hawks 1975

Does anybody else out there find it a bit odd that no names have been announced yet for the Bonanza - we all know Ben will support his namesake, but who else?!

Certainly looks like Len has mopped up some of the brightest young talent around for 2019. Looking further ahead, the stadium deserves to host at least Championship level speedway, and if they can get Saturday racing for 2020, could this be the nucleus to take into the Championship. I believe Anders is a Swindon asset, but what is the situation re Kemp and Jenkins? Are they only affiliated to Mildenhall, in which case, if Kent did move up a league, presumably they could become King's assets? If all goes well this coming season, I could see Len only having to find a couple of heat leaders to field a very attractive Championship side, the bulk of which would be largely home grown/developed. Exciting times ahead I suspect - just a shame that his latest injury has ruled out Luke, and maybe ended his career. Having seen him come through at Rye House, I have to say that in my opinion he was even better value at Central Park where he clearly enjoyed being a No 1.

Does anyone know if Jake Knight is looking to ride in 2019? I always enjoyed his whole-hearted racing style and would love to see him at Central Park. I assume he has never reached a 4 point average in the middle tier, which must make him an attractive option?

Lakeside web site mentions road closures around the Raceway - any details anyone?

Jack Smith 8.2 Belle Vue Danyon Hume 7.33 Birmingham Jack Thomas 7.43 Kent Kyle Bickley 6.67 Belle Vue Leon Flint 3.0 Birmingham Drew Kemp 3.0 Mildenhall Matt Marson 3.0 Mildenhall Total 38.65

Does anybody know if Press and Practice is going to happen this Thursday, if so what time?

Daytripper reckons there are 13 announced, but I have a feeling our No 1 is not included - is Nick Morris riding? How much more expensive would it be to properly honour Rico with a decent 16 rider field including our 7? I would have seen it as early season opportunity to attract new fans to Championship level speedway with a competitive field, which could have included 2 or 3 youngsters such as Jack Thomas, Jordan Jenkins, even Jake Knight, to not only give our reserves a fair test, but also have a look at them with an eye to the future. I'll still go I reckon, but it's not exactly an attractive opener.

So do we know what it was that held up the announcement for so long?!

Surely with the lack of any TV money, the days of being able to afford the GP riders is upon us, and must be faced up to. Because the top riders kept moaning about 'too many meetings', we now have a top flight league that can only offer 14 home meetings in a speedway season that starts in March/April and in theory goes on until October. Now I believe we have a Championship that is offering only 10 home league meetings! How does that square with a season of at least 29 weeks? Do the fans want alternate week home meetings? Many are drifting away, having lost the habit. The majority of riders need more meetings (hence doubling up). How many meetings do the majority of promoters want to make their business viable? How do you please riders, fans and promoters alike? 2019 must be the season when when the powers that be allow one big league, initially split into two regional leagues, ( helping to reduce costs) with the top 4 from each racing off for the title, and the remainder racing in a supplementary competition/cup, thereby ensuring that each club races around 20 home meeting. The second half of the season would see north v south matches. It may be best to go with 6 rider teams initially, but I believe that would soon revert back as the new young crop of riders develop. It might even be possible to then add a genuine knock out Cup competition, run on the same lines as the FA Cup - fixed dates for each round, preliminary rounds perhaps for the National league clubs with the top 2 then being drawn at home v the top boys and the chance of a giant killing even! That would give most riders enough meetings - without the dreaded doubling up; allow the fans to have more regular, varied, meaningful meetings and hopefully give the promoters a more attractive offering.

Really sorry to see someone suggesting that Luke might not be fit to take his place at Central Park in 2018. Has that been confirmed? If that is the case, who would we want at No 1? I see that it's likely that Steve Boxall will not be included atPlymouth - would he fit points wise? An old favourite of Len's of course. Personally I have always rated Jake Knight as a racer - he would entertain on a Monday night. Any other suggestions?

An all time favourite - many a time he was worth the price of admission alone - just as well he could never gate! Who is this published by?

PHILIPRISING, on 15 Sept 2017 - 8:12 PM, said: I suspect this might have been a NL promoter of long standing who looks after his own business pretty well. He may also have had his head in the sand....I must admit I do believe the MAJOR issues with the sport are higher up the chain, which understandably affects more people.

I thoroughly enjoyed another entertaining fours featuring some brilliant races, especially in the final, and must congratulate the majority of riders for putting on such a show. Credit also to the Panther's promotion for providing a track that allowed them to do it over 32 heats on a warm and windy afternoon - no easy task. I believe the fours is nearly always a great days racing because the track at Peterborough encourages it, and because , with the top four of each side, each race has four riders of a similar standard, with any one of them capable of winning it. Surely always the best recipe for great racing. However, I am concerned that if we are not careful, that formula is at risk. Last year's hugely entertaining weekend saw the first dangerous signs when certain riders opted out of riding on the Sunday due to the flat rate payment on offer. The replacements were not of the same standard. Clearly some of the better riders are not happy riding for a flat rate £200 when they might have five rides. Possibly one or two of those missing with injuries might have ridden had there been league points/money available. On the other hand, £200 for just two rides..... Perhaps the BSPA should pay more for those who reach the final stages? Some find it wrong that riders like Kennett last year, Cook and Schlein complain, but they are the guys expected to entertain - and usually do. Do we want this top event going ahead in future years without the top guys just because of penny pinching by the powers that be? The BSPA need to get the revenues right, and then pay a sensible rate to ensure all of the riders WANT to give of their best on the day. Yesterday we were privileged to witness superb racing throughout in my opinion from Harris, Ostergaard, Wright and Howarth, with special races from Ben Barker, Ellis Perks and Aaron Summers, Cameron Heeps, Rory Schlein, Josh Grajczonek, Kevin Doolan and Jake Allen to mention just a few. I want to see similar in future, with all the top boys giving their all. It needs to be sorted now before it is too late.

Agreed Rob, I remember Davy M beating Ole, and when a youngster pops out and beats the top man of the opposition the crowd love it and always will. I also remember Steve Lomas beating World Champion Anders Michanek into fourth spot in the 1974? Champions Chase - happy days!! More recently, ex-Kent favourite Danny Ayres riding at reserve for Leicester at Rye House earlier in the season and scoring a paid 13 that included wins over Robbo and Bomber plus the previously undefeated Ricky Wells after leading Scott Nicholls for 3 laps - the travelling Leicester fans really had something to cheer despite their side's 54-36 defeat. Danny, being the showman that he is - and how few of them there are now - of course loved all the attention! I remember Danny falling off three times IN ONE RACE early in his career at Central Park - for all we know that might turn out to be his best ever top flight score!

As Rob says, 'The trick was to make sure riders were racing others of similar standard.' Is that not the definition of what makes for the best speedway at any level?! Oh that our promoters/powers that be would try harder to achieve this in all the leagues. Monday night at Kent watching the very attractive USA four was spoilt for me by having three lads thrown in who before the meeting started anyone could have told you that they would be off the pace. They scored 9 between them....but 7 were gifted due to falls!

What a shame that the very attractive USA quartet were not given the respect of having decent opposition from the Lakeside or Kestrels fours. With all due respect to William O'Keefe, another national League rider of heat leader quality was needed, and although Connor Locke and Jamie Couzins tried hard, they were never going to be on the pace with any of the USA World Team Cup lads. Jack Thomas certainly gave them a run for their money, and would have had a maximum had Tom Brennan not fallen. Ben Morley got a little bit of a nudge on the outside of Luke Becker out of bend two in heat 5 and lifted alarmingly into the boards - thankfully he was able to continue. As for the Americans, Dillon Ruml was worth the admission price alone just for way he attacked the track in his first two rides; Gino was smooth and classy; Broc Nicol lost out to Jack Thomas and was behind Ben Hopwood in his first when he slid off on the last bend last lap, and Luke Becker looked good, losing out only to Ben Hopwood. These lads are obviously progressing, and look to have decent equipement and support. Gino and Ruml on this showing are Championship standard - lets hope they don't get beaten up in the World Cup.

Enjoyed Trelawny just the once in 2003 and looking back at the photos I took, and my captions, I described it as 'a 230m banked track, with dirt on it, in a stunning setting amidst the clay pits - excellent speedway.' As an old Hackney fan, I remember thinking that is was like a mini-Waterden Road - a bit less banking - but great racing. The match I saw was Trelawny 44 Kings Lynn 46 and featured Bomber Harris, Matej Zagar, Davey Watt, Shane 'Entertainment'Parker and Tomas Topinka amongst others. Happy days!

As someone who used to work in the book business, and still keeps an eye on what is about, I can tell you that it is not just Speedway. The sports book market in general has almost collapsed compared to just five years ago. In the run up to Christmas, there was a time when sports titles - especially autobiographies - were some of the year's best sellers. That is no longer the case. Over the past few years, many big publishers have had their fingers burnt with big name titles that never sold anywhere near their print runs. Now even the smaller publishers are producing less and less. The view appears to be that there are less and less 'big personalties' out there to appeal to a reducing hardback buying public. Once upon a time sporting titles were bought, sometimes as an easy gift - 'he likes football so lets get him that for Xmas' - but also by the fans/followers because they wanted to know more about the personality or the team/sport. My guess is that the advent of the internet has reduced the amount of original content that the average supporter does not already know about. If there is nothing new to say.....

Steve Worrall, so impressive on Saturday at Peterborough, was saying how he is on some super fast engines, and going by his kevlars, I worked out he is on Ash Tech (Ashley Holloway) tuned motors. I believe Aaron Summers is also. Eddie Kennett was on a FGM motor recently as was Bradley Wilson-Dean - is that Fleming Graversen? Jack Holder I've seen riding, not surprisingly, PJR (Peter Johns). It got me thinking that it would be interesting to know who is using who in the British Leagues, and which tuners are more popular/successful than others. Also, what distinguishes them all? Some of the top ones initialise, many I assume do not. Does anyone out there know who some of the other non-GP riders are using? (I'd guess the Panthers fan on about Ulrich's lawnmower would like to know who he is currently using! NB regardless of what he is riding, he always gives it his all as far as I am concerned).

A stonking meeting! Proper speedway as someone on TV is wont to say. And on a slicker than usual circuit due to circumstances beyond the managements control. Apart from young Coles, every rider had their moments in providing top drawer entertainment, and hopefully all those who had a look from the MCN Festival will try it again. Panthers fans/management should not panic - the shock heat 8 1-5 allied to James Shanes' eye catching guest performance - effectively won Newcastle the match, given that Steve W and Robert L were always going to score big. Simon Lambert gets some stick, but he made some excellent gates and rode his socks off in the difficult No 2 slot. Great racing. Great entertainment.

Remember his time at Arena where he was always so good to watch and a real favourite 'cup-of-coffee' - he'll be missed around the tracks.

A few photos from the Press and Practice as requested - pity only Scott and Bomber had the new suits - Rob resplendent in his new Sheffield one! https://www.flickr.com/gp/147399630@N04/5c12RP

JPB 6.97 HUME 7.33 HOPWOOD 5.93 SMITH As I was saying before I pressed the wrong button.........! JPB 6.97 HUME 7.33 HOPWOOD 5.93 SMITH 6.32 BRENNAN 3.00 BOWTELL 4.21 DUGARD 4.28 Total 38.04

Another great issue this week with plenty of interesting reading, but one question. Is the Star no longer supporting Fantasy Speedway? Have I missed something? No rider listings to date as far as I know. Be a pity - anything that keeps the fans interested surely must be a positive.

It didn't even get a review in these week's Speedway Star - totally forgotten by everybody? Great promotion by nobody. Shame. The young lads deserve better.