Shale Searcher

Tai's attitude to the UK stinks, if he doesn't want to do league speedway, British Championship, then he shouldn't be picked for the national team, in my opinion.. How do you explain his appearance in the SWC, especially if he "WINS" it for Team GB, to any potential new sponsors, dignitaries, at the SWC... Who's this chap then, he's brilliant, and British, who does he ride for here? Errrr, well he doesn't, he rides everywhere in Europe, but not here in his Country.. Why? Errrrrrrrr, he says that.................. (Please add as appropriate) Oh, OK, I won't be adding any financial backing to him, or his local team, as it will not be of any benefit to my business... NEXT..

NO, NO, My point was, that using Lewis Hamilton, as a comparator to Tai, was not possible. There's only one F1 race in the UK per year, so if Lewis wanted to perform in the UK more often, he would have to take up another motorsport discipline.. Tai wouldn't have to or need to, just ride EL, do British Final, etc... Hamilton doesn't have that choice available..

Having top notch drainage is going to massively reduce rain offs, trust me, I know!! Water puddling due to poor drainage is probably the single biggest enemies to the speedway track... It changes the integrity of the track, and causes the dreaded "patchy" track, slick to grip to slick etc, it also creates dips, holes and ruts where the water lay and gradually eeked into the surface causing the track surface to be graded and worn away by tractors and speedway bike rear wheels!! These cannot be repaired during a meeting.... However, having great drainage does have a drawback, in that the clay can get "washed out" of the track surface, which needs the clay to bind it together.... The surface then becomes compromised and breaks up more readily, so the clay must be re-added as soon as possible....

What's Buckowski's injury?

You all know what I mean, if Lewis Hamilton wanted to compete more in the UK, he would have to compete in another form of motorsport, like Touring cars, or Ginetta, or Truck racing, or F2 or F3 Tai wouldn't have to.....

That's not a fair comparator, there's only one F1 race in the UK, and he will be there.......

What's the point of having a World Champion in any sport, if they don't ever appear in their home Country? The only chance anyone will get to see him is Cardiff!! and that's only gonna be true speedway fans, and the odd complimentary/freebie/corporate spectator.. That's why it's wrong. He may as well be included in the Polish or Swedish national championship, do A Rune Holta!!!

Pants overnight tonight, until dinnertime, I have been at the track from 07:30 this morning, until 18:00, it has been prepared to take all this rain overnight, and in the morning, just showers after 12:00, then ok from mid/late afternoon... I will also be back there in the morning...

Where was this thread hiding? I have just started one now...!!! Something wrong with my BSF as whole waves of threads keep vanishing, then reappearing!!! Now mine has vanished!!

Couldn't find a thread so here goes... Well, I was there from 07.30 this morning assisting with track prep, shifted a hell of a lot of laying rainwater, finally got away at 18:00 this evening... Weather for tomorrow is a bit iffy, especially in the early part of the day with some heavy rain around, which will break to showers around lunchtime, before fizzling out mid-afternoon...Chance of a light shower around 19:00 to 20:00, save us watering during the racing if they do materialise...... I fancy the Lions to pinch this one, as Freddie is due a poor meeting, and we're due a good one!! So I will go for; Lions 49 Wolves 41 Neither side running away with it, so no tactical used by either team!! I will be back there around 10:30/11:00 in the morning and will give a weather update around noon..

Just out of interest, did it stop raining? And if so, what time......?

The lack of attendees is because nobody trusts the promotions/riders to complete the full meeting!! The old chestnut "let's get to ht 10 and call it" syndrome... There are loads of fans on here that have said that they won't go speedway now if theres been any/or a sniff of rain anywhere near the track on race day/night...... No confidence.. That was the beauty of speedway.. A drop of rain to a heavy track from race day rain, gave riders different track conditions, meant you had to ride the bike differently, more throttle and balance control.... Now, tracks slick as a board, no shale (to speak of) bikes like rocket ships, the skill has gone... Fastest bike, wins.

Don't you have to complete 2 home and 2 away before getting new averages??

Well, we're well into May now and the rain-offs continue with some gusto, something wrong with this.. It just seems like it's not worth planning a speedway night out if there's even a sniff of rain anywhere near the track, not only on raceday, but 48 hours before!!!!!!! Bloody ridiculous!!

If I remember correctly, in the 1970's, the start gate staff would infill the start line ruts.. That doesn't get done now....

Rain at 8.30, they'll get to heat 10 and that's about that, don't want to get their bikes and racewear to wet, got important meetings in Poland at weekend, fans mugged off again, more swear to never go again, the downward spiral of UK speedway continues..

Huge weather front moving inland tomorrow afternoon from the west.... When it's in Wales, it will drop a fair amount of rain..... But, once it's into England, it will dissipate quickly down to showers, which will be few and far between, if at all over Swindon come race time, ish.... If you look at the size of the rain band now (for its position tomorrow) you'll think immediately a rain off. But, if you look at its projected path and intensity, it's virtually nothing when it gets to Wiltshire.. So I would say with confidence, no problems weather wise at the Abbey tonight....

Rain in the forecast for Friday, call it off now so the fans can make early arrangements to do something else with their leisure ££'s Will save travel arrangements for riders and fans, the fans can then book tickets for Other activities, like cinema, pubs, theatre, and not have to worry if the speedway is going to be on or not... An early call off will be better for everyone.. After all, speedway has become an inconvenience for its fans in the UK.

Poor forecast for Monday 23rd, call it off now, give the fans a chance to book cinema tickets instead....

What was or is the point of dirt reflectors, tear offs, roll off's, and Kevlars are damn uncomfortable when wet.... I have followed speedway since 1971 ish, wet meetings were part and parcel of the sport.. if we are not prepared to ride or watch speedway on wet tracks, why wasn't a roof put on the NSS?

It's pathetic... These advance call offs based on weather forecasts will be one of the bigger nails in speedways coffin... It's only really started to happen over the last few years, every effort should be made to get meetings on, but it doesn't happen anymore. Never used to happen.. So are you trying to tell me that in May, that a speedway promotion that has full access to its track, cannot deal with heavy overnight rain, with further heavy showers pre lunchtime, with a chance of further showers.. in what is aledgely the top tier of a professional sport?

I agree, calling off based on a convective rain forecast is iffy, you may well get a sharp shower this afternoon, but it's getting beyond a flipping joke now... One of the bigger reasons that speedway is bleeding away fans, with so few EL matches now and with call offs like this, fans find other, more reliable leisure activities to do...

Anyone out there in the know on this issue ? If (Freddie Lindgrens) Gerhards are running straight out of the box, or wether or not any of the tuners have had their mits on them?? Anyone know??

It's not exactly the same forecast for Lynn as it is at Poole, the weather fronts coming in off the Atlantic are weakening the further east they get, apart from mid afternoon, when as they pass over the Midlands they will break into heavy showers/thunderstorms due to daytime heating, and as they then move into the east of the Country, as the sun lowers, it will gradually cool down, as will the rain!!!!