cinderfella

You could always ask your team manager

Great to see Marcel back in the stripes however the statement on the BSPA site has me wondering: "Nowark missed out on British racing this year but has left all Polish leagues in order to rejoin the Ashfield side." To commit to racing in Glasgow (and I have to assume Denmark, Sweden or wherever else) and not ride in his home country leagues he must be on some big guarantees sorry SPONSORSHIP.

Have any financial dealings not got to be made through the Stock Exchange first?

Tom Perry did a few meetings at the end of the season - could he be tempted out of retirement. Be a nice fit as his final full season average at Birmingham was 4.

He's been a costly front point wise

I hope to hell the team building hasn't been left solely to him or perhaps that's how guarantees are met through sponsorship?

Everything in speedway can be manipulated to suit and the ruling body know it - they just turn a blind eye because at some point every promotion will need to take an advantage in one way or another.

I would loved to have seen Paul Starke back in the Stripes too but the story seems to be " his body doesn't take the bouncing very well these days" so he's retired. I think a lot will be determined this season at every team by who is riding at 6 and 7 and particularly by who the 2 pointers are. I think a key could be if any of the CL teams are also running an NDL team they could get a 2 pt man getting extra home track time and building up knowledge and experience.

You maybe race against the same opponents but I'd argue it's harder as you're out in ht 1 when your unsure of how exactly the track will be. It's not that long ago, before your rider with the highest average had to ride at 1, that The Tigers top averaged rider rode at No5 so he could see how the track was riding before he took his first ride. A true No 1 would come in after ht 1 and advise his team mates on how the track was.

Or Redcar

No thanks to Danny King or Lee Complin and being at No1 puts too much pressure on young Ben. But hopefully by the end of season Ben and Tom will be fighting it out for the top spot with whoever starts at No1.

Things will be twisted on whatever way they have to be to get the riders they want. Years ago I remember hearing of one rider being on a guaranteed £300 per programmed ride meaning even if he actually only took 3 scoreless rides he was still taking £1200 home. He would have been on points and travel money too so its little wonder if other teams had similar deals many were in financial difficulties. When you hear stories of riders also wanting bikes, spares, vans and accommodation and workshop facilities paid for it would it really does make it an expensive circus. But just who are the clowns?

But is he capable of getting even 2pts at home? You would like to think a 2pt rider is capable of securely beating visiting visiting reserves and even the occasional s/s and is not just there as a token to make up numbers. If a young lad, with obvious potential, is given a team place too early he'll end up being dropped after a few pointless meetings and his confidence will be shattered and as has happened before he'll walk away from the sport completely. The NDL is there for a reason and that is the place to blood youngsters. I'd even go as far as saying any Rising Star should have to do at least one season at that level before doing CL or PL.

Well when some promoter are insisting NDL riders must have two bikes then the money must be better than its made out to be.

Yeah and when you read about how successful and fun amateur meetings are at the likes of Scunny, Redcar and Iwade you have to wonder if the Barum has turned the full circle.

.....and then we'll get less for our money when they revert to the old 13 heat format

Think he won at least one of his World titles on the Norwich spare.

Not sure about that - remember the diminutive Mitch Shirra struggling on a borrowed bike at Coatbridge. His feet could hardly reach the ground.

Often wonder how it would be if they reveryed to all the machines were owned by the team and mechanic employed to tune and maintain them and riders contracted to race them? Might find some talented kids who could never afford machinery that that way. Oh and if a rider wants to chase individual championships he uses machines he has purchased and maintained himself.

As do the stock cars at Cowdenbeath

Yeah when you consider you get upwards of 16+ races over 16+ laps each with 20+ cars at Cowdenbeath Stock Cars you have to question the value speedway offers?

There's a lot speedway has to adjust too. One of my pet hates in speedway is when a rider is unfortunate to have machinery wrecked in an off and then the cap is put round to help him Jeez if a joiner working in your house breaks a drill bit or blunts a saw he doesn't expect you to buy him new tools so why should speedway riders? Their bikes are their tools of the trade and most riders must make a reasonable living otherwise they would be doing something else. A collection for an injured rider who's earnings may be down for a month or so is a different matter but insurance and the BEN Fund should help in those circumstances. Speedway will certainly have to cut it's cloth to suit and I still don't understand why it has to be specialised engines running on specialised fuel.

It would certainly be sad if two Brits lost team places especially when they have shown potential yet another rider who seems to have been around more tracks than seasons seems to wanted despite, I'd argue, not making any progress. Strange sport speedway run by even stranger people

Last year we heard there was supposedly a shortage of riders yet there are four riders now that you suggest may be struggling for a place. Got to wonder if the master plan in dropping the team building averages is a way of getting more NDL riders into the CL at the expense of 4/5pt averaged riders?

Personally I think he is more interested in longtrack meetings abroad and as they are physically more demanding I doubt any League side will get the best of him. Yes he had a good season last year but the number of guest appearances he made is surely an indication of how few out and out No 1s there were given the Birmingham, Newcastle and particularly Plymouth situations. Great entertainer but not at Glasgow again for me.