British Final

[dorset delight 209]

Enjoyed last nights meeting,good crowd not bad racing.Nearly turned round a couple of times on the way up pi**ed down all the way from Ringwood to Marlborough.

 

Good to meet Clunsey,Silver Pirate sorry Bee,Sandie,Adder and Scooby Doo i think thats everyone.

 

If he keeps up the form he showed last night Swindon will be quids in when James Wright goes to reserve.And Tai what a star this lad is going to be.

 

The fastest race of the night,the stampede across the car park after the final.

[Grachan 7,362]

Agree that Woffinden has loads and loads of potential, but I don't know how accurate it is to say that "we have produced" him. He was pretty much a stand out from when he first came over from Aussie.

 

Hope he gets a WTC call up and is given every opportunity to widen his experience.

 

I guess we produced him by the fact that he was born here. It is interesting that out best prospect for years emerges through riding his formative years in Australia though, isn't it?

 

After last night I'd say "yes" to putting him in the World Cup squad. Before I wasn't so sure but he seems as ready as anyone else besides Nicholls, Richardson and Harris now.

[SPEEDY69 1,260]

Woffinden is exceptional and is the best young rider we have produced probably ever. Did Screen get third in a BF when he was 17?. This guy will be challenging for honours at WU21 level.

 

 

He was British Champion in 1977 and started riding in 1975, so I guess that would make him 18.

 

Thanks Grachan. With that info & the fact that Woffinden is largely an Aussie product, I would say Lee was easily the most successful young rider we have produced. Of course it all depends on when you started riding - if you don't start til you're 28 (like John Louis) but are very successful by age 30 then that's comparative.

 

[Adder 94]

Enjoyed last nights meeting,good crowd not bad racing.Nearly turned round a couple of times on the way up pi**ed down all the way from Ringwood to Marlborough.

 

Good to meet Clunsey,Silver Pirate sorry Bee,Sandie,Adder and Scooby Doo i think thats everyone.

 

If he keeps up the form he showed last night Swindon will be quids in when James Wright goes to reserve.And Tai what a star this lad is going to be.

 

The fastest race of the night,the stampede across the car park after the final.

 

Good meeting you too DD, it's nice to put faces to some of the names on here.

 

Luckily the guy who gave us a lift back to town was parked right near the other car park exit near bend 3 so we got out fairly quickly and went the back way to town through Abbey Meads rather than joining the snake of traffic trying to get onto the A419.

 

Made it back to our local near Swindon Station for two further pints of cider before the landlord put the towels on.

 

A good night all round!

Edited May 30, 2008 by Adder

[spin king 1,923]

Thanks Grachan. With that info & the fact that Woffinden is largely an Aussie product, I would say Lee was easily the most successful young rider we have produced. Of course it all depends on when you started riding - if you don't start til you're 28 (like John Louis) but are very successful by age 30 then that's comparative.

 

Are you sure that Tai, was an Aussie product, yes he began his riding in Aussie, but I think that you will find that this country was more to do with his development.

[clunsey 3]

A most pleasing meeting with some good racing which proves that in many instances the boys in the lower leagues are not that far off the best of british.

 

Only one sad note for me on the evening ..........why did a group of Coventry fans on the second bend feel the need to boo and jeer (Wolverhampton Asset) Tai Woffinden on his every ride ? ............ Surely we should all be singing from the same nationalistic hymn sheet on these occasions and such things should be left at the gate !

 

I think you miss heard. I was on the second bend for most of the evening with the Coventry fans and Dorset Delight and all I heard was encouragement for Tai from everyone.

[SPEEDY69 1,260]

Oh, no-one was tipping him to win this meeting. It's just that over the course of his career, people have expected him to emerge as a world class contender, and he's just not. He'll be a good EL rider, and hopefully in a couple of seasons when his consistency picks up, he'll be a good heatleader, but he'll never hit the GPs. That ship has sailed.

 

 

 

Hooray! A bite Don't get me wrong, Scott has achieved a helluva lot, especially during his time as captain. He's a fantastic league rider, and a very good presence to have in the pits. I just genuinely felt that of the four riders in the final, his natural ability on a bike was the least. Never said he was a bad rider, or undeserving of his success - he's worked hard for both. Scott is Britain's number one, and but for a bit of bad luck in the two years where he didn't win the event, would have been officially so for the last 7 years.

 

Agree with you about Stead but not about Nicholls. Most of his best GP performances have been when the track has produced better racing or difficult to ride, highlighting his skill on a bike above others. Where he misses out in the GPs is on his gating, because passing is very much at a premium on some of the motorway tracks Ole produces. To me there hasn't really been one good GP so far this year - last weeks was about the best for excitment/entertainment. However, as someone who much prefers team speedway I couldn't really care much what happens in individual events, it's their perfomance for my team that counts.

[DenzilF 6]

I guess we produced him by the fact that he was born here. It is interesting that out best prospect for years emerges through riding his formative years in Australia though, isn't it?

 

Thing is, though, would any of the Australians be the riders they are if they didn't come over here and ride in our leagues? I'm not so sure...

 

[willp 0]

 

well done to scotty on winning a fifth title & eddie on getting the wild card.

 

tai woffinden was excellent and i think he'll be the Cardiff wild card next year.

 

although tai is taking all the plaudits, adam roynon deserves a mention as he's a very talented rider who i've been very impressed with this season.

 

 

 

 

[annemarie 0]

why must people get booed, should be respect!

travis gets it at swindon home meetings and then james was getting it last night... FROM 'SWINDON' FANS!

it annoys me to high heaven!

 

[Speedy swindon pete 509]

 

james was the most popular person in the crowd last night. you sure you weren't thinking of nicholls?

[Adder 94]

I appear to be in the minority as I didn't hear anybody booing anyone last night.

 

It was just one big cider fuelled love-in outside the terrace Bar

[crazysue 613]

I didn't hear any booing for any of the riders......

[dogsbody 0]

Agree with you about Stead but not about Nicholls. Most of his best GP performances have been when the track has produced better racing or difficult to ride, highlighting his skill on a bike above others. Where he misses out in the GPs is on his gating, because passing is very much at a premium on some of the motorway tracks Ole produces. To me there hasn't really been one good GP so far this year - last weeks was about the best for excitment/entertainment. However, as someone who much prefers team speedway I couldn't really care much what happens in individual events, it's their perfomance for my team that counts.

Will nicholls ever win a gp?doesnt look like it to me.

[Biddows 0]

Agree with you about Stead but not about Nicholls. Most of his best GP performances have been when the track has produced better racing or difficult to ride, highlighting his skill on a bike above others. Where he misses out in the GPs is on his gating, because passing is very much at a premium on some of the motorway tracks Ole produces. To me there hasn't really been one good GP so far this year - last weeks was about the best for excitment/entertainment. However, as someone who much prefers team speedway I couldn't really care much what happens in individual events, it's their perfomance for my team that counts.

 

Never said that Scott was a bad rider, now did I? And he's certainly not the least able rider in the GPs - braver than most as well. I just think that in the final, he had the least natural ability on a bike. He was still the best rider on the night. But consider how good Tai, Eddie and Bomber can be on the bike (talent-wise, not necessarily experience or consistency-wise), and you realise that it's hardly a criticism of Scott at all. He is one of, if not the best league riders in this country. And I totally agree, how a rider performs for his team is far more important than some individual event