Gambo

I wonder if there will now be two 'Wild Card' slots available, or whether the Wild Card will get both meetings?

So sad. It was a great social weekend, but we could see the decline in attendances, particularly on the Friday night. Fortunately we had booked our Travelodge on Flexible rate, so have already cancelled and been told that we get a full refund. Can't fault Travelodge & PayPal. Refund back in my account already!! 😀

Surely "the best supporters in the league" (as is often claimed) would turn out in sufficient numbers to support the NDL to at least break even level. Or is it just about winning? As others have said, NDL racing can be as good a spectacle, and at times better, than all other levels.

Col Cottrell, the original 'armchair rider'.

I thought the same, and I know that it was that way in the past, but on making enquiries to the relevant persons, I got this reply:- "....if a British rider is lower with his discount than an overseas rider, the overseas rider will be number 1 until the first set of green sheets that the British rider gets a new average." I think this interpretation/rule change only came into effect in 2023, as has been pointed out by others recently.

Phil Morris is/was looking into getting an app developed.

So do Leicester, Belle Vue, Oxford, Sheffield etc.

Future proofed! 2 Bonus SGP's are free.😁

Compiling my updated Spreadsheet (only £13 for all 12 GP's😁), I have moved the qualifiers 2 places down from the 2024 format. I have made enquiries with Graham, Mike and Krister to see if they can get confirmation, before I make it available to purchase.

SGP - FIM Speedway - Rules Fastest times for LCQ tied riders. 😉

The Regs have not been published yet. After the Cardiff 'difficulties' with a 5 rider tie, I think they might go with Race Times as a decider between Riders with identical points/places. If so, it throws up the scenario where Rider A (2-2-2-0-2) has a last place time faster than any of Rider B's 2nd place times. (2-0-2-2-2), so all 4 race times will need to be logged for each heat for reference.

Perhaps a change of name to the Poole Parasites?

E-mail message from SCS Campaign. EIGHT years after speedway bikes and Formula 1 stock cars last raced at Brandon, our efforts to have the venue reinstated back to its established use as a leading motorsports stadium continue. During those eight years there have been numerous hurdles to overcome and battles to win, and a lengthy process was always likely in a situation where the site owners have their own different aspirations. Matters came to a head over the last two years when a planning application was unanimously refused by the committee members of Rugby Borough Council, and then even more significantly when that refusal was upheld on Appeal by a government-appointed Inspector. Despite the attempts of the applicants to circumvent both local and national planning policy and the clear ongoing need for the site as a motorsports venue, the outcome of the Appeal was that there is no prospect of the site having housing potential, regardless of whether or not a 3G football pitch is added. However, given that the decision was taken nearly a year ago, and there has been little apparent activity since then, many observers have quite reasonably been asking what happens next? In our previous communication over the summer, we made reference to the changing political landscape in the area, and in particular the fact that Rugby Borough Council is now led by Labour, with support from the Liberal Democrats, and with Councillor Michael Moran taking over as Leader. A reminder that the Rugby Labour manifesto states: “By 2035 a Labour-led council would ensure that health services meet population needs and that Rugby and the villages have thriving commercial centres where key buildings and venues, such as St Andrews Church and Brandon Stadium, are maintained with pride.” It’s important to note that on the specific matter of Brandon there is cross-party support, and with the formal planning process now exhausted there is a natural window to determine a route forward. So with the Council clearly of the view that Brandon Stadium should exist as exactly that – a stadium – we are pleased to confirm that we have entered into talks with Cllr Moran and the new administration, with the aim being to demonstrate how a viable and sustainable future for the stadium could be delivered. It is already public knowledge that there is significant interest from those who would wish to operate the venue, both for speedway and stock car racing, and several individuals spoke powerfully on this matter at the Appeal. The need for the sports to run at Brandon, and the desire to make it happen, is not in question. What we are currently working on is establishing a clear route to delivery, and an indication of the organisational structure once the venue is operational, and the viability of both of those strands. After eight years it seems almost perverse to ask supporters for patience, but both ourselves as a Campaign Group and the Council are in agreement that it is in nobody’s interest for matters to drag on for any longer than they have to, and substantial work continues to take place in a bid to accelerate matters. We have also been delighted to read confirmation of the plans for the commercial development of British Speedway, and the increase in television viewing and streaming figures, along with the highly impressive social media activity. With the increasing number of top riders competing in the UK, it all enhances the view that British Speedway is in an improving position, and the one thing that would turbo-charge that improvement would be the return of venues which should never have been taken away from the sport in the first place. It has also been most encouraging to follow another successful season of stock car racing, a sport which would receive another boost from the return of one of its most prominent venues. We urge everyone to remain positive and thank you for all the support you have given to help get to this stage, and we will report further as soon as we can.

That statement is incorrect. All rides in League (and BSN for the Championship) matches count towards GSA.