GWC

Track prepared to deal with the heat and not to balloon dust. As commented modern speedway is speed and the guy with the fastest bike normally wins. As most riders have similar equipment the only way you will get passing if someone makes a mistake and on a track like Sheffield where it’s open the throttle full and blast it, then that ain’t going to happen. Batchelor shouldn’t be riding at number 1 but the averages demand he does. I can’t see how averages make any relevance to teams in this league when the standard has fallen so far. Harris at reserve is an example of the system being wrong and allowing 7 rides makes no sense.

I don’t think so as track record and slowest time 58 secs - that looks like the quickest track ever at Peterborough.

Agreed watching on tv Wells Heeps and poor Mountain were wobbling all over the place and seems to give no home advantage. The quality of riders now in the Prem are not suited to ultra grippy tracks.

Alas the days of doing this in U.K. have gone as we don’t have the riders to attract people. In the 70’s it was easy and promoters made a fortune but our current rider stock is average to say the least. Try and bring riders from overseas and the appearance money would be eye watering!

In the current climate perhaps they couldn’t afford those riders

Running the NDL as a professional league isn’t viable for most tracks. It should be expenses only - but then most of the riders wouldn’t compete I guess.

All had to produce a negative test I understand

Len has always treated the NDL as a training league - yes he likes winners but as I know from Rye House days it was about giving young riders track time and their development.

Maybe so but the bspl will outlaw and ban any rider who rides on a track not under their control. It happened back in the early 60’s when Mike Parker set up the Provincial league without authorisation from the then National league promoters. Riders were blacklisted and a closed shop then but as it turned out it was the saving of speedway when both leagues combined in 1965.

If non league tracks want to continue their existence then surely they should be allowed to operate under an open licence. It used to happen in the days of Rye House Eastbourne Plymouth before they moved into or back to league racing.

There are specialist insurers (I used to work for one) who would happily insure equipment like this. The premium isn’t much either. It might get a bit more difficult once you have claims of vandalism so, as you say, the premium becomes unreasonable.

Was it just the speedway equipment that was vandalised? If so then that sounds a bit sinister.

NDL team not the Championship

Years ago you just needed to whistle and there would be a couple of Aussies wanting a team place. Kasper may not be the last to drop out (enforced) in this case but opportunities arise and if U.K. speedway can weather COVID and Brexit then I think it will be better for it.

I get your point tyretrax but there would be a need for cooperation between tracks. Edinburgh and Glasgow could combine and become Scotland’s training centre. Likewise North Midlands and South centres where tracks have full access to their stadiums. Training needs to undertaken without interference from a promotion who will be inclined to favour their ‘own’. I believe Denmark and Poland have had a scheme like this and even Australia on going for many years.

Brilliant announcement but I wonder where U.K. speedway would be today if this had been organised throughout the leagues 20 years ago?

It needs the foresight and passion plus cash and then a sympathetic council. We now have some terrific Speedway venues that have shown the way forward in the U.K.

You’ll have to annex Berwick to make it a more interesting league!

If Nichola ‘queen of Scots’ gets her way then Glasgow and Edinburgh will have to find another league to compete in!

The clue to this league is in the title with the need for riders to reach the CL standard that the sport drastically needs. Currently there is still a dearth of young riders able to race consistently at NL level.

And there’s the rub as 2022 season it’s 2 rising stars to find if Palin gets recalled to BV after a great season with Peterborough! Perhaps it will encourage teams to find and develop their own riders like they did once upon a time.

Yes it’s appeal to youngsters seems greater than speedway and, as you say, grasstrack is now a veterans sport. Standard equipment for MX too.

That’s not altogether true as Russia have won twice with a small number of riders. Even in England’s heyday they would be beat by the Aussies and Danes. We now have 2 world class riders which is more than for 20 years. Anyway it’s our own home league where the focus should now be and getting Crump to ride at CL level is pretty cool. Top riders dropping down a league doesn’t happen much these days and was something that the old second division thrived upon years ago.

I watched Jordan as a novice at Sittingbourne and then at Rye House when he retired mid season. He wasn’t an overnight sensation by any means and did his apprenticeship but at Rye he showed real class but I think he blew a bit hot underneath and threw it all in on a disagreement with management. On another comeback remember Peter Moore at Rayleigh in 73 and he still used his ‘cow horned’ handlebars looking out of place in the modern times then! He could certainly gate though!

So what is the advantage or disadvantage of signing a 4 star rider over say a 1 star - apart from the obvious - to team building?