mikebv

And then flood it....

Surprised PTA hasn't mentioned it yet.... "Needless to say, I had the last laugh" - Alan Partridge. Bouncing Back..

Patryk Dudek not too impressed with Phil's track preparation, in the Speedway Star.. "We spoke to Phil Morris before the event to make sure he was careful about watering. The track is so loose and the hosts added some shale to it. It was a complete disaster. We fought throughout the race to get Phil to stop watering. When he finally did, the track was safer and the final races were actually enjoyable. We were flagging up the issues but we don't have the power to make a difference".. Not just us watching then that have the same opinion..?.. A good article from Peter Oakes too, re Northampton and the NKI coverage issue... He certainly has become more challenging of those in charge more recently, (in a constructive way).... He must come on here....

Their track is now "shocking" when once it suited "proper Speedway riders, not throttle jockeys".... Good to see Will Cairns' score last night, there does seem to be a bit of a "pile on" for the kid, now and again, from some, for some reason... As with all the young UK lads, just let them develop and see where they end up... The sport is desperate for more supply than demand so if these lads only reach tier two second string status they are playing their part....

The FIM pretty much let all disciplines market themselves, and don't have much involvement in the day to day running of each discipline... The FIA do a similar job in car racing... Give the event their official licence, then sit back, and count the money paid in to them...

I thought so to, and also thought it would be a great idea... World No2, pretty much guaranteed to hit you 12 and over at home, so would "protect" races, thus keeping the score close at worst, and do it from the back if needed... A "new hero", for the kids in particular, to latch onto... I thought, given it was a "collective", who made it clear how important it was to launch a sixth team, that they would have sorted them out a very competitive team.. They seem to have settled on two number 3's, three second strings, and two reserves...

Track shape looks good, just more of an outside run needed, and I am sure that will develop.. They could do with a couple of "racers" in the team I think to utilise the whole of the track... I thought maybe Kurtz or Bewley would have been allocated to them... Two riders happy to use the boards, and two of the best three in the world, so something to sell to the locals if either had ended up there...

I would suggest most fans in the country support a "losing team" given the same teams, in both leagues, seem to reach the play offs each season now... "Winning at Home" being the priority for most promoters, and is the key to their tracks being able to ensure their "die hards" come back regularly... Enjoying the racing, and the social interaction... Northampton have only really been seen to have been beaten "once" in the eyes of most of those attending that first meeting so far, given their away following will have been minimal at those defeats... They will also be paying out lots of points money from their one income so far to pay for the several away meetings the imbalanced fixture list set them up with, so will need a decent few consecutive crowds at home to help balance the books... The next few meetings will be very important to the success of the venture... Opening a new team in a sport with such a small national following, with minimal public and media awareness, and making it work, is a massive challenge... So, best of luck to all involved, let's hope most of their opening night crowd (the locals within it at least), stick with them.. Edit. And as for needing 10 wins for it to not be a "one season wonder", even if the crowds settle to around not too many below 1000, that would run a decent level Championship team next year.. The landscape of UK Speedway could be very different next season.. The success of the long term venture is very much linked to the next few home meetings...

I wouldn't get too focused on the winning or losing given it is UK Speedway... You will spend the season, by the looks of things, using the other five teams' riders most meetings, so "success" or "failure" (on track) is a moot point... Success off track is key..... Looking at the opening night crowd, history of openings suggest crowds will settle down to around 700 - 1000, which, for a top tier team is going to maybe not be break even, however, that opening night income will offset what is only a short season, so hopefully it "wipes its face" and puts in strong foundations for many years of Speedway... Those who already have followed the sport will be vital in supporting the venture regularly until a local fan base is built of those who are new to it ..

Good meeting that.... Swedish Speedway delivers the closest and best racing for me... Some very good, well shaped, tracks,

Is the 2nd reserve race a cost cutting measure? Saves paying out for four HL's in Heat 14...

In the Speedway Star NKI said it could be up to 12 weeks before the doctors give him the all clear to fly... Possibly 3 months of not even a six month season?... Ridiculous... They need some support given its a brand new venture with zero "recent" history... Luke Becker doing well in Sweden tonight...

Don't be modest Dave, I was very impressed ..

Dave speaking fluent Swedish!!!!!

Doubling Up has increased the "Guestfests" massively.... Get injured on a Monday and you could miss Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday... Meaning. Four Guests needed or RR.... Less riders per team could be an improvement as it would create "subs on the bench".... Most, if not all, of those without a team spot will already have jobs elsewhere so it won't be like they are investing in kit with no income... Just use a rider who hasn't got a fixture that day anywhere in Europe... Build a pool of "Loanees" who are not affiliated to any UK team who can come in to cover short-term... The near 200 Guests used last season is well on track to be smashed this... I wonder if Dan will be hit financially by his Polish team too...?

I always laugh on threads where 2 point reserves get blamed for defeats when they don't score... That's TWO points dropped... One more point each from the top three, who make up the biggest portion of the team average, would more than cover that... Yet, No's 1, 3, and 5 scoring a collective 25 or so isnt called out the same... HL's are paid to win races, meaning a minimum drawn heat, two point reserves are paid to beat their opposite number the two times they meet.

Imagine needing "someone else" to suggest you actually do those very, very, basic things....?

Swedish Speedway is back....... Always a decent watch....

Maybe there is a case for new teams getting a few extra points towards team building? Maybe 5%..? Given they initially don't have home track knowledge it would even up the playing field somewhat . And, hopefully, provide some home victories early doors into the tenure... And it's not like UK Speedway isn't adverse to a bit of contrived rules and regs..

Good post... EVERY meeting should have at least four races of "development" racing, featuring four riders.... You only need to watch 150cc and 250cc coverage on YT, from five years or so ago, of riders who are now holding down HL positions in the Championship, straight legging into the bends before bringing the arse end round into a skid... Now these lads hit the bends full on sideways and never switch the throttle off.. Lap, after lap, after lap, after lap, after lap, of practice is the only reason they are now where they are... Like anything that anyone has an aptitude for, the more you do it, the more you improve... The practice though will have been driven by them, and their parents, with no clear development structure ran by the BSP... Criminal how many riders have been lost to the sport given the opportunities provided for overseas riders... Who are either no better, not much better, or, when they get good, clear off...

As Mark Lemon said... "We need the sixth team for credibility"... If any of the Monty Python team has said it, we would be quoting it for the next fifty years!!!!

Should have gone it alone at least a decade ago... I was bored the other day, (retirement can do this to you), and found myself looking at the British U21 Final Results from around a decade ago, as I was curious to see how many riders are left in the sport... As "there are not enough riders to have one league".... Very, very few from around 2014 - 2018 (I didn't check any further), are still riding.. Some of the names, quite high up in the scoring, were unknown to me, and had beaten some of the riders still riding, and doing "OK" today... These lads would now be 28 - 33 ... Surely a fair % of them would have developed to the required level (they definitely weren't " wobblers"), if they had been given team places, rather than giving those places to journeyman foreigner after journeyman foreigner, who have ridden over here using a "revolving door" system... The GP lads are great to watch, but even that can get boring, and certainly are not cost neutral over a season when you measure the revenue they bring in.. UK Speedway should simply have cut its cloth accordingly and opened their businesses on days that their potential highest amount of punters would come through the doors.. Probably too late to sort it now, ssdly...

Me, my mate, and mine and his lad, will be there next season.. Helping the local pub economy... Always loved visits to Portman Rd... A bit of "old school" proper football stadium feel about it... Unlike that monstrosity in London that hopefully will see West Ham playing Championship football next season.. Good to have Ipswich back....

Sounds like pretty much every town in England... #moneylaundering... #jobsforillegals... #cashinhand... #notaxpaid....

It is UK Speedway, so maybe it's both?