Main Man

YES ...more trackwork being undertaken today in readiness for 1pm start with gates open at 11am

Yes. More trackwork being undertaken today in readiness fir 1pm start tomorrow...gates open 11am

Unfortunately due to the bad weather Richard has been unable to get to his workshops to get his bikes and as Racing Jase says has withdrawn (amazing how people find out these things!!). A BIG thank you goes to Mark Simmonds who is spending New Year's Eve and Day getting his bikes done (although he is popping over to Mark "The Undertaker" Phillips pub, the Grenville Arms at Nanpean to see in 2011 with us as I am down in Sunny Cornwall as well)..as might Ben Barker . So Mark comes in at No. 1 in the line-up. Wrap up warm and see you there!!

Meeting Reserves are Jaimie Pickard and Henning Loof with Tom Young on stand-by.

Extensive track work and removal of snow achieved yesterday --with a few aching backs I understand !! More work going on today and if Metcheck have it right it will be cold but ok on Sunday ---so wrap up warm!!

Number sent by PM. All the best Laurence

I can assure you Najjer many riders were contacted ---as my phone bill will testify!! But when we had to make our decision on the format and get the programme printed (have them here with me !!), we had to go with what we had got which was 12 riders. Despite this I believe we have a pretty good line-up that should produce some good and entertaining racing.

One of the main reasons it is a twelve rider format is actual rider availablity !! Also I have spent hours and hours trying to devise a suitable alternative formula for 12 riders where they all meet at least once but every time I think I am coming close to cracking it unfortunately it does not work so we have had to go with the format used before.. and I believe Scunthorpe are using the same for their Christmas Cracker on Dec 27th.

what age are the kids ?

and as track announcer I still amazingly had a voice left at the end of the season!! and as programme compiler ( no computers then)a healthy supply of Tippex for my typewriter!!

Looking forward to it already!!

Hopefully the New Year Classic will be at Newport again --subject to it being allocated. There are winter amateur meetings at both Newport and Scunthorpe ....details in training section on bsf

Having been involved with the Dream Team ( and the re-loaded version this year) since day 1 it has been a pleasure dealing with and helping the lads ( of all ages) . We have seen some raw and exciting talent on each and every tour ....some we have seen now in UK teams and some who we hopefully will see in the years to come along with some who must wish they had been able to come here a few years ago ( like Fast Eddie!!). We have entertained fans throughout the country at a variety of tracks and hopefully in whatever guise the future American team comes will continue to do so. I have had to take a more back seat role due to club and family commitments of late but hope to be involved still with any USA touring side in the years to come as well as helping and advising the lads who want to race in the UK. Laurence Rogers

Strange ..his facebook comments show that he was in Hong Kong earlier today and due back in Oz later on !!

Bikes all packed up as well as his suitcase ready for trip back to Oz

Rob. We had to wait to see if it was Bournemouth or Plymouth first then had to wait to agree dates with them. That done we then had to await the Dudley v Buxton semi and even then when we were both through the KO Cup Final had already been arranged. As it was the weather also took hold of the situation. As for running today we would have loved to but with the NLRC taking precendence couldn't. As I have said believe me we wanted a home leg not just an away one. Perhaps the National Trophy, if it runs in 2011, should be raced after the League has been settled and sorted ? Surely the league is the most important and paramount competition ?

Just to make one point with regard cut off dates and fixtures is that we at Newport actually did finish all our league fixtures before this date!

Well Dave you must know more than Steve and John Mallett who made the decision after walking the track this morning whilst on the phone to me and after looking at three weather forecasts. Having spent four days sorting out the guests to cover Todd and James in both legs I can assure you we DID have a team. Nick Simmons was due to guest for Todd but has been ill in bed all week and Darren Mallett arranged to have a day off work to guest for us in his place -- a BIG thank you to him and to Dale Allitt at Kings Lynn for all his help. After all did we really want to just have the league title decided on just an away leg ?? If there was any chance of running we would have and Steve rang me about 6 to say that it was raining then so the decision was the right one.

and to me!!

Unfortunately the weather has one round one of the NL play off finals and tonight's First Leg v Buxton is OFF due to a waterlogged track and forecast of more rain later.

It may well be the opening meeting of the 2011 season. Many thanks for the comments about how we handled the postponment --nice to get something right!! When we closed the gates there was a queue to get in and from experience we have a lot of fans who come in at the last minute so the crowd would have been ok. Naturally the call off cost the promotion and with the new outlay for a generator to enable Friday's all important National League play-off final with Buxton to go ahead , it was an expensive night for Newport Speedway !!

Alex is getting his bikes and equipment packed up and was looking like not being able to ride but will now be after all. Normal admission prices apply.

I am sure Leigh won't mind me giving a blatant plug as we will plug his meeting on Sunday afternoon as well ....but if you fancy a double dose of methanol on Sunday we have the National League Play-Off semi-final 2nd leg Newport WESSEX BUS Hornets v Bournemouth with a 1pm start ----which should give everyone plenty of time to travel up the M4 to Swindon for the meeting as well.

The 2nd Leg of the NL play-off semi between the Newport WESSEX BUS Hornets and Bournemouth has an early 1pm start next Sunday (17th Oct) , not to clash with Leigh Adams meeting at Swindon and hopefully some fans will want to take in the two meetings in one day as the seaason draws to a close.