Sings4Speedway

Agree with JD above. It was a good looking and slightly unconventional track layout that produced good entertainment but the viewing options were poor. The whole bacl straight at the top of the track should have been used creating a natural grandstand rather than forcing most onto turns 3/4 and round to the finish line as any further towards bend 1/2 the whole track could not be viewed. The racing was entertaining and there is always a little controversy in the sidecars however a rider not taking to the podium is pathetic. There were plenty of solos on show with speedway connections Shanes - Fully deserved Masters title, unbeaten all day and made the gate in the final when it mattered Kennett - From an iffy start looked excellent. Has brought his own bike and alluded to intentions of doing much more grass/longtrack Hurry - Rolled back the years and experience brought speed Hall - Dramatic all day but never really made an impression on the top bunch J.Wright - Quick all day but missed the gate in the final and fell whilst chasing P.Cooper - Fast but yet again mechanical issues dogged his day C.Powell - In themix early but faded and limped out in the semi's S.Boxhall - Super quick early in the meeting but a tendancy to retire when not at the front cost him overall S.Nicholls - Survived a first race flip at the start to mix it credibly after a 14 year lay off

Bit embarrassing for coventry scoring just 2 points on their home circuit. Well done to rye house. Could see them adding the pairs and NL riders to their trophy cabinet this season too.

The problem is that most of the time number 8s don't get used so it's not easy to get riders to turn up and stand there all night. Personally I'd like to see number 8s take 3 of the 4 rr rides compulsory like the other riders or be able to take rides in place of the reserves. Seems hard to me for fringe riders to come straight in and take 1-5 position rides

Good signing at that looking at the score charts but with a wrecked bike already i hope the pockets are deep enough for the rest of the season

I think Rob & Ben will feature well for the Raiders but certainly won't have it easy as Wilson is a strong guest choice, Williamson & Shuttleworth are in great form at the moment and Payne is no slouch. I don't see Woods or Leek having enough engine power to trouble anyone, Saul & Locke are hit &/or bust riders which makes it a bit alarming considering the speeds they will hit tonight that they don't yet have the full skill set required to cope with it. If the Raiders get 40 i think they will have done well.

I see a change at reserve tonight for IOW with Nathan Stoneman & Layne Cupitt? Are Govier & Piper on the injured list along with Phillips?

So with Waj injured & Hume on PL duty its 4 of the available top 5 on averages? Its another clever interpretation of the rules by Dreary. I wouldn't be that impressed if i was Ritchings being dropped in favour of a reserve however i do actually think it makes them stronger grrr

I thought there were MDL riders available to act as reserves? That said Brum are running both their reserves and they still look a good team.

The fours is as much about avoiding bad luck as all riders performing, one dodgy decision against you can cost. That said i think Eastbourne will get out of the tougher group along with Belle Vue who are my dark horse to win but the Eagles have an excellent chance this year.

Apologies im not 100% certain ive made my suggestion correctly. My thinking was to add a small amount to the base to keep it weighted to the ground, for example an inch max in the bottom of the panels? Like i said its just a suggestion but with rider safety it is utter madness to continue the way things are.

Potentially true however i also wouldn't want the water to part upon impact and hit the bottom of the pool either!

I would say the panels lifting is a problem everywhere but the impact is far worse when there is concrete barriers behind it. Ive seen them lift at Rye House, Kent etc and the rider pops out the other side but all they have done is roll across the grass. That shows the momentum that riders carry in and clearly the force that is stopped when they meet solid concrete. BTW i think the wet sand idea is a very good one.

Attacking is a little strong? My comments are based upon his actions and attitudes towards riders both via public statements & private conversations i have had with various parties. Its certainly not a witch hunt against Pipe but "in my opinion" he has had a negative impact on Buxton. I know him enough to be able to form my opinions in the same way that i know you enough to be able to do likewise.

Taken from another thread but for 2017 how about air fences that don't lift upon impact.

Happens up and down the country all the time. If at a track with no armco its not as much of a problem but when riders go under and into the stock car fence it generally only ends badly. Extra weight?, partially fill them with water?, straps from the front attached to the fence? Im not sure what the answer is but it needs addressing as year on year the air fences do not offer riders the levels of protection they should.

A horror crash in ht5 at Kent last night saw Jack Thomas thrown clear of the air fence and hard onto the grass behind. After a nervous wait Jack gingerly walked back to the pits & appeared for the rerun and finished the night scoring 10 points including a match winning heat 14. Reports this morning are suspected tibia & elbow fractures.........tough lads speedway riders.

Did see him dangling his arm / elbow on the way out to the line for each ride so figured it had taken a knock but not to that extent. He is a supremely tough individual and by far and away the man of the match. Speedy recovery Jack

I have full admiration for what Jayne & co have achieved over the years and hope to see them prosper again in the future. They are realistic and know the limitations of the area in which they are based and ravages that the weather offers up. Im sure that many involved with the club would love to complete a series of upgrades but finance, assistance and time most likely prevent these. Even Mr Pipe who appears to be doing far more harm than good is at least a manager that can assist with the strain and is most likely to stay in place until another suitable replacement can be found? It would be delightfully ironic though if he was replaced by a manager from 8 years ago that everyone had forgotten about

If that happened it would become the age of the micro pilot. The smallest lightest riders would go fastest as they would effectively be ballast and the bigger guys like zagar would be a thing of the past.

Possibly although one of the issues that MDL riders find when stepping up into league racing is the lack of set ups / experience on anything other than heavily raced slick tracks. Will never happen though as no promoters will risk a MDL match taking place first, a crash happening and then holding up the mail event.

Great to see the number of names in the above lists that either have or have had NL team places, guest rides or number 8 spots. Goes to show that the MDL/NJL is definitely working so huge well done again to all involved.

Its as if people think riders appear from nowhere and just have this natural talent the first time they ride a bike. Do people honestly think that the likes of Shanes, Hume, Ayres, Clegg and so on just appeared from nowhere or did they all ride 2nd Halves / MDL before they got to where they are today. Its truely disgusting the amount of fans & clubs who think there is no point running a 2nd half and yet are happy to moan even more when the next Jonny no good is signed from overseas. All clubs (within reason) should run a 2nd half or at least present the opportunity for one to be held. All MDL/NJL organising clubs should be allocated a certain number of representatives free (its shocking they have to pay for their scb memberships etc) and the refs should stop being so greedy and enable to potential of 2nd half double headers to take place. Its pointless trying to fix things in the present if you are not ensuring there are riders available for the future.

Think the fours is made up of the top 8 teams from last season rather than those who want in/out? That said a combined team of Branford, Wilson, Baseby & Morley would take some stopping.

Indeed. Who would they use? Plus it is the NL fours. Personally i reckon Stoke could put in a very strong 4 and would be a great addition if all are available.

For all the best intentions at Mildenhall the surface and shale they use is just not appropriate for the size and shape of the track. When the surface is firm and consistent it produces excellent racing but when it is grippy or worse patchy with grip it creates no end of problems. Id wager its the NL track where most injuries have been sustained this season?