Sings4Speedway

A return to the old heats format for me and a point off all British riders averages in the EL & PL accross the board to make them more attractive than foreign imports.

R/R can be a blessing for some teams and a curse for others. Much depends upon the strength of the teams reserves. However i would much rather see a full 1-7. Perhaps its time to amend the rules so that a guest can be used in place of a heat leader and an unattached 3 pointer / number 8 used for missing second strings / reserves? After all its supposed to be a development league and there are plenty of riders who would benefit from the extra track time even if they only got 3 rides.

I cannot agree strongly enough with the last sentence woofers.

From memory although rules may have been updated since? An MDL side can include 2 x NL riders as long as one is on an assessed 3.00 average. From the Line ups both sides tracked 2 x Nl riders that had averages that were over 3.00 so both teams are ineligible and the result null and void? The important issue is that the MDL ran this year and long may it continue. The riders mentioned benefited from it as have many NL/PL/EL riders over recent seasons. Its a shame the season finale has been dragged through the mire but fingers crossed for bigger and better things next season along with lessons learnt.

I think Kennett has said he would pick PL over EL plus he has Longtrack aspirations so a move away from a Saturday night track would suit him.....

Exactly im that confident. I wouldn't take reckless chances with my health otherwise

Think you will be stuck with Risager again. Ayres or Hume but both is too much of a gamble but on a positive note i would put 50p on Kennett being your number 1 next season.

Love the sound of this format. Fingers crossed others adopt it for a trial? Obviously need a passing track to make it work but could be very entertaining especially in the PL / NL

From Stoke Website: Stoke Speedway wish to clarify the situation with regard to Ben Hopwood to ensure that all parties are aware of the exact position. Ben has been suspended by the club following events that occurred last Saturday. The Club cannot within the rules change the team declaration and will use R/R for Ben in the remaining matches who thus remains available to ride for other Clubs as a guest. The Club do not wish for Ben to be prevented from taking guest bookings. The Club do not wish to comment further on the reasons for this action STOKE: Mitchell Davey, Ben Hopwood rider replacement, Tony Atkin, Danny Phillips, Shaun Tedham, Chris Hay, Paul Burnett BUXTON: Jack Parkinson-Blackburn, Shelby Rutherford rider replacement, Conor Dwyer, Ryan Burton, Lee Dicken, Lee Geary, Joe Lawlor

What the heck! Any details of the dispute been released? and what does Hopwood have to do to retain a team place?

Very true however unlike football speedway is on its knees and has to consider any option to retain visitors be they first timers or regular. What was your opinion regarding the likelihood of returning to said football grounds with the rank facilities?

If its not Wolves i will eat a Coventry cheeseburger....all of it! Jason Pipe it is then!

All very valid points. What would the possibility be of charging the full rate upon entry and then receiving a £3 discount on the next meeting if spectators choose to leave before the NL meeting starts? Don't know how easy that would be to administer but would keep the PL only fans attending and i suspect several will stay on to watch an extra match as its only £3......?

Given the price per unit its a big gamble for many riders to order one. As shown so far by the Bomber/Lingren comparison its clear these engines can work extremely well when they are set up correctly/they suit the riders style. However if every rider had one the know how on getting them set up and working to their optimum would eventually become common knowledge (to exeryone except Bomber) and then they would end up being cracked open and fiddled with. Exactly the same thing happened when the 250cc Jawa was first launched and many times before. In my opinion the only way to reduce the monies spent on tuning is reduce the funds riders have available to do it.

Whoever takes over i hope they continue to run the club within its means. Any clubs recording a break even figure have done extremely well so showing a profit is hugely commendable. As exposed time and time again clubs who over stretch themselves and go under and we all know how difficult it is to resurrect a team. I do have sympathy for the long suffering Redcar fans but i would much rather have a team to support (however rubbish) than no team at all.

I believe he is talking about Stoke which is somewhere in between grasstrack & speedway/ Agreed. Im not sure i have been to a grasstrack this season that hasn't had better facilities than many clubs including reasonable toliets, a working PA system and food that you would want to eat. As some may state it might no bother them individually if the sport is to continue the families, wives, partners etc need to buy into the idea and let it become a way of life. Much in the same way that i wouldn't attend drag racing regularly for example if they only served quorn salad, insisted you sit on small wooden stools and had to listen to nordic death metal between each race.

From a personal point of view i would travel to the showground much more often if it was double headers for £18? Obviously people have differing views of differing leagues and that has been well documented many times but i would consider £3 for an additional 15 heats a bargain!

What the reaction like to the prospect of an additional NL team for next season?

Its not unreasonable to think a top PL rider will get around 400 points a season including bonus points. Whilst there are some on £100+ per point most are not however £50 per point would give 20k and most are going to be well north of that. There is the dreaded expenses to deduct but when you consider tyres, fuel (bike & van), kevlars are covered it leave bike maintenance to be covered from wages/any additional sponsorship. Obviously there are plenty of other permutations to the above as its a very basic model (and ignoring out of season wages earnt) but i see very few PL riders struggling yet all too often many are still happy to wave the begging bowl about.

I echo every sentiment regarding the amazing texters & updates. I don't think its too far to say they are doing more than any other group to continually promote & maintain interest to UK speedway fans and for that i can only salute the exception efforts of all involved.

Independent music for me is a definite no. Been to local grasstracks where it was tried, played music when results were being read out and worse when riders were prone injured on the track. Toilets especially the ladies need to be addressed. Food? Give the public the chance to have lunch/dinner at venues rather than grab a quick bite on a wobbly plastic chair? For me a big way of gaining younger attention is merchandising especially in a professional current way. More importantly make it affordable. Football easily associates teams via expensive replica kits and its a multi million pound business. Speedway shifts a few scarfs & hats that an individual keeps a lifetime so hardly a recurring sales model. Produce good affordable speedway merchandise either generic or club specific to create an identity. Give away some kind of collector memorabilia to kids each meeting? Meet & greet with a different rider each week at the turn styles? None of the above are the finite answer but speedway has fallen a long way and needs to climb back up step by step.

Still time for that yet. Wouldnt surprise me to see the track reserve get a run out!

At a guess i suspect the groups will look similar to below. I actually think its a lot more open with Cradley, Eastbourne, Belle Vue, Kent & Rye House in with a good shout. There will be the odd big heat that could swing it and no room for mechanical gremlins that can dog meetings at this time of year. GROUP A: CRADLEY: Ashley Morris & Max Clegg. EASTBOURNE: Adam Ellis & Jake Knight. ISLE OF WIGHT: Mark Baseby & James Cockle. KING'S LYNN: Tom Stokes & Nathan Greaves. Kinsley & Hampshire MILDENHALL: Jon Armstrong & Danny Halsey. GROUP B: BELLE VUE: Matt Williamson & Dan Bewley. Payne BIRMINGHAM: Danyon Hume Bacon & Darryl Ritchings. KENT: James Shanes & Danny Ayres. Bowen RYE HOUSE: Ben Morley & Robert Branford. STOKE: Ben Wilson & Danny Phillips.

The problem with the current rules is a number 8 can only take the RR rides. So as you said it would require both Luke & Charley at reserve with Tom @ 8 to avoid a dragged out meeting.

First and foremost for 2017 Plymouth need to be sustainable whatever level they run at. A team and running costs need to be built around the lower realistic attendance figures not the optimistic higher numbers. It will probably take several seasons for the club to re-establish the trust of riders & supporters regarding the financial stability and needs to be viewed as a long term project not a season to season plan. There will be hard times ahead and most likely some poor seasons but fingers crossed that can continue to regrow themselves into a sustainable force.