Sings4Speedway

£20 for a double header (Champs & NL) looks a decent prospect especially with 2 x good matches lined up. I would imagine the pits will be a nightmare though?

This season has been a shake up although Stormy Whethers, Stevie Worrall & Danny Phillips have all featured over recent seasons. If Stu Robson hadn't retired he would have been in the side also. Not saying its good bad or other just that the side has a very familiar feel to it over the years.

The problem on this occasion is that both absent reserves are still on 2.00 averages. Kent were in a very difficult position as usual number 8 Mulford is still suffering from the spill the previous week at Kent, previous stand in James Laker had already been booked when the late news that Gilkes wasn't available came through. That left the phone calls being made on Monday but late notice and lack of available locals plus Kent being an outpost for some made it a thankless & fruitless task.

I think there were plenty of options available to the however riders receiving phone calls on Monday lunchtime doesn't really give them much chance of being prepared/getting out of work and to the track in the necessary time.

Whilst you are quite correct the problem stil exists that the rule book states something different than the rules being enforced. Surely rules cannot be enforced by opinion, the word or a couple of people or how it was remembered when it was discussed at the AGM but never written down. By that merit the need for a UK passport could be a clerical error and it should read must not have a UK passport making every NL rider ineligible (of course thats daft but if the rules cannot be recorded properly they are not worth the paper they are electronically displayed upon).

Am i dim (don't answer that) but isn't Thursday a protected UK race day? so therefore has precedence and the Swedes can go forth and multiply by 1.4

So there we have it Gustix has his own personal opinion and will continue to bang that drum at every occasion (in all fairness we all have our own opinions / passions on things) What is clear though is Danny Ayres started out as a rag tag chancer, progressed through to talented but emotional clown and is now a National hero. If anyone know a film producer......just make sure the 70's moustache era gets edited out.

All this chopping and changing of team building averages is doing the sport no favours. As stated above the 42.5 number is king and what is needed to balance out sides otherwise it creates falsely high averages and then after one season riders get frozen out as a new crop of non ready riders take their places, no disrespect to any but 50% of the 2 pointers in the Champs are there because of their average and not ability.

so the rumours are true that said the Newcastle teams have become quite samey over the past few years and the results have been likewise.

covered in what?

Monmore whilst technical isn't the most difficult track to ride and yet the number of fallers during the Cradley matches must be up there with the highest in the league? Surely this cannot be helping the reputation of NL standard or is the track being prepared below par as its only NL meetings?

Whilst im certainly not saying that any injuries sustained are anyone's fault as ive not seen the incidents it does re-raise the question should 15 year olds be in league racing? The youth and enthusiasm is clearly evident along with some ability but is it a matter of time until there are issues? Its not acceptable (just entertaining) when there is a bit of handbags after a race or after a rider is brought down by a reckless move but if one of the riders is 15 it opens up a whole bag of trouble that it shouldn't as all riders on track should be equally accountable for their actions. The child protection laws are getting tighter and tighter, i assume the Thompsons and others all change separately to the main team or have appropriate adults present.

Out of curiosity why is the silly 2 point rule to blame? I would argue that not lining up a number 8 when running RR and knowing that Gilkes had taken a knock was issue 1, then Gilkes declaring he was unfit to ride on the Monday morning rather than the Sunday issue 2. The other question that remains is will Kent get into trouble for fielding an under strength side or does that not apply to home teams?

Whilst i think you are spot on an the rules haven't been changed it means that as they are currently in print its legal to do and actually reads as if you could replace a missing 2.00 with a 2.99 unattached rider as there is nothing about equal or lower MA in print. However an unattached 2 point something rider cannot be called a "guest" as per the below a "guest" must be in a declared 1-7. Its a good job people don't actually take the rules seriously. 19.11 A GUEST RIDER (G) replaces a regular Team Member subject to the following: 19.11.1 The Guest assumes the position and MA of the Missing rider. 19.11.2 The Guest must be in a current National Development League Team Declaration. 19.11.3 A rider may ride as a Guest (in an Official Meeting) at a Track only once in an 8-day (within that league) period unless he is replacing the Home Teams #1. 19.11.4 A Guest rider in a "double-header" shall count as one Meeting only. 19.11.5 The Guest’s own MA must be the same or lower than that of the Missing rider

my feet are hot today

Cruel sport at times although the riders safety is paramount. Joe Thompson & Sheldon Davies concussed on the same day but due to age and fixtures Davies misses nothing Joe is likely to miss 5 matches including the KOC semi finals however with his average going over 7 from 1st August there is plenty of guest options available.

One final mention for all those who are down on the development leagues and the wobblers Danny started out in the MDL at Rye House so well done to hinge & bracket for giving him the chance and hopefully sticking two fingers up to those who doubt its worth every legend has to start somewhere.

Thats the approach that Somerset have taken all year. I would like to think that Luke has considered his options and ensured he gets a guarantee per meeting but will that be enough compared to tarring his reputation? He isn't kicking on at NL yet just showing glimpses of form and his bikes won't keep up with the pace of 2 leagues but with just 7 meetings left and a couple of the weaker reserves within those teams there is a chance of a point or two.

In all fairness i didn't say Danny would win a race, score a point or otherwise. I said he was the one rider in the British final field that might have sold out the British GP. There is certainly no other rider who will dramatically increase ticket sales to the same degree (although i suspect Charles Wright will draw a few extras). Lets not forget there were more than enough who deemed Ayres would go out and be completed outclassed and embarrassed at the British final on Monday night, i think there would only be one winner if a peoples vote was held for rider of the night.

I think a lot of people had Wright down as a strong chance to make the podium so to say nobody would have picked him is a touch strong. Harris if any was the surprise package with Worrall or Schlein the only others likely to mount a real challenge as the others are just too inconsistent.

For me Danny was the one man in the line up that would have sold out Cardiff should he have qualified. Crazy as a box of frogs but thats why everyone love him.

Regs are back and its as clear as ever. But definitely has up to 3.00 rather than 2.00 which makes zero sense whatsoever. A Any absent rider on SGBP or SGBC duty G who must be in a NDL 1-7 or RR B Absent #1 G or RR who must be in an NDL 1-7 C 1 absent rider 2-5 by MA RR (unless RR is already being used then it’s a G) D 2 absent riders 2-5 by MA RR x 1, G x 1 at the Team Managers discretion E Additional absent riders 2-5 by MA any rider not in an NDL Declaration and whose MA does not exceed NDL 3.00 F Absent 6 and/or 7 by MA any rider not in an NDL Declaration and whose MA does not exceed NDL 3.00 G No facility Any rider not in a NDL Declaration and whose MA does not exceed 3.00

With respect though had Chris & co had all day on Sunday on the phone they would have found a rider so Gilkes late withdrawal didn't help the cause. I did hear that whilst Hume & Perks had full control of the home heat leaders the tail end flattered to deceive and the high returns were not as impressive as the scores suggest but with only James Laker who didn't seem to cope that well with persistent back to back rides and No rider at the tail it was always a big ask. The Leicester side have been hotly tipped throughout and wil pose a threat come play off time if they can do something about the vacant Ruddick position. Kent meanwhile are still competitive but suffering with such an inexperienced side and the injury jinx it seems to bring with it.

Can you blame the riders though? The temptation to ride for Championship sides with sign on fee's, the prestige of the next level in some cases kevlars, bikes supplied etc along with the possibility of racing full time and no work is pretty tempting. There have been 2nd halfers up and down the country who have raced in the Champs and higher simply because teams needed a rider quick. Do you think they did it because they believed they were that standard all of a sudden or were they hoping to pick up the odd gifted point and have a nice photo in the race jacket for the mantle.

Sorry poorly put. I did mean unattached 2 pointer but they are even harder to find at short notice given the location of the track, the fact that bikes have to be ready to go and obviously the majority of riders are working. James Laker usually answers those last minute calls but he was already booked in.