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Anyone know what rider was the last to regularly use a JAP engined machine in the British or National League? Even better, who was the last rider to WIN a BL or NL race on a JAP engined machine! There seemed to be a lot of loyalty by some riders to keep using the JAP engine when it was fast becoming out dated by the Jawas and ESOs and even when Weslakes and Jawas with Briggo and Street 4 valve conversions were becoming popular there were still a few JAPs out there. I seem to remember seeing a JAP (4B?) in the pits at the White City the first time i ever saw a Weslake (Richard Greer's?) in the 70s.

It's the whingeing about whingeing that makes speedway on social media so much fun.

I can't say I blame you for not wanting to return but to be fair the Scunny track usually produces great racing. Friday's racing was well below par for Scunny which was evident (along with the stoppages) on how many cars had left the car park by the time the final race had finished.

I'm a bit underwhelmed by the meeting last night. Surely someone at Speedway HQ could have put a bit of effort to make this an occasion as it was a British Championship round. Instead it looked so amateurish. No real pre-race presentation or sense of occasion, just a few riders let onto the track to have a random practice session. The hardly audible PA didn't help but hardly anyone watching seemed to know what was going on. A bit of a shambles really. Compare this to how other motorsports treat their junior competitors. Road Racing, Motor Racing, Stock Cars etc could all teach speedway how to put on an event and make the competitors feel that they are competing to be British champion. No wonder speedway is going down the pan when what should be a showcase for British speedway's future is so poorly presented.

I find it hard to believe that you actually read what i post without reading them first. The Thompsons could well go as far as my 'friend' although i didn't actually say we were friends (it helps to read what i've written before commenting) but that wasn't my point. I realize that this is just going around in circles so i'll just carry on what i've done for years and that's helping out and seeing kids enjoying the sport at whatever level they feel comfortable with without any pressure on them until they feel the time is right to move up a level. Maybe we'll meet up at a track somewhere where you will be doing a similar thing?

No

No. You obviously misunderstood what i wrote. The rider i was referring to was a multiple British grasstrack champion at adult level plus pro speedway rider for over 15 years which included seasons with 10+ point averages and competed in the World Longtrack Championships numerous times. i've seen the Thompsons many times and they have a bright future in the sport and are excellent riders and deserve their place in the British Championships. They've worked hard and practiced to get where they are.

No one trying to get rid of anyone. What a strange thing to say. My point is how to encourage them by letting them learn on a smaller stage with no pressure. Everyone should be encouraged and with that encouragement you get better. Yes it's great to compete and to learn but that should be done at Scunthorpe, Lydd. Iwade, Northside, Redcar, Buxton and all the other tracks that provide practice and racing at youth level. It's a learning curve and some take longer than others to achieve. Many years ago i went with a 16 year old and his Dad to his first ever grasstrack meeting. He rode around in the heats but didn't qualify for the finals like i did and this continued for a good few meetings until he learnt what to do and then he left me in his dust. it took time. He learnt at local meetings and within a few years he was in the British Championship and then won it multiple times. He also had a great career as a speedway pro with impressive averages. The British Championships should be a totally different level than simply just to compete. By putting kids in to a major championship when they can't even get the back out seems to me to make no sense at all. No wonder we have trouble in this country producing winners.

Absolutely and when they are competent and competitive (however long it takes) with others in their age group that is the time to enter the British Championship.

Despite the posts that the meeting was going ahead experience of watching speedway for more years than i can remember plus checking the weather forecast meant i didn't even bother setting off for this one and wasting my time.

No problem at all. Going back to April at Scunny though they did hold an amateur championship with youth riders of all abilities which was ideal for anyone from British Championship contenders to those who are still learning to slide a bike. I'm all for kids getting as much track time as possible but for their development it's important they ride in events that suits their ability.

Actually riding around at the back does nothing except demotivate the rider. It does a rider or their confidence no good at all to be lapped on a stage like a British Championship. The time to learn how to ride a speedway bike should be done well before a British Championship round is even considered and there are numerous opportunities to do that and not only just practice. For example there is are both summer and winter championships for all abilities at youth level at Scunny. That's where they learn, riding with riders of equal ability.

The only meeting like that at Scunny in April that i can remember was the British Amateur Championship which is totally different to the British Championship that this thread is about.

Yes agreed. Some of the racing was excellent. It was just a pity that some races were between pairs of riders a lap apart at times and surely that is no good for the riders or the sport.

The same way that you ascertain that in any championship in any other sport. You either have a qualifying system or simply pick the riders with the ability to race competitively. The BSPA already a Speedway Training Programme in place and those who run that should and no doubt do know the ability of every rider who can potentially race in the british Youth Championship.

I think you'll find that if a rider is going to ride in the British Championship then they have ridden at most if not all of the training tracks i listed against every other rider who would be at the nationals.

By having a championship with the best riders in each age group.

There are plenty of opportunities to do that at Buxton, Scunthorpe, Arena, Lydd, Iwade, Rye House, Redcar, Northside etc when kids can learn how to ride and race each other and progress under the guidance of people who are willing to help them. The British Championship should be the place where the best riders learn how to compete and race with other top riders of the same age group in a championship environment. it isn't the place to ascertain where a rider is ability wise or to learn how to ride a speedway bike. That should have been done long before the even thinking of competing in a British Championship.

Yes but at a British Championship round? There are plenty of opportunities to gain experience but surely at a British Championship isn't the place for it. Being so outclassed and lapped doesn't seem to be the sort of experience that is going to help anyone.

Yes i know some of the flat trackers that are going. I do hope though that the racing in the youth championships is more even than it was at Scunny as i can't see it does anyone any good to be riding around at the back and being lapped.

Thundery showers are forecast all day Friday so fingers crossed.

The key words should be Entertainment and Value For Money. No point marketing and advertising if the product isn't good.

Some good close racing (and some not so close) but surely whoever runs the championship (Great Britain Speedway?) could have made the effort in presenting it as if it meant something. It was run more like an amateur meeting instead of what should be a showcase for the future of British speedway. It just looked as if the people running British speedway didn't care. One thing about the racing is that yes there were some excellent races but there were also at times two separate races going on in the same race. Surely there should be some criteria set for ability as being lapped isn't going to help either the person lapping of worse the person being lapped.

My main concern was how poorly presented the meeting was and how the BSPA could have at least made an effort in that respect. It was after all a showcase for the future of British speedway but i do agree though that yes there was some good close racing but often there were two separate races going on at times. I also agree that it isn't good seeing kids getting lapped and that really needs sorting out in the British Championship as it doesn't do anyone any good.

Sadly speedway has a knack of shooting itself in the foot.