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I heard an advert on Greatest Hits Radio that covers Northants,Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire last week for Northampton Foxes and there has been a couple of mentions on the news as well. I would imagine that they may up the output more once they know they are open and any gremlins are sorted out so on opening night will just be happy to Speedway fans in and then will target others which may work as Football season will be finished and Rugby Union not far behind

Based on my 2025 world rankings (which include both his Torun and Pardubice high points) I had him at number 37 in the under 19 rider rankings just above Luke Harrison and Jody Scott (who are both a year younger). He's no Mitch McDiarmid (17th in under 19s), and he's not even the highest rated German (Tyler Haupt and Janek Konczak are the names to watch out for). On that basis I think a 4.00 average is a reasonable aspiration for Hausl, and given the need to settle in to a strange environment even that may be a challenge.

Clouds of dust and a blue groove just aren't acceptable, any track serving that up (however good the racing) needs to do better I'm afraid.

As much as I agree it was very good racing, you can't just gloss over the fact the levels of dust were totally unacceptable. I love Oxford and it's not going to stop me going, but any new fans attending that and getting literally covered from head to toe in dirt, aren't going to be coming back. I was standing on the fourth bend and knew it was going to be a long night when the dust was being kicked up in the warm up before the first heat had even started. By about heat 10, I literally couldn't see through the levels of dust to know what was happening on the first and second bends, and spent most of the races looking away as it was bordering on painful to the eyes.

No one on here is getting their speedway opinions from a Camikaze comment on a press release, surely!

Mario is not even close to one of the hottest prospects on the international stage. He's a decent rider and if he's hitting 5-points regularly at the end of the year, he's doing his job. The level of expectation here is bonkers.

Thanks for the update and for being so open. From that it sounds like you received no explicit guidance about the change in insurance levels, and only as a result of the annual licence application - and because Luke hadn't previously had a specific deduction to cover insurance you didn't know what the difference was between the insurance cost in 2025 and the extra licence cost in 2026 - I've seen a figure of £28 mentioned. On the face of it, and unless Luke has had an uplift in his points money to reflect it, then it seems like the club is making a saving ( if it is no longer making insurance premium payments), and Luke has incurred an extra cost as he has had to take out an additional policy to provide a level of income protection against loss of income if he is unable to do his scaffolding job. I of course do appreciate that you can only comment on Luke's position and not on others, but if we assume a lot of riders are in the same position then it is understandable that Ben Barker is really pushing this. By the same token, were I a rider, I would not ride without taking out a personal policy as Luke has done, because the risk is too great. I very much hope that BSPL / SCB issues a much more transparent statement, with a chronology of events which can be substantiated with evidence - and that this dispute can be brought to a conclusion that sees riders in a comparable position to previous seasons without any significant cost issue. Thanks again for taking the time to provide some clarity, albeit as you rightly say, with the caveat that this is how it applies to Luke

Is the ref Christina turnball ?

Yeah like my elderly parents who upgraded their TV to a smart TV and also upgraded to superfast fibre to be able to watch BSN when it first came available 2 or 3 years ago, and now their stuck unable to watch it after paying out for a yearly pass, piss poor if you ask me, yeah its fine telling people they can cast/mirror it from a phone/tablet or HDMI cable it from a laptop but my parents who are 85 aint tech savvy and it is beyond them to figure out, even if i showed them how to do it they'd of forgotten by the time the next meeting came around, and i aint local enough to keep popping round every meeting to keep getting it set up for them🤨

I agree the racing was great, but the dust was awful, just like last week. It’s not a pleasant experience for spectators; firstly, there’s nowhere to park, and then get covered in dust. This isn’t good enough, and something needs to change, or people will just drift away and not return.

Excellent, we need more of that!

Pedersen and Malkiewicz have done a right job on Gora tonight. Always good to see the youngsters shining and having their moments just like Pollestad last week v Wroclaw.

It’s like watching a development league match, incident in every race on a rough track and a ref who flips a coin to make decisions

Kubera should've been excluded because he stayed up and continued after contact, Only fell when he hit the rough part of the track.

I'm all for progress, but if it wasn't going to be ready for the start of the season, they really should have left it until next season imo... or at least signalled the change before selling season passes.

At least when they have to postpone it they won't be disappointing any locals.

Looking forward to Friday's match but Edinburgh Monarchs Academy captain Connor Coles is uppermost in our thoughts. A gofundme page has been set up for Connor and his family. Link below: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-connor-coles-and-his-family?modal=share&source=fundraiser%20sticky%20footer&utm_source

https://britishspeedway.co.uk/rowe-motor-oil-premiership/northampton-update-opening-home-meeting/ NORTHAMPTON Speedway can confirm tickets for their eagerly awaited opening home meeting are expected to go on sale next Tuesday evening at the earliest (April 28). The Foxes race for the first time at Northampton International Raceway on Thursday April 30 when they take on Ipswich in the Premiership Knockout Cup. The decision to delay ticket sales until 48 hours before the event has been taken because the club’s Speedway Control Bureau (SCB) track inspection is scheduled to take place next Tuesday. The venue must satisfy the requirements of this inspection, including a track test with four riders completing racing laps, in order to be signed off to stage a meeting. Since the announcement last month that speedway would be coming to Northampton this season, exceptional efforts have been made to complete the work required for the stadium to become dual-purpose, running speedway as well as its existing stock car use. This includes work on the stadium infrastructure, electrical upgrades and additional safety measures specific to speedway, and the track work itself is now complete. However, launching a new speedway venue in a very limited timeframe does bring its challenges, and there have also been unavoidable delays with the manufacture and delivery of other safety barriers essential to the running of speedway. This explains why the SCB inspection is scheduled for the week of the opening meeting, when the original anticipated timeline was for it to take place this week. We are very optimistic that we will be able to satisfy the SCB’s requirements by Tuesday; however, we feel it is prudent to not put tickets on sale until after we have received the green light, and we hope supporters will appreciate this move. We will communicate the outcome of the inspection as soon as possible, with an expectation that tickets will be on sale by Tuesday evening should we receive a positive verdict.

I am a patient man but there's still nothing about tickets on the Foxes website, a week out from the first meeting. I've also seen zero local publicity. Concerning but not fatal.

Not sure it was an awful track as the racing was good but the dust levels were insane. I came down from Leicester to watch, and I won't be going back in a hurry after that. can't be good for your health breathing that in. My eyes are still stinging today.

We received an email regarding an uplift in the cost of our licence which we queried and were told it was as the emailed stated for insurance purposes the uplift was duly paid. previously he had ridden on a pounds for points contract which included insurance no visible deductions were made from his wage the personal cover was assumed to be in the contract but we felt this had been transferred to the ACU with the uplift on the cost of licence dont know about previous coverage as we never claimed and the coverage taken covers his losses as a scaffolder not as a speedway rider as scaffolding is his primary source of income . Speedway is a paid hobby at his level covering its cost with the aid of our wonderful sponsors. i don't mind telling people what I know from our point of view but everyone has different circumstances and our experience could be a different one too others

I am already concerned about HAUSL, 3 poor meetings, i know Armadump is not a great start to your racing, but Ashfield he was off the pace.We cant have riders not performing like last year,our reserves are slightly better,but must improve. Has Cami 'Useless' Brown got the the Balls to change this before this drags on through the season. 5 point riders are hard to come by, but there must be options in Scandinavia,surely the Management team are already considering changes.amd that includes Brown,his days must be numbered. The Facennas must bury the hatchet and bring back Stewart Dickson for next season.

Until you tell them you ride a Speedway bike.!!

Hard racing between Howarth and Picko, nothing malicious in it for me. As for the scuffle after the race, it’s the entertainment business after all! Dickson knew exactly what he was doing with Howarth in heat 13 when D.Thompson was the better speedway decision, I’m all for it.

Always a great listen. I really enjoy the quizzes

Good race between Drabik & Pawlicki.

Have they not learnt from his previous female exploits

The ref is all over the place

Reserves for Grudianz have been very good.

Think Hurysz was entitled to do that, so a strange decision IMO.

These guys are serious talents it puts into perspective what the British lads are up against at U/19 level.Watching Polish Speedway so far this season and Bartosz Banbor seems to have stepped up a level.

Links for Zielona Góra v Grudziądz: https://vk.com/video-234681448_456239133

Link on there for anyone who fancies watching some speedway tonight.

DoB 'ave’ 1 Nazar Parnitsky Ukraine 13/10/06 1.719 2 Bastian Pedersen Denmark 28/04/06 1.408 3 Adam Bednář Czech Rep 02/09/07 1.381 4 Mikkel Andersen Denmark 26/04/08 1.292 5 Villads Nagel Denmark 04/04/07 1.288 6 Oskar Paluch Poland 07/06/06 1.177 7 Kevin Malkiewicz Poland 03/08/07 1.138 8 Maksymilian Pawełczak Poland 21/09/09 1.133 9 Kacper Mania Poland 21/02/09 1.043 10 Bartosz Banbor Poland 13/01/07 1.035 You can find the top 20 senior rankings in this month's edition of the Cheetahs Chronicle.

I was only thinking of the bonus against the tigers, it was more about getting another win at Leicester. Brady scored 12 last year and our Tom’s 3 was disappointing despite his best efforts. Like you say, that’s speedway. I think Sheffield is our worst away track. I’d have loved a run of results there similar to what we’ve achieved at Foxhall. I think you’re correct about us having a better chance for the bonus. Since Covid and prior to your fabulous title winning season we managed nine out of the ten aggregate wins on offer. We just need Cook (10+3), Peter (9) or Norick (6+3) to go well, as they have done in the past and hope Brady (3) doesn’t have another early season stinker at Foxhall again.

Tonight

We informed the insurance company that Luke races a speedway bike . The insurance we have covers his loss of earnings from his actual job as a scaffolder which he does everyday except for the day he is racing or if he has a busy schedule when bikes need to be prepped. Not sure if the cover would be the same if speedway was the only source of income

He has given Godfrey till Sunday otherwise he is lifting the lid. im going prawn cocktail crisps and a coke. Feet up and see the whatnot hit the fan.

The effect of a tactical ride will not be lost on Lemon, he'll remember 2006!

Ben Barker posted on Facebook yesterday evening that he still hasn’t heard from Rob Godfrey and if he doesn’t hear back in the next few days he will be whistleblowing and lifting the lid on other issues.

Check out the Trailor and consider giving their new YouTube channel a subscription. 👌

Which just proves the BSPL is not fit for purpose, and the sooner the old die hards are removed the better.

This is national league racing for you - it's the lowest rung of the sport and a place for youngsters to earn their stripes and hone their skills. Back when I was a rider in the early 2000s you'd be hard pressed to run 15 races without some form of incident - St John's certainly earned their money back then and most likely still do! I've witnessed some truly horrifying crashes with being at so many (back then) conference league meetings. It's a part of the sport that not that many get to see, and it can come across as a bit unprofessional to those who are used to watching the professionals, but we've all got to learn somewhere! I bet even BZ was a little ropey when he first threw his leg over a 500!

Ben Barker still has had no response from the bspl. Maybe the riders need to go on strike. Maybe they could start refusing to ride at Scunthorpe for instance

Club legend Nicolai Klindt named as captain.

As a lifelong Brummmies fan, I got so disillusioned with the sport that I walked away from it mid season 2024 and haven’t been to a meeting since. there are many similarities with the start Northampton have had to this season , joining the league at the last moment and all the ensuing problems that brings, with the last few seasons at Birmingham. I have thus learned not to have any great hopes or expectations of the upcoming season . I got used to under strength teams snd often, deeply frustrating snd disappointing team performances. I am going to give Northampton a go as they are anew team and thus, I do not have to support any team that I have been “against”, for year after year . all I ask of my new team this season is that all riders and management give it 100% at all times and adopt a positive attitude to a difficult season with a view to being able to start next season on a more even playing field with the other teams where team building is concerned. Can I wish everyone connected with Northampton an injury free season and, one with as few problems both on and off the track as possible. To me, a success season will be one where it hasn’t been embarrassing to admit to being a Northampton fan and more importantly, one where the club grows snd there is not in any doubt about them running again next season

Danyon Hume Racing (31st Dec 2025 on FaceBook) I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank all of my supporters. The back end year has been an incredibly tough one following my broken back injury, and I am still currently waiting for the metalwork to be removed. Throughout this challenging period, the support, encouragement, and patience shown to me has meant more than I can put into words. I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has stood by me, and I’m hopeful that 2026 will be a far more positive year and I will back on the bike with no doubt. Thank you all for your continued support — it truly doesn’t go unnoticed. Happy New Year

You've got to laugh at Reid Battye's quote about Berwick...... “I’ve heard it’s a really big speedway town and it’s on the coast. I live near the beach in Australia so it’s probably the same – just a bit colder!” Me thinks he's in for a bit of a shock