f-s-p

Dont they just love that fence. I've linked it before but the pic was taken away later. They actually rode a WC-qualifier with that fence back in 2004. I think the meeting was even stopped once or twice to get some extra trackwork done.

I spent some time translating some of the Russian forum reply's, and the people there seemed to think that Aakko has been doing really well. Some excellent photography can be found there also, including this site. I just pointed and pushed some buttons, found some excellent stuff!

The Finnish Ice Racing Individual Championship final has once again emerged in to the calendar. It's supposed to be staged at Kuortane next sunday. It will be ridden (if it's gonna happen) on a frozen lake. Apparently the spring conference for league racing in Finland is supposed to take place at the same time at Tampere. It will be very interesting to see what they come up with. I've heard that five teams have entered the league with Seinäjoki, Kauhajoki, Lahti-Forssa, Kuusankoski and Pori. I dont have any specific info about the teams other than Katajisto has signed for Kauhajoki, Hautamäki has returned to Seinäjoki and Mäkelä is at Lahti. That leaves only the Lahti brothers for Kuusankoski as definate starters. Seinäjoki looks like the favourite at this time.

I said the big leagues... Sometimes you just kill me!

Hopefully yes, naturlich! Come to think of it I had a phone conversation with a fellow Finn who was at the Team World's, he said that there has definately been something positive going on at the Aakko camp. I just got back home, I was at Varkaus to see Kalle Katajisto and we had a chat. Alltough I'd say Doug understands nothing about good ice hockey , I saw a good game today between JYP and Kärpät at Jyväskylä's Hippos arena. It's (the site of the arena) now occupied by a Finnish baseball court and an ice sports complex, but as I've been led to understand they had better purposes for it in the 50's and 60's. Even if it was just longtrack.

Aakko to be a spoiler... I wonder. He had his both engines (read two) re-built after Sanok and judging by the pictures his second bike is now ready too. He's also shown speed and manouvers that have been missing for a while. But to actually mix it with the Russians I wonder. Zorn on the other has mixed it with them in the past couple of years while Aakko has been fading. There are signs of Aakko coming back but we'll see. He's only 28, I didn't know that until recently. Comparing to Serenius (which really cant be done) he still has time. Serenius has ridden in as many World finals/GP-series as I've had birthdays. Thats another thing realised recently. EDIT: Now I know why Zorn always has a hat on... He cant afford a haircut! EDIT2: I've started practising to challenge for a team place in next years team champs. Got myself new kevlars and all...

Are they the crap ones or the ones he used to score the only max for BV last season?

There was the television interview about him on SVT website (can probably still be found through earlier Toninho thread) after he got his sentence last year. One thing that I noticed was the massive amount of equipment he still had in his possession at the time. I can see this already, after making all the Allsvenskan riders look like beginners by the end of June he's gonna start riding the big leagues also.

Yeah, Matej Ferjan rules!

Wow! Aakko has won THE russian!

Wasn't this foreseen a few months ago in one of the "British hot prospects"-thread or similar. Bridger getting his head messed... EDIT: it was this one on page 7

When would it be safe to expect fixtures for the danish league? They have now added the fixture list to the DMU site but that only tells when teams are riding at home.

Something in the Swedish press about Posa admitting to a tactical error in his heat against Aakko... But Aakko won it, thats great. There are links to pictures in the isracing.net guestbook showing Aakko's bike with a steel coloured frame. Perhaps he's now managed to finish his new bike for the trips to Russia.

I was at the motorcycle show on saturday. 75 000 people is the new record number of visitors attending during four days. I didn't see a one single speedway bike, alltough the Finnish federation was very well represented and they had some video's running on all the motorcycle disciplines. Gotta start thinking how to get a bike there next year... I also did some detective work regarding next seasons Extraliiga. Lahti will be tracking Juha Mäkelä, Tomi Reima, Aarni Heikkilä, Janne Nyman and Joni Kitala in their lineup. Kuusankoski is looking to lose Aarnio (Berwick), Mäkelä (Lahti) and Juha Hautamäki is also without a team place. I'm told he hasn't even been approached yet by any club. Kuusankoski still has the Lahti brothers and they usually line up a decent foreigner so I think they will remain as a force to be reckoned with.

I think we have now Spiegal to wait as the thread starter and track visitor to put an end to all this...

They are MSJ has shipped them all to the UK

Oh Kauko... Must make a note that if he ever denies his contacts to Poland again, must rough him up a bit more.... EDIT: According to Sportowefakty Kaj Laukkanen with his sidekick Kalle Katajisto have both signed for Lublin in the polish II division.

Non starter, yes. Might go ahead midway though... But hopefully by then there will be more takers. As written in an extensive Kauko Nieminen interview released in Finnish today (something to keep LBComet busy with his dictionary) getting through from a Worlds qualifier at Pori might give you a team place in Workington of all places.

That made national news here in Finland too. I think it was later that same year a story from Sweden? reported from a young girl that hit a tree with a sledge or something on her holidays and started talking. Never had before...

Just as I saw it in print, it has been... cancelled Both the Finnish ice racing Championship -08 and the Nordic final confirmed for Oulu on the 9th and 10th of February have been cancelled. I personally heard the confirmation from the club chairman on monday, but they cancelled it yesterday because they cant get enough ice on the track. Funny thing is that this morning was the first winter morning as I remember them. New 10cm snow, clear sky and a few - grades celsius. There's a huge (Finnish scale) motorcycle exhibition at Helsinki starting today and lasting until sunday. I think they get around 8-10000 visitors a day. Everyone can take a guess how well speedway is on display... Havent even seen the place yet but it's a good guess. I'm not blaming anyone (anymore), the rent for the space for a speedway bike for the weekend is around 3000 €, and on top of that you would need to stay in town for almost a week and talk to people (mostly pissed people) 10 hours a day... Maybe if I get the chance I'll do it in a few years and then start blaming others again.

Heard that has broken his hip/pelvis somewhere in Russia a week ago...

I bet his hands are shaking and swetting since it's only four weeks until Assen... So just a typo... Better not handle the lenses too much with them hands...

The first training camp for the Finnish youngsters finished yesterday and was more or less of a success. I had a brief chat with Teurnberg yesterday and he was happy with the results. He had already seen most the the riders in action last year, but now he's also interviewed them and seen their physical condition. The plans are all on paper for the deveploment to take place and the work to start. Teurnberg highlighted that alltough the riders background and current level is various on different areas, there's a will to do the right things and improve. A training camp is scheduled for the youngsters in Sweden for 18th to 19th of May. Surprise surprise thats the Vetlanda weekend. There was a plan to enter a Finnish team in to the 4TT, but I dont know what will happen to it now that Laukkanen stepped down and Palomäki is just starting. If Laukkanen had informed the locals of the entry, I'm sure Palomäki will be more than happy to carry it through. Now for the compulsory Mäkinen part of the Finnish news... He's got training camps lined up for every weekend in March. All apparently in Poland. Will he still be in one piece for the 4TT... Thats just about the biggest challenge he faces this season. To stay in one piece until the U21 qualifier on his home track at the end of May. EDIT It seems Finland is allowing the use of 150cc 4stroke engines in 80cc speedway. Carburettor sizes are 25 mm for 80 cc and 32 mm for 150cc. Anyone know if this is happening elsewhere? There's no statement from the FIM that I know of/ to be found...

Aarnio had hurt his ankle (suspected ligament damage) saturday, had it taped for sunday and after it getting a hit in the pileup he had to withdrew...