waiheke1

No. He had Sam ermolenko letting him past on the last bend of an overseas final to make sure he qualified instead! Yep spot on, you could miss out with 11.You could scrape in with 4! (Bottom nine riders all scoring 4 points, a bit like the above scenario in reverse)

Why?Do u consider Wimbledon, f1, motogp, the old speedway world finals devalued because they have/had these?

My post was being sarcastic lioness after his two superb back to the front victories. There have been people complaining about him playing it safe and not pushing for race wins, I think those two races show that's not the case.

Agree it was a racing incident but thought the ref got the call right

So boring the GPS, especially how tai keeps settling for safe second places instead of trying to win heats...

Yes but magic is a good chance of top 8 which would make 3 poles

Pretty awful throughout wasn't it?

Surprised noones gone big on zagar under with his injury cloud

I agree and hope so Sid, though it may mean bsi changing what has seemed to be a policy of not giving wildcards to nations with 3 riders already qualified.

Depends on how you define merit. Hampel performances this year would place him in the top half dozen riders in the world. That suggests to me that "on merit" he is more deserving of a place than riders who finished outside the qualifying places. Same would apply to Emil and Darcy if they were available.

And bees have 8.37 to play with. So why are you saying he doesn't fit?

You're right there. Mauger would never fall in a run off for the world title. Nielsen would never make a mistake to cost himself the title. Or lose a run off or three. Nicki p has never fallen or been excluded in an important gp...

Thanks Arnie g Think it was 5 qualifiers with top 3 to one quarter final Too 8 joined 24 seeds for the two semis

Hi Does anyone have the results for the two British semi finals in 1988? Don't need the heat details, just the riders scores for each meeting. Many thanks!

Vojens inter continental in 81. British final 84. They are the two that stand out to me as being run in truly awful conditions Wembley 75(?) when fans watered the track?

Rmc - Colin was referring to himself as a fossil as he prefers the old world finals to GPS. The term "fool" seems an appropriate description,but not for those to whom you are directing it...

Surely the majority of attendees in Melbourne will be people who live in Aussie, and to a lesser extent nz. Those travelling from Europe would surely, for the most part, have booked well in advance. Have to agree though Colin, there were never world finals or qualifiers held on naff tracks. Or do u mean never stopped half way through? That's true, they insisted in running them no matter how poor or dangerous the track, and how much of a lottery it made the meeting.

Personally I wouldn't want a reduction. Though would like an English gp at the expense of one of the other venues. And would love it to come back to nz

The 4th placed rider does get something for qualifying for the final. The extra points they picked up in the semi and the opportunity they had in the final. I'd be fine going back to 6-4-2 but not 4 3 2 1

Surely everyone thinks these teams are very evenly matched? Hoping that the aces reserves will prove the difference, aces by two in aggregate I reckon.

I remember him at the PC farewell meeting Sid, he hadn't ridden a bike competitively for 5 years, and he cleaned up against PC 3-0 with absolute ease. Maybe he hadn't got on a bike since then, a 25 year gap in riding a bike probably makes a difference. I don't think it was strange timing at all - what better way to bow out than winning a back to back world title on home soil (the only final EVER in your own country), before leaving to join the great American profession of acting, at atime when Chips was a pretty major tv series. what gets me is how many people hold a grudge against him for that one race in 82, when so many othe rriders did it ove rthe years (I notice TWK in that thread condemns him for race fixing, while at the same time praising Simmo - who served a one year ban for race fixing!)

Not all mentioned in this thread, but a team made of riders who were never World Champ: Belle Vue 1E Langton 2 J Parker 3 C Morton 4 K Moran 5 S Moran 6S Sjosten 7 B Kitchen

Collins knuttson lee

here's the thread in question, a poster called "dirt" gives his thoughts http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=57298

That's a much more complimentary review of the book than the last one posted on here. Will see if I can find that thread