stevebrum

Belle Vue didn't even make the final last year.

Done.

Which just goes to show the nonsense of allowing some riders to keep outdated averages and others lumbered with an average that can't get them a team place in the UK.

Had to chuckle at this part. Never have I ever read best number one and KK in the same sentence before.

It's an easy one for me. If they are British they can ride in both divisions regardless of average. That's very easy to implement.

Ditto Harris.

He only has to beat his opposite number and he has done his job. Anything else is a bonus.

Why will there be lots of pressure on him? When you have a ringer as a reserve he will only have 3 rides anyway. Same as any team with a powerful reserve.

No surprises, great to see him continuing his career in the top flight. Won't have any pressure on him at all so he can continue progressing at a nice steady pace. I like watching hi too. Don't expect massive improvement but think he could push it up to 3 or 4.

No credibility to the BSPA statement at all. How can they have allowed the like of Bomber and even Cook (who could have continued to double up if he wanted to) when both have a higher top flight average than Scott and Eddie? Doesn't the B in the BSPA stand for British??? Look after your own first. Got it wrong yet again.

I think it's great that the set nights seemed to have tempted a few , including Tai. Let's hope we make it easier to encourage them as well. But yes I agree they won't be coming here to earn a fortune!

Piotr is more than keen on a UK return. Let's hope he is back later in the season. At Wolves of course. I've been saying this since November when CVS confirmed it.

You heard wrong. Not picking Freddie over Jacob was purely financial. With no number one limit both would have been back. Piotr and CVS were gutted about the reassessed rule that affected him. Otherwise he would have been in the team too. Hopefully come spring he will be back on his 7.32 average.

Piotr back with his parent club mid season. He has already stated he wants to come back. Average too high unless it's another fiddle like Clegg.

I'd agree with that. The strength of the league isn't about the averages at all. It's about the strength of the top end riders. Iversen and Vaculik in place of Lindgren and Bjerre is like for like. Leicester have swapped a promising Pole from 2017 with a different one in 2018. Like for like. The 1 over 8 rule has scuppered any chance of making the league stronger in 2018. You could argue that Woryna and Drodz make the top flight stronger but as yet are totally unproven over here. At best same as last year which I didn't expect to be saying.

Yes I'm sure the track might throw up some issues for several of the Poole boys, none more so than Holder of course.

At Birmingham and amateur level yes I am. So probably more applicable to lower level racing that Castrol R is used. I certainly only use it in mine. That's a fair point. I get my oil from track spares person and it's always stocked with Castrol R.

Agree with that too, plus also both Poole Poles have had a year's experience on British tracks so are probably aware that preparation standards aren't as high as in the homeland.

Drodz is the only risk. The other 2 have improved massively in Poland since they were here in 2016.

I'm not sure if all the riders still use it as there maybe other choices but I must add that I can't say I have noticed any reduction in smell as it's always the first thing that hits me every time.

They do.

Most do yes. I can't say I've ever not stopped getting a speedway smell fix.

Completely subjective. Neither rode as a number one in 2017 and Thorssell finished with a higher average as both 2nd in averages. The only plus in Cook's case is he rode mostly in a traditional heat leader role.

What poor away form?. His average was 7.55. Speedway star has him listed as 6th best away average, ahead of Andersen, bjerre, Harris, Schlein, Holder, Masters, Fricke, Kurtz, Batchelor, Nicholls, Lambert, King. This supposed poor away form is a myth.

I agree he SHOULD be, but dropped to 2nd to Troy last year and starts 4th in line this! He certainly hasn't been riding anything like a number one over the past 12 months. So time will tell eh?