OveFundinFan

What a farce speedway is in this country. Big gaps in meeting schedules and then come to the end of the season there are double headers with the same team, or miles/hours of travelling between one meeting and another, and all this at a time it could be reasoned teams may have injuries to riders. Time for a massive shake up, or has that been said for the last xx number of years!

Seems strange to introduce something new to a trak that was known to produce good racing. Wonder what the thinking was behind that move?

Many years ago I remember Wal Phillips developed fuel injection system. Dont know how successful it was, or whether it was a failure or whether it was banned.

The way Holder was last night I think his bubble has well and truly burst. If he gates he could hold on for a win, but he is not consistently a brilliant gater. He struggles from the back and is pulling out of many tight riding spots. Something amazing will have to happen if he wants to get back where he was pre DW accident days.

I certainly didnt like what he did last year in the WTC. He rode in getting USA to the Friday night play off then he should have ridden in it. If, at the start of the competition he said he was not riding to give youngsters a chance then fair enough, I can accept that. "Love" for Greg as a rider cooled off after last summer, but that was then. Having said that, he is the current world champion, still is until the end of the Melbourne GP. Someone said he was only 2 points inside the top 8 this year.....that is a great achievement no matter who the rider is. Most on here say this years line up is the most competitive for years, so why pull down someone who was in the lying 7th in the series. You can say at 48 he is the past. While agreeing he is not the future as he wont be gracing the GPs in 5 years time (IMO), he is the present and age doesnt come into it - performance does, and we all know Hancock could get the right set up and whip the youngsters and teach them a lesson. Greg for a 2018 wild card - he gets my vote.

The travel is not the potential problem........, KK is not in the hunt for a world championship. Would you want to risk injury the night before a GP and possibly ruin your chance of being a world champ or qualify for next year.

So you dont think BV will make the top 4 but Poole will. Strange.

First half of the meeting was Gate 4, second half of the meeting was gate 2. Inside only won 3 times, once by Emil in the heats and the two semis. Poorly prepared track. TW really on it tonight, looking much like he was in 2015. Piotr Pawlicki becomes the "new" Kildemand, but does more appealing to the ref.

Well done to Dan and of course Robert. Hope Dan has a good management behind him.

Why not have one every year, looks like one year it will be true, sadly

They cant do that - they had their final meeting last year!

Noticed from the photos uploaded by DutchGrasstrack (thanks for photos) Smolinski was using a GTR, even though his bike os plastered with JAWA stickers.

I love bacon rolls (or butties) so it caught my attention. Well done.

But you got fresh talent in 2018 - Pzem Pawlicki, Artum Laguta and potentially Craig Cook - I think 3 fresh ones are sufficient, after all fresh ones dont usually cut the mustard in their first year of GP's (Zmarzlick apart). Any more and the 2018 GPs could fall flat on its face after such a good 2017. Riding in 12 gps in a year at the very top level every couple or three weeks is different to being good in the Polish/Swedish leagues

Both Greg and Iversen are saying they want to ride again this year. That should give some indication of how they are riding. I wouldnt be surprised if Nicki got back riding this year as well. So thats potentially 3 wild cards. The other could be the 9th man in the GPs which could be Piotr Pawlicki - which makes it about right, what with 3 newcomers from the GP Challenge.

What British speedway doesnt want to do at this time is stifle the progress of young Brits, think we all should agree that Britain needs more young talent to get Brit back on the world scene with more then 1 rider, or even 2 as of next year (hopefully). So those suggesting that development riders should be restricted to the 2 lower leagues would in effect be stifling exceptional talent from coming to the fore. What a developing rider needs is experience, if that developing rider shows a huge amount of talent they need to be exposed to all sorts of riding experiences. IMO this means being able to ride in all 3 leagues, at least for 1 or 2 seasons. Gaining confidence by riding all sorts of tracks, winning races in the lower league(s), but having to fight for points in the upper league(s). Not all riders will have that talent to be able to attack all 3 leagues, but those that do should no, IMO, be stifled. At the same time, they need protection from over exposure, that is to "burn out". Too many meeting, too many miles getting to meetings, can all cause burn out, so they (the young rider) needs someone to protect them, hence the reason why I am supporting the decision for Dan and Jack not to be up and down the country so much in too few days. The reasons why there are so many meetings in too few days is up for serious invetigation, but whilst it is going on then riders, particularly young riders need some sort of "protection".

Couple years ago I though both Artum and Gregori should have been in the GPs, not now, both are excellent on a good day, but for the GPs you have to be good at every GP. Martin Vaculick is the same, cracking rider when he is on it, still above average when he's not, but not on it enough.

I understand what IOW are saying and feel for them not being able to see these two riders. However, Gunner 85 outlined the schedule Jack Smith has had/still to come, and Dan Bewley schedule will be similar. Maybe if they turned up they would not be in a fit state to ride to the form that you have heard about, or their machines may not have been up to scratch. Trying to say - you could have been disdappointed and said "whats all the fuss about over these two- they just average" (or less). Problem is the meeting schedules, too many large gaps over this season then all packed in at the end - management of the meeting schedule at fault - whoever does that. Needs sorting for next year, but no one hold their breath.

Thanks for the link Iris, but I hope the meeting was more exciting for the riders then it must have been for the fans. If that typifies the racing at Toggliati then I hope it doesnt get on the GP circuit list. Terrible. And I think Artum laguta next year will prove to be a flop, if he gates he has a chance of winning the race, but as a racer.....not half as good as say 2 years ago.

Thats because nationalism gets in the way. If you want to see the top riders you have to forget which country they come from, and I dont see that happening. If it was 10 Poles (or Swedes, or Danes, or UK) plus 6 others then fans would still want to say how good their countries riders are so they can brag and boast about it. As Iris 123 says FIM will probably put a limit on one country Even in the 60's/70's/80's you didnt get the best riders in the world because there was a limit how many qualified from different qualifying championships. Always been the case I suppose.

Godden wasnt a top rider in the 80's was he. He hiself would have been knocking on a bit in the 80's

Perhaps the riders are taking a holiday. Its another thing wrong with British speedway, but it is far removed from the Jack Holder/Peterborough where JH is riding in Poland (not even Britain) furthering his career.

Might it have something to do with the ridiculous schedule for BV and the Colts during September. Seems crazy packing so many meetings in the month. For instance Mon 21st @BV, Tuesday 22nd @ IOW, Wednesday 23rd @ Birmingham The whole month is busy. Cant see how bikes or bodies can cope with it effectively.

IMO that 11 points was a "hugh" win for Craig Cooke. From a high at being British Champ for the first time, to the lack lustre performance in the WTC final, then a bad run in the Premier league, together with missing some meetings, I was worried for him. Then coming last in his first ride, he has done really well to get 11 from 12 in his next four rides. Thats on a track he had not seen before, and was it right he only took an engine with him, borrowing a rolling chassis (not the best preparation), against some top riders, including some from the current and past GP's. Craig has done extremely well.

Did Cookie have his own equipment. ????? Sounds like the knockers have already started. What I dont like is that their likely to be 5 Poles in next years GP's Well done to Cookie!!!!!!!!!! Pity he come last in his first race - he could have won the event. Give him some credit