Reviresco

Sky Sports Speedway Twitter feed. (The Sky Sports Speedway listings on their web-site appears to lag behind.): https://twitter.com/SkySpeedway/status/712284617064226816

SKY announced their revised televised line-up with Wolves v Belle Vue as the new opening fixture on 29 March.

Did the Belle Vue management check that the contractors installed the 'state of art' drainage system?

They used NL riders at Cardiff? I was aware they staged a pre-SGP practice meeting last year but wasn't aware of them using NL riders only to trial the surface at the venue, but presume the track at Cardiff hadn't been classified as 'unfit' beforehand. Article in Manchester Evening News suggesting BV are 'confident' of staging Good Friday's meeting contains a short clip of the rider practice before the aborted Opening Meeting and shows a rider around turns 3 & 4. Not clear, but looks to me as though a rut is developing on 3... http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/other-sport/speedway/belle-vue-aces-confident-new-11084972

Better to have less experienced NL riders try out a (possibly) unfit track and report back on it? BV statement states that, after another track inspection this afternoon, a decision will be made on staging a closed practice session tomorrow and only then will they decide to stage Good Friday's meeting which is probably there best option in the circumstances. As was suggested on another thread, invite Wolves riders to the practice session too if possible.

Where do you get all this inside info from Phil, as there was a track inspection this morning? If you read the Club's statement, it confirms this and further states that there will be another inspection this afternoon when a decision will be made on holding a practice session tomorrow. Only after this will a decision be made about staging Good Friday's meeting. The match against Wolves may not be OFF yet, but it isn't definitely ON either. Still plenty of time to postpone it before, or even after, 1pm on Friday. (Belle Vue twitter feed still has a banner for the 'Sold Out' Peter Craven Memorial Meeting. Wouldn't it be a good idea to change this..?)

Looking very unlikely then that Jarek Hampel will be passed fit enough to start the Polish league season.

Well, the current World Champion is excited that next year's WSL will be held in the Middle East: https://twitter.com/TWoffinden/status/711913737633046528 (Let's hope the contractors lay a decent race track.)

Doesn't it depend on whether the introduced Rider takes the team's Match Average over the total allowed (40.50 for the EL in 2016) and if it doesn't then that is within the Regulations?

Wolves v Belle Vue on 29 March now being televised according to Sky Sport Speedway twitter feed - (presumably replacing BV v Poole that was originally scheduled for Sky the following day): https://twitter.com/SkySpeedway/status/712284617064226816

Sky Sports Speedway have tweeted a revised early season coverage list: Sky Sports Speedway ‏@SkySpeedway 20 hrs20 hours ago Sky Sports Fixtures 29th March Wolves v B. Vue 4th April Kings Lynn v Coventry 13th April Leicester v Swindon 27th April Belle Vue v Poole

Nail required for when the coffin has been finished off...

Colin Meredith is, I understand, the track curator appointed by the promotion at the National Speedway Stadium. The SCB have two Track Inspectors, Colin Merdith and Alan Bridgett. I am unaware which of the two conducted the track inspection at the NSS to issue the necessary certificate. This should be reported in the SCB inquiry.

Stronger as a Group, Weaker as Individuals - as usual the BSPA adopt an opposite stance. Whilst this is simply a statement from the Promoters Association, the report from the SCB inquiry must provide some explanations and answers. Dave Gordon, Chris Morton & Colin Meredith, maybe rightly, will be feeling particularly isolated right now.

Both Lewi and Sarj didn't ride at the EoES in the PL last season, but Lewi was riding well in the Fours before his accident, though his previous visit in 2014 with Newcastle promised a lot but ended with 4 x retirements with Engine Failures after being well placed in each heat. I'd expect him to go well on his Revolution Jawas this time. Risager probably would be good for 7/8 points against his Danish compatriots, but must be a doubt with his broken metatarsal. Witches will struggle operating R/R here. Until King sorts his machinery out, I can't see him going as well here as in the past. (Just hope Hawkins doesn't think he has to put him in Heat 15 every match and goes with the form riders, as imo this cost Ipswich the win at the EWR yesterday.) Despite this being the Panthers first competitive outing, can only see a home win unless Paco turns up on a rocket ship rather than his pizza delivery scooter. That is a very solid looking 1-6 that Peterborough have put together and you'd expect Tom Perry to outscore Darryl Ritchings here. Always enjoyed my visits to Alwalton over the past 40 years. Good weather, a close scoreline and injury free racing would do nicely, thank you.

Probably not your best example, BR, as the Swindon Rep side that rode at the Oak Tree was no more than a PL (Sedgmen, Grajczonek, Worrall) / NL side (Nielsen & Ritchings) plus Doyle. And because of all the doubling up / EDR stuff, two of Swindon's riders (Tungate & Wright) were riding for the Rebels Select on the night. I remember the old Inter League KOC that used to be held in the 70's, with the 2nd tier teams riding at home in the 1st Round, and the run that Workington had in '76 beating both Ipswich & Kings Lynn and NL Stars of the time like John Jackson, Joe Owen, Lou Sansom, Steve Lawson, Laurie Etheridge & Steve Weatherley scoring maximums, or nearly, against BL teams. At least then, teams in the two leagues had a distinct set of riders and it was a proper competition. Wouldn't work unfortunately these days.

Clash of the Titans in Heat 9 - Holub v Covatti. Who will break their duck?

A number of PL clubs have facilities already in place to cover for an ambulance leaving the track and in particular both Berwick & Scunthorpe have purchased ambulances pre-season to provide cover in need: http://berwickbandits.co/article/bandits-boss-buys-ambulance http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=4801 Currently, the minimum Medical Requirements are one ambulance, driver and attendant, but this could be under review.

And to be fair to you Glyn, you flagged up the potential issue with the track at the new Belle Vue stadium on the Leicester 2016 Thread back on 05 March when you said - 'went by Manchesters new track they have so much to do in 12 days and the weather is giving them little chance. We had snow here in Manchester all day now its raining. Had no shale on two turns Just mud everywhere.' And on a different note, here is a great image of Nicolai Klindt's (over) celebratory wheelie after Heat 1 yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/BDK79gTnCqe/

Was this due to the Heat format in the programme being the Elite League version when it should, of course, have been the Premier League format? Early days of course, but good to see Cam Heeps and Mr Lanham posting some decent scores and showing signs of a strong home partnership.

Article 9.2 of the Speedway Regulations states that: 'A track is formed of 2 straights and 2 bends'. I believe the wording that has come into common usage derived from 'Turn 1, 2, 3 & 4' which was used in Australia where the original tracks (Claremont and the Sydney & Royal Melbourne Showgrounds) were so massive that there were a definite 4 turns in a speedway lap and this phrasing was continued when the sport was brought to the UK. 1 turn before and 1 turn after the apex of both bends 1 & 2. The terminology 'Turns 1,2,3 & 4' is also used in other oval sports such as at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and harness racing. It also assists when arranging to meet people at a track, to know which side of the apex they will be located and assists referees to make decisions on the non-existent regulation of 'first bend bunching'

Well. that didn't turn out to be the case - and the BBC Sport web-site has reported tonight's events already: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/speedway/35854581 (At least Jason Crump being inducted into the Australian Motor Sports Hall of Fame in Melbourne today saved him from a wasted trip over just to walk the track and do a few practise laps.)

And Seb Ulamek announced as replacing Mikkel Bech. Current Revised Line Up: 1: Rory Schlein 2: Seb Ulamek 3: Scott Nicholls 4: Kenneth Hansen 5: Nicki Pedersen 6: Kyle Howarth 7: Chris Harris 8: Max Fricke 9: Jason Garrity 10: Craig Cook 11: Richie Worrall 12: Kacper Woryna 13: Andreas Jonsson 14: Jason Doyle 15: Edward Kennett 16: Krzysztof Kasprzak

5.92 according to the announcement on the Comets web-site: http://www.workingtoncomets.co/news/article.asp?id=100607

Hopefully Speedway will be the winner.