Hackett

Team GB were just not good enough FACT !!!! Nicholls proved that he can mix it with the big guns and the positive for him is that if he maintains that style of riding he will guarantee his SGP place next season. Richardson like his season was inconsistent on one of his former tracks. Loram is a racer and gating is not his strength thus struggled in the SWC Final. Louis strangely could not gate and just struggled throughout meeting .. Harris - Missed the start and that was that. At that level you cant afford too .... then in last two rides at least competitive. As for Floppy he has struggled with his engines all season and not been the dominant force .. he has been. But he is comong back from a head injury and no doubt confidence a little low with e/f and the alike. His last Smallmead visit was a 4+1 return I believe.

Crump was the rider to get Australia in with a chance !! All SWC he was only headed by Richardson until the last heat !! The guy just wants to win !!!! Lets be honest what is 2nd / 3rd in the World Cup NOTHING !!! Although I have to say I was quite happy as TEAM GB got 3rd and it disappointed a number of the Crump fans who must be the most irratating in the sport !!!!

I did not see that ?? Was that at the end of the meeting ??? I had already left .. but if I had seen it I would have a word in the mugs ear who threw it !!!! Either that or take a photo of the mug and send email it to Reading / BSPA or on here to shame the muppet.

As for the track and rain ..... having seen what they did to that Swedish track a couple of years ago when they dumped hot shale on the track and 30 minutes later they had racetrack that was spot on ... I have no sympathy. Sorry but this is the pinnacle of the sport as a team event .. if BSI / FIM (I care not ) want the sport to appeal to the masses this is one major opportunity. I fear this has been all done on the cheap and we are likely to be cheated ... time will tell.

Kevin Coombes is excellent at Eastbourne ... !!! His lack of knowledge for bends 3/4 is because he is in complete shock having walked on the track and tried to find some dirt. As for supporting Team GB and getting the crowd behind them sobeit tournament is in England so get used to it !!! You got a Danish track as well.

With the threat of Thunderstorms and the Danish liking for slick tracks .. dont expect anymore shale down.

OO always wants slick tracks ... look at Bydgosz last year and it was slick !!! The best track in the SGP and they removed all the dirt from it !! Hans Andersen said words along the lines of how OO likes the tracks - slick amongst other things ... as was bombed. Everytime the riders are interviewed at SGP tracks they say it is usually grippy and has more dirt but it is slick ....... Cant recall them ever saying ... trtack is so different there is just so much dirt on it !! Hope the track is not rubbishe Sat ... but then again from most on the forums the Reading track has been pretty dire all seaason ....

Denmark Australia Sweden Team GB Denmark for me ....... Lets be honest the track is not likely to change on Sat so would seem OO has got his way and provids another dogsh++e track. Hans is in superb form and after Crump is probably the form rider at the moment. Nikki P will be more dialled in than tonight. Crump should guarantee a double point return and if Wiltshire is fully recovered from his spill in Poland his gating ability on a sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick track will be worth a good sum of points. Travis on home track should aid their cause .... however it will be interesting to see how Travis deals with the added pressure. Sweden I think have greater strength than Team GB throughout the side on a slick track. Loram, Nicholls, Bomber, Stead are racers who would prefer a track with grip and passing opportunities. Nicholls has struggled getting out the gate all season, Loram has never been the best of trappers and Stead and Harris are not consistently bang into first corner. Richardson is perhaps the only gater in the Team GB ??? so why let OO have a slick track. On a dustbowl gating will be the precedent and the Aussies ,Swedes and Danes have the edge in that department. Although I will hope the crowd helps the Team GB guys ..... but cant see the atmosphere being like Poole.

Apart from speedway updates are there any live feedsof action on the internet ... polish tv or danish possibly??

So the Sky £££ has persuaded Sam not to ride I would of thought he would of enjoyed a spin round his home track ???? Or is it case of leting the younger riders have a go .....

I am getting there early to eat down the road ...because I remember the catering being dire .... the chicken nuggets were like bullets !!!

I remember reading sbout the Bulldogs at the start of the season in the Speedway Star and Sam Ermolenko was stating that each rider would have the opportunity of watching VT in the video van and access to Smallmead when they wanted. Well if it is good enough for Bulldogs it is good enough for Team GB !!!!!!! There are no meetings all week so get Loram, Richardson, Nicholls, Stead, Harris and Louis down to the track and practice,practice, practice for Thurs. That way we can have experience of the track get the bikes set up - dialled in and there are no excuses for a rider to not perform. Benefit to BSI they will get more punters in Sat for the SWC if Team GB qualify.

Still scratch my head why the track was slicker than Zidanes head !!!! Apart from the Gollob heats and the Harris vs Hampel race the the meeting was nothing more than processional .... it was only the closeness of the meeting that made it interesting. Good effort from Team GB though.

Not exactly the greatest racing track either is it ??? I understood that the BSI has applied to the council again - sure I read it in SS last week or week before. Got tickets for the final but somehow wishing I had not bothered ......

Noted on the reports a couple of people mentioned Nikki Pedersens poor display at Parken...... ..Reading the Eastie programme from last nights meeting "Ahead of the cup clashes with Wolves, Nikki has advised us that he will not be available for our matches next week at Arena and Swindon as he has to undergo more treatment for his wrist problems. he has assured us he will be back to take his place in arguably our two most important meetings. His place in the 2 meetings will be filled by Leigh Adams at Arena and Screenie at Swindon" May explain his performance. As even after the operation he has been icing his wrists between heats

With the first meeting in Poland , I would take : Nicholls Loram Louis Stead Richardson/Harris/Screen I think Floppy is Team GB through and through but cant recall him riding in Poland. He should be brought in for the run off as we dont have a hope in hell of winning (BSI be pleased guarantees good attendance) .... Reading Nicholls Norris Loram Stead/harris Richardson

He was my first speedway hero .... I can remember my father taking me to White City and Kennett was riding when I was 8/9 Sure he had the back wheel filled in with a Union Jack ... All I can remember it was the meeting when Dave Jessup was leading Ivan Mauger in one heat and Ivan clipped his back wheel ... looked like Jessup went 30ft in the air to my eyes

Going to look to purchase this on Saturday ..... wont get there till the afternoon so hope the copies will still be available

FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX 2006 CALENDAR 23rd September POLAND, BYDGOSZCZ Has anyone been to this venue before .... What is the easiest way to get there. Did I hear Ryan air fly there ???? and decent hotels fairly close to the stadium ........ Cheers

Legend and is it just me that thinks the sport would be in a far better situation than it is now if the man was alive today.

Most of the press has followed similar coverage basing the article around Lindback and his asoption ...sounds like the Seabiscuit of speedway after the Times had written about him on friday . Saturday featured a good article on the track and how much shale was shipped in.

To be honest although people are moaning about the racing at Cardiff. Think about the way Ole Olsen has raped the Krsko and Eskilstuna tracks of any dirt !!!! Norris when he breathed on Tricks stated that the track was so slick the only way you could pass was under them early on ... a little dirt moved out but not significant. Plus being a temporary track I felt it held up ok considering. The tracks have been p=ss poor all season so Cardiff was as expected great atmospher, good spectacle for the Sky cameras with plenty of incidents to discuss. Plus a referee you could only ?????

Adam superb picture of the Richardson,Nikki Bjarne incident. Brings back all the memories ...

I doubt it and dont believe that Wembley has any plans for speedway. BSI now has a better bargaining position now that the Millenium stadium has lost the play-offs and FA Final the stadium will need to be used regularly and without the football gives the BSI a great position. Riders and fans like Cardiff why change ...

Sure I saw some overtaking in the Norway SGP ...... No, No sorry my mistake ... The riders were on there way to the tapes from the pits. If benfield want series to be more competitive lay a better track. The gp was toilette pour homme. Congratulations to Crumpie on being world champion. Well deserved. Congratulations to tricks on 2nd overall and winning the Norway sgp. Congratulations to greg on his 3rd overall. Congratulations to ole olsen and benfield for making the last 2 sgp s like formula 1 ... No overtaking and boring Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.The only incidents being on the first corner. If they want to make the sport appeal to the non speedway supporter and fill stadiums as small as Hamar they need to look at the track and make as many racing lines as possible. So that we get overtaking, passing and close fought racing. Not the procession I watched on staturday and endured for 3 hours ........ The conclusion of the World Championship a battle for 3/4 th place. Drama as riders hoped to qualify for next years series and it proved to be the biggest anti climax and a complete crock of rubbishe !!!!