ladyluck

It's questionable whether there is really enough money in speedway to support the senior GPs. They'd struggle to stand alone, without the riders getting income from the domestic leagues.

Maybe when the golem gets back from his trip to the land of make believe you'll have better luck.

Well, a week later and Falubaz aren't on the box, but the tastiest Ekstraliga treat of the season so far is as Gorzow welcome Leszno to their refurbished stadium. Should be an absolute belter of a meeting.

That's a translation of the Polish expression for speedway. I believe it has something to do with track material.

Is this just a one season thing? I only ask because the provisional FIM calendar for 2012 seems to have one of the qualifiers for 2012 being staged in the UK: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/12/projekt-kalendarza-fim-na-2012-rok-final-dmsj-w-polsce-imsj-/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhgTdarhw8mfvn68-ZqAtgc6BWU3RQ Apart from the obvious inclusion of Argentina in the World Under-21 calendar, currently under discussion in the International section, it seems that one of the early GP qualifiers will be staged in the UK next season.

Ole Olsen thinks there could be up to EIGHTEEN GPs in 2012: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/13/ole-olsen-odpowiednia-liczba-zawodow-w-cyklu-gp-18/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhhgcBoyD0jIvRj_EIp0dXjlRpoOWQ

I've said before that the SWC is my favourite speedway competition and no doubt it will provide some excellent racing this year. I just can't see it being competitive when the final comes around, or the race-off if Poland don't emerge as winners in King's Lynn.

And the result is an official investigation by the Ekstraliga authorities into Leszno's track preparation ahead of the meeting: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/12/klub-z-leszna-wytlumaczy-sie-za-przygotowanie-toru/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhh0786m1GdCLa87-oSSObw9LePYCg It appears that an hour before the designated start time the referee deemed the track unfit and Leszno had to undertake remedial work to get the track into the condition that was finally raced on.

I think you're deluding yourself if you really believe that. None of those riders was capable of holding a place in the top eight of the GPs last season and the Poles will be weighing in with three of the top four of the GPs, assuming Holta has made peace with the authorities. The SWC is a bit of a non-event this year. Look what the Poles did to Denmark in Gorzow last year.

Don't meetings there go on into the early hours of the morning? As for Bavarian's question, it could easily be Brandon. I think Brandon was scheduled for one this season, but it was switched to Wimborne Road while the future of Brandon's club was in doubt.

I wonder who is going to be footing the bill?

Looks like the Pawlicki brothers could finally be about to get a regular gig in Poland as they cut a deal with Polonia Pila from Liga II: http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/11/bracia-pawliccy-jedna-noga-w-pile/ All it needs now is for Unia Leszno to rubber stamp a loan agreement with Pila and the Pawlickis will be riding for Pila, where I believe Jaroslaw Hampel started his career.

Why would you think that? I understood the FIM and BSI/IMG wanted to increase the competitiveness of the "wild cards" and the best performing "wild card" of last season was a Pole. As I understand it, the hosts of a GP get to nominate a rider and this is then subject to the approval of the FIM. In past seasons such approval was more or less a given, but it seems more scrutiny will apply henceforward. I'd be a bit more concerned about the abject performances of British "wild cards" over recent seasons, if I were you.

The thing is, Lindgren's very hit and miss in Poland and usually more miss than hit. He only scored three points last week and the way the track was today I wouldn't have thought he'd have scored much more.

Not anymore. You jinxed him.

Defeat for Bydgoszcz in Liga I today, with Sayfutdinov being overshadowed by Antonio Lindback for Rybnik: Rybnik 48 : 42 Bydgoszcz Somehow or other Nicholls and Gniezno overcome His Holiness and Lodz: Gniezno 50 : 39 Lodz And finally Grudziadz narrowly defeat Gdansk: Grudziadz 47 : 43 Gdansk

Looks a bit chilly in Tarnow. Perhaps the friendly Falubaz fans could chase everyone round the stadium to warm them all up?

I think the track just needs a bit of water.

Indeed. Leszno are the Bulls and Torun the Angels. It seems the fans at Rzeszow are a bit unhappy that the team makes no mention of the historic title of the club, Stal. This year has seen Wroclaw incorporate the historic "Sparta" into the team name.

The Tarnow club logo is a stylised swallow in flight. Tarnow are the "Swallows", just as Poole are the "Pirates". Tarnow's near neighbours Rzeszow are the "Cranes". Poor stuff from Kasprzak there.

Synchronised pogoing from the Falubaz fans. Hope they're behaving themselves this week.

His Holiness has spoken: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2011/04/07/jacek-rempala-nowe-tlumiki-ciezki-temat/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsportowefakty%2Bzuzel%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1TSEA_ENUK335%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhi5R3LFHCmCtGC8oyEdzbCZcZ8ppQ

No Fredrik Lindgren for the Swallows on Sunday. Lindgren has been dropped from the team after a real bit of a "Carry on" episode from the Swede. He was required to attend a practise meeting between Tarnow and Lodz, but somehow or other Lindgren ended up in Lodz while everyone else was in Tarnow. Here's a link to Lindgren's thoughts: http://twitter.com/freddielindgren Seems to take rather a cavalier approach to the whole situation.

Good, isn't it? Anyway, it looks as if Andersen has shown enough in practise today to keep his place, although the riding order at Gorzow will be tweaked with Zagar riding alongside Nicki P and Iversen racing alongside Andersen.

No news on the "wild card" yet, although Unia Leszno have nominated Damian Balinski, but it seems the track reserve positions will go to Maciej Janowski (Wroclaw) and Patryk Dudek (Zielona Gora) after they were nominated by Poland's national coach Marek Cieslak.