over the weekend. In essence, the aim is to be as competitive as GMs but to run for around 20 hours between services. That's a lot of races. Compare this with Jarek Hampel GMs which, he said, do just 15 heats. But it is not an engine specifically aimed at the top echelon of riders. Far from it. It will come fully built, not in kit form like a GM. The potential scale of economies available to bread and butter riders is quite significant.

COULD always buy the box set of dvds...

USED it in one of his runs. Might possibly try it tonight. Engine developed by Marcel Gerhard with Kelvin Tatum as test pilot. KT, 51 years old, looked silky smooth riding before practice yesterday. More about the engine in SS later this week. Ole Olsen has nothing to do with permanent tracks.

THANKS for your vote of confidence. Take a look at Tatum's Track Talk at speedwaygp.com

RIDERS seemed happy with track, as well they might after the last two, and there was plenty of dirt. Lack of passing isn't always down to the track. Any SGP rider worth his salt who makes the start should be capable off staying there.

LOVELY weather here at the Marketa. Should be okay for tomorrow as well after a dismal forecast earlier in the week. Kelvin Tatum actually rode the track earlier today (for social media) and said it was lovely ... but then it had it all to himself.

ME...

DON'T drink lemonade! It was rubbish. Nuff said.

HE'S fine ... and a good bet for this evening

DEFINITELY a better shape than last year but still heavily favours the fast starters. Cloudy and overcast but no real rain forecast. Quite cold, too.

JUST had a chat with Greg Hancock who walked the track this morning and he says the shape is much improved on last year, wider going into the corners although still a little narrow coming out. Been raining this morning but should be okay for practice at 5pm local time (3 pm bst).

GPs at the London Arena, Bradford and Coventry and then Cardiff. Seems a bit more than a few inches to me.

SEE post 1596...

NOT be defensive at all ... just giving an opinion same as you.

PLENTY of riders not in the SGP give Britain a miss... think you are barking up the wrong tree

POLAND, Denmark and Australia don't seem to have any trouble finding young riders... GB's troubles started along with the demise of the grasstrack scene which brought us, amongst many others, the Collins brothers, the Morton brothers, Chris Pusey, Kelvin Tatum, Simon Wigg, Jeremy Doncaster et al.

ASK yourself what the FIM do with the money that BSI pay for the commercial rights. Not their responsibility to develop riders.

DEMISE is harsh Humphrey... Forstmann died and IMG was bought for several billion dollars by William Morris. FOR the record, the Event Manager who is superb and handles all the background administrative work that goes unseen and unheralded is going on maternity leave.

BENFIELD Sports International, founded by John Postlethwaite, formerly of Pepsi and the Benneton F1 team, was originally a subsidiary of Benfield Greig, one of the world's largest re-insurance companies. JP later took BSI away from the Benfield Greig umbrella and subsequently sold BSI Speedway to IMG.

WEATHER forecast isn't that good... going to be very cold with rain or snow. Oh for a roof

THERE'S always Glasgow on Sky!

NEVER denied that Pinegen (publishers of Speedway Star) produce SGP programmes for BSI but have no media relationship, financial or otherwise, with them. Neither BSI nor the FIM contribute financially to my attendance at SGP/SWC events. Views expressed here are my own. Fans haven't been fobbed off to the PZM ... it was their event. Who received the ticket money ... BSI or the PZM? Answer: the latter. Thanks for the defence, however short and not so sweet!

THE riders refused to continue, claiming safety issues, effectively leaving the FIM with no choice other than to call a halt to proceedings.