Shale Searcher

If, this season is going to become the norm now regarding rain-offs, abandoned meetings days before based on iffy weather forecasts, then something needs to change... Get rid of shale, and ride on concrete, with a bit of banking on the turns, and a slight crown on the straights the rain will just run off. Then they can ride their rocket ships all night and not get dirty.. Speedway in its current state is on suicide watch now, something has to change, or else it will be gone within 5 years as a professional sport..

Ok, the forecast was wrong, the reason why, was the temps were 4c/5c higher than forecast, the high pressure from the south west (Azores High) pushed further north than progged, and reacted with the low pressure from the north west. Where this did battle was a narrow band across the country from west to east, cutting straight through Leicester, which changed the forecast light shower/s into pretty much torrential showers, which we copped x 2! This was completely unexpected, and even after the worst had passed through, I didn't think at any time it would get offed!! The track base was sound, and although the first 4, maybe 5 races would have been a bit FTG, and not the best, once the bikes had done those races, a good race track would of developed... The Kings Lynn boys were not up for it, they really wearn't.. There are certain members of the KL team that hate wet tracks, and one was very vociferous and was totally disinterested in racing, and made it quite clear... Maybe the Lions riders should have changed, and warmed bikes up, and with not doing this, made the decision to call off easier for the ref... Another bad day for British Speedway, no doubt, there were riders that had more lucrative meetings today in Poland, and didn't want the hassle of racing a wet track, just wanting to get packed away, and off to the airport.. We spent a lot of time and effort getting rid of surface water and were confident of it being on.. Another case of tail wagging dog, no thoughts for the paying fans.. Really getting disillusioned with speedway now... to the point that I may not return.. I love speedway, love being involved, love getting in and getting dirty.. Love the marshalling at Cardiff, but I am at the tipping point now where I may just give it up as a bad job and find something else to get involved in....

My take on today's weather is that we are pretty much bang-on the dividing line between the warm, humid airmass that's reaching its tentacles into the UK from the Azores High, and the cooler, showery air from the north Atlantic and consequently, we have a dull, stagnant corridor from west to east, that may produce an isolated light shower or two over us between noon and 4pm, only enough to trouble windscreen wipers into their lowest setting!! This evening will be dry, possibly a few bright/sunny spells, but to all intents, dry.. Ideal speedway conditions with temps around 19c to 21c during the evening!! NB, By this time Tuesday, we could be hitting 30c to 32c!!!!

A toughie, don't expect to get anything tonight at Belle Vue, after getting beat by Lynn at their patch last night... However, I would like to think we are solid enough at home to get a win out of this one Saturday evening.... Weather set fair, reasonably warm, I will go for..... Lions 48 Stars 42 With no tactical rides on either side...!!

The sponges could have been compressed, and tightly wrapped with fishing bait bag material (sort of Solvron type material) it dissolves quickly and leaves no trace. So in effect, they could have been the size of walnuts, and just dropped in...

I totally agree with you, the middle section of the tapes lags behind the magneted ends by 6" to 8" when released!! Gives gates 1 and 4 an advantage, and 2 & 3 prone to getting pulled back for jumping the start...! Definitely need tightening up (shortening) to negate the lag....

I think it will be a lot closer that some people think.... Wolves 48 Lions 42

Can "SOMEONE" give up a synopsis of the actual meeting, quality of racing, any passing, etc.....? Rather than all this back stabbing, speedway politics and posturing..

Councillors suddenly move into new, freshly built homes for free, or very cheap.... "Backhanders" New cars, holiday homes.... Stadium finally falls in such a state of disrepair, it becomes a bigger fire hazard, dangerous, it has to be pulled down.. I would be really worried as A Swindon supporter or "Swindled" supporter...

Very true, there's also fans outside of Wolverhampton who also feel he let the Elite League down, and UK speedway in general... He raises a lot of money for good causes, fair play to him.... But, Having a World Champion, that snubs his home Country's top league, bails out of his home Country's National Championship, has upset a fair few supporters, to say otherwise, is crass..

Yes, carbs, top and bottom, cut outs, guards, DD's, oil drain plugs, frames, seat brackets, wheels, spokes, bars, silencers, etc, etc, helmets, and race suits now as well....

You could be lucky tomorrow and get a rain-off... When was the last Double-Header ran in the Elite League??

Kelvinht, said in a post or two above that it was a decent crowd, and you say one of the smallest crowds?? Both can't be right? When you say a decent crowd, what sort of numbers you plumping for? Less than 1,000, 1,000 to 1,300, 1,300 to 1,500, 1,500 to 2,000, 2,000+ ?? Cheers Karl Do you think Mads is carrying to much weight? He reminded me a bit like Joe Screen in his last season or two?

Did this meeting actually start? Or was it postponed, before a wheel was turned in anger....?

Well, buoyed by the win against Coventry on Monday night, and Wolves being slightly under strength, I anticipate another Leicester win!! 48-42 I think.... Weather is set fair for Saturday evening after one or two showers around dinnertime.. Temps around 16c at tapes up!! Roll on Saturday!!!

Supporters/Fans are so used to meetings being called off now, the slightest hint of rain in a forecast, and they straight away think it's off......!! They are conditioned now to rain-offs, they expect it, and sometimes when a promotion comes out with "yes it's on, no rain here" they don't believe em!! Sad state of speedway over the past few years, meetings now get called of 72 hours before, due to iffy forecasts....

Lots of riders now use these stubby, cut-down tanks, so its a self inflicted fuel drought towards the end of a race....

Don't know "bald bloke" I am a Leicester supporter/track operative.. I do machine examining, red flag, raking, water/puddle "get ridder of" rut man, drainman, bit part tractor driving, and anything else that needs doing when I'm not at work......!!

Yup, had a big one tonight at Leicester, got hooked up with Paul Starke, both ended in the fist bend fence, Garritys bike flew into the air, and just missed Garrity on its re-entry, bounced again before falling on him... Down a good while, trashed his lid, withdrew from remainder of the meeting.... Paul Starke seemed ok...

There's plenty of dirt, and its only a light packing going on behind the fransgard (Type) blade by the wheels contraption... If you drag anymore dirt back, the riders complain it's to deep for the motors!!!! I thought it was a very good meeting, swang both ways, plenty of passing, re-passing, incidents, crashes, wild rides!! Good value tonight, better than the sh|tω on the TV!!

He could have gone under the tapes, or over them as well... No offences committed in those routes..

I'm sure we dabbled with Adi Funk at Leicester in the really poor years at Blackbird Rd, late 1970's before Martin Rogers took over the Lions Den... I'm also sure he won at least one reserves race, same era Greg Sczepainik, Ernst Bogh, Ila and Pepe Teromma.....!! Obviously, Ila went on to grander things....

Surely he must mean a "behind closed doors" session, where he'll have all the squad, and then trim it down to 5 and the reserve....? And then pick the 4 from 5 at the official practise mentioned..?

I think you've hit the nail on the head here.... It's not "save money" that is the consequence of not attending.. The reason is "PASSION" It's no longer your "beloved" team, it's a group of riders that turn up and slip into a race suit, or race jacket, that's covered in sponsor names, your rider number and that's about it... The clubs badge is now only a small afterthought... The riders are no longer "PASSIONATE" riding for "YOUR TEAM" it's just another pay day.. If you're lucky, they may all "click" on the night and your team wins, but once the chequered flag is waved on heat 15, they're showered, changed, and in the van and on to their next meeting, different day, different race jacket, same rubbish... How can supporters get passionate about that....?

I agree, but thousands don't....