Ozrik

We dont allow people in boats to land here any more. Woofy will be fine, so long as he flies in.

It appears British immigration has a lot more to worry about than a few Aussie blokes riding motorbikes for a few quid.

Personally i think Neilsen and Gundersen are the greatest BP team to ever pair up. They dominated that title with four on the trot, from 86 to 89. Not only great individual riders, but the great danes proved almost unbeatable as a team. However, on this format i would go: 1 Gundersen/Briggs Gundersen, great pairs rider to drag barging Barry all the way to gold. 2 Fundin/Pedersen Fundin, say no more, and a determined Nikki providing good support. 3 Crump/Olsen Crump, a speedway racer, and Ole fast enough to cover his back. 4 Mauger/Woofinden Mauger, not a great pairs rider, and Woofy inexperienced in this field. Can,t put Hans Neilsen in because i think Jack Young would not score well in this field. Same with Rickardson and Williams, and probably because Jack Young and Freddie Williams are way before my time. The Americans always perform well in teams but neither of those teams are strong enough to win. And just for interest sake; Polish pair of Gollob 1, and Sczakiel 1 (no idea how to spell that) would have no chance as the only Polish team to fit the criteria..

And Crumpy got second. I understand crowd was about 32 000. Of course lots has changed since then, but what do you think the attendance would need to be to keep everyone happy. Around about the same would be good, and more would be fantastic. That number would put us only behind Cardiff, Warsaw and Stockholm. If Aussie wasn't that far away 32000 would be plenty.

Speedway fans will still go, even if just to see the best riders in the world strut their stuff. Tricky bit will be to get non speedway people to go. Torun was a great gp, and now the pressure is off maybe the riders will turn it on in Melbourne. A great promotion for speedway in Australia. What would top it off would be an Aussie rider winning it.

The point is the wc, who ever it is will be part of the show, and the reserves are needed as well. Shouldn't make any difference if they were going to come back to Australia either way. Probably got their own equipment in Aussie anyway. Did Bunyan pay his way to NZ gp. There is only one round being held outside of Europe, surely BSI can come up with the dollars to complete the start list. All three are local riders, who just happen to be riding in Europe. We are talking about a 20 000 km trip, not a drive down the freeway. Not about special treatment, just realistic approach to a special circumstance. What if the wc was Sayfutdinov, or Zmarlik. As much as this is a commercial venture for BSI, it's also partly about the money for each of the riders also. It,s a ridiculous demand. Everyone should be on the team flight, you don't tell the reserves to make their own way to the ground. If you put on a show, you don't say to the performers we'll meet you there. Common sense.

That would be a good gp. Goes to show that the gp fields are not that far off having the top 15 riders. Although i wouldn't have Holder and Laguta G, at reserve. Only one Swede.

Very surprising to realise there has been no increase in prize money since 2012. Agree that all riders competing should recieve the same travel arrangements, including Masters, and the reserves. More prize money would give the series more credibility for riders and in the market place. The Aussie GP major sponsor is Australia's largest smallgoods manufacturing company. The GP is sponsored by salami. It says something about how the promoters of the speedway see the sport. Maybe that reflects why there has been no prize money increase, or why BSI can tell the wc to make his own arrangements for the trip to Australia. Any wonder the sport appears to be stagnating. How can anyone else take it seriously when the organising group, and the governance authority don't.

In 2002 Australia had four permanent GP riders. Crump, Sullivan and Adams, who finished 2,3, and 4 overall. Crump finished third in Sydney. Wiltshire also was a permanent rider, but had little success that year. As you point out for the Sydney GP Johnston, Lyons and Poole also rode via wildcard, although i'm not sure how Poole got in the field. Rumor mill has it that Melbourne GP ticket sales look good so far.

How is title decided if the second leg is also tied?

Yes, and so BSI should pay the riders much more handsomely than they do. Do the FIM support the national speedway bodies with annual financial payments?

Given his form at the time, and his former GP status, i dont think Masters, Sedgeman et al... would have disagreed. From here on in though, it is the fairest way of determining the wc. Think MA were trying to consolidate the importance of the Aussie title series. It is the showcase series in Aussie speedway these days and they are looking for incentive to ensure the best riders compete in the series. It is quite some time since DW competed in the title (2011 i think), and that was also the last time many fans here got to see him ride in person. There are some other riders who pass on competeing. So you can see what MA are trying to achieve, and it works in Britain.

I think you have that issue well covered

Good decision. I don't know how much influence MA have, but they always said the wc for the Aussie GP would go to the highest placed non GP rider from the Aussie title, and so it has.

Followers of speedway would like to see him in the GP. Without him, it's a bit like running Wimbledon without Novak Djokovic. One of the players with a good chance at winning, not competing. Asset maybe the wrong word. My point is that if ability correlates with marketability then any organisation, promoter or sponsor, i'm sure would like to have him in their stable. In those terms, you can wonder if everything that could be done is being done. And yes i think they all should get more. A post here says the prize money has not altered between 2012 and 2015. BSI have set the GP series up to represent the pinnacle of the sport, as the world title should be. FIM sanction that position. Now they should reward the riders who qualify or are selected accordingly. I don't know the details or arrangements, but to me it doesn't appear like that is the case at the moment. For example you dont see Valentino Rossi, or the rider starting 15 on the grid in Moto Gp having trouble competing all over the world. I know there is no comparison, just trying to emphasise the point, i would like to see more of my ticket payment go to the riders. Any rider with a genuine chance of winning should be in there, and i don't think anyone can doubt that Sayfutdinov has the abilty. The series could make it so they can't resist competeing. Why isn't the same restriction applied to Laguta (2) or Belousov, or Karpov, who doesn't know wether they expect him to be Russian or Ukrainian.

Yeah of course.

Loving your chosen profession doesn't mean working for nothing, or operating at a loss. Would you? Not the earth, just a deal to get him in the world title, because he is undoubtedly in the top 15 in the world, and good enough to challenge for the title, which some of the current riders are not. In commercial/promotional terms, why have one of your best assets not in the mix. I recall reading 2012 figures showing the winner of a GP getting $12 000 US. The total for all 18 riders (including reserves) was something like $84 500. Obviously that has probably increased now. I have no idea what it cost to stage a GP on a temporary track, but surely riders could get a larger piece of total revenue per meeting.

You're kidding, how did that happen? Didn't prepare an acceptance speech. The only thing i have won in years, and there is no prize, just the prestige. Thanks RR, that was fun.

Dont think so! The standard procedure is for a home rider to be given number 16. BSI could have already offered him a place at Finland, or Slovenia without to much trouble, if they wanted to go that direction. If this is purely an issue of money, then BSI could find the extra insentive for Emil to ride in the GP series. Talk with One Sport, surely they can share the golden egg. Nicki Pedersen seems happy to ride in both series. Emil has beaten him twice in the SEC, leaving only one challenge, and that is Woofinden, now that Darcy is out. Whatever the terms, Emil should be riding in the world championship, and BSI should do all they can to make it happen. What is most important is that BSI get Emil to ride in the GP, before One Sport get Tai to ride in the SEC.

If i could afford the air ticket, i'd be there with bells on. Great speedway rider, articulate, no BS and giving back to speedway in so many ways now.

Sam Masters and Justin Sedgeman finished 2 and 3 behind Doyle in Aussie title. Dak North and Grazonek have had solid seasons as well. Not yet for Kurtz and Fricke, they'll get a chance later. Of course Ward was a cert, but who knows what BSI will do. Will be interesting to see who gets the nod. For 2016 Hampel, Kildemand, a Swede and Smolinski. Sayfutdinov should ride. Great to watch and head to head better than Woofinden.

ROUND 4 Sayfutdinov 600 more Pedersen 600 more Gollob 400 more Kolodziej 320 more Hard to make up ground now. I have gone for the safe play i think. Gollob may have something on Polish track, after his NS in Kumla. Hedge my bets, and settle for a place on the podium. Not bad for a Bash the Bookie debutant. Do it again next season. The GP comp as well. Thanks R&R. I think i even got the math right this time.

Shouldn't safety in speedway be an on going debate, with an attitude of constant improvement the aim. Other sports are concerned with things like concussion injuries. Surely there is someone in speedway trying to implement safer materials and construction of safety fences. Maybe they need more leadership in terms of standardisation and regulation from central authorities like the FIM. Especially so for new tracks and renovations.

Danish team looks strong, then Poland and Sweden from Opole. Both Engman and Andersson were in good form at Kumla GP, and without Lambert, i think they may score more than GB. Because Germany and Finland can take points from GB if they give it a real go. Australia will be competitive against those teams with Fricke and Kurtz riding well. So with a holiday in Australia at the end of a long European season should be a good final.

Yes. Ward will win a world title, and probably more than one. Sayfutdinov, Ward, Woofinden, Janowski are the four most consistent young riders in the world, and it would be fitting reward if they were all to win World Titles.