A-plant Classic (individual)

[GlasgowGuy 26]

<cough><Hello .. testing, testing .. can you hear me?>

 

Unaccustomed as I am to actually starting new threads on BSF, I thought that someone ought to preview the biggest individual event on the Scottish speedway calendar which is staged this coming Sunday at Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow.

 

Ain acknowledgement of Glasgow Speedway’s team sponsor, this year’s prestigious event has been rebranded the A-Plant Classic and, once again, features an eclectic mix of speedway talent from Premier league ranks with a couple of ‘big boy’ (!) Elite League riders sprinkled on top! The 22 heat formula (inclusive of a semi final and Grand final) will see the winner take the £1000 first prize and claim the Norrie Isbister Memorial Trophy for 2009 ... joining Carl Stonehewer, Les Collins, Paul Bentley, George Stancl and James Grieves as previous winners over the previous 8 stagings.

 

Sunday’s full line-up (in rider order) is:

1. James Wright (Belle Vue & England)

2. James Grieves (Glasgow & Scotland)

3. Andre Compton (Workington & England)

4. William Lawson (Glasgow & Scotland)

5. Ryan Fisher (Edinburgh & USA)

6. Matthew Wethers (Edinburgh & Australia)

7. Rory Schlein (Coventry & Australia)

8. Ricky Ashworth (Sheffield & England)

9. Josh Grajczonek (Glasgow & Australia)

10. Michal Rajkowski (Edinburgh & Poland)

11. Shane Parker (Glasgow & Australia)

12. Richard Lawson (Workington & England)

13. David Howe (Scunthorpe & England)

14. Paul Clews (Berwick & England)

15. Mikal Makovsky (Berwick & Czech Republic)

16. Tero Aarnio (Berwick & Finland)

 

Reserve: Mitchell Davey (Glasgow & Australia)

Reserve: Lee Dicken (Glasgow & England)

 

In prediction terms, well it isn’t too easy to pick a clear winner. Naturally both Wright and Schlein will be expected to go close – Wright has made the semi-finals in the past 2 years, whilst Schlein has featured on the rostrum 3 times, twice in third spot and last year as runner-up to James Grieves. Shane Parker, despite his Ashfield dominance, has only ever made the final once and never the podium. William Lawson has looked brilliant around Ashfield in recent weeks, could he be a bit of a dark horse for this one?

 

Ryan Fisher has had his moments of brilliance around Ashfield, as have his team mates Wethers and Rajkowski, it certainly wouldn’t be too much of a shock for one of these Edinburgh riders to reach the final. Throw in the very capable Compton, Makovsky and Howe, and you can make a case for quite a number of the riders to win!

 

Rather than being able to predict who WILL win on Sunday, it’s probably easier to predict who WON’T .. step forward Messrs. Ashworth, Grajczonek, R Lawson, Clews, Makovsky, Wethers and Aarnio!! (sorry lads).

 

Gates open earlier than normal at 2:30pm with some pre-meeting entertainment being provided by the Brass Monkeys – a 19 piece band playing a mix of jazz, soul, funk and stuff! .. oh, and despite the longer format, higher staging costs etc. for this meeting, Glasgow have controlled their admission prices from being hiked beyond reason at £15 / £11 / £7 respectively (with special programme at £3)

 

Should be a thoroughly good way to round off a rain impacted speedway weekend in this part of the world.

 

[GlasgowBoy2 0]

Filip Sitera in for A Compton.

[Mad Mitch 2]

Was looking forward to this but having checked the forecast for Workington & Glasgow for Sat/Sun the amount of water due to descend on both could well make it a speedway free weekend ? Hope they are wrong.

[carlisle_comet 3]

Raining heavy down this way now, supposed to clear later on tonight though

[Paulco 7,153]

Hope we get a dry day tomorrow , cause a huge amount of rain fell today I got soaked running the 100 yards from work to the pub today .

These individual thingys are drab enough , without being rain-affected .

Would love to see Shane finally win one of these things , but i just wish we had a league fixture to look forward to instead .

[GlasgowGuy 26]

Hope we get a dry day tomorrow , cause a huge amount of rain fell today I got soaked running the 100 yards from work to the pub today .

These individual thingys are drab enough , without being rain-affected .

Would love to see Shane finally win one of these things , but i just wish we had a league fixture to look forward to instead .

 

Don't be so miserable! Not every week you have current AND former Moanarch's to 'support'

 

Am actually quite pleased to hear that Sitera comes in to replace Compton, the Czech lad was very entertaining when he last raced at Ashfield and finished on the rostrum in fact.

 

As far as I have read, Sunday is to be the dryest day of the weekend .. at least we'll be guaranteed a Classic!

[Mad Mitch 2]

Agree with you GG after 1pm G1 according to metchek is rainfree Sun. its the ammount of water that falls before then that could be the problem ?

Ive checked for Workington too and thats probably worse. at least these german lads will see that the rains as bad in Englandershire

[SCB 15]

Am actually quite pleased to hear that Sitera comes in to replace Compton, the Czech lad was very entertaining when he last raced at Ashfield and finished on the rostrum in fact.

By that you mean gated and was picked off a lot thus making it exciting as you saw passing? With any luck your lot will love him so much and he'll love you so much you'll take him off us. PLEASE?!?!?!?

[mervjankefanclub 48]

Ricky Wells is also on stand-by to replace Richard Lawson if required. Son of God took an ambulance ride to the hospital during tonights meeting at the OTA, unfortunately To be honest I thought Wells might have been a better shout than one or two others in the field. Rather see some new blood, instead of the same old faces.

Edited August 15, 2009 by mervjankefanclub

[Tallosh 8]

Have just looked at the line up for this meeting. Has to be the worst ever, its like a 4 TT between Edinburgh, Berwick, Glasgow and "The others". Total pish. They could have spiced things up and invited Phil Morris.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Tallosh

[BongoBrian 0]

Have just looked at the line up for this meeting. Has to be the worst ever, its like a 4 TT between Edinburgh, Berwick, Glasgow and "The others". Total pish. They could have spiced things up and invited Phil Morris.

 

...Don't be so negative. Big names do not always make for good racing. For example, I was at the Belladrum music festival in Inverness last week and there were few big name bands, but I saw more good music at that festival than I had seen at much bigger commercial festivals.

 

Personally for one, I am going to be there in the sunshine with a pint watching enjoyable racing... If you want to miss out, that's your perogative.

[LaalDaveRacing 1]

i think that has something to do with the money involved, as to why theyre arent many big names

the only money is prize money, no expenses or anything so it may have put some of the bigger names off

[DJEuan 57]

By that you mean gated and was picked off a lot thus making it exciting as you saw passing? With any luck your lot will love him so much and he'll love you so much you'll take him off us. PLEASE?!?!?!?

 

If i remember correctly it was Sitera doing all the passing when he at the Classic.....I think you would find lots of Glasgow fans only too happy for him to become a Tiger

[GlasgowGuy 26]

Have just looked at the line up for this meeting. Has to be the worst ever, its like a 4 TT between Edinburgh, Berwick, Glasgow and "The others". Total pish. They could have spiced things up and invited Phil Morris.

 

Well you stay at home and watch John Craven on the telly son!

[Paulco 7,153]

Well you stay at home and watch John Craven on the telly son!

It's easy to critisize mate , but i'm the same . I find these individual things ( apart from the PLRC ) mindnumbingly boring . At a time of the season when we are going well i would have loved this thing to get shunted to the end of the season .

But i shall turn out , as usual , to support our lads . But i'll be honest - i much prefer a team meeting to one of these things .