cwf

I think BSI would really like Loram back in the GPs, but only if he qualifies through the proper events . They seem to be targetting younger riders now so far as the wild cards go. Bomber fits the BSI profile for a wild card. Young, up and coming and aggressive. I dont think it matters who he rides for.

Jagus has won his place on merit. he surely deserves his chance. He may not pull up any trees next year but neither have many other GP " stars"

Problem is that taking a break from the GPs will probably cost Scott a fair bit of sponsorship. Will Allan Ham be happy to plough a load of cash into a rider that isnt getting top TV exposure (speedway exposure that is) If he loses that backing can he afford to run so many engines/bikes of the quality required to get back into the GP series.

Which Brit(s) would you nominate for the GPs then?

But he is British Champion, he is the best rider we have (arguably) and BSI wont run a GP series without at least one British rider.

Do you honestly think Nicholls would say no to a wild card? He would probably lose a fair few of his major sponsors if he wasnt in the GP series

Totally agree with you but BSI need a route whereby they can massage the numbers so they can satisfy all their markets and maximise revenue.

Whether Jagus competes or not doesnt really matter - he has qualified through the proper channels. Anyway it will be good to see some new faces in the GP next year. Tbh he cant do any worse than Rico this year - surely

Stand corrected :-) It may not be pallets - but it is laid in removable sections which makes it much easier to accommodate speedway than if it were properly turfed

Expect this will be pretty close to the final line up for 2007 - plus ONE Probably one of Stead or Harris to make up the Brit quota

Think Scott Nicholls has got as far as he is going to go now. Top 10 is about as good as it will get. Nice to see Lazarus Lindback turn up tonight. Agree with SS, he really should have given it a miss

Agreed but can you see a GP series running without a Brit? I think BSI are shrewd enough to realise where their markets are strongest. I'm sure they will pull the old "injured for a GP" and " rostrum place" arguments

True, but his place is pretty much guaranteed. He may not deserve it on form but cant see BSI not having him back. Think we can say goodbye to Rico, Puk and Prot though.

Hi SCOOBYDO - i think its a really good idea. Cardiff has a great carnival atmosphere for the Friday and Saturday of the GP. There are thousands of fans in the city on a Friday night, many of whom dont know the city too well. An organised pre-GP event would go down really well especially if it involved riders past and present. If you needed any publicity for it im sure the Planet speedway radio prog. would only be too happy to help. Better still get them to do a live broadcast from the party itself!

On a purely practical point. Is Wembley designed so that the pitch can be removed easily to accommodate other sports/events?. The Cardiff pitch is laid on pallets which can be easily shipped in and out making the Millennium stadium very flexible in the events it can stage. I dont think the Wembley owners would be too keen on having tonnes of shale dumped on some temporary platform over their beloved turf.

I think BSI have Cardiff signed and sealed for a number of years to come. It suits both parties and is now an established event in the calendar for the city. I dont think Wembley would be too interested in hosting speedway yet. It's too "minority" for them. Having said that it would be great to think that one day speedway will be a big enough attraction to have GPs at both Cardiff and Wembley

Have to agree with that Pinstripe. Any team that can include NKI at reserve would wipe the floor with any Elite team here. The Luxo Stars top five isnt at all bad either tbh.

That's great news!. Would be good to see articles on the other Kennett brothers too - Dave and Barney. Dave would be especially good to hear from as his interest in the sport continues with Edward.

Good point. Especially having seen the Rybnik team this year :-) Our Elite League is a poor relation in terms of overall attendance, sponsorship and promotion. It is true that the majority of top riders are fully committed to the Elite League and all Leagues come to that. But what happens when the likes of Adams and Hancock retire in the not too distant future?. Of the next generation of stars we already have Hampel and Jonsson not wanting/needing to ride here for whatever reason. It just seems a little worrying that this League may not be in a position to attract the replacement stars when the ones that have served it so well finally hang up their kevlars.

In truth the Elite League is now the poor relation of the top Leagues in Sweden and Poland. Gone are the days when riders had to come to Britain before they felt they could compete at truly world class level. The numbers of top riders who dont feel the need to ride here seems to grow by the year. Does the Elite League need the Gollobs, Holtas and Jonssons to make it a true top league or are people happy to see close matches with more watered down teams but containing riders who are properly committed to riding in this country?

TV ratings dictate that there will be 2 Brits in the GP series next year. Scott Nicholls is a given, either by virtue of a top 8 place or a sympathy vote from BSI due to his injury. Would think that Chris Harris will get the other place as he has really upped his game since the World Cup. His Elite League average since the SWC final is over 9.5 and his Swedish scores have been pretty good too. Also BSI like young riders who seem committed to their cause. The one rider i do really feel for in all this is P.K. He really does deserve another shot but i fear his age is against him now.

I know its slightly off thread but it is related. The Halifax Dukes race jacket used to have an elephant as the emblem. Anyone know how this came to be? It always used to intrigue me

Any idea how these teams came to contest this final? Were any British clubs involved in the qualifying (assuming there were any qualifying rounds)