Hunters

I think I just saw a pig fly by. B Vue to beat Kent comfortably in the final barring accidents. Has been that way for pretty much everybody since before the season started.

Is that a rule or just a wish? I fancied a full strength eagles to win at Cradley last week and it would be most unfair if they were deprived of a chance of top spot due to the home teams track problems. Next Friday is a reserved date in case last weeks double header was rained off so if I was Martin Dugard I would offer Cradley the use of the Arlington track as a home venue on Friday, after all they are a nomad team and already using Perry Barr next week instead of Monmore. That would at least show us wether they are serious about staging the replay.

Well I did not miss it after all, resigned myself to a night with the TV and put the updates on in case they tried to run a heat or two. When somebody text that it was dry I did a quick about turn and made it with only missing the first two heats. Amazing how they missed all that rain, certainly dodged a bullet there. A well deserved win indeed for the Kings all based on superb gating, not just one of them but all apart fromthe guest sometimes. If they keep that up they could actually beat Belle Vue in the final. Don't write the eagles off completely, it was always going to be tough with r/r for Wood and if they can avoid clashing fixtures with Sheffield and Scunthorpe during the play off,s and sort the Charlie Saunders position out they will still have a shout. Becoming underdogs may suit them but Jake has to be a bit more thoughtful at times, there are times to be a racer and times to be a rider, he is winding it on and falling far to often recently even when well clear in front.

Very heavy rain at 5.30 and prospect of more to come so I have to give this a miss. If they do manage to put it on it will probably be a debacle of falls and machinery failures. Very disappointing and the first meeting I have deliberately missed for years.

Georgie Wood is a big loss for us at home, fancy Kings to take our unbeaten record but we should be OK against Mildenhall who seem to have gone off the boil recently. Tom Bacon looked to be a good guest possibility for Georgie but maybe they are not too bothered about getting top spot and semi final pick. I would prefer to get Lakeside rather than Kent in the Semi's.

More to the point, when can they fit the replay in because if the forecast is right the weather will be the winner.

Cleared through before midnight, looks to be dried out by now and a lovely sunny morning so all being well a good meeting tonight. Presumably they forgot to put r/r by Bailey and Bowtell ?

Many Thanks, that is good news .

Very strange announcement ! Josh Bailey due to ride for Scunthorpe at Glasgow on Saturday. Have Scunthorpe released him for this meeting ?

You have the NLRC at Beaumont Park soon, a really good competitive field with some excellent youngsters. Impossible to pick the first three and sure to be some terrific racing. Well worth going to see.

That we be a very short sighted attitude. Cradley shut down rather than go to Brum and Brum supporters go without speedway. Two teams disappear and Perry Barr available but nobody using it?

If their is no Birmingham then surely Cradley would step in and make Perry Barr their home? Thus attracting quite a few Brum supporters and giving them a sense of permanentcy.

I think the next two Saturdays will be tough, all three opponents are in with a great chance of the play off and I wonder what the thinking is behind changing the fixtures. Now the double header is Mildenhall/Kent on 16th instead of Lakeside/Mildenhall on the 9th. This means Josh Bailey misses one match and Georgie Wood two instead of the other way round and suitable guests very limited with the better riders already booked. All I can see is Tom Bacon for Josh and nobody up to Georgie at Arlington so it may not take much for the home record to go. They may even go r/r on Saturday for Josh giving Jake and Georgie an extra ride but making them weaker overall against the three Lakeside heat leaders. An interesting six weeks ahead with Plymouth in the cup anxious to overturn the two hammerings they had early season.

Tom Brennan at No 5 for Belle Vue tonight is a bit of a surprise. Looks like an easy win for Kent which just might give Eagles top spot, just hope they don't blow the home record.

You can have a guest for a missing No 1 (Zach)and for any rider already booked in a higher league (Alfie is riding for Newcastle today).

Any idea what happened to Georgie Wood last night? Due to ride for Sheffield but was replaced with a young Rookie. Has he picked up an injury or did he breakdown on route? Josh Bailey surprised me last night after last week struggling to come to terms with Arlington he was excellent. Having watched him ride so well at IOW on Thursday (what a super track that is, some of the best racing I have seen for some time) a large track, it looks like he could well be a big contributor both home and away in the play off's. With Charley Powell, who also looked good on Thursday, improving rapidly we could just be a threat to Belle Vue now. Apparently Charlie Saunders broke down on the way last night,

Unless they make the points limit at least a breakeven 42 there will have to be at least six of the better riders move out or the NL (or retire?). Otherwise some will be unable to find a team spot until injuries kick in. There are 33 riders with 7+ at present and several who will be back from injury. If all teams try to fit 3 in then they will have to fill up with four 3/4 pointers and put the squeeze on those with 5/6. We must not reach the stage where we give youngsters opportunity to develop and then freeze them out when they have a higher average but are not yet good enough (or given opportunity by PL/CL) to move up. The simple solution which will be unpopular in certain regions could be to have an upper age limit?

Actually a 5 day break at Warners Bembridge coast. The only way I could get to see the meeting and keep her indoors quiet. Even then she ain't happy about missing Thursday night dinner.

Who is this guy who writes the Kent Web Previews? Another side swipe at Eastbourne on Thursday about making sure that we have a guest for Bailey tomorrow. Enjoyed last night as 100% commitment from both sides. Bradley Andrews really takes his life in his hands, when he learns a bit more control he will be a very good rider and is good to watch. Georgie seems to have overcome his mechanical problems and is really motoring now in what will probably be his last season with us but the most pleasing aspect was the continued improvement of Tom Brennan. If his engine had not cut out he would have been 12+1 with Luke Bowen the only King to beat him. Josh Bailey struggled but I believe this was only his second sight of Arlington and he improved as the meeting went on. We certainly will miss Mark Baseby but you have to take these blows in your stride and I am sure we will come out swinging. Tomorrows meeting at Central Park is sure to be another full on clash which sadly I have to miss as I will be on my way to IOW for next Thursday's meeting.

I don't know why you are bothering to have this argument. Belle Vue are a senior club who can sign up any promising youngster they choose if they offer good enough terms and having him as an asset, then using them in the NL. All the other NL clubs are restricted from having assets so cannot hold onto the lads they develop. A good example is Jack Smith who was developed not by B Vue but by Birmingham in 2015 and 2016 but had no rights over him in 2017. As long as these rules apply this will keep happening unless the NL get their act together and form a proper Division three without 'reserve teams' from higher divisions.

This is interesting and I look forward to seeing this lad however I am surprised that Mildenhall have not blocked his appearance on Monday. Saturday is a trophy match which will not count towards averages but Monday is the league. As they have already declared him as reserve for next season I thought they would preserve his average at 3.0 or do guest appearances not get taken into consideration? Either way it will give the lad a chance to experience Arlington before he visits with Mildenhall.

But it made no difference. Originally Sept 2nd was Lakeside and 9th was Mildenhall. Now they have moved Lakeside to the 9th and freed up the 2nd for IOW. Very Strange, If not Kent then certainly I would have had IOW as second meeting on 9th after Mildenhall. Both teams on the 9th will be anxious to beat us to get a top 4 spot, if we have an injury in the first match against Lakeside to a heatleader then we could be in real trouble against Mildenhall giving them the chance to steal a march over the other top four contenders. That potential advantage would be removed if IOW were second up.

Another positive move I think. See they have had to go for a double header on 9th Sept Lakeside and Mildenhall which was inevitable but I still don't understand why it was not the two Kent matches. They missed a trick there.

So why where not the Good Friday challenges against Lakeside League Matches? They often were in the Elite days. Stock cars have always been there and in Elite days they had either 14 or 16 home matches plus a KO Cup or two before the end of September. This year we have only 10 NL plus 2 NT and 1KO over the same period.

Well it looks like they will have no choice but a double header because they are riding every Saturday from next week until cut off date which I believe is Sept 25th. We still have to fit in the rained off fixture with IOW. It seemed logic to me to make it Kent for the obvious reasons rather than two different teams. The only reserved date is Sept 30th if they extend the deadline but if that fixture is not met in time it could make the difference between finishing 1st or 2nd and having choice of Semi opponents.