Well I appreciate there being a reason for using r/r at 2, as opposed to the usual "everyone uses it at 2 logic". I still wouldn't want to use Fricke at 8 against a "rising star" though. If Douglas & Howarth had to ride together, I'd then put r/r at 5. Use Howarth in heat 4 (meets a reserve) Use Fricke in heat 7 (against opposing number 1) Use Douglas in 11 Use Masters in 13 (as usual) Swap Douglas & Howarth around (Douglas at 4 means he avoids two-on-the-trot with his r/r outing). Still have a heat leader racing with a reserve (except heat 4) in r/r outings, plus 3 extra strong heats when Fricke & Masters are paired together?

At least the news is out early... A sensible decision given the meeting on Saturday... I remember when you only found out that one of the main riders was missing when you got into the stadium, so good news for the Aces fans in particular who can now decide whether or not to travel... Several on the FB page have already intimated they will now give it a miss, meaning no getting there and then frustration... 

Seems an age since the last home match v Ipswich, might have to programme the sat nav in to get me there! 😁 Hopefully some good racing and a home win to come away with the 3 points on offer 

I'm sure Jody will be a bit disappointed with a single point but it must be noted that after the reserves race his opponents were Palovaara, Thomson, Castagna and Sedgemen. Understandably Killeen got the easier rides so perhaps it's not surpring that he didn't score after heat 2.

Like at Birmingham on the 2nd of June

No, but I am considerably better informed about the issues surrounding the likelihood or not of his appearance.   In the 'good old days' we'd probably told he was definitely riding and only discover otherwise at 7.29. Edit: and thanks to the Internet I now can. He's not. In the olden days that news would probably not have reached most fans before arriving at the venue, but now it is in the public domain which rather proves my point.