PotteringAround

1 Glasgow 2 Redcar 3 Poole 4 Oxford 5 Scunthorpe 6 Berwick 7 Workington 8 Edinburgh 9 Plymouth

1. IPSWICH - Massive top 2. King on the wane but still a competent 3rd heat-leader. If Ellis can regain form they will walk the league. Rew will improve and reserves are competent. 2. BELLE VUE - 5 riders returning, and only Kurtz can't push his average higher. Cook potentially stronger than Wright, but Mountain a big downgrade on Brennan. Considering they had to shed a lot of points, they've done OK. 3. LEICESTER - Fricke a genuine No.1, and Masters, Lawson, Becker, Douglas all heat leaders. Only the reserves are weak. 4. SHEFFIELD - Two quality GP riders in Woffinden and Holder jr. (One on the way down and one on the way up). Holder snr could be the weak link. Howarth is OK and Pickering can improve. Reserves a little suspect. 5. OXFORD - Can Janowski be a genuine No.1? I think so. Solid back-up 2-5, even if they're all a little past their best, they can all still perform. Should have a good reserve. 6. KING'S LYNN - I rate Musielak. Basso and Tarasenko have a lot of potential. NKI and Palm-Toft will need to perform for Lynn to reach play-offs. Will have a strong reserve always. 7. BIRMINGHAM - I just hope they can pull off two top signings to at least make them competitive at home. We don't need a team to be cannon fodder and fold.

Edinburgh, Redcar, Scunfield, and Belle Vue are all long treks from Essex

Don't think a predominantly Northern NDL suits someone based so far down in the South East. Can't imagine he'd want the 800 mile, 14-hour, round trip to Edinburgh for home meetings.

Mason Watson said early in the close season that he's signed for someone. He'd still fit at Edinburgh, Middlesbrough or Scunfield. But surely if he's signed for Middlesbrough or Scunfield they'd have already announced him since they've announced the other 6 and would have no reason to delay the last announcement. Assuming he's at Edinburgh, it leaves 7.70 and no obvious signing. (Tom Woolley seemingly the best fit). Max Perry 7.75 would be the strongest signing, but that would mean crapping on Watson.... However, in the press release of Wood's signing it says ""It's a big year for Dayle and if the team is going to be successful we will need him to perform at a heat leader level". That suggests a weak final signing. If they had Coles, Perry and McGurk there'd be no need for Wood to be the third heat-leader...

Birmingham, Armadale, Scunfield and Middlesbrough haven't announced a full 1-7 yet either. Still 2 months to go before the start of the season.

You might be putting 2 and 2 together, but you've definitely got 4.

Of course finishing top is important. The sport is about winning. Finishing ahead of your opponent. If you believe winning the National League is unimportant, you'll follow that through all the way to believing that whoever wins the GP Series isn't important. Having said that, a heat leader trio of Coles, Woolley and McGurk wouldn't be too shabby around Armadale.

Are we looking at Connor Coles 7.79 Tom Woolley 6.64 Sam McGurk 6.08 Dayle Wood 4.50 Mason Watson 3.93 Mark Parker 3.00 Kyren Lyden 3.00

Mark Parker confirmed for Armadale.

Wirtzfeld an interesting signing. Looked a reasonable prospect a few years ago on the South coast /IOW before disappearing to concentrate on longtrack/grasstrack. Hadn't heard any whispers that he was coming back, but Belle Vue must've been monitoring.

7.61 for the last 2 riders. Any thoughts? Kean Dicken on 3.00? and?

If Coles and McGurk are the top two, and Parker partners Lyden at reserve, with Wood also in the middle order, who do you think will be the remaining 2 riders to take up the 11.63 which is left?

Scunthorpe?

Not a bad prediction, as 12 hours later we got an official announcement. Should I predict Max James and Tom Spencer for tomorrow?

Looking at it again, they could run with that strong top end, carry Dicken in the top 5, and have McGurk as a potential trump card at reserve. If McGurk returns to his NSS form a top 4 of Hagon, Perry, McGurk, Hodder would be very potent.

Surprised that 6 riders have been named and the final 4.40 spot has been left hanging. 4.00+ riders will be in great demand due to the low limit, so they must have someone in mind/signed. Mason Watson being pretty local seems the obvious, Mickie Simpson could be a strong contender, with Luke Crang, Joe Alcock or Josh Embleton as outsiders. Anyone lower would be a waste of points.

But will he be a reserve? Knowing that McGurk is a potential 7.00+ rider at the NSS they could put him in the top 5 with a powerful top end Sam Hagon 8.24 Max Perry 7.75 Freddy Hodder 6.44 Joe Alcock 4.36 Harry McGurk 3.00 Kean Dicken 3.00 Sonny Springer 3.00

Think this is close. Thompson confirmed. Perry left out. Butcher will be there and a 3.00 rider until Cairns turns 15. James will surely be in, and probably Spencer. Foord is worth 3.81

Oxford were pretty quick to name their full Premiership & Championship sides, but not one NDL signing named yet. Would have thought Killeen, Scott and Summers are nailed on. Probably Clouting and maybe Sonny Springer?

How about Nathan Ablitt 8.49 Luke Harrison 6.86 Ace Pijper 5.81 Josh Warren 4.93 Luke Crang 3.61 Kean Dicken 3.00 Stene Pijper 3.00

A decent signing for Edinburgh (for the away meetings at least) but his NDL record at Armadale to date isn't great. 13 rides, 8+2 points for an average of 2.46 Thought he might have been at Scunthorpe/Sheffield or Belle Vue as they are tracks he rides well. But good luck to him if he's trying to progress by mastering a track he doesn't ride well.

No. He's only signed for Edinburgh's Championship side, not their NDL team I'd expect him to be at Leicester for NDL

Where will Sam McGurk be in 2024? Surely he needs NDL as well as his Championship meetings? Scunny & Sheffield local to him?

I know Boughen has said he's not doing NDL, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Oxford twist his arm to get this potential league winning team Luke Killeen 7.73 Ashton Boughen 7.51 Jody Scott 5.31 Jacob Clouting 5.05 Mickie Simpson 4.23 Ashton Vale 3.00 Senna Summers 3.00