Barrow Boy 2

8 teams is not enough. There has to be more variety. The same teams keep riding each other and it becomes monotonous. Be nice to see different teams bringing more away fans.

There are currently 18 teams running in the top 2 divisions which if the all ran in 2019, 126 riders are required to fill them. It is however quite likely that not all will continue but if they do then there will be a shortage of 35 riders based on all those currently riding. If however teams comprise of just 6 riders then there will be a shortage of just 18 which can be covered by more overseas riders being attracted to join and or by using the top National League riders as reserves. It is possible to use the existing 15 heat format for 6 man teams because it is done now when teams use rider replacement.

On current form this should be an away win but I thought that against Belle Vue. KL have 6 riders who usually ride the track ok whereas LC only have 3

Josh Auty is injured. Ankle recurrence.

It's up to Somerset

It might be the rule but it is very rarely applied. I agree the riders should be allowed to prepare for their start in any way they wish but it should be within the 2 minutes and not whatever they can get away with. Sometimes referees give them a green light flash to encourage them to hurry up but they still take no notice. It is not just the digging around that is the problem it is also riders who consistently delay the starts by refusing to line up until others have done so. There is incidentally a rule that calls for the starting marshalls to line them up in gates 1,2,3,4 order but this is ignored by such riders who insist on lining up last.

In the UK the referees are usually happy that all riders are proceeding to the tapes within the 2 minutes but they are then allowed as much time as they can get away with once they are at the start to dig around etc. In Poland they have to start the race as soon as the 2 minutes are up.

I am back again to talk about riders messing about at the starts which as you will know from my previous posts is a major irritation to me. I was watching a Polish match recently and was informed by the commentator that no riders are allowed out on to the track until the pits marshall was satisfied that all riders were ready to go and he then asked the referee to hit the 2 minute warning button. Riders then had 2 minutes to proceed to the start and be ready to race before the 2 minutes had expired. Simple really. No excessive time wasting gardening and no waiting for another rider to line up.

Could Cook have been replaced by using IRR in heat 13?

I understand that Ben Barker has asked if his average would fit. His converted 2018 Redcar average is 5.95 and his 2017 Rye House average was 6.00. Either of these would indeed fit.

My top 20 riders on current form as at 30.07.18 are now as follows:- 01 (01) Robert Lambert-King's Lynn-1170 02 (03) Jason Doyle-Somerset-1090 03 (04) Max Fricke-Belle Vue-1040 04 (02) Troy Batchelor-Swindon-1010 05 (05) Hans Andersen-Leicester-970 06 (08) Jack Holder-Somerset-965 07 (06) Rohan Tungate-Belle Vue-950 08 (---) Chris Harris-Poole-930 09 (10) Craig Cook-Belle Vue-910 10 (---) Sam Masters-Wolverhampton-890 11 (19) Neils Kristian Iversen-King's Lynn-870 12 (17) Brady Kurtz-Poole-850 13 (--- ) Adam Ellis- Swindon-840 14 (12) Jacob Thorsell-Wolverhampton-835 15 (09) Rory Schlein-Wolverhampton-830 16 (13) Ty Proctor-King's Lynn-810 17 (14) Tobias Musielak-Swindon-790 18 (16) Nick Morris-Swindon-770 19 (---) Nicolai Klindt-Poole-762 20 (---) Thomas Jorgensen-King's Lynn-750

My current top 20 riders on current form as at 30.07.18 are now as follows:- 01 (04) Tom Bacon-Birmingham-1140 02 (---) James Shanes-Birmingham-1133 03 (02) Alfie Bowtell-Isle Of Wight-1090 04 (03) Conner Mountain-Coventry-1060 05 (01) Luke Bowen-Kent-1030 06 (09) Max Clegg-Stoke-1020 07 (16) Drew Kemp-Mildenhall-1010 08 (---) Ellis Perks-Plymouth-1000 09 (18) Mark Baseby-Eastbourne-990 10 (15) Ryan Kinsley-Mildenhall-985 11 (05) Ben Morley-Isle Of Wight-980 12 (10) Kyle Bickley-Belle Vue-970 13 (14) Georgie Wood-Eastbourne-968 14 (07) Danny Ayres-Mildenhall-965 15 (19) Jack Thomas-Kent-960 16 (12) Jack Smith-Belle Vue-940 17 (13) Ben Wilson-Buxton-935 18 (---) Henry Atkins-Plymouth-930 19 (17) Josh Bailey-Mildenhall-910 20 (---) Jon Armstrong-Coventry-900

My top 20 riders on current as at 30.07.18 are now as follows:- 01 (02) Richard Lawson-Lakeside-1110 02 (03) Ricky Wells-Edinburgh-1070 03 (06) Michael Palm Toft-Peterborough-1060 04 (07) Nick Morris-Lakeside-1020 05 (01) Rory Schlein-Ipswich-1000 06 (04) Adam Ellis-Lakeside-995 07 (08) Josh Auty-Scunthorpe-990 08 (15) Chris Harris-Glasgow-985 09 (05) Scott Nicholls- Peterborough-980 10 (09) Eric Riss-Edinburgh-970 11 (19) Dan Bewley-Workington-940 12 (---) Nico Covatti-Ipswich-930 13 (---) Aaron Summers-Berwick-900 14 (20) Bradley Wilson Dean-Peterborough-880 15 (16) TY Proctor-Workington-870 16 (14) Kyle Howarth- Sheffield-865 17 (---) Rasmus Jensen-Workington-860 18 (---) Nicolai Klindt-Workington-850 19 (---) Ben Barker-Redcar-840 20 (11) Lasse Bjerre-Sheffield-835

They were better off. IRR should only be used if a heat leader is injured as a result of an incident caused by the opposing team. He crashed in his second ride and it was his own fault but by being allowed to use IRR his rides were taken by 2 heat leaders and not the reserves.

Leicester's current CTA is 41.76. By removing KP's 6.50 there is only 7.24 to play with and SN's current average is 7.35 so it doesn't fit.

As it stands at the moment:- 01-Swindon +8 02-King' Lynn +7 03-Somerset +6 04-Poole +2 05-Wolverhampton +1 06-Belle Vue -1 07-Leicester -7

I did say this might happen. King's Lynn are a good team who had several track specialists who certainly showed the Leicester riders how to ride their own track.

Looks like being another tough one for Leicester with Ty Proctor at reserve. Don't expect him to do a Klindt but he is better than Leicester's reserves and will most likely be given 7 rides.

You won't finish bottom. You are in fact 3rd when it comes to away points gained less home points lost. Another away point or points are a possibility tomorrow as well.

Well, he does ride for Sheffield.

My top 20 riders on current form as at 30.06.18 are now as follows:- 01 (03) Rory Schlein-Ipswich-1110 02 (06) Richard Lawson-Lakeside-1090 03 (01) Ricky Wells-Edinburgh-1060 04 (04) Adam Ellis-Lakeside-1055 05 (12) Scott Nicholls-Peterborough-1030 06 (---) Michael Palm Toft-Peterborough-1010 07 (05) Nick Morris-Lakeside-1000 08 (10) Josh Auty-Scunthorpe-980 09 (08) Eric Riss-Edinburgh-970 10 (19) Jake Allen-Scunthorpe-960 11 (---) Lasse Bjerre-Sheffield-955 12 (07) Charles Wright-Sheffield-950 13 (---) Danny King-Ipswich-942 14 (09) Kyle Howarth-Sheffield-920 15 (---) Chris Harris-Glasgow-910 16 (02) Ty Proctor-Workington-870 17 (11) Claus Vissing-Glasgow-860 18 (---) Kyle Newman-Lakeside-855 19 (17) Dan Bewley-Workington-844 20 (---) Bradley Wilson Dean-Peterborough-840

My top 20 riders on current form as at 30.06.18 are now as follows:- 01 (05) Luke Bowen-Kent-1080 02 (---) Alfie Bowtell-IOW-1075 03 (02) Connor Mountain-Coventry-1060 04 (07) Tom Bacon-Birmingham-1055 05 (01) Ben Morley-IOW-1050 06 (09) Adam Roynon-Plymouth-1045 07 (12) Danny Ayres-Mildenhall-1040 08 (03) Danyon Hume-Birmingham-1030 09 (08) Max Clegg-Stoke-1020 10 (14) Kyle Bickley-Belle Vue-1000 11 (10) Leon Flint-Birmingham-990 12 (16) Jack Smith-Belle Vue-977 13 (13) Ben Wilson-Buxton-970 14 (20) Georgie Wood-Eastbourne-960 15 (---) Ryan Kingsley-Mildenhall-955 16 (06) Drew Kemp-Mildenhall-950 17 (04) Josh Bailey-Mildenhall-945 18 (---) Mark Baseby-Eastbourne-940 19 (---) Jack Thomas-Kent-935 20 (11) Tom Brennan-Eastbourne-930

My top 20 riders as at 29.06.18 on current form are now as follows:- 01 (01) Robert Lambert-King's Lynn-1150 02 (02) Troy Batchelor-Swindon-1080 03 (04) Jason Doyle-Somerset-1070 04 (03) Max Fricke-Belle Vue-1010 05 (07) Hans Andersen-Leicester-988 06 (13) Rohan Tungate-Belle Vue-970 07 (10) Kenneth Bjerre-Leicester-925 08 (15) Jack Holder-Somerset-900 09 (05) Rory Schlein-Wolverhampton-895 10 (17) Craig Cook-Belle Vue-890 11 (08) Scott Nicholls-Rye House-888 12 (09 Jacob Thorsell-Wolverhampton-885 13 (12) Ty Proctor-King's Lynn-870 14 (18) Tobias Musielak-Swindon-865 15 (06) Dan Bewley-Belle Vue-860 16 (14) Nick Morris-Swindon-855 17 (20) Brady Kurtz-Poole-850 18 (11) Krzysztof Kasprzak-Rye House-840 19 (19) Neils Kristian Iversen-King's Lynn-833 20 (---) Linus Sundstrom-Poole-820

Ben Morley withdrew from his last rides for IOW last night. Will he be ok for this one?

Do Swindon still have to race on Thursdays. A source has told me that dog racing is now only on Saturdays. Is this correct?