PHILIPRISING

DIDN'T Sam win in Pocking. Per won at Odsal on an afternoon when Tatum probably should have done had he not been stuffed by Nielsen.

SORRY Sidney but the official figure was around 72,000 and was available at the time for those prepared to listen. It was always good propaganda to bump up Wembley attendances even for soccer when the magical number of 100,000 was bandied around.

NOT sure about that. Zagar in Italy, Ward in Poland. All riders competing in a GP have to possess a FIM international licence which covers Grand Prix events.

YES, it's a three year deal. My latest info is that tickets sales have been very encouraging especially as pre-buying is hardly essential given that what reserved seating there is has already sold out. If reports emanating from Gillman in Oz continue to be as positive as they have been of late then I would be very surprised if BSI and the FIM don't take a long hard look at staging a GP there, maybe as early as 2013. It makes sense especially if they don't have the worry and cost of installing a track.

WELL the guy who is paying the bills probably knows best what makes commercial sense as far as he is concerned. No one will carry the can more than him if it goes t*** up.

THIS is speedway we are talking about. Not soccer, tennis or golf. The commercial aspect has to come into it whether we (and I include myself in that) like it or not. In an ideal world this might not be the case but in the real world sadly it is.

I HAVE a pretty good take on it given that Larry Ross is my brother-in-law and I count both Briggo and Ivan as good mates. The Kiwis will not expect Bunyan to pick up many points but will see it as getting some NZ representation in international speedway again and while they have a very long haul ahead of them it is a start. There is a plan for a few of their youngsters to have a session with World Champion Greg Hancock at unofficial practice on the Thursday prior to the GP and hopefully the presence of Moore, Briggs and Mauger will be a big boost as well.

I HAVE my doubts about the choice, too, but understand as does woz01 why it was made. Having a GP in NZ is very much about trying to encourage the growth of speedway there and having a local in such an event will hopefully illustrate to young ruiners what can be achieved. It is Bill Buckley who is taking a massive financial risk here and his view has to be respected. Jason's participation may not excite people in the UK or Europe but, with respect, they are not the ones who will purchase tickets. And Bunyan has shown a great deal of loyalty to speedway in NZ at a time when it has been at a very low ebb and in that respect at least this reward is not misplaced.

TRUE but TRUE but hopefully the message is getting through. We will soon know.

GARRY was a remarkable character in every sense of the word but was also a very talented and classy rider who could and would achieved so much more had he not been a bit ... well, nuts. At the time he was riding for Hackney the Speedway Star office was in Temple Chambers, just off Fleet Street in London. Garry visited quite often, sometimes dressed as an airline pilot, sometimes as a German police officer or in various other guises. He would drive through German with fake police id. He had a few run-ins with Briggo and I think the gun made a number of appearances. On one occasion he tried to mow down Martin Rogers, then promoter at either KL or Leicester, with his Mercedes. Martin all but smashed the windscreen with the umbrella that he carried most of the time, rather like Chaplin and his cane. Garry contacted us on the day of the 1982 World Final at the LA Coliseum and asked for a pass. Briggo said no. I can remember walking down the slope that acted as the pits towards the track and there was Garry, bold as brass. He had got in okay. He could talk his way out of a cardboard box. He was also involved in a fraud involving herbal tea, and its 'magical healing qualities,' in the US. Like so many, we lost contact and if the stories of his demise are true it is sad. He was great company at times but his whole life was an act. If only he had taken himself and his unquestionable talent seriously.

MOST riders will tell you that the track basically wore out and became a one-line pony. Remedial work required isn't really complex or expensive and will hopefully have been done or will be done by May. Tony Olsson will be there at CoC meeting and is very keen to ensure that track is improved.

THERE will be an FIM Clerk of the Course seminar there in February. Should get an update then.

LIKE it ...

HUGE crowds? Around 5,000 not that huge especially compared to those almost assured in Poland. If the new Belle Vue stadium is ready and FIM certified by 2013 the SWC final will almost certainly go there. Don't think there is any threat to the SWC. A World Pairs has been discussed and it would open the door to a few more countries to be represented at the top level but the calendar is a bit unforgiving these days.

PERHAPS it is not so much about making money as not losing it, unless the SWC Final is held in Poland every year. That's the reality these days. Ole Olsen lost money when he last staged the race-off and final (remember, it is two meetings that the hosts are responsible for) at Vojens and the Swedes have never been prepared to stick their necks out without the guarantee of home participation. We can all argue that it would be better if that were not the case but we aren't the ones writing the cheques.

NOT keen on Aussies then? AS I posted ... Incidentally, I have no idea whether it did or did not have a bearing on his decision TO the best of my knowledge Ward never specifically declined the offer for a wild card place simply because of his decision to sign a contract with Torun although it would be foolish to think that wasn't a major factor. However, I do know for a fact that even before he was officially offered a place he was making it known that he didn't think he was 'ready' for a place. Quite obviously Ward is ready in terms of his riding ability. He proved that in Torun and to a lesser extent Gorzow. When asked about Ward the newly crowned World Champion Greg Hancock said his ability was scary and he doubted whether even Darcy knew just how good he is and will be. Ward repeatedly pointed out that he didn't think he was ready off the track and that he didn't have all the components (bikes, mechanics, organisation, etc) required by a GP rider in place.

edit: Posting removed due to court case...please do not comment on it. Thanks Henry ... that's a bit like a footballer remonstrating with the referee to get another player booked.

NEW Zealand riders won 12 World titles between 1954 and 1979 but they never had a World Final. Bjarne Pedersen and Antonio Lindback are both in the GP this year because they went thorough the qualifying rounds and finished in the top three of the GP CHallenge. As did Lindback, Laguta and Lindgren in 2010. Zetterstrom and Holder before them and so on.

WHAT has the lack of a GP in Argentina, Australia or the USA got to do with it? Fortunately scores of riders young and not so young disagree with you and set about trying to qualify. Perhaps you should tell them there is no point coz it an't happening. As I said earlier, the case of Lindback suggests otherwise.

YOU are right Iris ... British Final, Commonwealth Final (in England every year) and Inter-Continental Final frequently here too. Not much travelling there. Even the Eastern bloc didn't go too far before competing in the Continental Final. Or the Scandinavians. And it just isn't the cost to the riders. For many years I sat through meetings of the CCP at the FIM Congress when they allocated World Championship places and venues. Each year it became harder and harder to find countries willing to fund early qualifying rounds knowing that they would lose a stack of money. Which is why the whole process became more condensed even before the SGP was introduced. And you cannot deny that it is possible to get through. Look at Antonio Lindback, he has achieved in two years ion the trot.

TELL that to those who have made it through in recent years. They obviously thought it was worth it. As must all those who enter the qualifying rounds each year. The fact is it is not a closed shop. Tough to get into maybe but not impossible.

BUT there is nothing to stop the British from staging such a qualifying round en route to the British Final and then on to the GP Challenge and qualification for the SGP itself. It is up to individual countries to determine how their riders qualify for the final stages... that much hasn't changed over the years. The fact is that such rounds have proved too costly to stage and have been binned but if the British wanted to give every licensed rider a chance to take part they could.

WELL put Henry ... the FIM still allocate places in the qualifying rounds for the GP Challenge just as they did for the old style World Championship and it is up to individual countries to determine how their riders qualify for those places.

AM I missing something? Aren't there still qualifying rounds, starting in Australia next month. Hardly a closed shop.

IT'S being so cheerful that keeps you going. Thought you hadn't been for a while so obviously haven't experienced the FanZone. Thankfully, tens of thousands of fans don't agree with you although no one will disagree that the hotel prices are outrageous but's that supply and demand for you.