Jools

Anyone know when the draw for the first GP will be held? I can't find any info yet & I was hoping to print my program before I go! The BSI ones don't have space for reserves etc - unless they've improved them on last year's efforts. One week to go - starting to get excited now!!!!

Just bought our tickets for Målilla GP on the Ticnet website. Had no probs paying with credit card, although you still have 50SEK fee to pick up at Ticnet agent (Not ATG). Last year there were a few probs with this - you could only use ATG if you didn't pre-pay for the tickets (not an option for UK based customers) so it is worth checking where the Ticnet agents are before you get to Sweden! We couldn't collect tickets at the tracks & the stewards ended up with a long list of people who had to be ticked off before getting access to the stadium. Although I am sure the Eskilstuna turist Buro is listed as an agent now, so fingers crossed. At least we could use the website today, so much better than our bank transfer and phonecall last week for Eskilstuna

IF (!!??!!) this is true then I'm really angry now. Please understand, I'm not a particular fan of Hans Andersen, but there is absolutely no way he should be excluded from the 2006 GP series when Lee Richardson has been included. Andersen had an average return of 7.11 per round in 2005 compared to Richardson's 6.11. There is no doubt that Andersen had a poor campaign this year, but for a rider who finished lower than him to be included & for him to be excluded just makes a mockery of what is supposed to be the best of our sport. The sooner we have a straight & honest qualification system the better. I just hope that this info is not 100% accurate, but I suspect it is, otherwise Andersen's name would have already been announced.

I'd like to see Tarnow get a WTC meeting. We went there for the Polish Final & the track was great, atmoshpere superb & racing excellent. Much better than Wroclaw. Come on BSI, go somewhere new!

It's not rocket science! I'm sure I've seen this before, but we need Andy Smith to ride in this meeting Seriously though, with there being no qualification route for the world title, BSI is making a mockery of the sport. Audience demographic should NOT be the deciding factor whether Rider A or Rider B is permitted to challenge for the world title. A rider's ability MUST always come first, and if that means 5 Danes, 4 Swedes, 2 Aussies and 5 Poles then so be it. It is wrong to say that there MUST be X number of Brits, Czechs or a.n.other, just because those countries host a round or have large paying tv audiences. Having said that, I would agree that Nicholls & Richardson probably are in the top 15 at the moment. If there is no qualification route, then I would prefer to see BSI etc look at a rider's overall average in Poland, Sweden, UK & any other leagues they compete in and use this info together with past GP performance to come up with the list of competitors for the series. I fear that sponsors and good PR will have the final say. BTW if Rune Holta is included, he must ride for Poland in GP since he represented them in WTC. To be Norwegian again now would be farcical.

Oh no:( We're having to take 3 of our family to Milan airport on the Sun so they can fly home. We should go to Catez on the Mon...... will have to look at the trains for the family!!! Bad research Paragon!!!!

Hi Leliwa, Just wanted to echo Paragon´s comments! What a great night´s speedway and what a lovely track & cityof Tarnow. I hope BSI take note - it would be an ideal GP or WTC venue. Kolodziej was magnificent & I hope we see more of him in GPs, WTCs etc very soon. Marcin Rampala also impressed me & the Gollob brothers were entertaining, as always, too. I would not be surprised if Kolodzeij becomes one of the best riders in the world in a few years time. Fantastic night of speedway. Many thanks for your help with getting tickets. All the best, Jools.

We drove the A4 motorway from Krakow to Wroclaw in May (going home after the GP - we went to Krakow for a few days via the mtg at Czestochowa!). The motorway was complete between Wroclaw & Gliwice, but there are no services (food/fuel). You then left the motorway & had to go through Gliwice Centrum on 44 & 78 before picking up the A4 on the other side. Was a bit shoddy due to heavy traffic through town - took about 45 mins. Motorway between Gliwice & Krakow was complete - but there are two 5.50Zlty toll plazas. Roads have greatly improved since we first visited Poland - and Katowice is bypassed now too - big difference since even the Chorzow GP. Is the Wroclaw - Tarnow mtg definately switched to Tarnow then? We'll be off to Leszno as we are heading north to get the ferry from Gydnia to Karlskrona for the Mållila GP. (& VMS v Masarna on Tue )We'll hopefully go back down to Tarnow for the Polish championship on the Mon after the GP.....fingers crossed! edit: have been doing some research on train times in Sweden & found this German site which does trains right across Europe. I looked at Wroclaw - Tarnow & it seems to take 5½ hours. Try this link (in English) if you want more info. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

According to the Sportowefakty website, the playoff meetings for Sun 7th Aug are : Wroclaw - Tarnow Leszno - Czestochowa with the return fixtures the following week (14th Aug). Torun will face an away match at the winner of Wroclaw/Tarnow on 21st Aug, whilst Bydgoscz will travel to the winner of Leszno/Cestochowa. The return fixtures will then be on 4th Sept. The winners of these will then meet in the final. BTW, the dates have been changed on this website - originally, the meetings were on 28th Sept (day after Bydgoscz GP) not 21st. This might have something to do with the British ELRC date at Swindon being altered from the 21st to the 28th. Have a look here for further details http://www.sportowefakty.pl/index.php?dysc...00&dzial_id=358 Hope this helps Apologies if anything is incorrect

It has GOT to be Mr Crump - although I'm preparing myself for the worst...... tape touching, followed by a bike failure Oh he's got to have some good luck for once.....!!!!! Jason should have won in 2001 - but for the awful meeting at Berlin, he would have. Whatever happens, I'll be in Norway cheering him on. BTW, Nicki does not deserve to be champion this year. Granted he has made 6 finals, but a couple of these were due to amazing good luck on his part. Also, look at the league form (not just in UK but across Sweden & Poland). His averages are not of the same class as Crump, Adams & Rickardsson. Then remember his sacking from Oxford & his popularity in Poland. Currently, his bikes are faster than his ability. Hopefully this will change and we will see a mature & capable rider in the future.

What a fantastic GP! It was my first visit to Bydgoscz & I loved it!!!!! It was so nice to watch a good meeting with a crowd of knowledgable, friendly & dedicated speedway enthusiasts. My husband & I were on the 4th bend and met lots of friendly Polish people who love their speedway & who wanted to wave our Jason Crump flag towards the Canal+ cameras! Not only that, but we had some fab music inbetween heats - ACDC, Metallica, Deep Purple etc just added to the party feeling. & I thought Prague had a great atmosphere...... We will definately travel back here next year - Chorzow cannot compare. Not only is it a put down track, but the atmosphere just wasn't the same & it was more expensive. BTW, where else would I get in on a concessionary ticket, just for being female!!! At 50 Zltys for a lady (£7.75) its cheaper than seeing dodgy premier or conference league action - WOW! We're just catching up on sleep now before heading off to Norway on Friday. Good luck Mr Crump!

Just about to leave Cardiff to drive to Polska. Maybe see you all at practice session on Fri. Am getting really excited about Sat now!

Too right - cheap & Denmark don't mix when it comes to hotels. We always drive (be it Krsko, Poland, Prague & we're taking the car to Hamar again this year). For Copenhagen this year we stayed at an Etap hotel in Lubeck (north east of Hamburg) and got the Puttgarden-Rødby ferry on Sat morning. Drove up to Køge where we left the car & got a day ticket to Copenhagen which included all public transport around the capital. We used to stay at the Flensburg (DK-D border) Etap when the GP was at Vojens. Easy & cheap. There is also a very good campsite in Copenhagen, which is on the main bus route into town. The other option is to fly to Malmo & stay in Sweden, & then get the jetfoil across to Copenhagen for the GP (you can get fantastic Carlsberg Black Gold duty free lager on the boats too).

We've just got back from Prague & we're off to Poland on Wed for the GP. Can't wait! My other half has been to Bydgoscz before, but I haven't. I suspect it will be more eventful than Chorzow last year (my first Polish GP).

The "top" DJ (well he hosts the breakfast show) on the local radio station (which I never listen to) also does the announcing at Newport. Apparently, he was doing a lot of promotion in the week before the GP, giving away tickets etc to listeners. Also, a few of the local businesses were giving tickets to their employees. I think this was to do with those who had corporate boxes for the rugby. BTW, how bad is that - I hate rugby but live in Cardiff - ARGH!!!)

We're driving out to Prague again tomorrow night & I must say I can't wait! It looks like Prague will be invaded this weekend! Is anyone else looking for a meeting to go to on Sunday? (don't say the GP!) The Polish tracks close to the Czech border all seem to be away this weekend. The only meeting we can come up with is the Czech Pairs tournament at a place called Brezolupy - KO is 2.30 & we can't find a rider line up yet, so if anyone knows who'll be riding......?!!

Just had a look at Sky website - no news yet, but I'm hopeful because the list of tv meetings has gone completely......could they be updating it?!!!