Shale Searcher

Thanks John, now have you ever been to a little known motor sports event called Speed.........

Weekend not good either at the moment.. Low pressure systems off the Atlantic push the blocking high out to the south east tomorrow/overnight into Thursday, bringing with it slightly warmer, or should I say, less cold weather, but you pays the price with low after low rushing in from the west, bringing the associated wind and rain.... Tomorrow, it's rain turning to snow for a time on its trailing edge, as cold air undercuts the back of the weather front from the north/north west, before it turns back to showery rain...

If the big boys had only dropped out of British Speedway, say in the last 2 maybe 3 years, and the crowds had dropped literally by a thousand+ per track in the same time frame, I would agree, get the big guns back ASAP, and pay them accordingly..... But, the crowds have dropped away over the last 10+ years, and suddenly reintroducing the big GP/SEC names would only in my opinion drag back a hundred or so tops per track, and this would not bring the finances back into the clubs to blooming well fund them!! It's a real problem, don't know the answers... It's about attracting a NEW breed of fan... That's the outcome required, but as I say, I don't know the solution.....

Tsunami, what's the Newcastle track like at the moment to get on and do any work on it....?

I think, even if we bend over backwards to accommodate "the big" boys, they'll still pick and choose when and where they want to ride... You'll end up with the same few who have appeared over here on a regular basis (NKI, MARCIN JANOWSKI, PETER KILDERMAND) just not so often, and the (TAI WOFFINDENS, MICHAEL JEPSON JENSONS) May appear once or twice, perhaps even JAREK HAMPEL might do a couple of meetings... But other than that, I don't think anyone else will ride here more than a single meeting!!! The squads may exist on paper, but the riders I am talking about, won't come here (it is a money thing)

You really don't understand speedway tracks, do you? Even on Saturday, there was that much lying water on the track, it was nigh-on impossible to take heavy machinery onto it, without destroying the stability of the track base!! The water table is so damn high, it's only just below the surface at best at the moment..... I have video of the work done on Saturday, you just wouldn't believe the amounts of water everywhere!!

Why would NKI be at Kings Lynn, if it was fixed race nights? It's a money thing, pay him more than his Polish club, and he'll dump them instead..... Simples!!

I beg to differ, the second strings are more likely able to mix/meet with fans after meetings, more likely want to interact with fans.... Than the "on a pedestal" STARS that have to jump straight in a car to get to airports for there next money spinner...

I think the most important aspect for an event like this, especially as it is an outdoor event is the weather... Needs to be dry, not to hot, say 18c to 20c, you dont want wall to wall sunshine and/or wind, they make track prep and maintenance very difficult.. So let's hope the weather gods are in a good mood that weekend.. They ought to borrow the BSPA track covers, just in case.......

You'll have 3 riders that are not the flavour of the month, and only get a ride when there's injuries, what do they do for the rest of the season?? Get paid for not riding, get paid enough to live on and keep A1 equipment? Go sign for someone else, then when needed, they won't be available so guests will be required again, they'll be a whole raft of lesser skilled, or face doesn't quite fit riders that won't get enough racing and won't be able to make it pay, and be lost to the sport, and well, here we go again....!!!

Seems so....

Drains on turn 3 + 4 installed, covered, drains on turns 1 + 2 and the straights cleaned out, just cosmetic work on turns 3 and 4 kerbing, and 1st metre of centre green to do, and do the levels on turn 3 and 4 to re-level, old track with new track kerbside... That's my Sats and Suns sorted for next 3/4 weeks!! Then see what else can be done before tapes up...

What about this retainer that's been mentioned for unused squad riders? Look what happened to using a number 8 when operating R/R, that was stopped to save having to pay a rider that didn't get a ride, now you're saying that clubs will be able to afford to pay 2 maybe 3 riders money when not being used? Where is this money coming from....?

Digging?? We're not growing riders, although that would be handy....!! Re-shaping work, which apart from moving the kerbs, adjusting the rake of the banking etc. It also means completely renewing the drains!!!! So its a bit more than a bit of digging.

So, where is the extra money going to come from to pay these riders retainer payments when they are not on duty for their team? And, would they be allowed to ride elsewhere on that evening (not for their other team) I mean as a guest or individual meeting booking? Or do they have to commit for the season not to ride on any of their teams fixture dates? I see cracks, huge cracks appearing in the squad system already!!

So a team will have to pay 8, 9, or maybe even 10 riders per meeting, well that's not gonna happen, is it!! Can only just afford to pay for 7 most of the time...!

Assuming the track/stadia get the go ahead, would it be such a chore to ride at Leicester for part of the 2017 season? Better than not riding, and just waiting for the stadium?

What do squad riders do when left out of the team? By choice, or not?

I'm up there tomorrow, fetching a load of pipe, and then on with installing the new drains on 3 & 4 with Steve C... The forecast for today, Sat and Sun has changed this week more times than I'd like to count..!! Decent for tomorrow, not so brilliant Sunday, but could get away with mostly a dryish day!

Deano, Councils have loads of dosh, stashed away in banks, apparently for the day of the apocalypse, WW3, or some other disaster contingency.. ridiculous amounts.. Just not for the benefit of the local people!! Shouldn't be allowed.

And that sums British Speedway up completely... Waiting on a "big hitter" to decide if he can fit us in... Well, that's it, isn't it.. fit us in, fly in, ride, fly out. No interaction with fans, no loyalty to club/area/fans, will not be available for any supporters club events, and if he gets a broken fingernail, he'll cry off sick for his UK club meetings. Is that what we really want?? well, probably not, but other options are bleak, and there's no UK based riders good enough, that want to race UK speedway either!!

Flagrag, is there no chance of Peter Karlsson? Or Kenneth Bjerre? As I don't really see anyone else out there that could fit the bill... I know round peg, round hole, but when desperate, a round peg will fit most other shaped holes with a bit of a bash with a hammer......!!

Hi Phil, I was just saying from the drone views to me, it looks like very short straights and wide, but definately sharp bends.. it may be because the kerbs seem to only be dead straight for a very short length compared to the length of the bends, again, it could be an optical sort of illusion.. If its not an illusion it would be a very fast circuit, riders never being straight-on for more than 7 or 8 yards, and not really having to scrub speed off because of that. I'm not saying it's going to be craps, or anything, it should produce some really good racing.. Do you think it will be finished (track and safety measures) for first night? I would expect some ancillary work would still be ongoing, specially at the "building site" end... Please note, I am not criticising this project in any way....

The shape looks a bit Peterboroesque, the whole track is a left handed slow bend...

Also................................. If riders end up with fixture clashes all over the oche, it defeats the point in riding for two teams, as they'll miss a fixture whilst riding for one of the two teams!!!!!