Grachan

If UK are on form then our top 3 have the beating of everyone bar Zmarzlik - and there's no reason why he can't also be beaten sometimes. So we have a chance. Out Achilles heel, of course, is the lack of a World class 4th rider, which will probably be our undoing even if we keep it close. I have seen all the whining about Adam Ellis, but he won a race and beat Freddie Lindgren, so I doubt we have anyone who could have done any better at this level. I'm pretty sure Poland will win though, but I think they can be kept within sight.

I'm having something of a love-hate relationship with the sport at the moment. Sometimes I sit and try to watch Eurosport on a Monday and think that speedway if just plain boring and Swindon got out at the right time. It's almost as though I watch it just to reassure myself that I'm not missing anything. I went to Poole v Oxford at the start of the year and enjoyed that one, and last night's meeting makes me think that maybe it worth a visit still as I was almost becoming a follower of Grand Prix only. It does seem that, for the first time, the lower tier is a better sport than the top flight. Well done Oxf... well done Ox.. A good presentation Ox... Nope. I can't say it.

Watched this on BSN. Why is speedway always more entertaining on BSN than it is on Eurosport? I enjoyed the coverage despite the delays. On Eurosport I've often lost the will to live after about 5 heats. Oxford also looked nice on the telly. The pits on the back straight works well in that context. Nice to see Oxford have a scoreboard up on the back straight too. It's a major bugbear of mine that so many stadiums don't have that. I might even be tempted to pay Cowley a visit this year now. One moment Lee Complin is the brightest prospect in British speedway - the next, he's a veteran struggling at reserve. Where did my life go?

I think this ref has been on the sauce.

Not sure Doyle did anything wrong there.

Two riders neck and neck on the final bend and tbey cut to the leader crossing the line. I literally leant to the right to try and see what was happening off screen. This is what Eurosport has done to me.

Tai is doing a DJ set at a festival in Poland this weekend, and good luck to him. He may never be World Champion again, but he'd still be a quality 8 pointer in British Speedway at the moment. Having said that, with the possible merging of leagues he might have to come in as a 12 pointer instead!

Does Laguta always post photos of himself when he is on a run? I'm just wondering if he posted on this occasion as a subtle way of saying: "This is nothing to do with me. I'm not ill."

Why did you do it then?

Seems to me that it is no coincidence that Chapman said last week that the King's Lynn team is over budget and then his week Laguta isn't riding.

During the meeting I was thinking it is getting boring that Zmarzlik always wins. Then all of a sudden it wasn't boring any more.

It's not poor refereeing. The decision on whether or not the race is awarded is at the referee's discretion. There is no rule that the race HAS to be awarded.

He fell on lap 2. The rider leading the race was still on lap 2 at the time of the fall. Yes, you could argue that they were on lap 3 when the red lights came on, but it seems perfectly reasonable to have a re-run. The rule itself, of course, is not clear whether the two laps refer to at the time of the incident or the time of the stoppage so it is down to the ref's interpretation I guess.

I remember Oxford using John Davis as a guest for John Davis. Stuff like this has always gone on.

The graphics were wrong. They showed Fricke in the lead during the race and then showed him as being second after, when he was third.

Bewley as good as said in his interview that he should have laid the bike down and got Lindgren excluded and said that he had learned from the experience. Expect Dan to do a Nicki next time this happens! If you want to be World Champion you lay the bike down. Remember Hans Nielsen/Dennis Sigalos at White City? Sigalos lifted. Nielsen laid it down and Sigalos was excluded.

Rubbish decision. Sorry for Jack, too. The fix is in.

I've seen pictures of Martin Ashby wearing one, which would be before 1974 as they were already old pictures when I starting going. Paul Gachet is another who comes to mind.

Phil Morris should get down there and check the gate. If the gate is fine, it should be awarded 75-0 to Ipswich. It's the only way to stop this sort of thing, because it is a big part of what is killing the sport.

He does. Because the original comment that he is a generational rider could well be right.

I guess it's up for debate if that gets the honour of an asterix, but if it does then that's another Zmarzlik asterix win. He deserves better.

But seriously... In all my time watching speedway I can think of only 2 "asterix" situations. 1990 and Shawn Moran being stripped of second place. 2022 and 23. Russians were banned from competing. Nothing else deserves an asterix. Asterixes are well special.

They were on at the end on Discovery+.

I don't think it's the same. Firstly, Emil opting out was his own choice. Secondly, he wasn't the undefeated champion.

Is he though? How can we be sure that Bartosz is the best around if he cannot prove it against the still undefeated 2021 World Champion? At the moment his wins are "asterix" wins. He is a Joe Frazier rather than a Muhammad Ali. He may well be a class above any other rider now, but he needs to prove it because last time he was pitted against Artem Laguta he lost. The Russians need to be there.