TheReturn

I just hope the officials are strong on Saturday and don't fall into blaming Nicki for everything and actually protect Nicki.

One reason the sport is dying is the rules. Last night we heard very little about what the winner gets, all we heard time and time again, the loser gets a point for losing by less than 6. Ridiculous. Race to win, not race to lose by less than 6.

So little talk about a professional speedway rider thinking he had only done three laps? To quote the great Kelvin.. 'I find that very odd'. I don't think I have ever seen a rider pull his own cutout before either, another odd thing. I have seen cutouts come out in close hard racing but not like last night where it came on it's own seemingly?

Yep, his comment, was something along the lines of 'good preparation of a good track makes good speedway'. How right that man is!

Really? Surely anyone who understands speedway would not have called that after the first bend the way the racing had been all night. That was one race destined to be raced for four laps, and indeed it was and changes occurred. Calling the score after the first bend of any speedway race is pointless, and can give the impression speedway is all about gating.

I was thinking the same. Still, it's done now, hopefully the BSPA will do all they can to make amends and give this young man everything he wants to help him progress in the sport.

But that's the point, there was enough of a gap, otherwise he would not have got anywhere inside Hancock. That's what racers do, they race.

That's a great example of why I think Pearson is an awful commentator. Speedway is a four lap race, so the idiot always calling races after the first bend showed him up for the idiot he is tonight. Him aside, what a fantastic speedway meeting. Well done to Poole, well done to Kings Lynn for a fantastic speedway meeting.

I was just watching the BBC London news and heard an interview with one of the greatest Formula One racing drivers ever, Ayton Senna whose words I think are so apt to describe Nicki's racing style. "If you no longer go for a gap, you're no longer a racing driver."

Oops wrong Hancock thread.. edited out

It's only PC Crap if it does not offend anyone, but for others it will have personal meaning of past racist episodes, so for others it is far more than 'PC Crap'.

Oh chill, take the joke. But you are right, pathetic playground swipes are unprofessional.... what was it Hancock did again, took on track swipe and website swipe at Nicki.

Ward does not seem to know between right and wrong. Nicki messes up track, but when did we last hear of Nicki's off track/stadium antics causing problems?

Oh, someone with USA in their name defending Hancock's behaviour.. go figure.

His statement was no the act of a professional. He does not even have the excuse of 'heat of the moment' for that. So every time a rider is taken to the fence, you are suggesting that rider is then entitled to knock his block off? Using what, hands? tools? track rake? Where does it end? What happens if it is a racing accident, but rider A takes exception and decides he is judge and jury and tries to knock someone's 'bleedin block off'? Again I ask, what happens if Nicki is fenced and lashes out like Greg did? Would we all defend Nicki' actions at that point? I doubt it.

Personally after his childish, unprofessional and pathetic behaviour last week I hope Hancock finishes last in every GP from here on. Of course I am sure the Speedway Star will paint him out to be a hero in the Cardiff editions.

You are quite right Mr Pedantic, let me rephrase If he rides like he did in the SWC and his rivals now realise he is easy to bully on track then he will finish lower than his present 4th.

He won't finish 4th, he will finish lower the way he's been riding.

Because it is a four ride match setup for the SWC, so we still need a reserve. It allows each rider to have four races within 20 races (less if a reserve is used). Lets be honest, right now the only teams capable of winning the SWC would be Poland, Aussies and Sweden.

But non competitive teams have no place in the final. A world cup should mean seeing four riders race, not three (if a rider is injured and no reserves allowed). It's really up to other nations to raise their game to compete with the best, not a case of limiting the best so others can compete.

I remember that. It was just after Johno joined Long Eaton from Sheffield, he was still a struggling Aussie at that point at reserve and getting just a handful of points but Long Eaton fans really took to him because he really raced and gave it 100%. If I recall it was a racing accident, I think Johno's fault, but Blackburn just went for him, I think the accident happened on the second bend. Blackburn walked back to the pits and saw Johno at the pit gate on turn three and started hitting him I think. I don't see how you can. It will always go on, it shouldn't but unless you can 100% prove a riders intent was to do it, I don't see how we can stop it.

I have requoted the question from your earlier post. Yep, that's the same incident. It all started the night before at Long Eaton, I think it was the penultimate race (I can't remember fully), Robert (Nagy) was involved in a great race with Matousek and Robert beat him in a hard, but fair race. I think it was clear Matousek was not happy then. The following night the two finally met on track midway through the meeting, the score was close. As they lined up at the tapes I said to my friend the angle Matousek's bike was pointing looked a bit strange, and I actually started to get a little anxious before tapes went up, you could almost see what was coming. Actually I just assumed it would be a good 'fencing', what happened was far worse, the two collided entering the first bend, somehow Robert ended up on the floor against the fence and way in front of Matousek, and then Matousek appeared to just go straight on over Robert. I am sure he could have taken another route into the fence myself. The worse crash I have ever seen. There was talk of eye sockets being badly damaged, and an awful scene I am told. The ambulance was on track for a long time. Steve Johno after walking over to check on Robert on track suddenly sprinted back to the pits (on turn 4) and went straight after Matousek, the two had to be separated if memory serves. The worse part in the re-run, a good hour or more later, Matousek won it, then came around the track celebrating. So Nicki's hard riding style is nothing more than hard riding, it is far from dangerous as others have called it by comparison.

I know there is some 'debate' about what fencing means (well according to one back tracker) but the one incident that sticks in my mind was at Sheffield between Matousek and Nagy. According to the referee that night it was not deliberate because Matousek was not excluded from the re-run. Those Long Eaton fans there that night and who had been at Station Road the night before when the two clashed would have a different view on the exclusion. Was it deliberate, only one man knows but I know what I think.

Indeed, poor little Greg. I suppose the Star will be painting him as the victim this week.

He should not accept a commentating job then if he is not able to be impartial.