Sings4Speedway

It reminds me a lot of the 2015 Kent side that had a strong top 4 and long tail and that team finished bottom.

Completely agree that both will do very well in the NL this season & both have the potential to succeed in the Championship however along with Tom Bacon they all have strong reserve partners at that level and could find themselves restricted to 3 rides per meeting and potentially swapped out of the easier heats which could have an adverse affect on their confidence.

Snapping up 2 x 4 point riders now seems like a shrewd move as most teams are searching for those that are no longer available. Bowtell or Hunter @ no 2 doesn't look so bad now that other sides are coming together however i still have the sneaky suspicion that the last place will be filled by a total rookie.

Injury free i think Kyle can put a point on his average and become an outstanding league number 1. Lynn are going to be a very strong side at home and with this line up i think they could pick up some decent results on the road too so plenty of potential to be at the sharp end as the season closes. Much will depend upon the tail though as Hampshire & Whitmore have limited season long experience and who will fill the final place given that low 4 pointers are virtually all snapped up.

Poor signing but a necessary one as Plymouth have points to use up (even if i feel they would have been better used on Shanes). The bigger negative is that it forces Walker into the 1-5 & would expect a local second halfer to be the other reserve. On the plus side we can see which of the comeback kids will last the longest Compton or Mullins?

Im not really sure what is going on with the make up of the Brum team this year? Perhaps Drury has got a little complacent and thinks he can win the league with any side he picks? I rate Bacon but he is no number 1, Ritchings i feel will slide away this year, Hume & JPB ought to improve but it leaves a lot of pressure on the tail. I think once Cupitt moves up to number 2 and Hay moves down you will have a reserve combo that wouldn't look out of place at Buxton. In preparation to be quoted all season when i am proved wrong (again) "This Brum 1-7 won't get near the play offs"

Hmmm pass & pass thanks. I suspect strudwick or maybe couzins? Either way it's plenty of bike time for Bradley Andrews

In now way relating to this particular scenario but some riders do need firm guidance and keeping their feet on the ground as much as some need continual gentle encouragement. There is a trend at present to blow smoke up the trumpet of any rider who shows a little promise on a speedway bike. Every rider is a person & every person requires different treatment & reacts to praise/criticism differently. Frustratingly its the nature of the beast that we hear about the negative relationships far more often than the positive ones.

In fairness even i have a % of the natural talent Bewley has....its just prefixed with 0.000 Hopefully its just the padded shorts worn underneath

No doubt Anders is one of the emerging talents and has been on the youth scene for what feels like forever. However from what i recall he has only successfully competed in one amateur dragons meeting with any real credit. Im all for the future of the sport but i do feel some of these kids are being thrown in way too early with a sink or swim mentality. Yes if they swim its a great find and excellent league experience but if they sink we could find ourselves in the situation with a bunch of disillusioned 15 year olds who are tagged as failing to deliver in the NL. However good luck to Rowe & even better luck trying to sign a rider to fill in for the early meetings knowing they will be dropped at the start of May.

Looks like i definitely owe you a pint when you visit Central Park now gazzac only gets half a shandy

I have to say yet again another positive release & approach to the situation regarding the Rikki Mullins signing by the IOW promotion. An honest response by Barry towards all IOW & speedway fans and full acceptance that they have made a debatable signing which is incredibly rare as far to many promoters take no responsibility regarding the riders they track. Do i personally think that the signing of a rider who has done very little competitive riding since 2014 is a good one? No Do i think that pestering a club for a team place is justification for the signing of a rider over those who have been actively racing & putting in effort via amateur / development leagues? No Do i wish IOW all the best with the signing of Rikki Mullins & the upcoming season? Unquestionably Yes. I cannot think of a team more deserving of success for the effort & enthusiasm they have bred back into the club & sincerely hope that this signing does not prove to be the undoing of their hard work.

Sorry didn't realise you were buster? A solution may/may not be needed (cough cough rev limiters) however I don't feel it's the bspa's place to invest many people's hard earned into any business venture

Why did the bspa invest £360,000 into the GTR project when there are clubs struggling for air fences and junior leagues having to fund everything themselves?

Don't get me wrong I've nothing personal against jack however far too many times he would arrive late and with a bike unprepared. His family spent a huge amount of time and money on his racing like every other family and yet his general appearance was that he didn't care. As I've said many times before these are just my opinions based upon what I have seen.

No doubt a wasted talent. Had plenty of potential but lacked effort both on and especially off the track. Has had good people around him in the past who have gone above and beyond yet he was generally ungrateful. If he applied himself properly & approached speedway as a privilege not a right then he could make a successful return by i very much doubt it will happen.

A lot of home track specialists though. Agree Walker hasn't really progressed in 2 years but Atkins is one of the hot reserve signings. Im hoping for a successful season at Plymouth to help with crowd numbers etc likewise Lakeside however i feel the most optimistic i can be about the Devils is mid table.

Good point.....for now. It does seem bizarre to say that Eastbourne have the weakest top 3 though. I feel like there are probably a few weaker on balance although those teams do have an out and out number one which Eastie don't. Frustratingly though the Eagles have an excellent track record and i think the way the team is built is the right way to go.

Thanks for your posts Ash very informative & transparent. For me the biggest issue with the GTR engines is the lack of readily available information. The service costs & parts list obviously exist but seem to be hidden from public view & certainly from potential buyers. I can't imagine anyone buying any other item without being able to gather all the facts. I suspect most engines that are sent to you are probably capable of another 20 races but riders opt to service early as prevention is better than cure(or scrap if the engine blows) much in the same way that whilst GTR are quoting 100 races i suspect most will be sending them off after 80 maximum.

Kean Dickens time will come and i have no doubt that he can be a useful rider but i think its too early for him and could do more harm than good whether at Brum or wherever plus there are plenty of more competitive riders still looking for places. Im glad Belle Vue look like they are running but certainly not pleased about the potential team they look like lining up with. Only thing that might stop them is the riders they will have doubling up.

Good point he has nothing to lose. He does well he has fully recovered, does not so well he was getting used to the GTR engines.

Not sure Kean Dicken will be anywhere else his father signs? As a 15/16 year old he is going to reliant on the family transport and im not sure how workable that would be if they were riding for separate teams? Kean:"Dad ive got an away match at Mildenhall this weekend" Lee:"Oh eck Buxton are at home on Sunday, don't worry im sure Mr Pipe won't mind if i miss it"

Hang on im having a funny 5 minutes as i included Chris Hay in the wrong side! Still room for Tedham though and 3.28 for the final rider? Andy Mellish 3.21? Stoke Potters 1. Mitchell Davey 8.34 2. Shaun Tedham 3.93 3. Luke Priest 8.33 4. Ryan Terry-Daley 4.55 5. Tony Atkin 7.16 6. Chris Hay 3.23 7. David Wallinger 3.32 8. Sam Ward 3.00

I think Halder will be the Coventry part of the Belle Vue/Cov mix up. Burnett would virtually use up all the available points? Otherwise its a 3 pointer or marginally over and end up almost half a point under the limit. If its a wonder rookie as the final signing it wouldn't really matter but a persistent 3-3.5 rider could be a worry.

Does the end of July transfer deadline also apply to the NL?