Col

For next year, yes, for reasons previously stated with Brennan although not being at #5 for most of the year will give him as easier final programmed ride. Not seen enough of Thompson to be convinced, although not being an RS is extra pressure.

Rew yes, was good in SoN 2. Jury out on the two Brits. Brennan is leaving the solid income of second tier racing in the UK, which is a good thing for him, showing ambition. Spreading shale on the continent more is a good thing but ... Not winning races can drain confidence & his equipment needs to be top notch to compete which is expensive. Make or break year for Brennan on a new home track. Working alongside Doyle & Sayfutdinov could help though. Thompson out of RS berth needs time to adjust.

While I've enjoyed watching Iversen ,& Harris over their careers and Kvech & Cook last year, on occasion Boughen too... that's not a team to challenge. Sorry. That team would need to be 10 points up by heat 12 to have a chance. Klindt is always injured and out for the season by May. And not Oxford. Surely won't be at Belle Vue. Don't tell me the Sheffield management aren't building a ridiculous top heavy team!

That's a big loss for Brummie & British league.

Wasn't Rowe Stars RS last year, averaged 5+ so would be available on a reduced average (3.50?) if retained.. but would be on 5+ for every other team? And Stars aren't using him? Ridiculous.

B Cook, Kvech, Lawson, Iversen, Basso, Harris & an RS?

No Lindgren?

After his sour experience at Kings Lynn last year - don't know what went wrong - he'd always been reliable for Wolves, Robins & Tigers. I do wonder if we'll see him in our league again. Hopefully so. I was hoping he'd be at Perry Barr as Oxford have Janowski & Tungate at least. Brummies seem to be losing Brennan.

Z Cook & Voulas are less risky signings than Zischke, following his injury. Makes sense Z Cook had a year at Monmore didn't he? So he'll be more acclimatized to tighter tracks. Did OK in a struggling Brummies team. Voulas deserved to keep his spot. If any team was interested in taking Blodorn on loan for a year were I Lemon I think I'd have released him this year to gain more experience. While he's good to watch, still only 20 and has improved every year he is going to plateau at some point. I'd have taken a punt on Milik on a what 4.1 average. He rode most of his British League fixtures this year at #1 before having a few at reserve and then being dropped. I keep expecting Bewley to be the dominant force in our league averaging 10:50+ but maybe it'll never happen or maybe this will be the year it does. Kurtz had a stellar 2024, can't ask any more of him than his 9.15 average. Lindsey's low average surprised me, but his form away from NSS is generally poor, that needs to improve. Being a relatively experienced Ekstraliga rider if he didn't ride for the Aces I don't think he'd bother with our league. Mulford must feel under pressure with Cairns waiting in the wings when he's 16 & Bailey potentially returning. Hopefully that will be the making of him.

I did genuinely think Fricke would become the best rider of those in the league that year, but he's not progressed since qualifying for the GP's. Doyle should have been World Champion in 2016, cruel injury, but did fo so in 2017 which pleased me. Hancock kept going into his 40's but didn't have the injuries Doyle's had and was a much steadier rider. I still do not think there is any improvement on starting averages for Sayfutdinov & Doyle, so yes, probably the best spearhead in the league but to win a title the improvement in averages has to come from elsewhere in the team.

Well I've been to Owlerton at least once a season in recent years, crowds are not that big. Must have good sponsorship packages.

Stead is the new Rossiter if he builds a team as top heavy as Holder squared, Woffinden & Pickering. Also, who's paying their wages?

Thought Woffinden was Oxford bound? With Janowski & Tungate, it's a good top 3 who are not on ridiculous averages.

Looks like Lyon is trying to recreate the Dad's Army format that won the league for Panthers without the undoubted World class that team had in their prime, Iversen aside If Cook is #1 Stars have no chance.

Doyle & Sayfutdinov are two years older & more battered, Bewley & Kurtz are two years more experienced.

So... Kurtz, Zischke, Lidsey Blodorn, Bewley, Vuolas, Mulford?

He won the Simon Stead farewell at Sheffield!

Doyle & Michelsen were on target for a podium finish before they were injured.. not just a top 6.. but Hampel was leading the series (jointly if I remember correctly) when he got injured I the mid 20teens. Doyle & Michelsen deserved places. Madsen should only have missed out IF Sayfutdinov & Laguta were included in whatever representation. Neutral or Polish. I don't mind Kvech young & decent as a spoiler, but Huckenbeck is a joke. I've never liked Janowski but I'd rather have him in the series than either of them. Czechia,& German GP's have been on the calendar for years without a permanent GP rider from either nation. They experimented in 2024 with one from both, neither stepped up. No need to continue with it.

Is is still get there early to get seat?

Why would it be? Teams need 43 points to win a meeting over 14 heats which is how average are set. The only reason to reduce that limit of a new team is in the league. Currently there is no certainty that Brummies will run,& unlikely any other team will join the league.

That is close to that which I suspected. Until I saw how inflated Kurtz average is. Zischke was never in though. Big injury, will need time to get back to speed

Forecasts are unreliable especially for more than a day in advance. Agreed, but for other reasons. Is it on Eurosport?9

So R/R most of the year. Harris at Owlerton makes sense. Don't think Aces can retain Bewley & Kurtz on those averages. Rew should be the first name on the Witches team sheet Heat leader waiting to happen.

I suspect they may need to win a few. Can't see Mulford troubling the Lions & Voulas may never have been to Beaumont Park before. However Blodorn was decent there when I saw him. Fricke could well go unbeaten, but the Aces top 3 & Iversen should take points off the rest of the Lions.

It was an annual thing at Dudley Wood! 89 - Gundersen,& Pedersen. 90 - Pedersen & Cross. A young Hancock also started the season on fire at reserve but was out for a stint. 92 - Pedersen.