rusky

For my sins I am working in Cardiff for the early part of this week, and one thing that I have noticed is that virtually every bus that I got stuck behind today seemed to have an advert for the 20 - 20 final thats on the same day as the GP. How many adverts were there for the SGP though ? Answers on a postcard please....

They are currently used on the Ice Gladiators bikes, although I am not sure of the actual placement of them, and for those who watched the coverage on Motors TV, you will of seen that the commentators like them. The FIM Have a tie up with TAG Hueuer and there is no doubt that they will come to the SGP in time, as they will to all FIM sanctioned events eventually. There has been much discussion within the FIM about the most appropriate place to house the transponder, given the frequency at which riders change bikes.....

Here's hoping the referee has a good one on his Birthday.....Happy Birthday Krister !!

There is a fairly new resource on the web that has some speedway film: http://www.eafa.org....atalogue/144622 http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/99858 http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/881 http://www.eafa.org....atalogue/144660 http://www.eafa.org....atalogue/212340 Enjoy !!

Transponders have been looked at by the FIM through their association with TAG Heur and I'm fairly sure they will be seen this year. They were looked at pre 2011 season, and the issue was where & how to mount them so that they were in exactly the same position on each bike, and so that they couldn't be moved during the meeting.

The BLRC was a good day out from King's Lynn, where the racing was truly secondary. It was about the whole experience. We would leave King's Lynn at about 09:00 in the morning on the coach. Stop at Worksop for some 'lunch' and then head to Belle Vue. Once at there we would go for some 'evening sustenance' before going to the BLRC. Once the BLRC had finished it was off around the fun fair, and then onto the Disco's that were around and about. The coach left at 2AM and we usually got back to King's Lynn around 7AM. The thing was, with a day like that most of us on the coach couldn't remember much about the speedway apart from the truly annoying centre green presenter (Dick Barrie ?)

8, 9, & 10 look like the late Craig Featherby to me and I have a suspicion that 31 could be Kevin Teager ?

Terry Betts and David Gagen, certainly around Saddlebow Road in the late 70s early 80s

Not cold as such Holbeach, just chilly. I've always been warm enough though as I was always working except for one year!! If the sun comes out it gets really nice. Try and grab hold of someone to help with the programme though. The first time that you see it you are likely to say WTF. Once you get to grips with it though, its actually quite straight forward and logical.

Hey Holbeachfans. You will enjoy the whole weekend, but just be aware there is no cover at Pardubice and it can get a bit chilly (read windy) at that time of year. We have stayed at the 'Golden Pike' in the past and its more than adequate, and not too far to walk to just about anywhere in the town - apart from the speedway which is on the outskirts, past the horse racing track which is what Pardubice is most widely known for in Czecho. Look out for toast at breakfast or at the speedway. The Czech word for toast is topinka

No there was no Spanish guys riding speedway. There was no practise, as they didn't finish laying the track (rolled clay) until about 1 hr before the start

I was at this meeting, having driven the bikes down from the UK for the guys. The location given is wrong. The meetings were actually held at the Palau Sant Jordi (it was the opening event for this location, and consisted of a mixed motorcycling events - speedway, trials, moto cross, flat track & quads), which was part of the Olympic park, but not the Olympic stadium. The crowd was pretty good as I remember, and speedway was new to them but they took to it well.The speedway was organised by the late Ian Thomas & Graham Drury.

From a conversation that I was party to before the start of the meeting, Buster ignored the Ego and did his own thing !!

Mimmo, Xenoglossy, that'll be Tomas Topinka as well........ obviously a Czech thing

From the information that I have, the track in Leszno was better on race day when compared to practise day. By all accounts it was significantly slicker on practise day than it was on race day, and the trackstaff were advised to get their fingers out and sort it. There was some improvement on race day, but it could of been better

I re-iterate Tony Olsson (Note the spelling....) does not prepare the track himself, but is reliant on the local track staff providing the surface for him. Tony does give guidance to how the riders would like the track to be prepared to give a good racing surface, however if the local trackstaff ignore him what is to be done? As has been mentioned many, many times Prague is always slick, not just for the SGP, but always, and the surface was exactly as could be expected. Leszno however was a different kettle of fish, and why the local trackstaff decided to prepare it that way is anybodies guess, but you can be assured, it was not prepared in the manner that Tony Olsson or his colleagues in the FIM would of liked.

That's absolutely right HenryW. Tony does leave the track staff to prepare the track in the manner that they think most appropriate. Tony's input to the track is to confirm that any track equipment meets the commitment that the promoters make to the FIM when signing up to host the SGP, other than reporting to the FIM on the track staffs ability to produce a reasonable track. The thing is, that if you go to Prague there are only 2 types of tracks that you will ever be presented with - Slick, or very Slick, and so it will of come as no surprise to any of the riders just how slick it can be there - I'm surprised that Ermelenko seems to have forgotten that.

Rob, you have to remember the size of Ullevi. If it was a third full, it would of had about 14000 people there. They had sold in excess of 10000 tickets for the GP last night, and yes the weather was rubbish in Gothenburg last night. I have been to SGP's at Gothenburg in the past when the weather has been absolutely glorious with temperatures in the high 20's. Granted they were both at the end of May, rather than the middle of the Month. I'm not sure that our weather is any more predictable than anywhere else in the world to be honest, its a gamble where ever you have it at this time of year in Western Europe.

Personally, I think we should go back to Amsterdam....... The 2 day World final there was one of the most enjoyable speedway weekends that I have been to.

Its obviously the year for ex national team mangers to come back into the role, with Neil Middleditch coming back to the UK team. I first met Bo way back in the 80's when Per Jonsson and Jimmy Nilsen were first making an impact at world level, and found him to be a good guy, who was quite a motivational team manager ( not dissimilar to Rob Lyon here in the UK)and was very popular with the riders. I think that he will be good for Swedish speedway at this level and I have no doubt taht he will have the full backing of Svemo. With the team that they have put in place for the U21's I don't think that this is any kind of short term fix, but is definitely for the long term.I don't know Peter or Anders, but if they are the same kind of people as Mats, then I think things are looking positive for Swedish speedway

Sorry, I can't. I won't break a confidence

I can't name my source as I was told the exact details in confidence ( similar to Mr Shovlar in the EL sections.... ), but I have no reason whatsoever to dispute their thoughts.

My sources tell me that there is at least one Elitserien club that has been warned by its local council that it must reduce noise in the coming years, or they will not allow it to continue.

Tarabanko, as I said above Noise was NOT the only reason, but one of them. It was not possible to run speedway at Galgberget, and get within the noise limit required without spending lots of money, which would of put the club even further in debt. I also hear that the newly proposed venue is unlikely to run as environmental issues are considered a major issue.

Not strictly true Tarabanko. One of the reasons (NOT the only reason) that Bysarna closed was noise related, and proposed locations have been turned down on environmental grounds including noise.