BigFatDave

Another great night's Speedway at Kurri Kurri; many thanks to all concerned.The track was perfect, just gets better every year, and I was surprised to see Campo using a Bobcat to pull dirt down from the boards on the straight to be graded by the tractor on the racing line on the turns - don't think I've seen that done before, but it worked very well and stopped any ruts developing. As the night wore on the racing got better and better - hats off to all the track crew and officials involved for a seamless event. Some wonderful performances - Harley Horwood took us all by surprise, firstly winning his first race then gaving us a four lap thriller against Sam Masters in his second: Sam finally got underneath him on turn 4 lap 4 and Harley slid off - poor reward for a great race. In his final outing he never gave up against Joey Ringwood, catching him almost on the line for third place - more to come from Harley, I'm sure. Davey Watt must have walked under a Black Cat or left his calender on Friday 13th I reckon, with an EF while way ahead in his fourth race but he came back strongly when it mattered most to take out the B Main. A great duel between him and Rohan Tungate in heat 17 was one of the highlights of the night. Another thriller was heat 19, with Taylor came from last to end up pushing Corey almost all the way before sliding off on turn 2 of the final lap. One of the lighter moments of the evening followed, with the Tadpole kicking his bike as it lay defenceless on the shale - judging by the way he limped off after that I think the bike won! For many of the lads it was a question of 'what more do I have to do?' - Sedgy, Todd, Jake, Robbie K, and James all had their moments, strong heat wins from Sedgy and James in particular, while Micky, Joey and Daine will all have learnt from their mistakes. Taylor, Rohan and Corey all put in strong performances to make the B Main against Davey, but as we all know Davey's all class when the chips are down, although Corey chased him hard all the way to the flag, The rain that had been forecast and had threatened all day finally put in an appearance, but it was only a sprinkle and freshened the track up beautifully after a light grade; I reckon Campo had a word with Him Upstairs after Boxing Day's downpour ended the meeting before the finals - don't rain on our parade, OK, Huey?. The A Main field was as most of us expected - all four finallists had been consistently good all night, but Chris just cleared out from the start, although Cam made him work hard for his victory, while Sam and Davey fought it out for third. On the social side it was a pretty big crowd; a fine selection of souvenirs with Ivan Mauger's Travelling Bookstall present as well, plenty of good tucker (The Steak Sangers are the Best! - with the continued absence of Mildura from the Championships they could be in the running for a Signature dish, although I favour the Kurri Kurri Curry Puff, if and when it eventuates!) plus copious cold drinks to wash it down, and all in all the facilities for us fans just keep improving: everyone I talked to both during the meeting and afterwards in the carpark (waiting for the traffic to move throughthe bottlenecks!) thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and will be back for sure. Next Stop Gillman - bring it on!

Western Springs has been operating since 1929, and like most suburban tracks has had constant battles with the City Council - when I lived in NZ in the seventies I remember new restrictions imposed then. Now it's under attack again, with totally unrealistic demands being bandied about by the NIMBY community - can't have anyone enjoying themselves, can we? - and an On-line Petition has been started by the Western Springs Speedway Heritage site to call for help from the wider community of Speedway Fans - http://www.speedwayclub.co.nz/signpetition.php If you've got a minute please take the time to join the over 35,000 signatures from around the World already recorded - thanks.

I think the person might just have quoted the gate selection for the final, Bomo. It was correct on Updates when I checked later, and I don't think I was THAT out of it by the end of the meeting!

Another great meeting; plenty of exciting racing, anyone who didn't like it doesn't know anything about Speedway.

If you book early enough - like NOW - you can still get cheap flights for Gorzow.

Being a Wasps supporter I'd reckon you'd be delighted that another member of the Kurtz Dynasty is shaping up so well, and with UK patrimony as well - I'm sure Main Man will be on the case waving a contract for 2013! Another Red-headed Wunderkind from Downunder - now where have we heard that before? Full results are here - http://australianspeedway.com/showthread.php?t=40619&page=15&p=810720#post810720

Got it in one, Badge.

Congratulations to Brady Kurtz - Australian Under-16s 125cc Solo Champion 2012! 2nd Jack Holder 3rd Lawson Walters 4th Max Fricke Full Results are on the MA site - special mention to Lawson Walters, who won his way through from the qualifiers viia the B Main to a Podium finish. =6041&tx_ttnews[backPid]=6&cHash=cf9ae9306e"]http://www.ma.org.au/index.php?id=12&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=6041&tx_ttnews[backPid]=6&cHash=cf9ae9306e

Cameron Heeps has reportedly withdrawn from the Under-21s, to be replaced by Harley Brigden.

John Jackson passed on the full results from last night: QUALIFYING GROUP 1 1 Lawson Walters NSW 2 3 3 3 3 14 2 Ben Cook NSW 3 3 2 3 2 13 3 Max Croker NSW 3 3 2 3 2 13 4 Cooper Riordan VIC 3 2 0 3 3 11 5 Brody Eves QLD 2 1 3 3 2 11 6 Dakota Ballantyne SA 3 3 1 2 2 11 7 Jimmy Jones NSW 1 2 1 2 3 9 8 Brendon Coglan QLD 2 1 3 0 2 8 9 Corey Pangbourne VIC 1 2 2 2 0 7 10 Isaac Hawes NSW 1 2 2 0 1 6 11 Aden Clare NSW 0 0 2 1 1 4 12 Kobee Ziedas WA 2 0 0 1 0 3 13 Christian Holberg NSW 1 0 1 0 1 3 14 Matthew Gilmore NSW 0 1 1 1 0 3 15 Jedd List QLD 0 0 0 2 0 2 QUALIFYING GROUP 2 1 Bryce Brigden QLD 3 3 3 3 3 15 2 Denny Cox NSW 3 3 2 3 2 13 3 Jack Norman SA 3 1 3 3 2 12 4 Zack Cook NSW 3 2 0 3 3 11 5 Boyd Hollis NSW 1 2 3 2 3 11 6 Brody Taggart NSW 2 3 2 2 1 10 7 Lachlan Schreurs VIC 1 2 3 1 1 8 8 Matthew Marson WA 0 3 1 0 3 7 9 Jordan Paver VIC 2 0 1 2 2 7 10 Tom Edwards NSW 2 1 1 1 2 7 11 Cordell Rogerson QLD 2 1 2 1 0 6 12 Declan Kennedy QLD 0 2 0 2 1 5 13 Seth Hill QLD 1 1 1 0 0 3 14 Karl Lawler NSW 0 0 2 0 1 3 15 Mitchell James NSW 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brandy Coglan was just one of a few unlucky riders last night; Cooper Riordan recovered from a flat tyre when in the lead in his third heat and still finished with 11 from four rides - one to watch. Only Tapes Exclusion was Christian Hojberg but it was a good 'un - took off well before acceptances and totally demolished a set of tapes. Aden Clare Kummagutza late in Ht 8 and that was the only race declared for the night. Brody Taggart was a late inclusion from reserve and rode out of his skin to just miss out on qualifying for tonight, but he'll probably get a couple of rides from reserve, as will Dakota Ballantyne. A Ripper Meeting - 40 heats in three hours.

Latest Gossip: It looks like Harley Horwood will be in the line-up for Kozza, while Mason Campton should get the job to replace Troy and Tyson Snow will step up to reserve for the second round at Kurri Kurri tomorrow night.

Qualifier 1: 1/, Lawson Walters NSW 14 2/. Ben Cook NSW 13 3/. Max Croker NSW 13 4/. Cooper Riordan VIC 11 5/. Brody Eves QLD 11 Res Dakota Ballantyne SA 11 Qualifier 2 1/. Bryce Brigden QLD 15 2/. Denny Cox NSW 13 3/. Stormin' Jack Norman SA 12 4/. Zack Cook NSW 11 5/. Boyd Hollis NSW 11 Reserve Brody Taggart NSW 10

Alas the Vincents are long gone from Sidecars, Orlov, but they certainly put on a good show, and with most meetings in Oz featuring the top 8 combinations in the World we do get some excellent racing. Here's an interesting view, looking back over the swinger's shoulder at the recent SA Championships. Meanwhile, we're still waiting to find out who's in for Kozza & Troy for this Saturday Night at Kurri Kurri.

There's a villain in every pantomime , Baggie!

All in the eye of the beholder I suppose. People with pre-set opinions aren't likely to take an even-handed approach to hard racing; they just love anonymously slagging riders off from the safety of their loungerooms - must be something in the water over there. All eyes turn to Kurri Kurri for round two, with most interest centred on who will be replacing our two withdrawals - can Harley Horwood and Tyson Nelson commit themselves to the expense of the next two rounds?

I must admit I moved closer to save the drive. See you REAL SOON!! :drink:

I'm sure you've been on here long enough to realise by now that in the vast majority of my posts I turn for guidance to the Wit and Wisdom of Mao-Tse-Tongue-in-cheek. As I've said it's more frustration with the constant repetition of points that have been disproved both on this and the previous thread that cheeses me off - it's enough to drive a man to drink - and drugs - and the pursuit of loose women.

Not so much desperation but frustration, having to hide the eminently reasonable emotion of wanting to bang certain recalcitrant peoples' heads against the nearest brick wall, Parsloes ol' bean!

I was quoting the Maitland Mercury,Lee, that bastion of truth in Journalism. Yes, he's gone full circle and returned to the fold. Now if only Arthur Sissis, Casey Stoner and Josh Waters would follow suit - we'd rule the World!

It cost a reasonably large amount of Zlotys, as opposed to your Pee-poor Pommy Pesos, and in Polska Zlotys don't grow on trees, Trees. Thankfully the Aussie Dollar is strong against third world currencies so it didn't cost us Aussies an arm and a leg, leaving us more to spend at the bar - and in the stadium at Gorzow THERE WASN"T A BAR!!!!. The Canute-like statements from some of the old fuddy-duddies on here never cease to amaze me - it's 2012, get with the program, youse mob, there will be more GPs on a Global Scale as IMG/BSI attempt to establish the GP Series as a viable alternative to F1 and MotoGPs etc. What do you think Ole Olsen is up to every year, apart from clocking up frequent-flyer points?

Especially considering he didn't expect to do too well here: it's not his favourite track by any means; the surface is a lot different to Southern tracks. I thought you'd been sentenced to guard the back entrance to the pits for undisclosed misdemeanours like ensuring the riders, both junior and senior, had race-jackets? Glad you managed to catch the racing. Have those plump, juicy ripe Bowen mangoes I saw you guarding jealously at the end of the meeting gone to meet their maker yet?

Chalk and cheese character-wise, Paulco. Rohan is 21 and a six-time Australian Motocross champion, who started Speedway only two years ago, whereas Nick came up through the junior Speedway system.

From http://australianspeedway.com NORTH BRISBANE HEAT SCORES: Chris Holder 14, Davey Watt 13, Rohan Tungate 12, Cameron Woodward 12, Justin Sedgmen 9, Taylor Poole 9, Sam Masters 9, Cory Gathercole 8, Daine Stevens 8, Todd Kurtz 8, Kozza Smith 4, Robert Ksiezak 3, James Holder 3, Mickey Dyer 3, Jake Anderson 2, Troy Batchelor 2. B FINAL: Masters, Sedgmen, Woodward, Poole. A FINAL: Holder, Watt, Tungate, Masters. AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER ONE ROUND OF THREE): 1 Chris Holder 20, 2 Davey Watt 18, 3 Rohan Tungate 17, 4 Sam Masters 16, 5 Justin Sedgmen 15, 6 Cameron Woodward 14, 7 Taylor Poole 13, 8 Cory Gathercole 12, 9 Daine Stevens 11, 10 Todd Kurtz 10, 11 Kozza Smith 9, 12 Robert Ksiezak 7, 13 James Holder 6, 14 Michael Dyer 4, 15 Jake Anderson 3, 16 Troy Batchelor 2.

Wow! What a night! A bumper crowd - estimated as up to 3500 - packed the Mick Doohan Raceway for last night's round one of Ozchamps, and all in attendance were rewarded with some excellent racing and not a little drama. I'm not sure if the club had expected such a large crowd but parking was well-organised and the inevitable queues for grog & tucker were orderly and kept moving along - I heard no complaints from either patrons or hard-working volunteers. The only problems I noticed were the sound system, which left a bit to be desired in some areas of the arena. The antics of the in-field announcer, Cracker, were a welcome change from some we've had to put up with; the riders were all relaxed with his easy-going style during the parade, and I particularly liked him introducing the junior 350s support riders first, rather than as an afterthought. Certainly the juniors were very entertaining - some great racing from in particular Jack Holder, unbeaten on the night, along with Ellis Perks, Brady Kurtz, Max Fricke and young Dalton Nilson, who along with Matty Day, Josh Fletcher and Ben Dowling more than made up for their relative inexperience with their abundant enthusiasm. I'm pretty sure they'll all be on 500s next season; something to really look forward to. The weather was great; the lighting problems evident on Friday night had been sorted and the track held up well during the meeting, although some of the Southern riders weren't too happy with the surface. The Mozzies which plagued us during the qualifier were still in evidence, but with the much larger crowd they had more choice and went for the fresh blood rather than the regulars. Some of the riders who in their race suits were relatively insect-proof during the meeting were in for a nasty surprise when they changed into shorts & singlets after the racing was over, particularly Cam Woodward, whose rendition of the Dance of the Bities was well-received in the bar. From the opening heat, when Davey Watt scorched round for a new track record, knocking 2/10ths of a second off Darcy Ward's old mark, it looked as though it was going to be an inside gate special, with the first three heats all going to the Red Gate, but Chris Holder's win from Yellow in Ht 4 put an end to that, and Ht 5 saw Davey out of Blue smoking Chris in Red. Rohan Tungate was looking in ominous form with Taylor Poole also performing well, and everything was ticking along nicely until Ht 8, when Troy and Kozza had a nasty coming-together at the very end of a four lap duel, also bringing down Jake Anderson in his efforts to avoid the wreckage. You'll probably have seen the excellent video from Lance by now and doubtless made your own minds up, but it looked to me from my viewpoint at the start of the home straight to be just hard racing between two determined riders, alas with a bad result for Kozza. Get well soon mate. A pretty long delay resulted but no-one begrudged the ambos doing their job in the right manner, and it gave many people a chance to catch up with old acquaintances. Where I was plonked soon turned into the North Brisbane equivalent of Gillman's famous Has-beens' Hill, with past champions in abundance as well as a significant proportion of Queenslanders who'd thrown a leg over a bike at some time in their lives. Mike Farrell, Steve Paine, Vaclav Verner, Jim Airey and Phil Crump were only a few of the names in attendance, along with several current riders including Adam Shields, Darcy Ward and Nick Morris. Their anecdotes and recollections were well worth a listen. Also it was good to catch up with International Man of Mystery and Undercover Scottish Spy Gordon Pairman making his regular off-season trip Downunder to check out the talent - no, the Riding Talent - we didn't need any help checking out the local hotties! Once Racing had resumed Troy's run of bad luck continued: having bent bike no 1 in the crash, when he came out for his next heat he proceeded to Chernobyll the Clutch on bike No 2 while practicing a start, and he was forced to pull out from the rest of the meeting. This meant that both reserves Harley Horwood and Tyson Nelson got a couple of rides with interesting results; Tyson flipping his bike at the start of Ht 16 ended his night although he was up quickly and walked back to the pits unaided; ditto with Harley, who Kummagutza following help from Mickey Dyer in the next heat, resulting in them both missing the re-run. Several riders had nights which were good in parts: Corey started off poorly with a last then an EF but picked up eight out of nine in his last three rides - and didn't fall off! Sedgy scored a couple of good wins at what is not his favourite track and Sam Masters was consistent if a touch unlucky. Daine Stevens was one of the surprises of the night, picking up a well-deserved heat win over Sam and Taylor in the final round of heats. The class of the night as expected came from Chris and Davey, with Taylor and Rohan both exceeding expectations and performing well, along with Cam Woodward, who won a couple of exciting duels. On the down side Robbie Ksiezak looked a little rusty and never came to terms with the track, while Mickey, Jake and James Holder were well off the pace. Improvement is expected from all four next week at Kurri Kurri. Finals time was on us all too soon: first up, the B Main which pitted Sedgy, Cam, Sam and Taylor against each other started off with all four riders locked together for over a lap, then Taylor drifted out and fell on turn 2 lap 2 (but cleared the track allowing the race to continue). the race then turned into a match between Sam and Sedgy; Sam getting the upper hand on the last lap to book his spot in the A Main. The 350s final was next, and Jack Holder continued his unbeaten run with a strong victory over Max Fricke. Ellis Perks fell and Brady Kurtz EF lap four. Sheep Stations time and the A Main was the chance for Chris to get his revenge over Davey for his only loss in the Heats, and he seized it with both hands.Tthe race split into two sections, with the EL Championship winning pair duelling up front while Sam and Rohan fought it out at the rear: Chris clearing out after three laps while Rohan got the edge over Sam on the last lap to secure a podium finish in his first crack at the Aussie Title. All in all a good round with some excellent races, tempered by the loss of Kozza with a broken leg and Troy, whose luck just wasn't with him tonight: I suspect his recent injury may have played a hand in his decision to withdraw from the series, but credit to him, he took it on the chin when I caught up with him in the pits afterwards, and I feel that another tilt at the title will be on the cards in the future - unfinished business and all that. Congratulations to all involved with the organisation and running of the meeting, a real credit to Queensland Speedway As for me, I had my usual enjoyable experience soaking up the best Speedway Australia can offer, in fact by the end of the evening I was as enjoyable as a parrot, due in no small doubt to our decision to head for the bar for some serious mingling immediately the meeting ended rather than attempt to clear the car park right away; in fact, when we wended our way back to the limo after last orders it was relatively easy to find even for me - OK, it was the only one left in the paddock! Onwards and Upwards - Kurri Kurri is next on the agenda, although somehow I feel a little more wallowing in the fleshpots of Surfers Paradise may be in order before heading off to the Hunter Valley - the Birthplace of Speedway - for round two. I'll have to get into serious training as well; with Lunchy looking like he'll be unavailable for texting Updates it could be down to Yours Truly to keep Planet Speedway informed up to date - don't expect the results of the juniors! Many thanks to Mr & Mrs Trackman and Yorkshire Fishcake for putting up with me; I'll be back!

- Heat 8