f-s-p

The Finnish league 2006: (waiting official confirmation) Snails - Varkaus Racing Team Joonas Kylmäkorpi, Mico Brotkin, Jani Mäkelä, Appe Mustonen U21, Tuomas Reinikainen U21, Aarni Heikkilä U21 Paholaiset - Porin Moottorikerho (Devils) Marko Suojanen, Cezary Owizyc, Jari Mäkinen U21, Petri Koskela, Robert Eriksson? Kotkat - Seinäjoen Moottorikerho (Eagles) Kaj Laukkanen, Kauko Nieminen, Rene Lehtinen U21, Joni Keskinen U21, Henka Gustavsson?, Simon Gustavsson?, Kenny Olsson? Keittiöpiste - Kuusankosken Moottorimieskerho Tero Aarnio, Juha Hautamäki, Teemu Lahti U21, Juha Mäkelä, Jyri Palomäki +enough swedes to put on a 2nd team! Speedway Centre Daugavpils ??? Leijona-Haukat - Helsinki/Lahti combined Tomi Reima, Toni Salmela, Joni Kitala U21, Eemil Lindqist There was a track committee meeting last saturday. Preliminary calendar was discussed, but there are still some things waiting for the final decision. Still some uncertainty on the Latvian team, they want to come, they are wanted but there are some problems with the fixtures. Apparently BSI has issued a new rule, stating that SWC teams all need to look the part, with matching kevlars and bike covers. Finns have chosen Maliniak apparently. Well it's a good thing if they got the money from the SML, because so little has come from there in the past few years. All kinds off plans were discussed, some of them sound great, some off them not. Ice racing is on today and tomorrow. Results late today or early tomorrow on the Test match between Finland and Sweden

miraculously??????? 1st grade math thats what it is.

What do people ever expect from any book? Different things... This one didn't quite do it for me. Dumbfounded look's like a nice word. Thats what I am about your comment. Why would you spoil your day enough to post, from something two persons have said, when apparently so many have praised the book? I'll try and read it through sometime...

Riders @ Tampere 20th February. Finland vs. Sweden Test Match Finland 1. Pekka Karttunen, 2. Tomi Kirilov, 3. Kaj Lehtinen, 4. Jouni Seppänen, 5. Henri Malinen, 6. Timo Kankkunen ja 7. Raimo Henriksson Sweden 1. Ulf Engenström, 2. Hans Olov Olsén, 3. Torleif Burman, 4. Peter Koij, 5. Fredrik Olsson, 6. Joakim Söderström ja 7. Paul Johansson Same Swedes will take part in the Nordic Champs the day after @ Kuusankoski.

If you could only understand finnish. The finnish forum is on FIRE!!! with people going on about what should have been done...

The Individual Ice Racing Championship of 2006 certainly hasn't gone according to plan. The mixed feelings about the qualifier were just about left behind, when the day of the final arrived. Everything was going accordingly, but then a mix up by the organizers in heat 17 left a sour taste in everyones mouth. This is second hand info from the finnish forum, but according to "Anselmi" the organizers made a mistake and put Henriksson to ride in heat 17 instead of Nyrönen. Once the mistake was done it couldn't have been taken back, and things went according to the rulebook. This was in no favour of Henriksson, and the heat win was taken from him. I havent seen the spreadsheeet, but apparently those 3 points would have taken him to a run-off of the title with Karttunen. Results: JÄÄSPEEDWAY SM, 11.2.2006, KOKKOLA, KRT 1) Pekka Karttunen P-KMK 14 pistettä 2) Jussi Hytönen KMMK 13 3) Mika Kastren KRT 12 + 3 4) Kai Lehtinen A-SMP 12 + 2 5) Raimo Henrikson OMK 11 6) Jouni Seppänen FMS 11 7) Tomi Kirilov PirMM 7 8) Henri Malinen P-KMK 7 9) Timo Kankkunen P-KMK 7 10)Jukka Mantere A-SMP 6 11)Jani Ahola KRT 6 12)Ari Tuomisto FMS 4 13)Jussi Nyrönen P-KMK 4 14)Kai Ilkka OMK 2 15)Jaakko Mäki FMS 2 16)Jarmo Malinen FMS 1 17)Krister Biskop KokkoMC 0

i think the tires had screws in them. About 4mm thick srews and about 10mm long. Screwed to the tire from the inside. Look's surprsingly lot like real speedway, but you cant take starts because the screwes cant take it.

I have to say that I still havent finished the book that I got for Christmas. I was all hyped up about it, read the Wiggy and the family part of it almost all at once, but after the first time I finished reading the friends part, I havent picked up on it since... Wiggy must have been fantastic, no doubt, but I was a bit disappointed about the book...

1957

Of course I right away checked if there's speedway on the page, and found a picture of a BV rider from the timeline, 50's or 60's it was.

Rene Lehtinen and Joni Keskinen are both in the army, starting this January until at least the end of July. Seinäjoki has been in contact with Henka and Simon Gustafsson to ride over here, and it's pretty certain that A Gustafsson will ride for Kotkat this summer. The league is shaping up quite well. I didn't get to see any of the matches last season, but I'm really starting to look forward to this one! About the targets set by the TRC: One rider in the ice racing GP was the target for this season, two for 2007. We're already way ahead the schedule...

I wonder how many is fancying a trip to Parken currently. Nice warm summer day with 25k+ people watching speedway on the danish national stadium...

SM-finaali, 11.2.2006, Kokkola, kuskit & numerointi: 1 Kaj Lehtinen A-SMP 2 Timo Kankkunen P-KMK 3 Jussi Hytönen KMMK 4 Kaj Ilkka OMK 5 Jouni Seppänen FMS 6 Jani Ahola KRT 7 Jussi Nyrönen P-KMK 8 Mika Kastren KRT 9 Tomi Kirilov PirMM 10 Pekka Karttunen P-KMK 11 Ari Tuomisto FMS 12 Jaakko Mäki FMS 13 Raimo Henriksson OMK 14 Henri Malinen P-KMK 15 Christer Biskop KokkoMC 16 Jukka Mantere A-SMP reserves 17 Jarmo Malinen FMS 18 Tommi Suolammi HäMK This is for Henriksson to take home. I know Anssi Lehtinen rode Jaakko Mäki's bike in the quali, and does'nt have his own. Tommy Flyktman is in GSS at the same time. There's a rumour that Suolammi made a protest of the qualifier, because it wasn't according to the rules. Well Suolammi was THE SLOWEST of them all in the qualifier, didn't pass a single rider in his 4 heats and didnt gate either...

Cant make it. I've been booked to watch the National ballet at St. Petersburg

And these fellows were riding for 6+2 places in the final 20 Raimo Henriksson OMK 12 13 Anssi Lehtinen SeMK 11 12 Timo Kankkunen P-KMK 9 15 Jussi Nyrönen P-KMK 8 14 Henri Malinen P-KMK 7 18 Ari Tuomisto FMS 7 21 Ari Nevala PirMM 7 19 Kaj Ilkka OMK 5 16 Jarmo Malinen FMS 3 17 Jukka Mantere A-SMP 3 11 Tommi Suolammi HäMK 2 22 Erik Harju KRT 1 This is official. Tommy Flyktman is probably riding in GSS on the day of the final, so Nevala and Ilkka will step up, Nevala to get a slot and Ilkka as a reserve. Antti Aakko hasn't entered the comp. this year.

This was at Forssa, you can find the official spreadsheet from here. This was a 7 team tournament and the qualifier was held "within". The final will be held at Kokkola, February 11th 6pm local time. Lehtinen and Keskinen most probable. Lahti has so far always declined the chances of representing his country/riding abroad.

Yesterday there was a qualifier for the finnish ice racing individual final. Seeded to the final were: 1 Tommy Flyktman KMMK 2 Kaj Lehtinen A-SMP 3 Jouni Seppänen FMS 4 Mika Kastren KRT 5 Pekka Karttunen P-KMK 6 Jussi Hytönen KMMK 7 Christer Biskop KokkoMC 8 Jaako Mäki FMS 9 Jani Ahola KRT 10 Tomi Kirilov PirMM --------------------------------- And these fellows were riding for 6+2 places in the final 20 Raimo Henriksson OMK 12 13 Anssi Lehtinen SeMK 11 12 Timo Kankkunen P-KMK 9 15 Jussi Nyrönen P-KMK 8 21 Ari Nevala PirMM 7 14 Henri Malinen P-KMK 7 18 Ari Tuomisto FMS 7 19 Kaj Ilkka OMK 5 16 Jarmo Malinen FMS 3 17 Jukka Mantere A-SMP 3 11 Tommi Suolammi HäMK 2 22 Erik Harju KRT 1 This is yet unofficial results, I think they should have ridden a re-reun between Nevala, MAlinen and Tuomisto but they didn't. I'll post later what has been decided.

Joni Keskinen faded seriously after his practice spill a couple of years back. He had so much metal in himself that people thought it was over for him. He was practicly an "also-ran" -04, but last year I saw him do OK/very good in finnish competitions. The difference in riding in Finland and Sweden is so big though, that in my opinion if he doesn't do some drastic deveploment next summer, a good finnish standard rider is his level to be? On the U21 front next year Finland has Rene Lehtinen, Joni Keskinen and Teemu Lahti. Total mysteries are Jari Mäkinen and Appe Mustonen, who both are stepping up from the 80cc level. Mäkinen has signed to ride for Örnarna in the Allsvenskan, while Mustonen is more keen to just ride alot practising and what ever rides he'll get in the finnish league for Varkaus.

Matt Ford??????

Yrjö Laukkanen has become the #1 in Finnish track racing. Father of ex-gp rider Kaj Laukkanen, has officially been named as the chairman of the track racing committee. Laukkanen (in his late 50's) has sold his company Turvamestari, a market leader in safety and guarding- in the greater Seinäjoki area, to his older son Mika and therefore retired from working life. He has managed to get Matti Pöysä back to the committee, and Pöysä is once again in charge of ice racing. His other responsibilities include refereeing and the national ice racing team. Tomi Reima and Jyri Palomäki have been appointed as the U21 "leaders". Their job is to organize the U21 scene and to develope the national team + organize test matches and practise weeks home and abroad. Reima will also act as a riders representative in the committee Juha Moksunen will continue in charge of 80cc speedway. Some serious targets have been set, for example two GP riders in 2008, and the means to get there are on paper as well. Co-operation with SML (the finnish governing body) has started well, one only hopes that SML would be true to it's word in the future. There's also been some changes in the SML late last year. Eino Louhio (a long time anti-speedway/pro-enduro figure) was to retire due to illness just before christmas, but sadly died before retiering. Kurt Ljunqvist, once a world class MX rider, has been appointed as the general manager of SML. Time will tell what his politics are, but as of yet I think there's no sour grapes there. There's gonna be a league next year as well. Pori, Varkaus, Seinäjoki, Kuusankoski, Lahti-Helsinki and Daugavpils have expressed their interest. There might be some difficulties with Daugavpils, because they are riding in the Polish 2nd div almost every sunday. Confirmations regarding the league will be available next week. Joonas Kylmäkorpi has been listed for Varkaus, Seinäjoki has been in contact with Kaj Laukkanen ja Kauko Nieminen, Kuusankoski will have Juha Hautamäki, Tero Aarnio, Jyri Palomäki and Teemu Lahti. We will see how it goes.

... and he almost ran over it @ Kuusankoski. I forgot but I have a pic of Halsall leading Serenius at the same meeting. I'll send it/them later to you...

Hey Rune! took you long enough...

Individual Ice Racing World Championship Semi-Final 2 Inzell (Germany) 4/5.02.2006 1 BULANKIN Dmitri MFR RUS 2 SERENIUS Per-Olov SVEMO SWE 3 NIKULIN Viatcheslav DMSB GER 4 KLATOVSKY Jan (FMN Nominated) ACCR CZE 5 SEPPÄNEN Jouni (FMN Nominated) SML FIN 6 EIBL Robert (FMN Nominated) DMSB GER 7 LINDSTRÖM Per-Anders SVEMO SWE 8 ZAKHAROV Maksim (FMN Nominated) MFR RUS 9 OLSSON Fredrik SVEMO SWE 10 ZORN Franz OeAMTC AUT 11 BJÖRKLIN Tommy (FMN Nominated) SVEMO SWE 12 WEBER Anton (FMN Nominated) DMSB GER 13 FLYKTMAN Tommy SML FIN 14 KRASNIKOV Nikolay MFR RUS 15 BAZEEV Younir (FMN Nominated) MFR RUS 16 KREUZBERGER Josef (FMN Nominated) OeAMTC AUT Substitute rider 17 GEGENBAUER Sebastian DMSB GER Substitute rider 18 LEITNER Martin OeAMTC OeAMTC Individual Ice Racing World Championship Semi-Final 1 Krasnogorsk (Russia) 4/5.02.2006 Starting N° Rider's name & first name FMN Nationality 1 PECINA Jan (FMN Nominated) ACCR CZE 2 TUINSTRA Johnny KNMV NED 3 AAKKO Antti SML FIN 4 SVENSSON Stefan SVEMO SWE 5 KREKLAU Marian (FMN Nominated) DMSB GER 6 BURMAN Torleif (FMN Nominated) SVEMO SWE 7 SKABRAUT Markus OeAMTC AUT 8 SHISHEGOV Andrey (FMN Nominated) MFR RUS 9 ROTH Andreas DMSB GER 10 KIRILOV Tomi (FMN Nominated) SML FIN 11 DROZDOV Ilya MFR RUS 12 VERHOEF René (FMN Nominated) KNMV NED 13 HARALD Simon (FMN Nominated) OeAMTC AUT 14 BOGDANOV Mikhail MFR RUS 15 LEHTINEN Kaj SML FIN 16 LUMPOV Vladimir (FMN Nominated) MFR RUS Substitute rider 17 KLATOVSKY Antonin ACCR CZE Substitute rider 18 GÖLDI Heinz FMS SWI

One thing I picked up is that this new fed that is driven forward by Slava Fetisov (ex- hockey star) is not sanctioned by FIM. I personally find it very difficult to believe that it would become sanctioned while the season is on... Then again this is speedway...