Fourentee

And as the SMCWA publicity people are doubtless aware, Freddie won the Elite Open Riders Championship at Peterborough last night, beating riders of the calibre of Holder, Harris et al.

Yes, of course, I actually saw that on the Updates site and promptly forgot. Cheers.

What happened to Robert?

Ok, thanks for that. Talented lad, whatever the age.

The BSPA site has 94 but the Buxton one would make more sense in terms of his riding history. Plus you'd expect his own club to know!

I was probably about 20/30 yards to your left and could see daylight between the two as they committed to the turn. I felt instinctively at that moment that Garrity would bring Perry down and, sure enough... I feel that Garrity, in that admitted split-second of decision, knew that if he continued to attack he would risk contact with Perry but duly ploughed on (as you do at 15). No worries on agreeing to differ. Next time we'll have to stand side by side for an identical viewing angle and you can borrow my blinkers.

No blinkers involved; have already praised Garrity's ability. He didn't have to wave Perry past owing to the slight but telling detail that Perry was already ahead.

Clipped Morris and caused fall, took Perry's leg away and caused fall (a barely credible all four back), careered into Branford (who managed to dodge him the first time ) and also shunted into Dyer. T-boned Branford at Monmore in the cup, too, on the last bend of a comfortable home 5-1. Big talent. But wild.

Agreed. But if you're on the receiving end of a Garrity shunt it's something of a moot point whether it was dirty or merely reckless. The bruises are just as painful.

Never mind the opposition, what about poor Robert Branford? Garrity is some talent and you would want to retain the zest and youthful enthusiasm. But there are alternative means of slowing down other than using riders as a kind of substitute safety fence. Congratulations to Buxton, by the way, on a well-deserved victory.

Think you may have missed the point ever so slightly. Armstrong was being quoted as a refutation of someone's "the oldest one is 22" post; my response was to indicate that a younger rider currently holds the slot. But, of course, you're right to say that neither was in the original team. And going on from that, what news of Ben Taylor?

Barrie Evans dob 16/4/84

Oi! Less of the "one of"!

I like the way you focus on the spider bite incident and then casually throw in the broken back as an afterthought!

Well, clearly that's either an entirely different incident to the one I saw (which from memory contained a mention of Belle Vue?) or it escalated once I had gone past. So I'm sorry to say that I have nothing useful to contribute in that case. Colin, did you speak to a steward or enlist any witnesses? I know the rational things don't exactly leap to the forefront of our minds at times when we feel our safety is in danger.

OK. Near the office? It must have picked up a bit once I was safely out of range.

I walked past two blokes arguing on the steps close to the office; can't have been that, surely? Hardly a fracas (on reflection it was barely an argument). I'd cut Garrity some slack at that age; he's got time to mature. Nearly wiping out his teammate on the last bend for a consolation third-place point wasn't too clever, mind!

Excellent, MattyHart, many thanks. And Skornicki second for a Wolves 1-2-3.

Ty Proctor appears to have won the Vargarna Riders Championship tonight -- if I understand this correctly! Would anyone have more details or be able to translate, please? Many thanks. http://klubben.se/vargarnaspeedway/start.html

Decimated (the loss of one in ten) might not have been too bad. Three-sevenths-ated with Owen, Jacobs and Hazelden all on the sidelines was another matter entirely. Dudley did what they had to do, and did it very well. Hell, they were even making starts! But Hughes apart the Cobras inevitably found it very tough going. Very impressed that a smattering of visiting fans made it up for a midweek match to support an injury-raddled team.

Grachan, I know exactly what you're saying and FWIW I agree with it. But you have to admit it reads amusingly!

I take your point; I was so riveted by the Ward/Woffinden thing that I didn't initially realise who had even won the heat! But we must beg to differ on this one. I still think the Lindgren ride was superb and don't forget he passed the leader too.

Ride of the night? Um, how about the guy who went from fourth to first in the same heat? Edit: So startled by the quoted post that I didn't read on. Have now noticed that Salty has made the point already (five hours ago!).

Thought the presentation was very good indeed. It was my first visit to the circuit and I found the whole set-up very impressive. As ever, there will be the odd glitch to complain about. I know the timescale was tight with 25 heats to get through and consequently results had to be rattled through. But there is no point in building up for a big cheer by saying "And first for Great Britain..." and then having the winner's time drowned out by klaxons. Some of us nerdy types like to record these things! The repeat time was usually competing against engines/two-minute warning from the next heat. It wouldn't have done any harm to run through the times five heats at a time during grading. And secondly I have no objection to parking in a field when the positions are indicated efficiently by marshals. I do have an objection to the complete free for all that was involved with getting out. But these are quibbles and shouldn't be allowed to detract from an extremely successful staging.

What's a satellite box?