lucifer sam

I think it's shocking that Jarek Hampel is not in the GP next year. One of the arguments from the pro-GP lobby is that it contains all the best riders in the world, whereas under the old system, a few big names would be eliminated before the big day itself. However, Hampel is in my mind amonsgt the best 8 riders in the world (along with the riders who finished 1st to 7th this year). So next season the GP series is missing a key rider. Who is the better rider - Jarek Hampel or Chris Harris? If a poll was conducted, I'd wouldn't be surprised if 95% plus said Hampel. All the best Rob

Dan, thanks I used to tape the Channel 4 programmes as opposed to the Sky coverage, as it was much better to watch back a 1-hour programme than a 3-hour programme. All the best Rob

Dan, do the DVDs contain highlights or all of the heats from the GPs. All the best Rob

BBB, any sign of the final standings - I'm going to Cov tonight so I'd like to brag about it to Jacques All the best Rob

Actually it's from a five-year period - 1982-1986. All the riders listed rode in one or more of these finals, apart from Jonsson who qualifed for his first world final in 1987, and Schwartz who unbelievably never reached a World Final (more evidence of just how tough it was back in those days). Now try seeing what kind of field you can put together from the last five years of the GP (e.g. 2004 onwards). You can bet it's not as strong. There was far more quality back in the 1980s. And then what about the 70s, when you had to be pretty much a 9.00 rider in the British League to get as far as the British Final yet alone the World Final. There are so few World Class riders about thes days, it's scary. All the best Rob

I'd put it the other way around. It was much harder to win a World Championship in the 1980s. And even harder in the 1970s. There's only about 6 or 7 top class riders these days - look at the huge gulf between 6th and 8th in the GP standings as evidence. In the 1980s, there were far more. Nielsen, Gundersen, Pedersen, Knudsen, Carter, Wigg, Lee, Tatum, Penhall, Sigalos, S Moran, Ermolenko, Schwartz, Cook, Jonsson, Andersson, Nilsen, Sanders, Muller, etc, etc. I'm well aware I've left a few very good riders out of that list as well. Speedway was at the end of a boom period in the 1980s, with far young men wanting to give racing a go, hence the quality. All the best Rob

I reckon you'll keep to that for about a week. All the best Rob

Ah, but I know I'm right. And the FACTS are - World titles: Nielsen 22, Gundersen 17, Nicki Pedersen 5. Nicki hasn't even caught up with serial bottler Tommy Knudsen yet. All the best Rob

I've defended Nicholls in the past, but my patience has run out this year. I think the GP series would be better served by bringing in some new blood - such as Emil Saifutdinov. All the best Rob

Schumi - but why are you trying to compare one-off World Finals with the GP series - they are different beasts entirely. It's like trying to compare a plsuh sportscar (the World Final) with a battered old mini where the heater doesn't work, the doors don't open and somebody has thrown up in the glove department (the GP series). Nielsen knows how many titles Hans would have won with a GP series in operation during his whole career. But I'm glad it wasn't - it would have been dreadfully boring. Anyway, whatever you say, Nicki P is not fit to lick Nielsen's boots. Come back when Nicki has recorded an astonishing 11.83 (yes, 11.83) league average. Becuase Nicki never will. All the best Rob

Who it should be: Jarek Hampel (there's NO WAY he should lef out of the series) Emil Satnavov Freddie Lindgren NKI Who I think it will be: Scott Nicholls Freddie Lindgren Emil Satnavov Chris Harris All the best Rob

That's nonsense. A champion wins by any means possible. Anyway, if the GP stays, it's only a matter of time before someone wins 10 individual titles. That's the rough number that Fundin, Mauger or Nielsen would have won under such a system. 16 riders could win a World Final, 2 or 3 can win under a GP system. All the best Rob

Schumi, actually Nielsen won 22 World titles. And Gundersen won 17. How many has Nicki won so far? Five, I think. He's nowhere near. All the best Rob

Gollob as my captain for the final round please. All the best Rob

Such as Jerzy Szczakiel (1973) and Egon Muller (1983)? BRING BACK THE WORLD FINAL. All the best Rob

I would imagine that practice next Friday will not be compulsory, so that the riders could follow the example of Todd Wiltshire in 2003, who rode for Oxford on the Friday and then rode in the re-staged event at Ullevi on the Saturday. All the best Rob

For Oxford fans: GERMAN GP POSTPONED - BARBEQUE GOES AHEAD Tonight's German Grand Prix has been postponed, due to adverse track conditions and will be restaged in Bydgoszcz, Poland next Saturday (October 18). The SOS will still be staging a barbeque at the Kidlingon Green Social Club tonight, as the food is already prepared, and they will be showing speedway videos. There will be a nominal charge to cover the cost of the food. It is expected that there will be a barbeque for the restaging next Saturday, but this will be confirmed.

Unfortunately it is - I've experienced it first hand this year. All the best Rob

Schumi, seems a bit silly to me - Nicki Pedersen, Leigh Adams and Ryan Sullivan all in the same squad? Looks like they just bought the league title. Anyway, I don't count these mickey mouse foreign leagues. How many proper league championships (i.e. in Britain) has Nicki won? All the best Rob

How did Nicki ride in Sweden and Russia on the same night? All the best Rob

It seems he has been banned. All a bit silly really - I reckon Sub and Lunchy should buy each other a beer and sort it out. All the best Rob

I have no doubts that he is, Schumi - he was most welcoming at the cruel, crazy town earlier in the year. However, could you have a little word regarding his increasing tendency to throw childish insults instead of trying to put forward a reasoned argument. Personally, I don't care, he can call me all the names under the sun, but there are others with less-thick skin. There's a thin line between freedom of speech (which I agree with) and being unpleasant (which I don't). All the best Rob

Don't talk nonsense - Gollob clearly barged into Crump's front wheel with force. Crump had no chance of staying on his bike. I much admire Gollob - but, in this case, his exclusion was 100% correct. All the best Rob

In the opening years of the GP, the wildcard didn't necessarily come from the home country, especially when that country was already well represented. And believe it or not, but we had FIVE riders in the 1995 series. How times have changed. All the best Rob

Bert, please could you restore Nicki Pedersen as my captain for Lonigo. Thanks. All the best Rob