SteveEvans

I know that Swedish or Polish League would be awesome and hopefully they can be on TV at some point. Whatever the standard of the racing, the tight tracks and the American Razamataz will provide good viewing. I have a clip from the US Nationals last year plus a Main Event from August. The quality of racing in the 2nd clip is awesome! Note that this is the original footage that the TV company will use but is not necessarily the final Motors TV product. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1hk1bVRtZU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wKdAe1kn7A...re=channel_page

Teams; Wolves Sam Ermolenko Ronnie Correy Graham Jones Wayne Carter Cradley Billy Hamill Alan Grahame Andy Grahame Troy Pratt Will - there is no runners up trophy!

I think the British fans will get a kick out of this. The racing is good and competitive, and those nay sayers on American Speedway will get to see what it is really like. The footage is from the www.americanspeedwayonline.com website. It was fun to be a part of these broadcasts in the US and I'm sure it'll make good Sunday night viewing.

If you saw yesterday's ad in the Speedway Star you will see that as well as the 20 heat full individual there will be a Wolves Vs Cradley match supporting the event featuring some of the best names to ride for each club in the 1990's. It'll be a 4 man, 5 heat match based on the old junior league formula. What I can say is that anyone who has never seen a Wolves Vs Cradley match has missed out on a unique experience, but we are recreating it this day. It may be old riders, but the fans of both teams will be very noisy, given that, sadly, this could be last ever time these two teams meet. There will be one race in this match after each round of heats. 25 heats for just 15 quid is great value, so plan to be there at 4pm 22nd March!

Leigh Adams now added to Scott Nicholls, PK and Greg as the headliners so far. It's shaping up to be a good field and there are many places that have not yet been announced. Someone above mentioned what is Billy's job at present - its mentioned today on the official Wolves site - he works for Justice Bros. who I believe sell oil products. They currently sponsor a few American Speedway riders too.

Watch this space Mr 21st, I don't think you'll be displeased if some of the ideas bounced around come to fruition.

Oh trust me, I know there is no comparison between the 80s and now. The US riders in the EL and our World Team Cup results show there is much work to do. That said, thanks more to a handful of dedicated individuals rather than the AMA, our sport is in better shape here for the future as something is being done about it. When Costa Mesa threatened to close in 2000 it could have been the death sentence. In the 1980s riders stayed home as they could make a lot of money in the US. Now they are racing for CL monies, all part of the decline of the sport in the 1990s that we are working hard to turn around. Jesse Finch retired after '97 with injuries. He made a brief return in 2006 and is in attendence at Costa Mesa most weeks.

There were not many old boys as the modern day sport was only about 7 years old in the 70's when Bast and Penhall rode. You are right regarding the perception of the sport in Europe about old riders still winning, which is why we started the Dream Team. That said, Tim Gomez, Neil Facchini, Russell Green and Jimmy Fishback all were maiden main event winners and Buck Blair, Ricky Wells and Shaun Harmatiuk also won main's this year meaning that the pendulum is swinging.

Wolves Cradley is never far away from our conversations but the main problem is this is the fact that 12 years on there are not enough Cradley riders left to make a team. But don't discount something that will get all the Black Country fans very excited...

Compared to 10 years ago I would say the long term future of American Speedway is better today. Whilst some of the big names have retired from that era, there is much more junior and young rider activity than in 97, plus there are 7 tracks as opposed to 2. The young riders we have do have a long way to go and we need more of them. As regards older riders - you can't really make the comparison of the era of Penhall, Bast etc as there were not any 45+ riders racing in those days. The smaller tracks do favor experience and anyone who disputes that should take heed of the usual podium places McConnell and Schwartz get at Brighton, plus how EL riders get beaten at the annual USA Vs The World at Auburn. That said, we do have a couple of faster tracks now (Victorville and Perris) and the older riders generally have a much harder time beating the younger ones (Victorville is a mini Exeter and is breathtakingly fast). Ricky Wells won't be the last rider to make it to Europe from the US. I would say 16 year old Jason Ramirez is an amzing prospect and he has already made Main Events at Costa Mesa and Victorville. We have 13 year old Austin Novratl whose race times at Perris are within 0.5 second / lap of Ricky Wells, though Austin is riding a 250cc bike. I'm not promising anyone World domination in the next 10 years but I am saying we will be back and better than the present.

Billy and I touched base last night. Once new years is out of the way it is full steam ahead on both sides of the pond. There is a very experienced and capable testimonial comittee in place in the UK. The US based folk will be getting together in about a week. There are lots of exciting ideas being thrown about and its a case of formulating the best of these into a format that will do a meeting like this all it deserves. Stay tuned for more news shortly!

Just as long as Billy doesn't use Sam's pushbar to get a tow Believe it or not me and the man himself have discussed this incident over many a Corrs Light over the last few years. We even thought of recreating the pushbar grab at the farewell but we're not sure how Sam might feel...

Happy to oblige.

Just a lil off the main subject, but I have often wondered why there is not a 'senior tour' in speedway, like in golf. A rider who retires is often hanging it up either because they dont want the rigors of a full season or they are not signed by a team (Les & Neil Collins, Paul Thorp). Maybe a 12 round touring GP-esque series would go down well with fans? Take in UK and Europe, I'm sure it would be very popular. Because of the small sized tracks riders in American race to much older agaes, and whilst over 40 or 50 riders may not be competitive in European leagues, I am sure they could put on a show against each other.

The place will be packed given the three local teams he rode for, so I'm not worried. MrBrum is in the minority of Wolves fans when it comes to Billy. Even when we signed him and before a wheel was turned I think 90% of the fans were happy in a Wolfcry survey. Stevebrum was the 1st to carp in 2007 when Billy had a bad night as the career inguries took their toll. That said you can't suggest he's not a real Wolves fan just because his preference does not include this rider, he's there most weeks and often providing text for Wolfcry or the main updates site. I'm sure in a meeting like this his attendence is dependent on the line up, as his loyalties are not with the rider, but the huge influx of Cradley. Coventry and speedway fans in general means that the place will be packed regardless.

He is celebrating his career for all teams he has ridden for. The fact he has ridden for three clubs who are arch rivals with each other is irrelevant. The majority of fans at Cradley, Coventry and Wolves hold him very dear as he always was the kind of rider who part his heart and soul into his racing. He rode for me in three races in the US for very little money compared to what he makes in Europe. In these races he put his all into his racing, quiet amazing with the pittance I was paying him! Like any rider there are people who are not fans of Billy Hamill, but that is the minority I am sure. Cradley fans hold him dear for 7 years of service, culminating in a World title. Coventry fans had him in his prime. Wolves fans were won over despite him being past his prime and a former enemy twice over. Belle Vue and Oxford had a year each too. The response to his meeting on the Wolfcry website shows the majority of Wolves fans are thrilled with efforts for the club and the privilidge of being chosen to hold this event. We will present a day that fans of all 5 British teams he has ridden for will love. Billy is somewhat unique in that he has ridden for three clubs whose fans will always be at odds. Somehow despite this he has put his all into each team. Fans of all three see him as a speedway legend, as they should. Roll on March. Once he is officially retired I believe there are only 4 riders left in the sport who can say they won the ultimate prize, so the fact it is for a retiring world champion makes it more special.

There are definate plans to have a part of the programme featuring old riders but it if all goes to plan it will be much better than staged match races.

This is correct. Billy loved his two years at Wolves and in fact almost signed in 1997 after Cradley closed. It is also very easy for the green, red and white army to come out of hibernation .

Nope, he is retired from Europe.

Posted by Billy Hamill on the US Speedwaybikes forum; Hey; I just wanted to let everybody know I have been granted a Farewell Meeting in England! The date will be March 22 at Wolverhampton Speedway. I feel very lucky to have been granted this race at Wolverhampton as Coventry still own me. A big thank you must go to Chris Van Straatten and Colin Pratt for helping me make this happen! Steve Evans has already offered his help which will be very valuable as he grew up on the Wolves terraces, so thanks Steve! Hope to see you all there! #104 More details will be posted as myself or others involved in the organisation of this event have them. Most likely the main feature will be a 20 heat individual with some GP riders hopefully on show. The support event will be featuring retired riders and will be very special for the local Black Country fans.

Anyone have news on which riders were awarded testimonial or benefit meetings in the coming season?

I think the World Team Cup would be awesome with real matches and real team riding, though much like the Rugby World Cup, some early round matches would be walkovers. I would suggest 8 Teams in the tournmanet: Matches are 6 man teams over 12 heats, with 4 rides per rider and two matches per night. Here is a sample format; Day 1 - Round 1 matches 1. Sweden Vs Russia, 2. Poland Vs USa (Winners to Day 4, losers to Day 3) Day 2 - Round 1 matches 3. Britain Vs Australia, 4. Denmark Vs Czecho (Winners to Day 4, losers to Day 3) Day 3 - Last Chance Round - 5. Losers of 1 Vs 2, 6. Losers of Vs 4. Winning teams to day 5, losers eliminated day 4 - Round 2 - 7. Winners of 1 Vs 2, 8. Winners of 3 Vs 4 Winners to semis (day 6) loers to day 5 Day 5 - Last Chance Round - 9. Loser 7 Vs Winner 6. 10. Loser 8 Vs Winner 5. Day 6 - Semi's - Winners to Final Day 7 - Bronze Medal Match (Semi Losers) Final (Winners of Semi's) The shorter matches mean the walkovers are not so painful and the system means the good teams meet more often and the bad teams get a chance of a win on day 3.

Ricky Wells will relish the experience but qualifying may be a tall order. This kid is good regardless.

By: Ryan Evans Defending National Champion Billy “The Bullet” Hamill began his season in perfect style by going undefeated in front of a packed arena of fans at High Desert Spring Festival Invitational at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds in Ridgecrest. Hamill’s perfect evening earned him first choice of starting position in the main event and he selected the pole. Buck Blair chose gate two, Under 21 National Champion Ricky Wells picked gate four, which left Tim Gomez with gate three. When the tapes went up Hamill launched off the line and into the lead followed by Blair. Hamill eliminated any drama regarding the lead by pulling away from the field on the first lap. Blair, however, had to contend with Wells who was trying every line in an effort to get second. Hamill extended his lead all the way to the checkered flag and Blair was able to hold off Wells who made a great save after lifting in the final corner. Gomez finished in fourth. The first of three rounds of heats began with Gomez leading before Wells charged up the inside at the end of the second lap to take the lead and the win. The second race had to be restarted and the second attempt ended in Tommy Hedden being awarded the victory by the referee after Nate Perkins fell and brought out a red flag. Hamill closed out the opening round with a dominant win over Dale Facchini and Blair. Wells started round two by using the outside to pass Dale Facchini on the second lap for a hard-earned second victory of the evening. Blair kept the pesky Hedden at bay for his first win. Hamill trapped the field from the outside and scored his second straight runaway win ahead of Gomez to finish the second round. Blair and Wells started the final round of heats with a great battle that ended prematurely when Wells fell which allowed Blair an easier path to victory. Dale Facchini parlayed a great start into his first win in the next race. Hamill made it three for three with a win over Robbie Sauer in the final heat. Neil Facchini beat J.T. Mabry and Brad Sauer in a runoff to fill the final spot in the semis. Hamill won the first semi handily but Wells and Hedden had an awesome bar-to-bar battle for second behind him. Their duel ended when Hedden slid off and handed the main-event transfer to Wells. Blair led the second semi from start to finish and Dale Facchini seemingly had second wrapped up before a bobble in the final corner allowed the opportunistic Gomez to steal second at the line. Hedden was victorious in the Consolation over Dale Facchini, Robbie Sauer, and Neil Facchini. Mabry won the C Main with John Marquez finishing second, Brad Sauer getting third, and Nate Perkins being credited with fourth. The Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge saw Hedden get eliminated first, then Wells, which left Hamill and Blair for the final two-lap battle. Blair was first out of the gate and led Hamill into turn three. The former World Champion showed his mettle and charged up the inside for the lead. Blair tried to regain the lead, but his dive back to the inside found Hamill already there and the Colorado native ended up on the ground in turn one while Hamill finished the final lap uncontested for the victory. Blair got up with no injuries and both riders shook hands in a show of mutual respect for the effort. Marvin Sonnier was the early leader in the Second Division Main Event, but Steve Dziadus never gave up and on the final lap he closed Sonnier’s back tire. Sonnier made a mistake in the final corner and Dziadus made a one last charge for the lead. The pair drag raced to the finish and Sonnier was first to the line by inches over Dziadus. Tyler Hansen finished third and Dave Delbridge was fourth. Matt Davis, who usually competes as a sidecar passenger, made an auspicious debut with wins in both his heats and an easy triumph in the Third Division Main Event. Jeff Shaffer finished second, Tony DeAlmeida was third, Paul Thornton finished fourth, and Rick Huspek was fifth. The High Desert Spring Festival Invitational marked the first time that speedway was held in Ridgecrest since a handful of meetings were held there in 1983. Hamill, who competed as a junior that season, was the only competitor who had raced in Ridgecrest before. The event filled the bleachers full of enthusiastic fans whose satisfaction could clearly be interpreted by their loud ovations. The track was inside the same rodeo arena, but it was significantly smaller than the original layout. Promoter Steve Evans was very happy to report that the Desert Empire Fair Manager was so impressed that he immediately began trying to arrange multiple future dates for speedway to return. RESULTS Third Division Main Event 301 – Matt Davis 10 399 – Jeff Shaffer 20 157 – Tony DeAlmeida 20 124 – Paul Thornton 10 226 – Rick Huspek 10 Second Division Main Event 52 – Marvin Sonnier 212 – Steve Dziadus 104n – Tyler Hansen 338 – Dave Delbridge Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge 1 – Billy Hamill 39 – Buck Blair 142 – Ricky Wells 40n – Tommy Hedden First Division Scoring 1 2 3 T 1 – Billy Hamill 3 3 3 9 13 – Nate Perkins Fx R N 0 17 – Robbie Sauer 1 1 2 4 19 – Dale Facchini 2 2 3 7 21 – Brad Sauer 2 0 1 3 30 – Tim Gomez 2 2 0 4 39 – Buck Blair 1 3 3 7 40 – Tommy Hedden 3 2 1 6 41 – John Marquez 0 1 1 2 86 – Neil Facchini 1 F 2 3 93 – J.T. Mabry 0 1 2 3 142 – Ricky Wells 3 3 F 6 Race Results 1: Wells, Gomez, R.Sauer (tape penalty), Marquez (fell, remounted) 2: (restarted, awarded) Hedden, B.Sauer, N.Facchini, Perkins (excluded) 3: Hamill, D.Facchini, Blair, Mabry 6: Wells, D.Facchini, Marquez, Perkins (retired) 7: Blair, Hedden, R.Sauer, B.Sauer 8: (restarted) Hamill, Gomez, Mabry, N.Facchini (fell) 10: Blair, N.Facchini, B.Sauer, Wells (fell) 11: D.Facchini, Mabry, Hedden, Gomez 12: (restarted) Hamill, R.Sauer, Marquez (fell, remounted), Perkins (non starter) Runoff: (restarted) N. Facchini, Mabry, B.Sauer Semi #1: Hamill, Wells, N.Facchini, Hedden (fell, remounted) Semi #2: Blair, Gomez, D.Facchini, R.Sauer (fell, remounted) First Division C Main Event 93 – J.T. Mabry 41 – John Marquez 21 – Brad Sauer (retired) 13 – Nate Perkins (non starter) First Division Consolation 40 – Tommy Hedden 19 – Dale Facchini 17 – Robbie Sauer 86 – Neil Facchini First Division Main Event 1 – Billy Hamill 39 – Buck Blair 142 – Ricky Wells 30 – Tim Gomez (fell, remounted)

By: Ryan Evans Defending National Champion Billy “The Bullet” Hamill began his season in perfect style by going undefeated in front of a packed arena of fans at High Desert Spring Festival Invitational at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds in Ridgecrest. Hamill’s perfect evening earned him first choice of starting position in the main event and he selected the pole. Buck Blair chose gate two, Under 21 National Champion Ricky Wells picked gate four, which left Tim Gomez with gate three. When the tapes went up Hamill launched off the line and into the lead followed by Blair. Hamill eliminated any drama regarding the lead by pulling away from the field on the first lap. Blair, however, had to contend with Wells who was trying every line in an effort to get second. Hamill extended his lead all the way to the checkered flag and Blair was able to hold off Wells who made a great save after lifting in the final corner. Gomez finished in fourth. The first of three rounds of heats began with Gomez leading before Wells charged up the inside at the end of the second lap to take the lead and the win. The second race had to be restarted and the second attempt ended in Tommy Hedden being awarded the victory by the referee after Nate Perkins fell and brought out a red flag. Hamill closed out the opening round with a dominant win over Dale Facchini and Blair. Wells started round two by using the outside to pass Dale Facchini on the second lap for a hard-earned second victory of the evening. Blair kept the pesky Hedden at bay for his first win. Hamill trapped the field from the outside and scored his second straight runaway win ahead of Gomez to finish the second round. Blair and Wells started the final round of heats with a great battle that ended prematurely when Wells fell which allowed Blair an easier path to victory. Dale Facchini parlayed a great start into his first win in the next race. Hamill made it three for three with a win over Robbie Sauer in the final heat. Neil Facchini beat J.T. Mabry and Brad Sauer in a runoff to fill the final spot in the semis. Hamill won the first semi handily but Wells and Hedden had an awesome bar-to-bar battle for second behind him. Their duel ended when Hedden slid off and handed the main-event transfer to Wells. Blair led the second semi from start to finish and Dale Facchini seemingly had second wrapped up before a bobble in the final corner allowed the opportunistic Gomez to steal second at the line. Hedden was victorious in the Consolation over Dale Facchini, Robbie Sauer, and Neil Facchini. Mabry won the C Main with John Marquez finishing second, Brad Sauer getting third, and Nate Perkins being credited with fourth. The Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge saw Hedden get eliminated first, then Wells, which left Hamill and Blair for the final two-lap battle. Blair was first out of the gate and led Hamill into turn three. The former World Champion showed his mettle and charged up the inside for the lead. Blair tried to regain the lead, but his dive back to the inside found Hamill already there and the Colorado native ended up on the ground in turn one while Hamill finished the final lap uncontested for the victory. Blair got up with no injuries and both riders shook hands in a show of mutual respect for the effort. Marvin Sonnier was the early leader in the Second Division Main Event, but Steve Dziadus never gave up and on the final lap he closed Sonnier’s back tire. Sonnier made a mistake in the final corner and Dziadus made a one last charge for the lead. The pair drag raced to the finish and Sonnier was first to the line by inches over Dziadus. Tyler Hansen finished third and Dave Delbridge was fourth. Matt Davis, who usually competes as a sidecar passenger, made an auspicious debut with wins in both his heats and an easy triumph in the Third Division Main Event. Jeff Shaffer finished second, Tony DeAlmeida was third, Paul Thornton finished fourth, and Rick Huspek was fifth. The High Desert Spring Festival Invitational marked the first time that speedway was held in Ridgecrest since a handful of meetings were held there in 1983. Hamill, who competed as a junior that season, was the only competitor who had raced in Ridgecrest before. The event filled the bleachers full of enthusiastic fans whose satisfaction could clearly be interpreted by their loud ovations. The track was inside the same rodeo arena, but it was significantly smaller than the original layout. Promoter Steve Evans was very happy to report that the Desert Empire Fair Manager was so impressed that he immediately began trying to arrange multiple future dates for speedway to return. RESULTS Third Division Main Event 301 – Matt Davis 10 399 – Jeff Shaffer 20 157 – Tony DeAlmeida 20 124 – Paul Thornton 10 226 – Rick Huspek 10 Second Division Main Event 52 – Marvin Sonnier 212 – Steve Dziadus 104n – Tyler Hansen 338 – Dave Delbridge Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge 1 – Billy Hamill 39 – Buck Blair 142 – Ricky Wells 40n – Tommy Hedden First Division Scoring 1 2 3 T 1 – Billy Hamill 3 3 3 9 13 – Nate Perkins Fx R N 0 17 – Robbie Sauer 1 1 2 4 19 – Dale Facchini 2 2 3 7 21 – Brad Sauer 2 0 1 3 30 – Tim Gomez 2 2 0 4 39 – Buck Blair 1 3 3 7 40 – Tommy Hedden 3 2 1 6 41 – John Marquez 0 1 1 2 86 – Neil Facchini 1 F 2 3 93 – J.T. Mabry 0 1 2 3 142 – Ricky Wells 3 3 F 6 Race Results 1: Wells, Gomez, R.Sauer (tape penalty), Marquez (fell, remounted) 2: (restarted, awarded) Hedden, B.Sauer, N.Facchini, Perkins (excluded) 3: Hamill, D.Facchini, Blair, Mabry 6: Wells, D.Facchini, Marquez, Perkins (retired) 7: Blair, Hedden, R.Sauer, B.Sauer 8: (restarted) Hamill, Gomez, Mabry, N.Facchini (fell) 10: Blair, N.Facchini, B.Sauer, Wells (fell) 11: D.Facchini, Mabry, Hedden, Gomez 12: (restarted) Hamill, R.Sauer, Marquez (fell, remounted), Perkins (non starter) Runoff: (restarted) N. Facchini, Mabry, B.Sauer Semi #1: Hamill, Wells, N.Facchini, Hedden (fell, remounted) Semi #2: Blair, Gomez, D.Facchini, R.Sauer (fell, remounted) First Division C Main Event 93 – J.T. Mabry 41 – John Marquez 21 – Brad Sauer (retired) 13 – Nate Perkins (non starter) First Division Consolation 40 – Tommy Hedden 19 – Dale Facchini 17 – Robbie Sauer 86 – Neil Facchini First Division Main Event 1 – Billy Hamill 39 – Buck Blair 142 – Ricky Wells 30 – Tim Gomez (fell, remounted)