mikebv

For me, the biggest and most important step is for the UK to stand alone, away from the global sector of the sport. Fundin said that those who progress to the GP's should then move out of UK domestic racing to free up places for others coming through.. The two worlds of Poland and the UK are you could say 'poles apart' so why the UK still clings on to the odd GP star or two is beyond me.. As all it does is unbalance the league anyway, raise overall costs for those who then try and compete with teams with GP riders, create inconsistent fixture lists to accommodate them, and often mean guest replacements when fixtures cant be rearranged which impacts the whole credibility of the league. When the UK sees itself in it's true position, as that of a stepping stone to greater financial rewards and global fame for those who progress through it, it can then rebuild itself a framework that is fit for purpose to grow the sport in the UK.. Not holding my breath obviously.. Too many egos involved who refuse to accept that the UK are simply not important, or influential anymore, in the grand scheme of things globally I think to let it happen.. The irony being of course is that if they had a very successful GB team their influence on the global stage would grow accordingly, with wider UK media interest also growing the same.. The UK should be a conveyor belt for UK talent to progress through to the top level, which will then have the knock on effect of increased public interest, which can only then benefit the domestic leagues accordingly.. Like the RFU and TCCB acknowledged many years ago now when their domestic sports were respectively somewhat in the doldrums, a successful National team brings in the interest, sponsorship and crowds which then permeates down to the domestic level of competition.. A blueprint worth following I would suggest..

Many do seem to do it 'globally' for a lot of years don't they? Seems a long time to do something (especially something as dangerous as speedway), if all you will do is end up with not very much.. Especially as so many ride from being a teenager to mid to late 30's, and some even longer.. That's a lot of years to keep not making any money.. In another excellent Speedway Star, the current edition has an interview with true Legend, Ove Fundin, who is truly amazed in quoting an interview which appeared in a Swedish speedway magazine with a rider called Philip Hellstrom Bangs (yes THE Philip Hellstrom Bangs), a 17 year old kid making his first tentative steps into the sport.. He has openly said he has spent the Swedish equivalent of £130,000 on "three complete bikes, six engines, a van and 'all the extras', including a full time mechanic" (ex rider Robert Fils)... "That's what it has to be if you want to go anywhere" was a quote.. How much will he want per point? The problem of course is how this hyper inflates costs for others who may see that really is the only way to go. . All running to stand still, all paying out fortunes, and all risking their necks to take a slice of an ever diminishing pie.... Absolute crackers...

Or use two thirds of a sand egg timer?

Looks like a fantastic line up assembled... The British lads have got to start getting involved in this. . It's clearly a huge bridge to use from the level of domestic racing to the GP's given the amount of truly World Class riders who take part in it.. You can see without any doubt how Robert Lambert has benefited from doing this series... Rubbing shoulders in the pits, and observing some of the very best, must help you along massively, as only then can you realise what it has taken for them to get to the top.. And what you must do to achieve the same.. No point beating 2nd Division riders in the UK, week in week out, if you have any serious ambitions to become a global star. .

It was also mentioned on this thread how it clearly helps to reduce first bend incidents too, by having all riders leaving the tapes in an arrow straight line... Rather than the all four firing off in different directions like we can get over here.. It sometimes resembles the start of Wacky Races... The ref and marshall are linked up too, so should a rider roll back when the marshall's back is turned when he moves on to another rider, or even if he goes straight into 'under starters orders' mode, the ref will let him know if anyone has moved and he goes back and sorts them out again... With some conviction and authority.. Be ready to race when the 2 mins clock expires following the marshall's instructions.. Or you are out... So simple and yet so effective... And so professional....

100%. And as a watcher of Polish Speedway over the past few years, it gets even better when the crowds are filling the stadiums to capacity.. The racing seems to take on even more of an edge when tens of thousands of fans are either screaming out in adulation, or disgust at their riders.. This year there has been some cracking racing, and I think some fans just equate passing in races as a benchmark to their standard.. In Poland you seldom get one rider miles in front of everyone else given there is usually two decent world level heat leaders in most races, and many of the races have two seperate battles for 1st and 2nd and then 3rd and 4th, given the close nature of the standards of the riders.. You can have some great racing with no passing at all, eg cant remember which race the other day, but it ended 5-1 to Czestowocha but it looked like synchronised speedway with the Wroclaw riders riding five yards behind for virtually the whole of the race, trying to find a way through.. (Might have been Woffy and Chugunov?) The whole experience from the mechanics in club colours, the fans in club colour T shirts, through to the 2 mins use and start marshall/ref communication to align the riders straight and right up to the tapes, and then the racing itself, is truly light years ahead of what we have over here.. And that's no disrespect to British Speedway as that it the way it should be with the millions of PLN it attracts.. But to think what we see in the UK is better, I do have to say is pushing the boundaries of reality a little bit far..

And from what I saw yesterday Drabik and Janowski had as much straight line speed as Madsen. There does appear to be a 'Karlsson corridor' at Czestowocha, coming out of the second turn and he seems to use it better than anyone.. Down, it seems to me, to the way he can ride the whole bend tighter than other riders, at a speed similar to his opponents who are using the wider arc nearer the fence... He then manages to get his wheels in line without locking up, and scrubbing speed off, even on such a tight line.. And he does this at most tracks.. He isn't going faster (sideways) than his opponents I would suggest, but he is just taking the shortest route, and gets the rewards exiting the bends, which at World level racing pace takes some doing..

Do they all still get their methanol from a communal drum? Or do they all provide their own? If so. His might be 4 star..

And that's just the 2nd Division. . And that's the reduced rates...

Do the likes of Lindback and KK bring sponsorship money to the club? Similar to buying a ride in F1? Shamek the same.. All pretty average but seem to get a place each year. . Protasiewicz another who seems to get a team place. Is it due to Pentels money?

Check out YouTube. . Usually two or three live streams.. Some get caned but usually at least one makes it..

I am sure MJJ's biggest fan will be on soon to tell us all about how good he is.. As soon as they log off from their current name obviously and sign in with one of their other ones..

That win from their reserve a few races ago looks very important now..

Taxi for Lindback... He must be on borrowed time?

Spot on, well said.. Some balloon the post before had called their manager an idiot for not bringing Nicki P in...

Shamek's career has fallen off a bit of a cliff hasn't it over the past few years?

And lots of places they went got lots of people moaning about them.. I am old enough to remember the "War of the Rose's" matches that the Aces had with Sheffield in the 70's.. Loads of Sheffield fans always decended on Hyde Rd and the atmosphere in those meetings generated by both sets of fans is something I remember even 40 odd years later such was the 'raw passion' shown on those nights.. It was 'electric', with lots of good natured (and sometimes not so), vocal sparring.. Sadly most meetings nowadays have no atmosphere due to hardly any away following, and home followings that see a polite round of applause as the way to celebrate race victories add nothing to it either.. For me, just getting away fans there would make a huge difference to the 'event' and start to create an experience that those in attendance would want to regularly repeat... As well as making meetings feel like a 'proper contest' which so many sadly dont come across as being today.. Selling discounted tickets to the away fans must be worth a try? (Maybe initially to get some momentum even make them free?).. They dont come now so no loss to the home side and tickets could be sold directly at the away teams track so home fans cant get hold of them.. Too many meetings sadly appear to have no relevance, so get some rivalry there to make it relevant..

From what I have read a 'guest' over there is a DU equivalent over here, and has only been brought it to support the current challenges with Covid 19, eg possible sudden adhoc quarantine changes in other countries that mean riders can't get back into Poland should they relax the rules etc.. Meaning Holder for example can only ride for Wroclaw this season in the top league. . He won't be riding for 'all and sundry' on an ad hoc meeting by meeting basis like a rider can over here... The Polish fans wouldn't allow that kind of situation to occur anyway I would suggest.. Imagine Emil coming in for Wroclaw and scoring nil? The fans (when back) would rip the place apart, and he would need a police escort out of the town..!! So much of Polish Speedway's success is based on that raw, tribal emotion that you get following a team sport, so I am sure they will want to maintain that, and sharing the same riders around on a weekly basis within the same league would destroy that completely and lose thousands from their fanbase... And as you say, in contrast... So much of British Speedway's demise is based on the complete lack of that raw, tribal emotion you get following a team sport...

My lads just been given 7th July as his pre season starting date for his League One team's U18 development squad.. Wheels seem to be in motion... Let's face it, if a few thousand can all get together, getting pissed and singing with arms around each other at Anfield, then letting 1000 in to a Speedway stadium who do nothing more usually than politely clap a winning rider has to be allowed... Especially as at most tracks each fan will be around at least 3m away from their nearest spectator if you use a 'normal night', for most places, as some kind of measure.. I would say a 'normal night' for most tracks is two thirds to three quarters empty so plenty of space to accomodate 1000 people.. And some tracks won't get anywhere near 1000 as a 'normal crowd' anyway so could still run to a 'usual attendance' with all social distancing in place..

It certainly wasnt a Dream Topping. .. Buddum Tish...... I'll get me coat...

Ahhhhh, you see that's different... Their special.. And it won't be their fault anyway...

8 times winners from 2005 to 2017... Five times in Poland.. Three time outside of Poland... Part of the FIM's reasoning for changing the format was because they feared much more of the same... And in Drabik, Kubera and Smektala the conveyer belt of talent to replace any of the current top riders would suggest Poland will have, at least, five genuine world class riders for a good few years to come..

£202 a point.... And that's reduced rates... Still "not bad" is it?

Thought the match was pretty much 'standard fayre' for the Poiish Speedway I've watched the past three years.. And suitably represented why it is so good to watch.. Several heats late on were pretty much 'dead rubbers' from a match score perspective yet produced some of the fiercest, most committed racing you will see anywhere.. Lambert, I think, just got it wrong rather than anything 'naughty', and turned into the corner too early... He had though just gone through three laps of having Lebedevs all shapes underneath him so probably decided to take ownership of the inside himself when he got presented with the opportunity by his outside run. Rather than having another lap worrying about three riders rather than two!! It really is 'proper, hard racing' and you can see why riders who do it weekly can either go on to the top of the tree, or fail, get replaced and drift away to become one of the large pack of 'average riders'.. The reserves in particular have to learn very quickly, and it really is a huge opportunity for them given the rewards on offer if they come through their 'apprenticeship'. They also know that another rider currently behind them in the pecking order would love to take their position, and this shows massively in their racing, where very few allow themselves to be passed without a struggle... It truly can be a 'once in a lifetime' chance for many of them. As Polands dominance of the 'proper' SWC shows, growing up with all that intensity, hard (ruthless?) riding, 100% commitment needed and pressure on your place, in EVERY race, EVERY match, must help them massively when they reach World level racing.. Let's hope we can get a few more British lads to sample it and develop upwards to the highest level..

You would think that the likes of Cook and Wright must be worth a go? When you get past the very top riders and get into the Lindback/Batchelor/Kurtz etc level type of standard then there are many riders who are much of muchness.. Maybe a hungry newbie would be better than a 'been there and failed' rider of a similar talent?