Najjer

Most importantly, the track was back in great nick tonight. Some great races, even if there wasn't loads of passing. Heat 15 a classic with all 4 riders within a fag paper of each other with the only pass coming from the ultra quick Jack Holder. It makes it much more fun when he misses the gate as he's really sussing the OTA now and making some cracking passes. Doyle back to form with a great 15 point maximum. Far from vintage though as he flew from the gate in every race but lacked speed after that and had them queueing up behind him. A mammoth well needed score never the less! Rebels missed Wilson-Dean and Jepperson so a good victory dug out the bag. For the Aces Cook gated well but had no answer to Doyle. Tungate and Fricke mixed it whilst Etheridge and Bewley both impressed. The Pole however was embarrassing and couldn't get round the track to save his life. I dread to think what he will be like at Wolves or Rye House with the tighter turns!! In other news, what a race in heat 9.... race of the season so far with Holder diving under Fricke and Wright roaring around him on the final turn. Great stuff!

Always amazes me how Speedway fans fail to grasp averages. If you are to win a meeting, riders have to exceed their averages and not just match them!

Very good post. If baffles me why teams have the option of a guest or R/R when an unavailable or injured rider is missing. R/R should be the only option if only 1 rider is missing.

Wilson-Dean missing is a big blow, he's been in great form at the OTA this season. Let's hope for an 8 point win and a decent track from heat 1 and not heat 9 this week!

That's where you're wrong though - the Premiership is MORE important as it's the top division in this Country. You wouldn't anybody in their right mind say the Championship is more important than the Premiership in football!

It's the 21st century Oldtimer, Speedway has made some right cock ups in recent years and the presentation (other the centre green announcer) is usually crap, but getting rid of the ancient fanfares and rider jingles isn't one of them!

http://www.somersetrebels.co/news.php?extend.2234

We all said the same from our position too, he seemed to have far to much speed and just pulled a massive locker.

A brilliant report and post as always ER. I find it baffling that riders haven't had a practice on the track before last nights meeting after the last meeting's track problems? Jake said they couldn't practice in the interview but they had practiced before the first meeting of the season, so why not? Any problems could of been ironed out in the afternoon then. I saw a lot of discontent from riders towards the trackman directly and indirectly via the Clark of the course. How long before he gets fed up anyway, as I'm sure that isn't what he signed up to? Ez may not of listened, but that is because he knew what he was doing and how to prepare a good race track. I'd imagine near enough all faith must be lost in the new guy already!

2 meetings in a row now - even the most loyal die hards will of been fed up at that.

Probably the biggest of the 3 meetings so far, but I thought all 3 crowds had been good so far.

The second half of the meeting was actually very good (albeit dusty) so just shows it's 100% down to track prep (or lack of??) and not the material used or any other nonsense. The shape of the OTA will always lend itself to great racing so they have to get the track prep sorted as it's been embarrassing the past two weeks. There will of been people who won't of come back after the Poole meeting, and anyone who was in two minds about tonight won't be back for sure after tonight. Just imagine any newbies being there tonight. Embarrassing.

Sum up tonight's meeting in one sentence..... bring back Ez Curtis!

So, which teams aren't actually happy with fixed race nights? It seems crowds aren't good at Belle Vue and Rye House is reports are to be believed. Although we haven't had many meetings at home for one reason or another, Somerset's crowds appear to be good. It'll be interesting to see how that continues into the summer. I think it was a blessing in disguise moving away from Fridays and the dreaded M5 traffic personally. Poole, Kings Lynn (albeit with the cock up of the missing Danish riders), Wolves and Swindon have all maintained their original race night so they can only gain by not having missing riders galore as per previous seasons. So that only leaves Leicester, who I'm not sure how they are faring with the switch?

Has all the makings of a good meeting this. I expect it to be very close with the Rebels shading it by 4 points.

Weakens us considerably. Jonas had just started to come good and would of expected him to score a tidy amount at Wolves.

That's a very valid point - plus I wonder who has picked these fixtures? It's no coindence that the 3 away meetings we feature in are 3 of the tracks that we won at last season. Someone has probably used that theory who doesn't know a lot about the sport to think they will be close meetings again or even an away victory.

I'd been beginning to wonder with the start of the Grand Prix on Saturday that he was perhaps 'saving' himself for that - but after recent struggles in Poland too, it's clear that wasn't the case and he has just generally been struggling by his own standards. Encouraging stuff from him last night and a massive congratulations. I believe that's also Somerset's first trophy in the top tier of British Speedway?

Begs the question why the event wasn't held on a Thursday then? More sub standard fixture planning.

Yes absolutely - but your original statement of "the state of British Speedway" has no bearing whatsoever on averages.

You obviously don't understand averages. You could have the worst crop of riders ever, but rider's averages will still go up and some will still go down. That's what averages are for. It's signing the ones who will go up that will win you the league.

Why isn't Lambert riding?

Doesn't do twitter, doesn't have twitter... yet he knows what pictures of Ross are on his account because of PMs exchanged this winter. Nice one

It bamboozles me people still continue to reply to him. Just ignore him and he will go away... Probably come back under another name, but ignore him too. Most Poole fans can put together a decent debate. Not everyone has to agree on everything all the time, but he's a fake fan on a wind up. Don't feed the troll.

One thing the fixed race nights has also helped so far is getting a better representational League table. Granted it's not perfect but teams have ridden 4/5 matches each, with everyone having at least 1 home match so far. Speedway League tables have always been pointless in the past until a few matches to go as they have always been so lop sided with meetings ridden - With the fixed race nights it prevents that.