rabbit

Just repeating what I'm being told by someone who's out there. Without seeing the race myself I can't comment on the rights and wrongs of the decision.

It's not Snyper...although this event has more of a financial backing for the riders behind it than some of the other recent qualifiers. I'm assuming that timing is more of a problem in this case. Don't forget that for a lot of these youngsters they don't drive themselves and require mechanics etc who are often parents with full time jobs to do it. I don't know when Mear was ruled out, but it certainly wasn't that long before any replacement rider needed to be out there for practice. Not easy to get equipment for a fast contintenal track sorted just ilke that. Latest text i've had from BobC out there is that Team GB are pretty much screwed now. Lewis had nowhere to go when Johnasson had an engine failure, and has a dead leg and double vision so we're down to 3 fully fit men. No news on whether he's out or will battle on though. Brendan then suffered an e/f whilst he was in 3rd.

Seems that the GB team is now down to 4 riders as Mear has withdrawn, each of whom will now take 6 rides each

Arnie, one day the penny will drop with some that Bjarne is just having a sub-standard season everywhere. Although with others on here, it might take longer...ahem...no names mentioned

Thanks for the updates yesterday.

Hey, I bought that record.

Apologies...I wasn't intending to split hairs. I see where you're coming from, I guess perhaps I never expected Bren to qualify to the next round however much of a supporter of his that I am and misread your comment.

I can't comment about Jaimie, but for Brendan I wouldn't call it a pity. He's still 16 so to pick up 6 points against some decent opposition there was more than expected. As a sponsor, I'm more than happy with how he did, and I'm sure I speak for some of his other backers too. This was by far his biggest event in his career and he's done himself proud. Some may scoff at that, but in the context of overall experience and the result, it wasn't bad at all.

Think you've read that a bit wrong Hazzman, they've only met once in Ht 12.

Too right! Hope that darned ref doesn't cock up the meeting for anyone today though - surprised he's still doing anything after some of his GP efforts. Good luck to Jaimie too.

Plenty of 'disappointment at the back' though

Cracking result from Sayfutdinov and Freddie. Long live the new order in the GPs.

Perhaps my attitude appears rather harsh to some. I suppose I just don't feel much sympathy towards someone still being offered £200k in one country (and we're probably talking close to £500k overall when other countries/meeting/sponsorship deals etc are taken into account) for the amount of meetings he'd actually do. I hear all the arguments about costs etc, but we're not exactly talking about someone being forced to walk the poverty line even after all of that. I guess I'm just looking at the bigger picture rather than just focussing on speedway.

I can see where you're coming from, but we're not talking your average man on the street on £25k - 30k...this is nearly 10 times that, and that's just the reduced amount! And not just his sole income either when you take into account open meetings, GP winnings, sponsorship etc and other leagues he can ride in. Personally if my employer offered me a cut in my money but the chance to keep my current job in the current financial climate, I'd be there like a shot.

That's still approx £200,000 though - so afraid I've no sympathy. It's still a whole load of money. Do think some of these riders need to wake up and get in the real world at the moment, but that's just my opinion.

Or Poole...

It's very confusing I have to admit. Perhaps we have to make up our own thread titles instead now? Post a thread and be damned for evermore I say.... PS Wolfslayer - Clive is a good friend and can be found doing appearances at Blunsdon on Thursdays. He was the voice of Screensport which is where I first heard him. I do apparently though, appear to be in a minority of liking his style.

Rode for Poole in the 2004(?) season in the BL Cup team. He's an Aussie who was living locally to Poole at the time (may still be, but not certain of that).

Was that an intentional typo Shazzy?

Trelawney - always meant to go but kept putting it off...and then they closed.

To be fair to Bjarne, he did miss two GPs through injury - had he ridden in those, I think he could have been top 8, or even in the position where Nicholls finished. All irrelevant anyway as he effectively ruled himself out of the series for 2009 where wildcards were concerned even before the end of the series.

I'd be interested to know whether Holder was approached with a view to a wildcard place - he's made it known that he was uncertain about going into the GPs yet, and certainly seems to march the beat of his own drum rather than being led - I wonder if he decided to give it a further year?

Whilst I'd ordinarily agree with you about supporting our own, I don't see any reason why people can't objectively discuss his inclusion. The GP after all, is supposed to be about the world's top 16 riders battling out...

Sorry Spooks - I meant with 4 Poles (if you include Holta as pseudo-Pole that is) in 2009, you'd have thought 4 Danes wouldn't be a problem. This decision has to be purely based on politics - nothing else.

I'd agree Iris, altough BSI don't seem to have any problem with the number of Poles taking part!