Tsunami

Quite agree. It's not hard to tell the twisted ones is it.

Just like to add my congrats on the music content at Saturdays GP. The songs were alive and relevant with funny connections to the appropriate rider. Normally you just sit there and listen to noise which just becomes 'background' after awhile. On Saturday, you were constantly listening for the music and even the connections especially when the wrong song was played for the winner. I know it is the speedway that we are there for but thoughful presentation like this makes the evening even better and will encourage all(except JL) to come back next year. Well done.

Despite the obvious bias against Nicki on this thread, most seem to have discounted the rules of the sport. No such ruling as 'all4 back for 1st bend bunching'. In the case of a collision, when all 4 are attempting to go for the racing line, the referee allows an unsatisfactory start when a rider is usually downed. In the first decision, Leigh deliberately chose to go past the racing line nearest the kerbing to block the line on Nicki, and took the front wheel away of Nicki who was going in midtrack. The sole cause of the stoppage was the rider riding into Nicki and that was Leigh. Most referees these days tend not to want to make a decision and settle for the easy 'unsatisfactory start' decision. This ref was hard and stuck to the rules as laid down. Unfortunately for Bjarne, he did an identical move at the same spot, and for the same reason, and therefore because of Leigh's decision had to have a similiar exclusion. It was a shame for Mr Clean and Mr Nice as some other riders have been included in the all4back when they have clearly been the cause of previous stoppages. I wonder what the refs decision would have been if Hans had fallen on the first bend when Jason did a very similar and more violent and dramatic drift across Hans's line from an inside gate. The decisions were hard and surprised many, but they were not wrong and they were not the fault of the downed rider. As to Nicki staying down, there are 2 reasons as others have alluded to. One is he was buying time to get his bike checked out to repair it or to get a second bike set up in time for the rerun. The second is at the usual insistence of the doc/firstaiders to check everything over and get his breath back prior to standing up incase he feints on standing up. Standard practice for all riders and NOT invented by, or being played out soley by, the nation's villian Nicki. The collision from Rune was just a pure lift and go after Rune hit a rut and lost it. True to form of course, the illogical decide to boo Nicki just to check their lungs were working. Nice to see Rune go up to nicki and apologise for HIS mistake. Not the best of nights for Nicki and fortunate to make the semi's but then fully deserved his place in the final. A bad gate, and a nip by Greg and Jason, and there was obviously too much for him to do to catch them. Despite causing his own downfall on the home straight, he managed to drag his bike across the track to prevent stopping the race. What a man. I think Jason owes Nicki twice now as I seem to remember the same senario last year when it was also Jason in the lead and Nicki did the same thing then. As others have said, people like Nicki go better when they are seen to be the villian. A 2 times World Champion, and leading this year as well, he is no clown/cheat and is better than almost every rider in the world. The scene would be a lot duller if the Nicki's, Hans, Jason's of the world were not in the field. They excite the meeting and don't back off especially when the prize is the World Championship. Best of luck to Nicki for the rest of the year. It was noticible that the downed rider was always Nicki, I wonder why. Go Nicki.

Big tall lanky bloke always with a smile on his face, I think he was South African. Good team man, never was going to be World Champ but was a clasy performer and very popular with the fans. Dantodan. I think he is in one of my team shots from that era on your excellant Newcastle Vintage site.

I remember it well, it was just a shame the promotion closed it down for other reasons.

That's just not true and an urban myth. A leading rider cannot just turn left, or even right, on a following rider. He has to be deemed to be the cause of the stoppage and would then be excluded.

Good little meeting with some good racing and the usual tumbles. Fortunately nobody badly hurt despite Jitendra flipping at the gate and Mike Pickering doing his wrist. Mike came out and rode better in his next race. Worthy winner in James with good support from Bethell and the ever improving Starke. Would have been interesting if Brendan had stayed on in his first race but as he said 'he hit some slush on the first corner and did a spin'. Some good pacy riding also from Luke Priest. It was a welcome sight to see him back on track after his horrific injuries from his crash at Stoke a couple of years ago. Not a great crowd tonight but enough to pay the bills as they say. Hope they do another one again this year. I am sure the support would be there both in terms of riders and the fans.

Will do.

Yup, often see him. (never changed)

Quite agree. I was at Somerset with Lubos Tomicek, I think in 2005, and Lew siddled up and said, "You got a goodun there". He asked what ignition setting we were on and then advised a surprising setting. Unfortunately it was late in the meeting but it is bits of info like that that can make the difference. He didn't know me or Lubos but was there to help. Nice guy.

In those days news didn't travel so fast especially with not having the internet. We were riding at Edinburgh the following night and the story was circulating at the meeting. Everyone was shocked despite the risks the riders take.

Yes, remember it well. Lubi coming up the inside off 4th bend and Grant Jnr decides to turn left forcing Lubi and bike to cartwheel all the way to the start gate nearly taking out the Start Marshall. Grant does a lap and was confronted by Lubi who can't believe the stupity of his actions. Said Start Marshall tries to intervene and gets his ankle broken by Grant Jnr who had let the bike under power try to run down Lubi. And all this in front of 3 referees who just happened to be on duty including Graham Reeve. Should have been banned sine die from Speedway after that. Due to my involvement afterwards, I had to get out of the stadium before I suffered a similar fate.

As a lot of riders do, James held his arm down to restore the circulation in his left hand. Fry's mechanic told Paul that James was making a "jerky" movement with his hand and Paul waded in when James returned to the pits. A few got kicked in the ensueing melee including Paul's mechanic and the Pits Marshall Brian McBean. Happy days.

Jimmy Cox, "The Buckskin Kid", finishing a race in the early 60's at Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh, goes down the back straight, slows to a halt and in one movement punches a Monarch supporter full in the face. Presumably he must have been giving him stick. Wild character was Jimmy, in and out of the team at that time.

Just caught up with this thread and read your moronic comments. Are you for real, you do not deserve speedway with that pathetic attitude. Another t***** joins the fray.

I remember the track well with it's square corners. How there wasn't more crashes on the bends i'll never know. Seemed impossible to get either round or under the leading rider when they were rounding off the corner.

I saw Tom a few years ago and his leg just defied physics. I thought it curved outwards and would have bet that it would break if he walked on it very long. Not nice to see. At Newcastle Tom used to go out and dig a hole in the entrance to the 3rd bend then cover it up. This was known as Tom's hole and the opposition then had to find out where he had dug it. Built in home advantage. You mention Tom being missing a season and us using R/R all season. It was due to Thomas doing such things that the BSPA started to only allow R/R for definate periods such as 28 days to stop such happenings. Obviously much later on, they cottoned on to starting a season with R/R and stopped the R/R or guests for the missing rider.

Yes, George moved to the IOW some time ago and is always there when we visit. I believe he had heart trouble not so long ago and needed treatment. Perhaps the other invalid, Bryn, will update us when he is home and online. When George rode for the Diamonds in 1961, he came off on the first bend and someone rode across his face badly damaging his chin area. Horrible to watch but he continued to ride afterwards and had a decent career and a canny bloke to chat with.

OK, will be ringing him tomorrow.

Nice to see you keeping up the good work John. See ya in the new season.

Yes, but a quicker 'quote'.

Hmmmm. Where's that calculator as I am sure one of these figures are wrong.

Seem to remember Geoff and Co arriving at Brough Park in the 60's all in a bus, bikes an' all. Great idea for their Northern Tour.

While you are there get me one as well please. What with Nicki, Lubo and Jonas.

What a fabulous development. The facilities must be the best in the world for a speedway stadium. Look forward to having a big event there and just might take a little trip across.