f-s-p

So a wild card for the U21 World Championship is just the thing he's deserved then with his solid efforts on the European tracks.

Did I read right somewhere that the second CZ rider to Argentina Skurla or something has just started on 500cc this season?

Great to hear. I remember my first trips "abroad", they were also a great experience. My dad was a bit out of pocket in the end though...

I think even me or iris123 can question the absence of either Zmarzlik or Dudek. Dont know about the rest, but it's still a week until the plane leaves. Better watch out for them soaps on the floor...

You know me, I'm always happy to share. But if you hesitate...

Probably news to you, but he's on Mad Croc.

If five people eat a steak meal of considerable size and share 10 beers between them, you just dont get that for 76 euros. A pint of beer at any "event" is between 5-7 euros each and you have to get from the counter yourself. This beer was just over 1,5 euros, cold and delivered. Makes you think, but it's not all bad being back home.

Nope. He tried to lean to the guy in front of him, but at that point the gap was already there.

Went down after turn one.

The famous substitutes list!

I believe so, definately.

Kitka... = ) direct translation in to/from Finnish would be "friction".

Actually it was salibandy, if you ask about bandy from ghostwalker he'll probably tell of an outside sport you play with skates on on a field of ice the size of a footie pitch. A month ago I did some research of crowds in mens sport in Finland. The story would have looked so bad for speedway that it was best forgotten. = ) Still, ice hockey is #1 and thats (EDIT: WAY) below 10k, football had a lot less. Average crowd, top league. EDIT: The facts gathered by this one site from the federations different databanks last year (2011), average crowds in mens sport. #1 Ice hockey - 4981 #2 football - 2159 #3 finnish baseball - 1732 Speedway SM-liiga would last have Finnished between rink bandy (282) and handball (230) at the bottom end of the list. From teams sports football is the number #1 sport with 357 000 players and salibandy #2 354 000 players. Speedway is a team sport, right? There was no salibandy 20 years ago, no such sport. It's this one - > HERE LOL, in that game Finland beat Sweden for the World Championship.

I've been taking the back seat on this thread to see what people think, and I've seen a couple of really good posts... D_M's Berlin post was absolute top drawer and this one quoted is almost as good. Why would a GP in Finland be like Hamar, or Berlin 2001? That was 11 years ago, raining like never before... I havent done any digging on this, yet, but cant see why this would not happen. A week ago I was in the belief that one would have to pay closer to/over 7 figures to get the rights, now it's down to just over 6 figures and even though I dont know The Know he has my respect and trust until further notice. Thats a lot less money and by being a lot less it's much more realistic to see it happen some day. Also I believe that Ole and his crew will come and build the track, nothing left to chance there, then take it back again afterwards. Only one problem with the trackwork is that the local newspaper (the one quoted on page 1), or atleast the writing in it, is now saying that in total it would take 6 weeks of tracktime to have it done and taken away. The athletics people went crazy after 4, 6 is not a better. The people behind the project need to step up now and say the right things, not leave things hanging... Ratina full of people (for speedway probably 14-15k?) is much better TV than Terenzano. Crowds have been crap in Finland for years, but in the league (avg 229) and the Finnish final (700+ this year) they were allright this year. Not the same as in Poland, but this is Finland. There's been a shift in power in most clubs, younger people are taking over and some right things are being done instead of how it was done in the seventies. Also Ratina is only 400 meters from the legendary Eteläpuisto, thats the place that saw all the worlds top riders in the 70's and 80's. It would be a return of speedway to Tampere, a nice way to get some boost to the other speedway projects in Tampere area. Also I guess worth mentioning is that they did scramble racing and speedway (of that time) at Ratina in the late 40's, before moving to Eteläpuisto. Wikipedia pics of Ratina "here". EDIT: One thing more is that Ratina is in the centre of the city. I havent been to all the GP's stadiums of today, but would say that probably only Cardiff is better located regarding the city. 15 mins to the local airpoirt, 2 hours to HEL, trains to both ports (1,5 to 2 hours) that bring in people from Stockholm by ferries.

Here's the rule: -------------------------------------------- 070.4.4 Entries No entry fee may be charged. All entries must be made by the FMNs concerned to the FMNRs in writing on an entry form on which all information regarding the rider, passenger and team must be indicated. Entries must be made not later than 1 month before the meeting. If this is impossible, the entries must be sent by fax or e-mail immediately (not later than two working days) after receiving the results of the previous round. Provisional entries made by the rider’s FMN by telefax or e-mail must be confirmed with the rider’s signature on the official entry form immediately upon his arrival at the place of the meeting. Team entries must be made by the FMNs on a collective form. FMNs failing to send in entry forms, in accordance with the above, will lose their allocated place in that FIM Championship meeting. A rider ora team who refuses nomination by their FMN for a FIM Championship, Trophy, League or cup or, having accepted nomination refuses to take part, shall be deemed suspended internationally for a minimum period of one day before to one day after the meeting concerned. Furthermore, they shall be considered ineligible for the all FIM Championships for the remainder of the season. The FIM and the CCP Bureau may also pronounce a fine between 10’000 and 100’000 Euros. A rider or a team who starts in a FIM Championship and qualifies for the next round (i.e. Semi-Final, Final or Final series) must participate therein unless prevented from doing so by injury or illness (certified in writing to that effect by a suitably qualified doctor) or other “force majeure”. A decision on the acceptability of other “force majeure” must be taken by the International Jury of the meeting from which the rider is absent or by the CCP Bureau, if the absence is known one week before the meeting. The FIM and the CCP Bureau can withdraw a rider’s/team licence and give a suspension to a rider or a team who refuse to participate in a FIM Championship to which they have been qualified or in which they have already been entered. Once a rider or a team has been entered, no FMN, other body or person may withdraw that competitor/team from the competition without an authorisation from the FIM. Violations of this provision shall be referred to the CDI. The CCP may refer the case to the CDI pursuant to Article 3.3.2 last paragraph of the FIM Disciplinary and Arbitration Code. -------------------------------------------- Notice how it's written so, that it doesn't actually force the FIM to take action if someone pulls out. So in reality Timo Lahti would be fined and banned while a Dane or a Pole would walk out like nothing happened.

FIM rules for this year state a rider will be fined and banned for missing a meeting without a proper reason. Ban for a year/season and fine for 100k are mentioned in the rulebook.

100k to get a round sounds a lot less than I would have thought.

You mean AJ's dive a couple of rounds ago?

Do you mean Kylmä or do you mean the then LT World Champion? Kylmä has a Finnish passport too, so he's Finnish (if I'm asked) and most likely will continue to represent SML in international meetings, hopefully. Todays paper says it's planned for late August and would occupy Ratina for a month, since there's no roof so the track work needs a month. Ratina is definately the place to have the GP in Finland. Tampere is a nice enough (my) city with plenty to do and see for a long weekend. No way speedway could be held at the Olympic stadium in Helsinki. It's the home of Finnish football and even though Finnish footie is "not so good", they are god's if they are asked and no one should question their position. And on top of that the stadion is a national relic not to be messed with. EDIT: Forgot to write the first time that Kylmä will be in the GP proper by 2014.

Front page news in todays Aamulehti, the second biggest newspaper in Finland is that talks are ongoing with IMG/BSI for SGP to be staged at Ratina Stadion in Tampere. The city has given signs of green light for the project and Kaj Laukkanen with Jarno Kosonen are said to be the promoters behind the plan. Apparently the negotiations have progressed really well, since it's mentioned that marketing for the first of three GP's would/could start in February -13. This is excellent stuff! I dont even need to change my bus when I travel the 20 minutes for this one!!!

So rules are not so important when "big" enough incidents happen on track? Nevermind...

The SGP site feed froze at times, I thought CH hit a rut and no choice but to swipe Nicki out in order to stay up himself, since there was no room. Well actually he could have ridden through him, but that would not have been the sensible thing to do. Would have mes sed up his leathers and all...

Between 5-6000 in Euros (if indeed a full stop/scrap metal from now on). Funny thing is, when I saw PJR in the pits I thought straight away how many heats are each engine destined to last... What ever, someone counted wrong.

Piotr Lis got 15 month suspension for calling off the Polish playoff match, he was wrong. The match was ridden again. Craig Ackroyd shoved Nicki off the centre slot on the WC podium. He'll probably get flowers from Otto and Teromaa.

Hans and The Know, together again for SGP 2014. Gutted for Hans, I really hoped he'd qualify. Also my feelings go toward the know as well, I sort of know how he must think of Hans at the moment. Been there, just that the number of zeros in the total dont quite match in our cases. But hey, it's the thought that counts, you give what you can.