waiheke1

better than Hyde Rd, the NSS or the likes of Bydgosh and Torun? must have been some track? yes and no. sometimes you get a track that riders call "perfect" and they fly round in trackrecord time, but there is bugger all passing as whoever makes the gate can just go flat out and not be caught. many people on here have been moaning about slick tracks, not enough grip/dirt etc. wheras the regulars at NSS for example have consistently pointed out that it races much much better slick. Would be hard to call that a boring track?

Link? Great move if they have. Surely odds on for a repeat of last year's final?

exactly. Applying 80% or 0.8 to CL average makes perfect mathematical sense. Dividing by 1.2 makes no sense at all. That said, it would have been stranger if the BSPA had got it right! i don't. it was ridiculous to release him when he was going to be on a 5 point average. what better rider can you get on a 5 point average? For Swindon its a no brainer to bring him in now for Gappmaier. how are these averages calculated. Are they based on what averages were after 4/4, even if teams have subsequently ridden more meetings?

I'm reminded of the famous quote: the more I practice, the luckier I get. You could claim of course that mauger was unlucky in 73 and 76.

So you don't think this year's gp line up is close to being the top 15 in the world!?! Who do u have in mind as top 15 riders missing? Which rider would you seem to have got a wildcard because "their face fit" rather than merit?

none of those approaches make any sense whatsoever. Just when you think they can get no more incompetent, they prI've otherwise.What logic could you use for using a hybrid of starting average and current year average? Why would you allow facilities (rr and g) to be based on a figure that I'd inflated by 20%? Or even worse like for like replacements on that basis ? And how can u get two months through the season and still be making things up as you go along? The only small positive is that next year, for the first time in 5 seasons, we should start and end the season with "real" averages. The BSPA can take zero credit for that. why would he? And has an official conversion been announced for cl average?

Surely Doyle and holder plus two from batch Kurtz and morris?

Are u forgetting that every other major speedway nation DOES seed riders to their national final? Frankly it seems common sense.

What chance all the riders in heat four make the top 6? Really hoping Cook can win it. And Britain must be the only nation not to see riders to their national final. Itcwas ridiculous in the 80s making someone like carter ride with a broken leg in the semi finals, when anybother nation would have seeded him through. And ridiculous now when the nation's brightest young talent is missing due to a breakdown.

Have to agree with Falcao. To me: Funding and Rickardsson are clearly 1 and 2. Hard to see past knuttson and Michanek for 3 and 4. And per Jonsson I thought clearly number 5. World champion and had his career cut short while at his peak preventing him adding to it. And under a gp system may well have been a world champion, which couldn't be said of any of the others being mentioned for that spot. I'd have to assume it comes down to "era bias"?

And Steve hasn't claimed to be anything else.Unlike you and your unsubstantiated claims to have raced world champions etc I know which I would consider to be embarrassing...

Great work Robbie B. Though if we use the OPs criteria we have to exclude andy Grahame, Bastable and Eriksen

So you don't expect starke to averge around 6 or 7 bit you do expect him to score that? If he scores 6 or 7vwhat do u expect him to average? You spent lots of last season saying that Newman hadn't kicked on, was under performing etc. this season he has been worse but you complain about him being dropped? Can you explain how it comes down to averages when Starkes average is higher (or will be as soon as new averages are released)? In what way is it down to averages?

If u ditch porsing surely you do it before averages change. As can't think of better options on a sub 5 average

Not live, he had retired by the time I started going as a youngster in 81. Seen world final etc. footage. But would have to be the 4th best rider of the 70s on his record, just behind PC. Also haven't seen Jansson but not sure he should be ranked ahead of jonsson who managed a world title despite a prematurely curtailed career. But understand he was an incredible talent. Edit: the only one of the riders being discussed here that I did see live is per jonsson, and that was before he emerged as world class.

Newman will be a 3.51 on the new averages

What were the line ups when Cradley met Birmingham in 83? Belle Vue v Cradley in 83 could have had 11 finalists with Ross mort smith and pc on the Aces side. Or early season aces also had Ravn but not sure the heathens fielded 7 world finalists in those clashes. Didn't Ipswich 83 have sanders sigalos cook and Doncaster? Think there could have been a number of teams heathens met that season with 4 past or future world finalists in their ranks.

Out of the line up id say dudek is almost certain for top 8, and probably one of vaculik/pawlicki as well. Hopefully the top 3 come from any of the above who miss out on top 8, zagar cook fricke milik and pawlicki. Ideally cook zagar fricke. Worst case scenario would be something like smoli miezinski and either of the challenge wild cards.

Newman is averaging 3.5. Why would you say if stake averages 6 or 7 it is not an improvement?

Rikkardsson fundin knuttson Michanek per jonsson

Sorry I had actually assumed with lambert injured Lynn would bring back Bailey and that is how tungate fitted. My mistake

Bjerre 40 more Killer 30 more Woffy 30 more Emil 50 more Magic 20 more Doyle 30 less

No I realise Porting has a lower average than tungate, but a straight swap still possible just as tungate can be brought in as a straight swap for Gappmaier as it still fits under 42 points.

it amazes me how often people post this about ht15 and how little many speedway fans understand about averages

Straight swap for porsing would fitJust as aces could have brought in For Sedgeman. Really odd that Somerset didn't think he was worth keeping on a 5