Col

Make 'em all qualify. Top 14 get seeded to the Semi's and no more. Uninterested Louis/Richardson getting eliminated at Buxton would be funny.

I'm hopinmg to make both the Welsh Open and the EL Pairs.

Why the hell do they need to seed people, make em all qualify via semi's as they did in the old days. Simon Cross having been a World Finalist in 88 missed out on even a British Final place in 89. Having reached the final in 1991 Paul Thorp scored 10 points in every round including the World Final yet only just sneakled through on 8 points at the British Semi Final at Cradley. The British Semi-Finals at Cradley were always great Sunday afternoons, hold them nowerdays at Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Kings Lynn & Swindon, 3 from each, hence competitive! All fair tracks, seed accordingly else to get that far with QF''s. It'd sort the interested from the uninterested. Distinctly uninterested last CGB were Louis & Richardson. There is allot ot be said for the opportunity to show you're worth in seemingly mediocre events for GP stars. If they're gonna seed the say 13 FT British Elite League riders that didn't start the year at reserve.... Nicholls, Stead, Loram, Richardson, Harris, Screen, Louis, Norris, Barker, Howe, Lanham, Smith, Moore. Yet seed them to the semi's only. Other 3 come from the top 3 in the U21 final.

£4 each on Stead & Screen. £1 each on Smith & Lanham.

OK, so I got that wrong. It was about a week after he got into the Ace's first team, Juneish - I assumed they'd not used him before because he wasn't 16 until then.

*holds hand up* I first remember Smith riding for Coventry, then Bradford and then Swindon. He was crap at Cradley though, consdiering that he rides Kirky Lane, the old Brandon and Odsal so well Inever understood why he was awful at Cradley. He;'s also dreadful at Monmore. Best 16 year old I saw was Joe Screen, remember him turning up at reserve for the Aces at Dudley Wood and some how conjuring a 45 all draw in late '89 I think. It was about 4 days after his 16th Birthday. Back then Morton & the Morans ruled the Ace's roost and were always pants at Cradley. I believe I have the match on video, I'm gonna have a hunt around the spare room it's bound to be floating around in there. If Smith was half as good at that age he must have looked good. Anyway back to Smudger, hopefully in September Manchesters awful weather will allow a fairly deep track and some of his old partners in crime - Havelock, Wilson, Thorp will show up along with the current Ace's mob. I'll be there, every time I havent seen him at Dudley Wood or Monmore he's be very entertaining.

Not that I've noticed... Whats the team likely to be at Swindon? Richardson Screen Norris Loram Nicholls Harris Stead Jonsson Lindgren Lindback P Karlsson Rickardsson Alden M Karlsson Should be close!

Well there is your reason for the back straight being shut, access to it would have to be via the 3d/4th bend unless you want fans trampling through the pits mid meeting.

Drudging up comments from the 2004 programme I think they were closed to building work that was going on to extend the carpark that is behind the 3rd/4th corners but that was completed a while ago. To be fair to CVS I think it's shut down by Ladbrooks the stadium owners rather than Wolverhampton Speedway.

No idea I'm afriad Kevin. Access to the 3rd/4th bends and backstraight were supposed to be returning last season, but have heard nothing about it this season. It gets a little cramped on the home straight when Belle Vue, Poole & Coventry turn up!

You obviously haven't seen Nicholls, McGowan, Nicki P, Hamill or Gjedde ride the place then have you. Maybe you should have said with mainly the home riders coming through of Poole riders choosing thw wrong lines. I certainly remember Bjarne P overtaking at Monmore this year though. It shouldn't be held at Monmore as fans can only populate the home straight, rest of the stadium is out of bounds. Also think the Sheffield Stadium for a PL venue is good enough to host such a meeting, IMO it's almost as good as Brandon. Since Screen & Stead absolutely fly around the place could also give GB an advantage. Track would need to be composed of shale rather than the mud it's usually composed of though.

Steve do you like any track other than Wimbourne Rd?

It'd be interesting to see the Pole's around Purfleet wouldn't it!

Exactly Subedei you have made my point for me. Why should teams in the British League offer rides to riders like Protasiewicz, Kasprzak, Skornicki, Swist, Walasek, Chrzanowski. Baran, Miskowiak. When Kennett, Stead, Harris, Howe & even Nocholls aren't riding in Poland?

Of those touted... Max & Bjerre have both broken a bone in their upper leg, which to safely come back from takes 18 months, unless a rider wishes to ride with a steel pin that could ruin a limb with one fall. I still don't think Bjerre will make it to the absolute top, he's just far too light wieght. So count them out. Bjerre for now at least. Max, not anymore. As good as Peter Karlsson is, he'll be 36/7 next year and was pretty woeful at the World Cup. You may as well get Hamill / Ermolenko back in vien hope of the yanks taking notice. Gollob, Hancock & Adams are not going to be World Champion (again, in Herbies case) but are still competitive at GP level, so they must be included. With those three gradually fading and th decline of Rickardsson in two years time. I imagine it'll be Crump v Jonsson v N Pedersen v Hampel. Lindback (assuming he can avoid getting injured with his wild style) will join the party a year or so later as Crump & Pedersen begin to lose consistency and fade. Predicting who will come from where and when is difficult, Joe Screen looked unstoppable at 18, Mark Loram seemed to have reached his pinnacle at 23. Different fortunes ensued on the world stage didn't they? Who is to say that at 26 Simon Stead (2008), given the opportunity, won't be top of the averages in Poland, certainly their tracks seem to suit him at the WTC and with more experience on them and those in Sweden assuming he'll shortly be contacted by Polish & Swedish clubs.. Or just maybe our British promoters are the most short sighted in the business. If Stead & Harris don't get consistent rides in Poland & Sweden next year then we should make it a Policy of not bringing over young Swedes and Poles. The Dane's have little in the way of league structure and imports, the Czechs also. Perhaps the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th (including the Aussies & USA) should get together and halt this Pole / Swede domination. I'm sure Stead, Harris, the Drymls, Risager, Gjedde would love a winter of racing over in Australia &/or California from which Swedes & Poles are universally excluded. Lets see what the Swedes and Poles make of that. Shall we ask them? BSPA: Steady/Bomber how would you like to go over to Australia to race this winter. Crump & Sullivan decided they couldn't be botherd so whaddya reckon to showing the rest of their lads and maybe Leigh Adams the quickest way around their circuits. Not much money in it, but a free holiday. Stead/Harris: Beats packing boxes / fixing broken roadbikes. BSPA: No worries lads, we'll cover your expenses. Perhaps the final line is where it'll all go wrong. Col - time to stand together against the Poles & Swede domination.

What are you saying about Poole's trump card for 2006 I think the likes of JB Jensen, Brhel, Laukannen & A Dryml qualifying from Poole in 2003 has more to do with it, than Chrzanowski. They did nothing in 2004.

I have differing thoughts on what should happen next year.. Ideally: The current top 8 in the standings should get through to a 20 heat main event (as it is now), joined by 8 from 16 (8 contracted GP riders 9-16 in standing sthis year, 8 'home' wild cards) who compete over 20 heats the night before - the stadium/track is available as they have practise on it. If not, then.. 12 'core' riders. Rickardsson, Crump, Pedersen * 2, Hancock, Adams, Jonsson, Nicholls, Hampel, Lindback, Andersen, Gollob. 4 riders that share 2 berth, taking it in turns to ride the first 6 GP's. Richardson, Sullivan, Protasiewicz, Zager - riders finishing 13th & 14th in the standings along with the two most successful wild cards from the previous season. For the 7th GP the top scorers from these 4. 2 wildcards per round from the hosting nation. -- In both cases they should stick with the semi's & final BUT if you finish 3rd in the Semi add one point to the total scored over the 20 heats. As for the final, then: 1st - +5 on the 20 heat score. 2nd - +4 on the 20 heat score. 3rd - +3 on the 20 heat score. 4th - +2 on the 20 heat score. Currently if a rider has three good first rides they don't both after that. And whats the point of scoring a 15 point maximum in the first 20 heats if your engine gives up in the semi allowing a rider who scored 8 to creep through to the final, finish half a lap behind and score more points than the rider who has been immaculate before heats 21, 22 & 23??

Hampel should be safe, he missed two GP's! I hope Richardson remains but doubt he will, can't see Chrzanowski or Sullivan remaining. I think Zagars permanent inclusion depends upon the result from Lonigo, if he goes well there then perhaps he'll get one of them.

I thought I only had 1 point left, if I'm not too late shove that on Jarek Hampel. If I do actually have 16 points left and I'm still not too late 9 on Hampel, 5 on Jason Crump.

Yes Rickardsson may have been a little harsh on Holta, but seriously Eastie it's not as bad as what your Arlington favourites Pedersen, Shields & Watt get upto on a weekly basis.

For tonight only!

Richardson & Chrzanowski need something special to retain their GP spots next year IMO. Sullivan is also on dodgy ground also IMO. Think all the others will retain their spots if they want them but will a few of the older riders (Gollob, Hancock) step down? Who should/would get nominate into these positions?

Andersen is a few years yunger than Nicholls & B Pedersen. Still think he has time to become World Champion. I don't think Scotty is quite going to manage it, perhaps his best chance was a few years ago. Although I thought the same of Loram before 2000.

USA should walk the one, surprised Correy isn't riding for them. I'd go with Slovenia in the other one as Zagar is so far ahead of anyone else in the meeting. Or maybe Italy with home track advantage.

Umm not sure where we're sat without looking at the ticket, but from memory I think it was somewhere between the gate and the first corner about 15 rows back. I'll let you know on Saturday.