salty

Interesting thoughts. The pre-qualifying idea has been floated before but I think cost is a factor, possibly why the GP was reduced to 16 riders from its previous 24. Also I think riders need to at least know they are in the series for a whole season so they can budget and plan accordingly. I do find it strange that so few of the current GP riders opt to try and go through the qualifying process each season. I guess the argument is they are concentrating on qualifying by being in the top 8. In the early days of the GP series the riders who didn't qualify in the top 8 were then seeded into the GP Challenge, maybe a return to a similar type of format would help ensure the very best are in the GP's. Personally I detest the nomination process, I believe all 15 should be qualifying through whatever means. Unfortunately I can't see stakeholders giving up the level of control the nomination process gives them, so we are stuck with this aberration for the forseeable future.

Ljung is not a bad pick, don't think Jonas did enough at Gothenburg to merit having 2 wild cards in a season. Guess they were always going to pick someone who is in the GP Qualifying Final.

Remember Famari trying into break into British Speedway in 1983. Like Steve I think I proably saw him first at Cradley, but I seem to remember watching him ride well at Brandon as well. Looked like he might make the grade, don't know if he got injured or continental commitments meant he missed too many meetings but he just seemed to fade from the picture.

Ok I've got Les Collins making his last appearance for Workington at Derwent Park against Arena on 12th May 2002. scored 6 paid 8 from 4 rides . Finished an 11 match stint covering for the injured Kauko Nieminen with an average of 8.08. As far as I recall that was his last team position, though I'm sure he rode in some individual meetings. For some reason a team place never came his way again, which was an awful shame after the wonderful career that he had. Similar finish in fact to his brother Neil who was also left on the sidelines whilst lesser riders got team slots. Hope that helps....

Problem is the "next generation" aren't knocking on the door. If you look at the field for the GP Qualifying Final it is very much a case of tried and tested riders who have either been in the GP's before or at the very least are well known on these shores. The only possible exceptions are Miedzinski and Jedrzejak who have both improved since their time in the Elite League. The most obvious "next generation" of Holder, Saifutdinov and Pavlic all tried but failed to even qualify for the Final. I guess it is pointless to even guess who the nominations are likely to be until after the Qualifying Final and this years top 8 are sorted. For example, if Sullivan were to qualify then it would be unlikely Holder would get a nomination. Personally I would consider Bjarne to be in the top 15 in the world, but with so many Danes at the top it appears his only hope of being in the series for 2009 is to come up with some very big scores in the remaining GP's.

I thought Tomas Lubicek was Johnno's best moment. Bit sad when we are using such examples as the highlight of what was a very boring GP. From memory that is 2 bad ones from Prague in the past 2 years.

Born Marmande France December 23rd 1970.

No points from 3 rides I think.

Just caught up with the World Cup after a week in the wilds of Donegal. Pity the rain spoilt the track in the Final, but top effort from the Poles and Swedes to make a match of it against the heavily fancied Danes. Thought the Danes had a lot of luck go their way with races being stopped and then cashing in on the re-runs. How Bjerre escaped exclusion on the 1st bend of Heat 18 I don't know. I suppose the ref took the conditions into account - a stricter reading of the race could have excluded at least 2 riders... Don't think Gollob did anything wrong in his clash with Bjarne, whose reaction was a bit pathetic. Plus points for Gollob for his earlier interview with Louis. I still have the Coventry round to watch - is it worth it?

And just to fill in the gap he rode for NL Oxford in 1978. Can also remember him riding for Glasgow during their last couple of years at Hampden Park.

99% certain its Ellesmere Port, check it with a pic on the Speedway Plus site.

Supposedly at Cradley in 1969. It was my first season watching the sport and can remember him being smuggled out of the stadium under a blanket in the back seat of a car. Gary had previously been on the recieving end of Mike Gardner's crash helmet and had allegedly then taken the gun out when he got back to the pits.

Good point. I might be wrong but I reckon of the 16 qualifiers 9 have been in the GP series before and 4 of the others have had wild card appearances or are regulars in the WTC. Only Miedzinski, Jedrzejak and Nermark haven't made much of a mark on the world stage and none of them are exactly unknown quantities. Really would have hoped for some of the younger riders to have made more impact this year.

Well at least Richardson got through - well done to him! That makes 4 Danes, Swedes and Poles in the Final, 2 Slovenians (though 1 rides under the Hungarian banner) 1 Brit and 1 Aussie. Pity Emil didn't get a spin in Italy, he mght well have qualified.

I don't think Davey would have "let Poole down" if he hadn't ridden last night. It wasn't as if the team were depleted or anything and RR would have covered for him comfortably. Laudable thought it is that he decided to ride last night, if he has any designs on GP qualification in the future he needs to be a tad more selfish. But he got in by default (Theo's injury) and now the same luck has befallen Bjerre, who deserves credit for making the most out of his good fortune.

All 3 Brits fail to qualify from Motala , up to Richardson and Howe now to at least get one in the Final. Is it likely that the amount of places offered to GB in the qualifying for next year will be reduced if we continue to make no progress?

Fair play to Dugard for saying what many thought. The track was a disgrace, which makes 2 out of 5 that have been dangerous this GP season. Pity Pearson and Tatum didn't question the BSI fella (Bellamy?) about the poor state of the track when they interviewed him on Monday night. Seemed quite content to let him use it as a free commercial to bang on about how great everything was.

Denmark are 2/1 on to win the whole thing, would like to see one of the other countries upset them but realistically at Vojens the only ones who I can see doing it are the Aussies. Personally I would have given Ed and Tai a go at Brandon, Ed did well there last year in the same meeting and such is the potential of Tai I reckon he would have been worth a spin.

Was this the same ref who excluded Crumpy 3 times a couple of years ago? If those incidents had taken place in League Speedway I am sure they would have been all 4 back, can't imagine any ref anywhere else who would have excluded Leigh or Bjarne. Nicki plays a very clever game with his swoops from gate 4, he knows that if he doesn't make it he can always collect a bump and slide into the relative comfort of the air fence. The very least he gets an all 4 back, tonight he got the bonus of the innocent parties being excluded. When you consider the exclusion for Crumpy when he barely touched Nicki in an earlier round whether there are darker forces at work? Maybe the refs don't want to upset Olsen? Be interesting to see the Speedway Star's spin on the events.

Don't think you can ban people from the qualifiers, surely they should be open for all? If Ferjan and Pepe were truly the dregs then they wouldn't be able to qualify would they? I take your point that they wouldn't add much to the series, but if they qualify legitimately then they deserve to have a go. Sulli was a worthwhile Gp rider not so long ago, would be interesting to see if he can get back in. 3 Aussies in the Semi's, if 1 were to qualify then Noddy wouldn't be getting a sniff for 2009. I would love to see another Brit qualifying by right, but a strong performance by Kennett next Saturday (what price him being the first Brit to win a GP race this season?) if he can back it up in the WTC and the qualifiers could see him getting a shot next year.

Surprised and a tad disappointed to see Holder bow out. With Saifatdinov only making it as reserve as well it seems some of the old guard will be strongly in the running for qualification. Strong WTC's and Under 21 campaigns from Holder and Emil may see them having a chance of a nomination to GP 2009, but there are a lot of other factors at play (unfortunately). It might well be that the GP organisers would see Emil's inclusion as a massive boost given the money floating about in Russia, whilst Noddy unfortunately doesn't have the same pull. I guess a lot will depend on the make up of the top 8 this year and the 3 qualifiers.

Don't know if I just have a blind spot, but I have been unable to find a report on last weekend's semi in this weeks Speedway Star. If the premier news mag of the sport in Britain can't report such a meeting it says something about how important the Under 21's are in the scheme of things.

Personally don't think you need to defend Simon. There has been only one posting I would consider negative, I questioned why other riders like Tully were not used, but guessed they were unavailable for whatever reason. Hats off to Simon for taking on the booking, it is surely a joke that riders who do step up for meetings like this face such a financial loss. Although I understand there are confidentiality issues, I'm sure a lot of supporters would be interested to know what support the riders actually receive from the authorities for these meetings.

Thought it strange that Tully, Mear or even Auty weren't considered. Maybe it was a logistic/cost issue? Disappointing not to reach the Final.

Pretty harsh to say it was terrible. For Tully it was very much an experience gaining trip, Barker was obviously inconvenienced by 2 ef's. Both riders will benefit from the weekend and will come again.