21st century heathen

Of course the irony of the whole thing is that he has made a declaration, but it doesn't mean jack until he's 18. He's just taking up a place that could be given to a Brit.

I can see the argument for someone such as Compton, but I think that those brave enough to go full time EL should be rewarded for that. Surely the aim, ultimately, is to have as many Brits as possible riding at as high a level as possible. Offering incentives such as a shot at the British Final should encourage the next generation to follow in the wheel tracks of riders such as Olly and Lewis.

Of course the best solution would be to have proper qualifying rounds. Base qualification on start averages, due to inequality in the number of matches riders may have ridden when the matches come around. It's a clear and well-defined cut off date for riders to set a qualifying average. The top 42 Brits in the averages qualify. That the top 40 plus two reserves for the first round. Round 1 features the lowest averaging 18 riders. A standard 16 rider format, with two reserves. Straight forward 5 rides each and winner takes all. The top 8 from this meeting qualify direct into one of two semis, plus one of the 9th and 10th placed riders going forward as reserve. Each semi features 12 of the top 24 averaging riders plus 4 of the top 8 from round 1. Same format again. The top 8 from each of the semis go forward to the final. The 9th placed rider from each semi goes forward as reserve for the final. Same format again. The riders place in each round is determined by a random draw (where applicable). In the event that a rider is unable to ride due to illness or injury a reserve takes his place. The place of the reserve is taken by the next highest placed rider in the previous round. In the event of riders being tied on points for a rostrum place there will be a run off. In the event of a tie for qualifying positions there will be a run off. In the event that a reserve from a previous round in needed to be promoted to a later round his place will be decided by 'count-back' (as applicable). Round 1 Lowest 16 + 2 reserves. Top 8 qualify + 4 reserves for the semi finals. Semi 1 Half of the highest 24 averaging riders + Half of the qualifiers from round 1 (decided by random draw) (12+4=16 +2 reserves) Top 8 qualify direct. 9th placed goes forward as reserve. Semi 2 Other half of the highest 24 averaging riders + Other half of the qualifiers from round 1 (decided by random draw) Top 8 qualify direct 9th placed goes forward as reserve. Final Top 8 from each of the semi finals + 2 reserves (1 from each semi) No doubt there'd be moans about too many meetings.

A sense of well-being, peace and harmony.

Wasn't aware of that. Hmmm...will have to have a re-think because I think the a few others could be pretty close. Chris L and Lee should be clost to the semi, but Lewis or Olly could step up and sneak in. I'll edit my original plan sometime later today. *starts thinking*

Okay, let's move this on to predictions then. Assuming it's top two plus two from four(?) Top two Scott David H 4 semi-finalists Joe David N Chris H Simon Final result Scott David H Chris H David N

Is that a wind up or just ill-informed. Doesn't mean it is irrelevant though does it?! He certainly was a couple of weeks ago, and is now showing his true form. He's very much worth his place in the line up. Monmore is a cracking race track but I am yet to see Chris at his best around there. He failed to win a race in his ercent visit. He'll need more than that against a bunch of riders that can ride the track well. Personally I think Scott will edge it, but it's by no means certain. At their best Joe, Floppy, and Chris can still win plenty of races around there and David H will be a real threat. I wouldn't be surprised to see the points shared around with everyone dropping points to each other at some stage.

I'll be there on time then I think. Have to get my spot before the travellers arrive. I hope nobody pulls out. There's the obvious favourites, but so many spoilers. It could be an absolute classic. Possibly on past performances?

Who's in which group? I can't remember.

Interesting idea. If Olly shows Ed which end of the bike to aim at the corner then maybe, just maybe... David H is in great form, and scored paid 9 from 4 at Brandon less than two weeks ago. Lewis can't match that. I'd like to think that Middlo will make sure that he and James (in particular) are involved in some way.

The question was 'Why...should it be at Brandon?'. The Brits, mostly, do very well at Monmore. Ever since the British Final was announced as being at Monmore I've said that I'm really looking forward to it for this very reason. Yes, and no. The cats whiskers...the dogs danglies...etc... I agree that the Poles aren't the best squad, but that doesn't mean they can't win in their own back yard. I doubt you'll find too many that think the Aussies can 'flog' the Danes man-for-man. (that just sounds sooooo wrong ) Which is what I've been saying all along. Olly as reserve to... Scott Chris Lee Simon David H This time you really have come around to my way of thinking.

Why?

We all know the score in this seasons WTC anyway. The Danes are the strongest in the world right now, but the Poles have a fantastic chance of winning in their own back yard again. That doesn't mean we shouldn't make a fight of it. On form, Olly is a better option than Ed around Brandon. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I probably wouldn't believe it either. Hopefully we'll be in a stronger position in a few years, but at the moment we are between eras'. We have the Mark, Chris L, Joe, and Floppy group on the way down (although Mark can still do the business in the WTC when fit). Then we have the likes of Scott and Lee as established GB riders, Chris H and Simon coming through. David H and Olly may be in the middle age bracket, but are young enough to still make a break through to become solid scorers (as mentioned good at Brandon as well). Then the likes of Ed, James, Lewis to look to for the future.

What about dragging a few along to see some live action?

I guess you're right, but for the most part I would consider TRick to have won his world titles as a rider that rode over here. Even if you do count TRick 2005 as not having ridden over here, then that was the first time for 22 years that it has been done. Most people still consider Egon to have had something going his way that day. I wonder who was the one before him? It all points to one thing. If you want to be world champion you have to ride in Britain. Gollob has never gone so close as he did when he had experience over here, Holta and Hampel seem to have gone backwards and don't look like ever winning it (although Hampel could turn it around). AJ is not having the impact he should have in the GP's. The top 5 this year will probably be riding over here (NP, JC, HA, GH, LA) with AJ likely to be the best placed that doesn't ride over here. I'm surprised that riders such as Hampel and Lindback don't realise this, and be desperate to ride over here. Perhaps they don't have the motivation to reach the top, only to earn as much as they can without putting themselves out?

Not at all. I simply don't agree with you. Too long-winded. There's a tv schedule to consider. Where do you draw the line? Do you run off for every position (in meetings generally)? Some riders would have to use the tyre for an extra 4 laps, and be more fatigued themselves. I think it's sensible, but I'm open to opinions others may have. Unfair. It could largely depend on how the track was prepared when you happened to go out.

That's something that I keep coming back to. I'm struggling to think who it could have been. Perhaps even as far back as Egon Muller '83(?). All the GP front runners ride over here. Even TRick came back to the UK when he lost his edge after his first world title. Back to AL and the fans opinion. He burned a lot of bridges last season. Even the Poole promotion seem to have turned their back on him. He wasn't considered for this season, and now they want to sell him rather than a potentially more lucrative (over time) loan deal. If the fans don't like him it's largely because of his actions, and attitude. He's young, and maybe one day he can build a few bridges once more. But at the moment I think that may be a little way off for a lot of people. I'm not saying that I'm actively hoping he'll flop, but I just don't care if he gets another 5 zeros next time out. Just my opinion of course.

I have to agree with that comment. It's been a while since we've seen that kind of racing from him. Classy move.

Hans was a little lucky that hitting the rut fired him forward rather than off the bike. Greg was unlucky as he lost momentum as Hans came across him. Chris just saw his chance, and kept it all wound on. As he went around Greg on the exit of turn 4 he had so much speed he almost hit the back of Hans. As he shut the throttle I thought that chance may have gone, but the switch to the inside was quick thinking, and just shows how sharp his racing brain is. For the record did anyone else notice after the race that Hans looked for Greg and apologised to him? I'm sure the Hans-bashers will conveniently ignore that, but well done Hans. They will rut up though. Chris is strong enough to ride them, and make moves as others make mistakes. At Cardiff there's usually a little bit of dirt around the outside late on. If he can grab a semi spot he should be able to get out wide and use that to his advantage. It's the line AJ uses, and he has a good record at Cardiff. Parken will be harder, and there seems less dirt there.

Yep, I was pleased to see him get up because he could easily have broken his ankle under the bike as he came to rest. But you're right, it was a comedy classic. 'Anything TRick can do I can do better'. If only he could have come down on the wheels. *edit* Good on him for having a laugh at himself. That guy in his pit crew couldn't stop chuckling so I think Rune had to see the funny side. Top man.

You give a very poor example. Had they been tied on points then either AJ would have been shocking, or Lindback much better. You can't try to apply the rule to riders that have had such different nights. The whole point of any count back system is to split riders that have finished on level points. If two riders were to finish level on 7 points and were tied for the last semi spot they would have to be split somehow. If one rider had failed to finish a race because of a fall (for eg), and the other had completed all his rides my rule would make sense. The rider that had fallen had made a crucial error that the other hadn't. That should count against him.

I don't agree that a zero is a zero. If you finish the four laps, but are last, that is quite rightly considered a better result than not finishing the race. I'd even say that a fall or engine failure should be considered a better result than not taking to the track/being excluded under the 2 min rule/being excluded for touching the tapes. If you are excluded for an in-race offence then that would fit in between these two.

I've said for some time that he aint all that, but he is better than the very poor showings in the first two GP's.

If he has got away with that one (relatively speaking) he is every bit as lucky as Scott was a couple of weeks ago. It was such a freak accident, but they tend to be the worst ones. I really did think he must have broken something in/around the shoulder because of the impact with the track as he came back off the fence. He's also very lucky that the bike didn't hit him as it took flight. All the best AJ.

Well, I'm happy to say that I called Nicki as a very real threat long before the season began. He has been a class apart, and good on him for it. He fully deserves all the credit at the moment, and is riding as well as Rickardsson or Crump ever did at their best.