mikebv

Not as exciting as F1..

Got to love Emil haven't you...?

Wroclaw, like the NSS, has an American Football pitch inside it.. Maybe that's the secret everyones been missing..

Scotts comments should resonate around British Speedway.. What the track 'used to be like' was narrow and passing at a premium.. Give Speedway riders a track with wide entrances and exits to wide bends, and just enough dirt to pass but still be smooth and safe, and you have great racing.. We seem to pride ourself in technical, difficult tracks.. Which invariably deliver pretty poor racing..

Just enough grip on this track.. Looks like a few 'spinning up' too depending on which part of the track they hit, so those behind never feel out of the race... Superb sport when done well isn't it?

Sadly no, but to be fair the domestic shared events and the international events, do seem to attract more fans (many of which from around the country) at the NSS than would be the case if held anywhere else... Bar maybe Glasgow as they do a great job promoting such occasions.. Sadly it would appear that too many years of 'Mickey Mouse/Guestfest' Speedway has taken a rather large toll on the levels of support the sport now has, by eroding the enthusiasm of many followers to 'buy into' what's on offer as a legitimate sporting contest with real meaning.. Hopefully the NSS can build back some of that support base with such exceptional racing, and the sport can do its bit by making what's on offer a credible sporting experience to help deliver this much needed crowd growth..

I watch the Colts at the NSS and the racing is around 2 - 3 seconds slower than the Premiership.. The racing is great and only by the announcer telling you the times of the heats do you realise the time difference... Stick four lads of a similar ability level on a race track that is conducive to deliver decent racing and you will be entertained... Stick four lads of a similar ability level on a race track that has too tight bends and too long narrow straights, and you invariably will not be as entertained.... And those lads could all be the best four riders in the World providing the low level of entertainment, whilst four 'juniors' could be the four lads providing the great racing.. Even teams, with close racing ran on tracks that allow passing opportunities, has to be the overall objective to deliver 'the good night's racing' that a Speedway promoter should be offering up as his or her minimum aim.. That 'good night's racing' should then get supported by a wider evening of off track entertainment to keep the punters engaged.. Do that well and no one will notice, or even care, that any of the riders on show are not GP stars, or even that many of them are not even international class.... Fans would just go away from the venue pleased with what they had seen and, more than likely ,be willing to return to get more of the same. .

Spot on.. The story behind the story is invariably always more interesting..

I've run several retail businesses for over 30 years.. And the customer is always right.. Even when he or she is a complete and utter first class f***wit of the highest order!!! If they pay you money, then look after them and they will probably come back...

Could be very good this... Heres hoping..

Looks like a cracking crowd and atmosphere in Lublin.. Do the clubs provide the T shirts free or do the fans have to buy them? Certainly looks impactful having so many thousands of fans in club colours..

Lindback always seems to be a liability when it comes to the crunch.. Both, team and Individual meetings..

Yes, on a warning and only moved a fraction.. But moved... He watched the replay in the pits and turned to the camera and tapped his head several times with his pointing finger and shouted.. "What a f*^%ing idiot!"... Gave the impression he didn't agree with the refs decision..

In such a holiday destination it makes perfect business sense to run weekly especially through the school hols.. They also seem to focus on making the Speedway just one part of the overall nights entertainment package rather than the only thing on offer.. You get out of it what you put in, in most things in life.. More power to the IOW's elbow..

Nicki not impressed by that exclusion..

That would surely have to be the standard Steve.. I would go as far as five man teams.. No 1 - A current Prem/Champ Heat Leader No 2 - A current Prem Second String/Champ Heat Leader No3 - A current Prem Reserve/Champ Second String No4 - A current Champ Reserve/ NL Heat Leader No5 - A current NL Heat Leader/Second String.. Circa £3.5k the lot per night max.. £300, £500, £700, £900, £1100 per night per rider.. 16 teams, regional split, race home and away twice in your region and once in the other region, and you get 21 home matches ex play offs.. Just 80 riders needed would free up plenty for replacements for poor performance/injury cover.. Maybe the other clubs not in the 16 then run as NL standard alongside some 'second teams' like BV Colts, and run with six or seven man teams to increase opportunities for development..?

I think you would be surprised just how important EVERY sponsor is to balance the books... Attendances alone at the vast majority of tracks simply don't cover the costs.. And good crowds sometimes only go to offset the poor ones (how much did Poole lose in the Ipswich match alone, was it over £20k that was quoted..).. Hopefully all recouped last night, but it shows that getting weekly (guaranteed) sponsors money, means a constant income stream, which supports the club when the fanbase can fluctuate so wildly week on week..

Things are going so well down on the South Coast now, it looks like Poole will 'Hoover up' another title... Unless of course, something pulls the rug from under them.. I'll get me coat..

Got to hand it to the Poles... NOTHING gets in the way of their Leagues.. They know who holds the real power in the sport.... He who pays the piper calls the tune.... The FIM look quite spineless against them don't they?

The car is currently parked outside Tescos... He's setting off as soon as he can find 50p to put in the slot... Bit of a decision to be made though whether to drive the Postman Pat one or the Fireman Sam one.. The Postman Pat one has the better accompanying song but the Fireman Sam one has a big bell... (Which is more appropriate maybe?)...

Wow.. Didn't know Bruce was such a cricket fan..

Now I don't believe you are being quite honest with everyone on here with this posting JCF are you? Personally I am quite happy to give you the benefit of any doubt that you could make it at 'close of play' from Birmingham to Poole for the start of the meeting at the required 'light speed'... However... Your travelling through the required 'wormholes' of deeper Space to reach your destination, I can accept... But a girlfriend? Really? Come on JCF, what do you take me for?

Spot on... When riders rode in both of the top divisions it was to give them a chance to develop their ability against better riders, to see if they could make the leap into the top league permanently, and then further into international class, once they became established top division standard riders.. Now it's simply done to allow riders without Polish and Swedish contracts to make money, and all it has done is result in some clubs racing on nights they would prefer not to, to accomodate these riders' earning potential and deliver a fixture list driven by when the riders are available to ride rather than when the customers will be available to attend. .

Finals now are contested without a track grade in the GP's, as those who run it finally realised that most finals when given a track grade before they are ran, became a gate and go non event on a smooth one inside line track.. And we hear time and time again on commentary that "racing will improve" as a dirt line appears... Therefore, as you suggest, make that dirt line appear from heat one..

Interesting to see the new BSI Boss at the NSS on Monday... Maybe with Cardiff running in September, if a success, then could there be another GP in the UK? Maybe the first one so a large gap between them and it would set the series off with a cracking start as we know the racing will be "out of the top drawer"... With the additional seating I would think around 8000 -10000 would be possible, wasn't it 7000 at the SWC?, and I am sure more seating or standing could be added to that.. I think September might actually benefit Cardiff given school holidays have finished and it's the penultimate one so, hopefully, everything to race for.. Be good to see two GP's in the UK to raise the profile of the Sport further, and the NSS and Cardiff would give a perfect balance between one delivering superb racing and the other providing the 'flagship event'...