waiheke1

KK favourite for 2015 series?

On form this season, pk is ahead of all the wildcards except nki, but they were never going to give three wikdcards to the one country, and must have been a very close call to give mjj the spot over killer

If he gets a ban of more than a few months, he will miss the aussie champs, which I believe the aussies use to choose their participants in the gp qualifiers? Of course if his ban is less than a year he may be given the gp challenge wildcard? I was basing it on 2014 form Points per meeting in the gps this season would be one measure.average in sweden and poland would be another. Dolgin's rankings have him 4th best rider in the world in 2014 (as do my own - in both instsnceshigher than nki and hokder). Not much between the three riders imho, but in 2014 id say ward nki then holder.

Ward will be given a wildcard for 2016. If not the earliest ge would get bsck in is 2017, which would mean an effective three year exclusion from gos, which imho is too harsh.Fwiw I think he is better than both nki and holdee.

Can't begrudge mjj his spot, though on form this season I think kildermand is unlucky. Both he and thj are potentially good enough to make top 8 next season, though in the case of the latter it is unlikely.

You're never going to get the top 15 in the series unless they are all handpicked or based on a ranking system. And tbh I think limited quota system is ok. But next years line up is a little disappointing when in sn ideal scenatio you woukd have something like: Greg, tai, kk, hampel, pawlicki, emil, laguta, zagar, vaculik, nki, nicki, kildermand, aj, ward, holder. Which is a lot stronger than the actual line up.

Of course greg himself was the beneficiary of "team riding" in an early 90s overseas final, when ermolenko let him past to ensure hancock got the extra point needed to qualify for the next round.

What's the next thread - if emil came to the NL?

When is the cut off for the final 15 taken at. Is it after the naming of the wildcards, after the first meeting or some other point?

What does....darcy drinking....have to do with him posting on twitter.... about nicki p? .....which was what ghost walker s ...post was about

I presume he has seen darcy's twitter feed? Do you follow darcy on twitter, snd if so are u denying it is true?

Who was officially fifth in the gp challenge - covatti, thj or pawlicki? Is it possible ward will be given a wildcard, and then if banned his spot go to next on the list? Would be very disappointed if smolinski got a wild card.

Not so convinced that Batchelor has a particularly strong claim. Yes he finished 9th, but that would have been eleventh but for nki and wards premature end to the season. If u assume that emil is unavailable, then I agree with the consensus that nki kildermand and thj are very likely. Ward if not suspended to get the other spot. Otherwise, on merit the likes of vaculik zmarzlick and pawlicki surely have stronger claim s than batch. With holder and Doyle in the series already, there will be at least three aussies in the Australian gp anyway. Bsi may historically have been against having four riders from one country, but surely commercially as well as for speedway reasons an extra pole makes more sense than batch?

I don't think bsi need to count on anything - my understanding is that the local promoter will be the one bearing all the risk...

Is that Ericsson stadium phil? Soulless stadium, hard to get to via public transport would be a real downgrade on western springs .that said would love to see it back here, wherever in nz it be.

The aus gp was always going to have to be the first or last gp of the season. I assume the stadium unavailable early in the season due to other sports? If its anything like this season most riders will have something to race for, and if not an expenses paid end of season trip to aussie is hardly a hardship! Shame this couldn't have happened a year early to reduce the nz gp shipping costs, though wonder if as many aussies would have made the trip to unzud if they had their "own" gp. Brother moved to Melbourne a few months back so he will be stoked, hopefully br able to make it across the ditch to visit him and see the world champ be crowned.

Converting gsa shouldn't be too tough though. 0.75 multiplier for2nd strings and .5 for ftr. Like your concept arnieg BUTmain issue would be class ification of riders on the borderline of grades.

The issue you'll have then is that even if someone sent you their psid version, it wont work on your computer, as all payment got u was the computer specific code which allowed usage beyond the trial period.

He admitted drinking the night before, which is not an offence itself. He admitted having too many, which was prompted by fsiling the test - if the test itself was faulty or improply administered that surely "voids" his confession. Can't think of any instances where a sports governing body have been successfully sued for an incorrect or improperly administered suspension. Plenty of footballers have been suspended due to incorrect decisions for example, without the fa being sued. after being reported don't they get to keep playing while the analytics team do their work? Could be wrong but pretty sure likes of murali and kane williamson weren't suspended?

Ward Miedzinski Hampel Kk Bonus: hancock not champ

If you try just entering through without entering a code does it let you or do you get a message ssying your trial period has expired? I remember sometimes when I chsnged computers I could go weeks before needing to contact them to get a new code.

Glen hornby got the "local junior" slot in 87, but was never likely to make it big. Scarisbrick started the 85 season for the aces (recalled from loan at newcastle, whom he represented at the 84 blrc after a string of injuries to other riders) and was actually pretty solid at reserve, but was ultimately replaced by carl blackbird (I think eddie ingels replaced mark crang, who was comfortably the worst rider I saw in aces colours -but its possible I have the replacements the wrong way). Barry ayres was another who looked good for the colts and had a reserve slot for the 86 season - better than hornby imho, but again would have averaged under three I think.

ok Phil - what do you think the chances are that BSI would offer a wildcard slot to a young Pole (Zmarzllck/Pawlicki) if there are already three qualified Poles (KK Hampel and Magic)? If Wars is ruled out, and EMil/Laguta/Vaculik are not interested, that leaves: NKI as nailed on. a swede quite likely. Kildemand/MJJ very probable. Another Pole would likely be a stronger option than another swede, there would surely be no way they would give three Danish wildcards, and surely the poles make more sense (both on form, potential and commercial reality) than someone like Batchelor. Can't think of any other viable options?

What about Vaculik? I recall last season him saying he wanted a few seasons away from the GPS, and he didn't enter the qualifiers, but his form this season has been excellent. Would he take a wildcard if offered, and what are the chances of that?

Hyde Road is where I fell in love with speedway. My parents first started taking me midway through the 81 season, as a kiwi Larry Ross, Aces number 1, immediately became my favourite rider, closely followed by the mighty Mort. I ecall Larry Kosta and Mile Lohmann as being rubbish, though I was at the time unaware of the horrific injuries sudfferred by Lohmann the previous season, while Kosta was one of the few Americans who didn't excel around Hyde Rd. My first test match was that season as well, a comprehensive victory for England over the USA, and my first bir individual meeting saw KC blitz the field in the BLRC. 82 is probably my favourite season, PC returning to ghive the Aces an awesome heatleader trio, and forming a superb heat 13 partnership with Mort. BL champions. Stand out visisotrs were Carter, Gundersen, Shaun Moran and Penhall, while I also recall an immaculate 15 point maximum from Ole Olsen. KC again was untouchable in the BLRC. 83 started with one of my fgavourite meetings of all time - the Premiership against what was to become arguably the greatest BL team of all time Cradley, yet we returned to Hyde Rd for the second leg with a 6 point advantage. Cradley fought back hard though, and Aces headed into the final heat - despite Mort having competed 15 point maximum from the number four slot which was to be his position for the start of that season - 2 points down on aggregate. But a 5-1 from Ross and PC secured the silverware for the Aces - the only they would win that season. Highlight was the emergence of Andy Smith as a wild but truly exciting talent, I remember him passing Mike Lee - who was brilliant that season - around the boards in one heat 11 to join Mort for a 5-1. The 83 overseas final was the first time it had been staged at Hyde Rd, and Phil Collins was a shock winner, while Mitch Shirra was also a surprise medalist. Biggest surprise though was the elimination of PC and Shaun Moran, who along with Mort, Ross, Lee and Carter would have been expected to be battling for the title on a track both (normally) rode so well - though the wet conditions didn't help either of them. 84 the aces had an amazing team around Hyde Rd, the 64-14 victory over Eastborne will always be remembered. Lance King won the Overseas title - on a scorchin day i think -with a 15 point maximum, though a super duel with Shaum Moran was ended when Shaun suffered an engine failure. Larru cruised through to the next round, but the absence of Mort and PC - eliminated on the infamous Brandon British Final - was a reakl shame, as both were in fantsastic form. Mort won the BLRC after a three way run off (in which Erik was excluded for tape touching!), superbly passing Hans. 85 I was gutted that Larry Ross was sold to Halifax (though living in Huddersfield I still got to go to watch him ride on a number of occasions), and it was by far the weakest Aces team of my era - Andy Campbell was a dreadful signing (signed as a HL, turned out to be a decent resevce), Eddie Ingels (worst American around Hyde Rd since Larry Kosta a few years earlier !) - but this meant lots of close meetings, and I recall last heat deciders against Sheffield and Oxford on nights where the racing was brilliant through out. PC and Mort both finished in the medals in the BLRC. 86 was an even worse season for the Aces, Andy Smith missed most of the season with injury, PC got injured and when he came back dropped two points off his average. Highlight was Declan Eccles, who was wild but one of the better compulsory juniors in the league, the form of Carl Blackbird ("and the Blackbidr is flying") and ever reliable Mort. My family moved back to Nz a handful of meetings into the 87 season, though fittingly I got to see the PC farweell meeting (also Bruce Pennhall's last races on UK soil?). The Aces had a really exciting team, with PAul Thorp signed at reserve, ANdy Smith back fit (though clearly struggling early season),and Peter Ravn retruning as a number 1 on a bargain average. I was convinced the Aces would win the title, but sadly they finished mid table in what, even more sadly, was the last season a t Hyde Rd. So favourite Aces in the era Were Larry, Mort, PC, Andy Smith, to round out seven I'd add Paul Thorp, Declaun Eccles and probably "the racing Carr" Peter Carr. Visitors, Kenny Carter was the best in my mind, followed probably by gundersen, Hans (purely because by mid 80s he rode ANY track brilliantly), Shaun Moran (though he'd normally have one bad rider per meeting), Bruce Penhall. I remember looking down iinto the pits (we always sat on the third bend, apart form one meeting where we tried the first bend but hated the sheer volume of shale we got hit with!). Baked potatoes from the stand, buying the odd souvenir froom Taffy's shop. Bammy's fireworks, Dick Barry on the mike. Simply my favourite speedway memories.