lucifer sam

Confirmation that Scunny's guest tonight is Tom Perry. All the best Rob

I wonder if it's the main sorting office. I've had the very odd occasion - normally around Christmas - where suddenly any magazine subscriptions or any parcels have taken over a week to arrive. And yet any 'regular letters' are arriving on time. If you speak to the postman, they will explain that certain items are being prioritized. And sadly, while the Speedway Star can contact them, we all know in reality that the Royal Mail are unlikely to fix their ways. All the best Rob

Tyretrax, I think everyone can share your frustration, since we've all had something important lost/delayed in the post at some point. But surely it's obvious that this is the fault of the Royal Mail and/or your local postman, and not the Speedway Star. The standard of service from the Royal Mail has been sadly declining in recent years, despite sharp increases to the price of a first class stamp. Meanwhile, it's pretty clear that the Speedway Star do post out on time. Of course, it's your choice whether you renew a subscription or not. But don't cut off your noise to spite your face if you enjoy reading the magazine. All the best Rob

SCORPIONS LOOKING TO MOVE UP INTO TOP HALF HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions are looking for a victory which would take them into the top half of the SGB Championship table, when they host Redcar Bears at the Eddie Wright Raceway later today (Easter Monday, 5.30pm). The meeting was originally due to take place yesterday (Easter Sunday), but was called off in the morning and put back by 24 hours due to a dreadful forecast which proved correct. Today’s forecast is far more positive. It’s no longer a double-header; the meeting is now a single-header containing the SGB Championship clash between Scorpions and Bears. Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey says: “We hope our supporters appreciated the swift action once we realised it was a hopeless cause yesterday (Easter Sunday). “There was no point dragging everyone up to the stadium, standing in the rain, while we tried to get a meeting on. That’s not what we’re about. “It was clearly much more sensible to re-stage the meeting for today, and I thank the Redcar promotion for their co-operation.” Scorpions have picked up points from their last two Championship fixtures – a 47-43 home victory over Glasgow, and a narrow 45-48 loss at Workington – and Godfrey believes this sequence can continue. He says: “The key to success is to win your home meetings, and pick up points from the away meetings. “It was a massive relief for us to defeat Glasgow at the Eddie Wright Raceway last Sunday and get our first win of the season under our belts. And then we followed it up with a great performance at Workington inspired by our skipper Michael Palm Toft, where we weren’t far off winning, and thoroughly deserved the point. “I always had faith in this set of riders – which is why I brought back the same seven riders this season. “We need to keep going and get the points with a win over Redcar. It’s a bound to be another great evening of racing; you only have to look at the riders on display to realise that.” Admission prices for today: Adult: £15.00 Student/OAP: £13.00 Child (10 – 17): £5.00 Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £35 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17) Match Programme: £1.00 Expected teams for today: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Ryan Douglas, 2. Carl Wilkinson, 3. Lewis Kerr, 4. Michael Palm Toft (captain), 5. Josh Auty, 6. Jan Graversen (guest), 7. Josh Bailey. Redcar Bears: 1. Jason Garrity, 2. Coty Garcia, 3. Charles Wright, 4. Jonas B Andersen, 5. Ben Barker, 6. Richard Hall, 7. Ellis Perks.

SCUNTHORPE V REDCAR NOW ON EASTER MONDAY AT 5.30PM A DISMAL weather forecast for this afternoon has led to Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions putting back their SGB Championship clash at the Eddie Wright Raceway with Redcar Bears by twenty-four hours to Easter Monday at 5.30pm. Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “We’ve looked at the forecast, and we simply wouldn’t have got it on today (Easter Sunday). The last thing we want to do is keep supporters standing around in poor weather. “We’re now going for tomorrow at 5.30pm (Easter Monday). We realise it’s late notice for a re-staging, and we’ll do our best to get it announced across all the media outlets. But I’d also ask our loyal fans if they could let their friends and families know, that we’re now on tomorrow at the Eddie Wright Raceway. “I thank the Redcar promotion for their co-operation.” Tomorrow’s re-staging will be a single header.

RAINED OFF - restaging tomorrow (Easter Monday) at 5.30pm.

We need a collective noun for a group of texters. Does anyone have a suggestion? All the best Rob

Congratulations on spotting the deliberate mistake. All the best Rob

EGG-TRAVAGANZA OF ACTION ON EASTER DAY HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions - buoyant after a superb victory over league leaders Glasgow - are looking to get another three points on the board in the SGB Championship, when they entertain Redcar Bears at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Easter Sunday (3pm). The league fixture forms the first half of 31-race feast of speedway. A 16-heat junior challenge in the second half pits the Scunthorpe Stags against the Halifax Dukes, featuring eight riders on 500cc bikes and eight riders on 250cc bikes. Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey says: “It was a massive relief for us to defeat Glasgow at the Eddie Wright Raceway last Sunday and get our first win of the season under our belts. “I always had faith in this set of riders – which is why I brought back the same seven riders this season. It was an excellent victory; I look at the league table, and while it’s early days, I notice Glasgow are currently on top of it. They will still be near the top of the table all season long, and it was a great result for us to beat them. “Josh Auty put in a performance that was simply vintage Josh, but the whole team deserves praise for a fantastic performance, which has restored our confidence. “We now need to kick on and record another win over Redcar. I think the racing could be just as exciting as last week, since two out-and-out racers in Jason Garrity and Ben Barker are part of a new-look Redcar Bears side.” With Austrian Fritz Wallner out with a broken hand, Scunthorpe bring in ex-Scorpion Jan Graversen as a guest. “It’s a big blow for both Fritz and us”, admits Godfrey. “When on song, Fritz was a massive plus to have down at reserve. “We need to establish exactly how long he will be out for, and in the meantime, we will continue to assess our options.” Easter Sunday’s adult admission price for the double-header is £17. It’s just £2 more than a single SGB Championship meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway, for 16 extra heats of action. A full and exciting afternoon of racing is ahead. DON’T MISS IT! Admission prices for Easter Sunday: Adult: £17.00 Student/OAP: £15.00 Child (10 – 17): £5.00 Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult) Family Ticket £39 (2 adults, 2 Children 16-17) Match Programme: £1.00 Expected teams for Easter Sunday: Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Ryan Douglas, 2. Carl Wilkinson, 3. Lewis Kerr, 4. Michael Palm Toft (captain), 5. Josh Auty, 6. Jan Graversen (guest), 7. Josh Bailey. Redcar Bears: 1. Jason Garrity, 2. Coty Garcia, 3. Charles Wright, 4. Jonas B Andersen, 5. Ben Barker, 6. Richard Hall, 7. Ellis Perks. Junior Challenge: Scunthorpe Stags: 1. Luke Woodhull, 2. Drew Kemp, 3. Ben Woodhull, 4. TBC, 5. Dan Thompson, 6. Jordan Bull, 7. Joe Thompson, 8. Danny Curl. Halifax Dukes: 1. Kyle Bickley, 2. Liam Little, 3. Carl Basford, 4. Dan Gilkes, 5. Jason Edwards, 6. Sam Hagon, 7. Jordan Palin, 8. Jacob Clayton. * HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions are also away at Workington on Easter Saturday (7pm).

1. Simmo 2. Louis 3. Wilson 4. Boocock 5. Ashby All the best Rob

But I trust you didn't go in the 60s/70s due to tactical substitutes? Unless, of course, TRs are not the only reason you currently largely chose not to attend speedway? All the best Rob

OK, fair enough. In which case, you've been genuinely unlucky. I do consider it as the best racetrack in the country - with Peterborough, the new Belle Vue and Somerset not far behind. It's how I've found myself connected with the club. PS Decent vantage points at the EWR. Either the open terracing to the side of the ref's box. Or try the viewing outside the new clubhouse. Watched a few races from up there with Paulco on Sunday. You get a really nice view of the first/second bend. All the best Rob

Sid, he's winding you up. Scunthorpe v Glasgow clashes, on the whole, have been superb. The only one I can remember that has been anything less than excellent was last year's, the day after Cardiff, when the track dried out. But even that had a blockbuster Heat 13 and 15, including Josh Auty moving from last to first in a space of a bend. It's largely thanks to a truly brilliant clash between Scunthorpe and Glasgow in 2009 that hooked me on the superb racing at the EWR and why I travel up from Oxford most weeks. All the best Rob

It did always seem to kick off at Cowley rather than Blunsdon!! Mind you, at Cowley, we did have dear old Kojak winding up the Swindon fans. All the best Rob That was still on track, though (although not on a bike). Off track, Stefan Andersson and Martin Dugard were pals, weren't they? All the best Rob

Carried on for a few seasons, that one. Martin Dugard was rather ruthless on track - nice bloke off it. All the best Rob

Technically nobody was called anything in 1928, since there was individual racing only. However, it was the same speedway club who ran at Kirky Lane in 1928 and then moved to Hyde Road in 1929. The 1st season of operation was 1928; the 90th season is 2017. All the best Rob

Finally back after a six-and-a-half odyssey back from Scunthorpe via three breakdown trucks and a courtesy car. The clutch started playing up on the way when I was 30 miles away - glad I managed to get it back into gear and see a brilliant speedway meeting!!! All the best Rob

Matt Williamson guests for Fritz Wallner. All the best Rob

Thanks. Just been reading up on the history and the original 'killer' surface. All the best Rob

Thanks Norbold and Iris. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Indianapolis was never a dirt track, was it? Whereas a few years later, Johns was riding dirt tracks? All the best Rob

In exactly the way I described. Grachan, where is your maths degree from? Mine's from Warwick. All the best Rob

Grachan, I am correct. Heat 15 will nearly always include riders who have averaged above 6.00 between them entering Heat 15. Therefore, Heat 15 has a overall net effect of reducing their averages. That's clear to anyone with a basic understanding in maths. Of course, there's over factors as well - R/R, reserves taking additional riders, etc. But the equilibrium over a number of meetings will be very close to 41.5. All the best Rob

To work out the equilibrium, we need to consider the following. The top riders are always likely to go out in Heat 15. This is an ‘average’ drawn meeting. Team A scorers before Heat 15: 10,8,8,6,4,4,2 Team B scorers before Heat 15: 10,8,8,6,4,4,2 Heat 15 features riders who had previously scored 10,10,8,8 – 36 points from 16 rides – an average of 9.00. After heat 15, they have scored 42 points from 20 rides –an average of 8.40. So Heat 15 takes around 0.5 away from averages. Therefore the equilibrium is approximately 41.50. That’s taken me 5 minutes to work out. All the best Rob

Norbold, there's been the occasional claim that speedway started in the USA as early as c.1907. Did these claims prove to be false? All the best Rob

It's around the 70,000 mark for the majority of the latter finals. I think 1978 was the largest - that was not far from capacity. I'm trying to recall where the article about it was... It was quite interesting that only four post-war finals (1949-1952) were complete sell-outs. All the best Rob