spook

but they do dont they? The Poles have 4 in the competition and that meant no other pole would have got in ........ Hampel had about as much chance of being offered a wild card as Ben Powell lets remind ourselves of positions 9-14: 8. Scott Nicholls (GB) 77 15. Fredrik Lindgren (Swe) 73 11. Bjarne Pedersen (Den) 69 12. Niels Kristian Iversen (Den) 59 9. Chris Harris (GB) 58 14. Krzyzstof Kasprzak (Pol) 57 so on the basis of what has just happened Kasprzak should have been a consideration as well...... but more telling is that Bjarne and Niels finished above bomber ............. so Bjarne made his statement about dropping out although thereafter kelvin and co disputed that................ NKI most certainly wanted to be in it.... the danes have 3 riders in already so he would have fitted based on past WC pick behaviour

I know what you are saying Iris and the short term damage wont be much........ however the long term damage is a different matter I believe that British speedway has got itself in such a state partially because of all the nonsense short term, back scratching, self serving decisions............... it has had such a history of this both distant and recent that even the most hardcore fan can no longer have full respect for the way it is run..... so what has that meant for the 'floating' fans? So they got away with not including Hans a few years ago but they wont get away with this one and have managed to undo some of their hard work over the years by undermining the fact that it is speedways pinnacle ...... this is after all what replaced the world final The danger for me is if they are doing this what else will they feel they can do in the future? What have they already been doing that we dont know about or have suspected? ............. and financial affairs should be able to be massaged by those round blocks in round holes but the square blocks shouldnt even come into it As much as I like Bomber he paid the penalty for drastically reducing his costs from 07 to 08....... and as hacket points out just like with Loramski...Olsen will always be his Kryptonite

that really is quite embarrasing for IMG/BSI, the GP series and the British speedway there is no way Bomber should have been allowed in...... NKI, Hampel, Holder and most likely a handful of other guys should have got in before him....... and now IMG really have left themselves open to criticism...... at least there was the excuse that Hans had criticised the series when they left him out............. what can the excuse possibly be this time? I'm all for IMG using the wildcards to even up quotas of riders from nations...... but not with square blocks in round holes.......... ie scott and freddie were a round block in a round hole as they finished 9th and 10th Sadly once again this results in British speedway not recognising the drastic issues with the quality coming through because of their policies of supporting overseas youngsters in our grass roots leagues........ what problem? there is no problem because scott and bomber are in the gp's and whats the story with Noddy? I just dont believe that he turned down the opportunity for the first season ever I hope that Scott and Bomber finish badly off the pace if they are not going to be on top 8 pace as it will force IMG into leaving them out and consequently the BSPA to do something about the situation.... and if they didnt they would just heap more embarrasment on themselves

bringing Zagar back to the series would be nothing less than a financially based joke unless Noddy, NKI and Jarek are offered first and turn it down It is good that Tai and Ed are on the shortlist and should give them some confidence and a goal to reach by the end of the season but I cant see it doing them anything but harm including them this season

something like this is usually said by people who refuse to believe in conspiracy theories or plots......... sorry but we are talking about speedway here arent we? The sport that has unfortunately been connected to just about every shady wrong doing possible over the decades It is not always a case of there is no smoke without fire.......... but it is usually the case when those 'series of unfortunate events' come together

awfully sorry I didnt compose my post how you would prefer Ron but maybe the intention wasnt to write a few summarising lines ...... possibly the very title you have decided to criticise was all the summarising you needed before tackling what must be a very arduous post for you I know and you know full well what my posts have been about good luck with all that Bruno I tend to disagree now that Kelvin is in Scotty's camp..... I am sure that a befitting level of professionalism will have been injected into that particular pits area.......... however he will still be restricted by the sponsorship levels he has and the training and example he had and was shown in his early years

I thought i'd make this one resurface as it appears to be the right time of year to do it Since the world cup we have seen Bomber most likely go out of the GP's and Scott hanging on by his fingernails to a wildcard.... with no other candidate currently good enough for a wildcard.......... Nothing has changed in any of the divisions and it is still up to the very few at CL and grass roots level to bring on the few they are allowed to. So what should the promoters realistically be doing about this at the Conference? Its a shame that this thread is only in this section because imo it is also applicable for EL, PL, CL, and U15's....... I would like to see: No more commonwealth riders in the CL Any non British passport holding rider coming in on an 8 in the PL if they dont have an outstanding average The CL clubs able to generate assets rather than being insulted by 'training fees' and then have to go cap in hand for a free loan Doubling up brought back for British riders under 24 for a maximum of 2 years per rider a bigger reduction for brits in the PL and EL The abolition of assets in advance (not sure what term they are using for the system)....... ie Wolves making Tai an asset 4 years before he rides for them....... Scunthorpe or Rye should have gained him as an asset and be benefiting from it now ......... with this and CL clubs able to have assets, and non british passport holding riders being a mandatory 8 we would see new CL clubs being started up by both PL and EL clubs................the CL would flourish and we would see a stream of british guys passing through the leagues up to the EL within a few years what is likely to happen based on past years?: someone will propose something like this and it will be shot down in flames because the promoters only ever want the short term fix and are STILL obsessed with this mini stocks and shares game they play amongst themselves over assets and assessed averages. Meanwhile our national team will be displaced by the Russians in the top 5 nations, the same shortage of brits will continue in the EL, the same shortage of brits will be in the PL (one of our grass roots leagues) and the CL will go one further step towards collapsing. Time to have a rethink and a change of policy p.s. yes I know that there is a similar thread on this in general but it is not looking at things from this viewpoint.............

this is another reference you have made to this humphrey but am I incorrect in remembering a machine that dries it being used in the past? quite frankly even if that isnt possible then it doesnt take many organisational skills to make sure the shale stays dry this was not a story about shale imo

although im sure he was certainly annoyed by the german gp becoming the bydgoczsz gp mk2 I dont think that was the only thing.......... one thing not mentioned in this thread so far is that he said in the post gp interviews, when asked about next year, " we'll have to see ..... there are big things happening in the background" ...... or words to that effect this follows on from a spat between Pedersen and Olsen which what I consider to be as convincing as WWE...... but maybe i'm wrong about that???......................... It also follows on about the Oz GP announcement.................. and lets not forget the widely held opinion that the cancellation of the German GP was always intended........ if anyone is going to know this for sure it will be one of the riders. So what could the 'big things happening in the background' be? Is it a case of the riders grouping together to make something happen again?.............. I really wouldnt be suprised as this is the usual way that things happen and I think Greg is too humble to describe actions made solely by himself as 'big things' Is it to try to get rid of Ole? .............. well that would suit me but I fear the mistakes that would be made in the following season by his replacement(s) Is it with IMG? ............. presumably this would be about the german and Oz GP's...................... perhaps it is about lost costs in Germany? Or is about what will be lost costs and lost pre season time in Oz? tbh I doubt we will hear anymore about this and the whatever it is the riders will either get their way or get a sweetener..... but my ears certainly picked up when he said it

I feel the Brits have backed IMG into a corner this year. I just dont see how they can justify 2 wildcards........... comparing gp totals to previous seasons Bomber should not be getting a pick and rightly so as he never got on top of his machinery and just didnt look good enough .................... we all pretty much knew that if Nicholls got 9th he would get a WC ... but we also knew if Holta finished 9th he wouldnt There is just no other Brit who could justify inclusion... it is too early for Ed and too early for Tai................ so for me Scotty is the only cast iron guaranteed WC so far for next season the others in the hunt: Sajfutdinov ................ such an exciting rider and you just know that the fireworks are going to happen in his races................... for me this all depends on money and commitments Holder............. again this will depend on money... can Noddy raise the funds, machinery and team necessary to compete for a top 10 place?....... he has a golden opportunity now to stake a claim to a long GP career and would possibly be a bit silly to turn it down Hampel............. absolute world class rider and would be unlucky not to be considered again...... could lose out on the strength that IMG are probably desperate to get the new young guns in......... will lose out due to the Poles already having 4 guys qualified Lindgren........ didnt like his full on antics in the 2nd half of the season but ironically it was when he started putting himself in the frame .......... the bonus for him is that there is only one other Swede NKI................ started looking good before his injury issues and can count himself unlucky............... for me he is in competition with Lindgren for a spot and the 3 already qualified Danes are not helping his cause The crying shame here for me is that we have 5 guys to go into 3 spots while Walasek and Ulamek are in already............ yes qualifying is a good thing but the balance is obviously not right after the qualifiers from the last few seasons so after all that I think Hampel and NKI will lose out due to the representation from their countries already and the 4 will be Nicholls Holder Sajfutdinov Lindgren the only spanners in the works will be if Noddy or Emil decide they cant or dont want to be in it

sorry Humphrey but I think you miss the point Ole doesnt just deal with the tracks..... he also influences refs and rules the matchday organisation of the gp's with an iron rod.............. this is not just a track issue........ although someone with an ounce of sense and a ton less bias would be nice for influencing the setup of tracks May I ask you how much experience you think Ole had with track preparation before he took on this role? Vojens is not exactly known as a hive of speedway activity is it? I have never so much as picked up a grader but I already know that with the use of a few dvd's and the ear of all the respective trackmen for the circuits I could aim to serve up the ideal racing conditions for each circuit............. and if I can do that I am damn sure the likes of Armando Castagna can ........ who is incidentally fast becoming a big cheese within the FIM

well this is as good a time as any It seems that whenever something goes wrong we get comments that Ole doesnt get full hands on responsibility of the track and yet there he is every gp with his headset on directing all proceedings................ we have tracks like Bydgoszcz set up in a way that it is never set up...... tracks are slick for no apparent reason.......... and we get the occasional track staff post on here to say that they were told to do this that or the other.................. such as sending the graders around the other way before a certain set of heats and certain riders are off certain gates There have been WAY too many dodgy incidents this season, whether through ineptitude, shadiness, or damnright favouritism. As ive said before I have no doubt that Ole's face fits and that he can do a professional job when he wants to but the question has to be asked ................ should someone from one of the major speedway nations have so much influence and be running the show? Is it not time that we have an Italian, Finn, Hungarian, Slovenian etc in the position or a restructuring of the position?....... i'm tempted to say Brit but that would be a little too harsh ............. Speedway is so often caught up in dodginess and self serving and the GP's as the flagship must be trying its hardest to remove itself from that p.s. good try Nicki and Ole but you'll need to try harder..... the acting is getting as bad as wrestling now

is this one of the criticisms you have about bomber and scotty then Subedei? sorry but I wasnt paying attention the previous 1001 times you have said something similar

completely 100% agree with you and Bryn and I can only put down certain posters as not seeing the wood for the trees or once again just trying to have a cyber spotlight put on them Gollob is amazing to watch but he rolled back the years with that move....and for all the wrong reasons..... it was impetuous, naive and off the cuff.............. towards the end of his career the off the cuff moves are on the whole glorious moments of a man 'feeling' his races and not over thinking them or being too tense.........................with this move it was like the Gollob of old forcing a square block in a round hole and ultimately shooting himself in the foot He caught Crumpy full stop........... and it cant even be argued that he didnt catch crumpy enough as he took his leg away.......... we are not talking about an incident similar to the Ronaldo dive of NickiP here Gotta say i'm sick of that god awful Lonigo track..... year on year it produces a white line fest despite there been ample room on the bends if they just started banking them a bit................... the material on top was like sand ...and there was nothing but rubber underneath...................... this track has no place being in the calendar and the sooner someone is appointed with the talent to spot the correct tracks to use...the better......................especially as it encourages idiotic moves like those of Dryml and Holta

I think you guys are forgetting that Egon had his success on the prototype of what was about to become the dominant engine of its era.... the GM SP ......... Tuner Otto Lantenhammer got his hands on an early GM and had found power that the Jawa, Weslake and Godden didnt have............. on top of Egon's success was the success of Gringo Brandt in grasstracking that year with the same engine............. Erik Gundersen won in 84 on the same engine and then everyone moved to GM's Lets also not forget that Norden suited the longtracking Muller

I cant help feeling that they have the wrong end of the stick here..... they are looking either for luck to play the part in removing one or two old but 100% quality campaigners....... or they are looking to halt the Walasek qualifiers I have no issue with the Hancock's Adam's and Gollob's hanging around until rhumatism forces them out........... I am personally interested in how long they will push it for considering the overall money in the GP's seems to improve year on year....will they do a TRick and retire at the first sign of a bad season or will they enjoy the money while they can? The issue as far as I can see it is machinery.......... most of the guys in the GP's have learnt how to reduce the chances of injury over a season and this is no longer an issue for the vast majority... and of course suits the wiser heads.......................... talent isnt so much an issue for 75% of the field as they have reached as far as they are likely to go............... gating will always be the skill to have more than anything on Ole Olsen tracks .................... which just leaves the level of machinery It seems to me that the top boys have the best tuners in their corner and the best spanner teams...................... this is a natural progression for someone with better money in the sport ............ but the gap is growing... of course the younger ones make more mistakes on track but I think the key thing here is the gap that has developed with the tuning and with the overall setup.......................... if anything needs to be looked at it is this............. not hoping that an oldie will have a bad night in qualification because the chances are they wont so what can be done to help on the machinery side? I personally think a leaf can be taken from the F1 camp and to mix things up a bit with one or two components ... all that said I like the idea that everyone has a chance to qualify but I think it should be extended to all riders that want a shot ....even if that means PL riders are doing it over the previous season

*thoughts of David Howe getting through to the GP's courtesy of the GP Challenge being held at Wolves*

I'll reserve judgement on whether Bolt is the real thing or simply has an oversized engine which will be picked up over the next 4 years

for this to ever be anything approaching fair then they have to open all the 7 spots up to qualifying and add more rounds to the qualifying process...... They could even increase the series to two divisions...... it would allow promotion and relegation to be a possibility .......... those young riders would have the infrastructure in place to take on the big boys by the time they got there........... the 2nd div meetings could take place on the sunday therefore not spoiling viewing figures.... and be held at league club tracks....................... they could spend money on machinery within their means (anyone wondered just how much Brian Anderson cost Bomber last year?)................ it would sort out those who will never adapt to the GP system ....... and it would allow for all sorts of permutations as to promotion and relegation places... wild cards etc the only question would be the finances all round in that second division

there isnt anyone until the likes of Ed Kennett and Tai are ready to take the step up to that level........if they ever manage to........ I can feel the anxiety in the BSI offices from here

the gp challenge is the only thing keeping the GP's honest and more qualification spots should be opened up.......... how about 7? If they did that you would find up to 12 of the GP field taking part in it........ then guys like these wouldnt qualify 3 disappointing qualifiers for me though...... I have no doubts that Bjerre will do himself proud .....but what are we expecting here? I cant see him being anymore than on the cusp of the top 8... hardly a dent in the aspirations and stranglehold of Nicki..... or indeed any kind of influence over the retirements of Tomasz, Leigh and Greg ..... they must be pooing themselves and ready to retire now As for Walasek and Ulamek I think i'd prefer Lukas, Rico or Chrzanowski thankyou The GP's badly need some new aspiring blood to come in............ it is not good when every single one of us can correctly predict 7 of the top 8 for next (this/last) season............... I guess that they will only come in when they do but imo it is time to drop the Holta's, Nicholls', Bjarne's and make sure that the wildcards are given to 4 of this gang...... Sajfutdinov, Holder, Lindgren, Bomber, Hampel

Chris Holder will not get a wildcard if Ryan Sullivan qualifies .............. sad but true ... and im willing to eat my hat if it isnt the case *looks for smallest hat*

what point? I dont remember his comments being made after the wild cards had been picked ..... I remember comments criticising the way the gp's were run before the wildcards were picked ie nothing to do with Rico or Rico being picked over him.............. yes he made comments following that but we are discussing the only case of someone being passed over for someone with lower points and the possible reasons why lol and a gp win in 04 should have very little to do with it................ on that basis Mr Subedei it seems you think Bomber should be given a wild card for next season following his Cardiff win in 07 edit: and my maths dont add up .... looks like I'd forgotten that each GP has a wildcard for the night so things are even more tense for Freddie, NKI, and the Brits

Quite true Do I vaguely remember some controversial and critical comments made by Hans that led to that decision?

There is a big point being missed here so far and that is that BSI rarely (never?) give a wild card to a 'nation' who already have 3 riders in the competition..........but there is nothing they can do if a '4th' rider qualifies...................... so if Ryan Sullivan qualifies as of right I think that Chris Holder is likely to be left out ...... if Flyin Ryan doesnt make it then i'd say that Chris Holder has a great chance of being given a wildcard While the 'quota' system makes a certain amount of sound business sense it can only go so far and this might be put to the test if Bomber and Scotty continue to drift off the pace ............ I cant remember when BSI gave a wildcard to someone who was behind in GP points to someone they didnt give a wild card to I think that there are 3 outstanding candidates for wildcards who arent already in the competition...... Hampel, Sajfutdinov and Holder........ add these to the 3 qualifiers and that leaves 2 wild cards from the GP field ........ atm that would be Lindgren.... and the final spot a test of BSI quota policy with the question of whether they would give one to a brit or to Iversen who is above them in points...... unless Iversen makes it easy for them by qualifying One thing is for sure... things are starting to look grim for Dryml, Kaprzak, Bjarne, Bomber and Scotty re: Tai....... judging by his SWC performance the guy will attack anything head on and give a good account of himself..... but even then his standard wouldnt be the biggest thing holding him back...... it is having the infrastructure and finances in place to tackle the GP's......... he isnt even sure if he will be stepping up to the EL next season so the GP's would be very unlikely