PHILIPRISING

Larry Ross

CANNOT compare the USA, where speedway is confined to a very small area of a massive State let alone the whole country, to NZ or Finland. The only American rider, World Champion or not, who enjoyed any real recognition in his home country was Penhall and that was all to do with CHiPS. No one would deny that no one, not even Monster, is prepared to stump up the money to stage a round there. Why should they?

BUT NZ and Finland were at least speedway nations. The USA certainly isn't. It does have much to do with home riders who can at least guarantee some supporters. So, no, I do not know it has nothing to do with riders, otherwise motorcycle racing mad Spain would be a prime contender.

THINK he was more dogs than speedway. Lived locally.

IN Poland fans are supporting not just their club but their town/city. It is a whole different demographic to the UK. It's a young audience.

DIDDY David still subscribes to Speedway Star. Ex-Man U and England star Paul Scholes (what a player!) often seen at Belle Vue.

WOULD be very surprised if there isn't ...

I TOLD you the facts. IMG did not want to go to Russia, particularly at a time when American (nothing to do with Poland) companies were sensitive about doing business there.

OF course, as usual you know best. But actually you don't. There was never any discussion about the cost of a SGP in Russia. IMG weren't interested. Fact. All BSI employees are answerable to higher authority within IMG. There are plenty of venues interested in staging a SGP. Sadly, most are in Poland. Stick to what you know, although that would be a first.

RIGHTLY or wrongly, riders who have completed in a SGP season are considered for wild cards the next whether or not they have participated in qualifying rounds. Different scenario to Madsen.

MOST of the top (SGP) boys use more than one tuner ... Doyle admits he had too many at the start of the year and confused himself.

TRUE...

FOR a while

LOOKING at the crowd scenes from Wroclaw during the delay before the rerun ... would guess that the average age of those in the crowd would be about half of what it is in the UK. And I say that as an OAP myself.

THEN why have qualifiers and instead use a competition that is not open to all riders in the world?

THE legendary Trevor Redmond used to promote stock cars at St Austell. En route to the track from his London home he would more often than not call in to see Barry Briggs and "borrow" one of Briggo's magnificent trophies that he had acquired during his career. TR would place it in full view on the centre green at St A and the drivers would assume that it was up for grabs that evening. At the meeting's conclusion, TR would present the winner with a cheap little trophy he had bought in somewhere like Woolworth and drop Briggo's back to him on the way home. Loved that man ... could tell stories all night long.

WOULD take a complete U-turn by the FIM who insist these days that a rider who doesn't enter the qualifiers for the SGP cannot get a wild card. Chris Holder won't get one.

NOT sure you know me at all... would actually agree that Poland and GB are the most viable with the decline of world class riders in Denmark and Sweden. No doubt BSI would like to see the FIM spend more of the money that goes into its coffers on grassroots speedway and to help develop the discipline in new countries but that doesn't appear to be high on the agenda in Geneva. I do think that BSI have problems finding SGP venues just as they are in need of new top class riders emerging in Denmark, Sweden, the USA and elsewhere other than Poland. One of the issues with the SGP going to Russia a few years back was that BSI is owned by IMG, an American company, and the US and other countries had imposed sanctions on Russia which muddied the waters and their office in Moscow was not exactly enthusiastic. It is a bit clearer now.

ASSETS are a figment of promoters' imagination

NO he doesn't and I doubt whether Chris thinks so either. Has much going on his life off the track along with his injury after winning the World title and what happened to his best friend Darcy. Hopefully he might get things sorted during the winter and make a comeback.

LET'S not over react here. It hasn't happened before probably won't again.

GREEN lights cannot go on until the start marshal has moved away

THERE have been hundreds if not thousands of SGP races when all four riders are ready when the two minutes expires. It is the norm. Saturday's fiasco was very rare and, personally, think it was because all four were messing around when the clock ran out. But the referee could have started the race as the quartet were ready, albeit after the two minutes. The two minutes allowance can be frustrating at certain tracks. Malilla, for example, where it takes the riders less than 15 seconds to get from the point gate to the tapes. But inevitably they will still use up the full allowance, gardening, etc for over 90 seconds. It seems an eternity. At other tracks, where riders have to go much further, it is less apparent. I do know that different procedures are being looked at but riders being excluded under the two minute rule when they are within the starting area is very, very rare.

SO, not ready.

HT 13 was much more than Fricke's last bend heroics. It was a great race between Doyle, Holder and Cook for almost the whole four laps before Fricke stole their thunder.