Dave Goddard

Paul Cooper scored eight points including a heat win, riding a Niclas Svensson machine. Jasper Iwema won the meeting after mechanical problems for Lukas Hutla saw him eliminated in the semi final, while Iwema had a fine scrap with Seb Reitsma in the Final.

That was an INCREDIBLE weekend and surely the best and most unpredictable ice racing in many years. Thank you to all who tuned in - see you at Heerenveen!

You are correct - Gunther won the final Round in 2003 in Berlin, last non-Russian to win a Final before Haarahiltunen in 2022.

Wow. Just....WOW.

Luca Bauer has withdrawn from his home Round this weekend after suffering an arm injury in a crash in Friday practice.

I'm certain I remember reading somewhere at the time that Fredrick was a highly rated rider from either the Danish or Swedish junior leagues, but having signed him Stoke realised he wasn't old enough to drive in the UK so couldn't get to meetings and therefore never rode here. Or has my mind just made that up?

Just been reading through this thread to see if I recognised any names - Dawid won the World Under-21 final when it was staged at Peterborough in 2001, which was a major upset as no one had ever heard of him. This meant he qualified for the Grand Prix Challenge, as the U21 World Champion did in those days, but didn't take his place and runner-up Lukas Dryml got in as a result (the immense irony of Lukas Dryml profiting from someone else's absence in 2001 instead of the other way round!!!) and ended up qualifying for a GP place in 2002. Kujawa then surfaced as a surprise signing by Newport three years later, and I think lasted one challenge match before either leaving or being kicked out, depending on which story you believe. Possibly speedway's biggest one-meeting wonder. I was going to mention Torben Hansen, one of the seemingly endless stream of Danes signed by Wolves in the 70s and 80s in their attempts to find the next Nielsen/Olsen, and who scored a grand total of two points in seven matches, but I see @THE DEAN MACHINE beat me to it. (edit) On the subject of Wolves, whatever happened to Eric Carrillo, the American who spent a few matches with them one season in the 2000s? It was about the same time as the equally unsuccessful Bryan Yarrow, who was sacked by Coventry after they were infamously beaten by 50 points at Oxford and I think the Bees axed about half their team.

Lots of free parking, as others have said. Maybe take a pocket torch with you for after the meeting, the lighting in the car park isn't great and the surface a bit uneven.

Shut up, stop the pathetic fighting, and given the state of the UK and the sport at the moment maybe be glad you've got a sport and a meeting at all.

(removed as already answered earlier in the thread)

Meeting abandoned after heat 12 following heavy rain almost all the way through, Romano Hummel head and shoulders above the rest and won the title with a maximum, Chris Harris and Andrew Appleton completing the podium. Dutchmen Meijer, Meijerink and van der Steen also looked impressive, most of the rest were struggling to complete four laps in the dire conditions.

This thread seems like the best place to ask - does anyone know what the piece of music played during the parade at Zielona Gora is called please? It can be heard in the background of these videos:

Leicester's track record broken by Max Fricke in heat 1 tonight, 58.75s.

I remember one rider had "Funk It" on the back of his kevlars - something's telling me it was Lee Dicken? Belle Vue Colts duo Elvis Jones and Glen Furniss had "Team Baxide", a pun on Team Exide who were so successful at the time with Hamill and Hancock.

Wolves v Peterborough has been called off due to thunderstorms.

Don't forget that this Thursday's opening round at Herxheim is being live streamed at https://www.tapesup.tv/ - I am looking forward to doing the live commentary.

In 2004 I got my A level results one summer morning and had my university place confirmed, but rather than going out celebrating with everyone else, me and my family drove to Swindon for a Wolves meeting...that was being called off just as we arrived at the Abbey Stadium.

With the number of times I have sat through Swedish rain delays I am used to it!

Thank you again to all who tuned into Tapes Up TV, was great fun commentating on ice speedway for the first time, and well done to the dominant Franky Zorn on his first title for 15 years!

Thank you to all who tuned in to https://www.tapesup.tv today - don't forget to join us again at the same time tomorrow for Day 2!

Hello from the studio!

Final score Smederna 47 Lejonen 42 - great work from the track staff to ensure the final two heats took place, but I don't think that lead will be enough.

We currently have a violin version of Eye of the Tiger playing on the PA for the riders' parade. Only in Sweden!

Hello from the studio.

Also, looks like Joel Andersson rides instead of Johannes Stark.