andout

I have used Microsoft Excel for years......there is so much you can do with it. Adding notes ie score chart, results etc etc etc.

Copied from Col's post....I knew I couldn't spell it!

Smoli, Lokoksiev and Bjerre it is then....

Just for the record, count back, race wins or anything else in the qualifiers do not count......it is only run-offs, unlike the actual GP's. Two sets of rules in the GP's.....nice one FIM!

Rule dropped this year! Staggered starts....only ever seen that for Flat Track.....Speedway? I'm open to it!

OUT: Ben Barker, Zach Wajtknecht, Josh Bates.IN: Danny Ayres, Simon Lambert, Drew Kemp.

Riders practice has not been mandatory for years now....it is now entirely up to the rider. Take a look at the GP thread Chris. Its all in there.

OK, I'll give it shot and try to explain.... Heat 7 France beat USA 5-1 Heat 13 France get a 3-3 with Latvia but France's 2nd and 3rd gives them a NON-COUNTING Bonus point for simply breaking ties at the end if the meeting. Heat 17 USA beat Latvia 4-2 France therefore beats both and gets the Ranking for the meeting as 4th, USA with the win over Latvia gets 5th Ranking and Latvia 6th. Ranking is important in Heats 22 and 23, Ranking breaks 3-3's. Because of the 4th Ranking France only needed a 3-3 to go through whether they got a 1st and a 4th or a 2nd and 3rd USA had to get a 4-2 or a 5-1 to beat France. Heat 23 France would have needed a 4-2 or a 5-1 as a 3-3 would have given the 3rd Ranked Danes the win. I think I have that right....if I'm wrong I'm sure someone else will correct me.

Anthony Barlow and James Mann, I only really remember from the Ice racing on Hockey rinks here in Canada......went to a few of those but it was much the same thing every time....a little shall we say "staged". And yes, I too would like to get to the Mid-America Speedway one day. I'm not sure if the demise of the British speedway scene has had a negative impact on the number of Americans riding abroad.....I think Britain alone is causing their own demise. I know, here we go again, In my day in the UK I used to go to Speedway six times a week....yes I had four or five London tracks to choose from but the costs were so cheap in those days, now it seems to be priced out of most families reach....and yes, mine too!

Yes, this is also the 60th anniversary of the Canadian Speedway revival and sad to say Speedway is "DEAD" here once again! There are many reasons for the decline, lack of sponsorship monies (only go to the major sports in North America), kids just aren't interested in a sport where you can use a now, expensive motorcycle in one place and maybe once or twice a week. Dirt bikes are more popular but even that is on a decline. Americans seem to have a knack of keeping the sport alive though, even in New York state where there is only one track (Owego), it survives. It certainly would be nice to have the colourful characters of the 80's back......that could be a while. Just my opinion of course.

Would have been a shock for any American in those days....Speed alone would have them looking for a bathroom.....What are the Californian tracks 160 to 220 yards, average of about 35 to 40 MPH.......West Ham 440 yards........Speed, could be almost double!

Not sure about his Ascot adventures, I'm sure he did well....why....well he was in a class of his own for a long time in California......They were the really early days of American Speedway...it only restarted in 1969 and his only real competition was Rick Woods and his brother.

Yes you got that one right "a brilliant home boy" and really that was "it" in my opinion.....while he ruled the California circuits he could never come to grips with the bigger tracks.

The mention of Schwartz just brought a couple of things to mind, he was always always a very approachable gentleman....certainly in his early and latter days anyway. I first saw Schwartz at Owego, New York for the very first US OPEN National Championship in 1977.....he won of course. The next year I was on the centre doing some photography and unfortunately got a good photo of Bob breaking his thumb after a close encounter on bends three and four. Wish I could find that photo today...also got one of him in a full slide waving!!!! And yes Sid....I always thought he was underrated too!

According to Speedway Researcher and my own records......Yes Long Eaton were the visitors and it was indeed Rained Off. But, NEVER assume all the programmes were pulped, have found several times people have thought that about other meetings then a few show up.