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Lewis Kerr has averaged 5.71 (6.29) in his 7 matches for Sheffield this year. That is higher than his starting average. Just because he's had a poor away match, doesn't mean he should get dropped imo

I'd leave r/r at 3, Riss at 4, King at 5, Riss takes a r/r outing in heat 12. Meetings will end up with: Ht 12 Riss Ht 13 Wright & King Ht 14 Riss Ht 15 Wright / King / Riss

Whoever guests, may not be as good as Edwards, they just have to pick who they think is the best available. Like someone else suggested, r/r could work at home, but less successful away.

If Edwards isn't fit, how about Mitchell McDiarmid as a guest? Rode well for Oxford at Poole!

Even if the new signing decides he is Australian & not British, Edinburgh are still doing more for British riders development than any club who didn't enter the NL/NT. Plus last year they held a NDL series individual when they didn't have to.

With Masters at 5, racing in heat 13 may help keep his average below Becker's?

Whoever finishes 8th in the GPs is going to be an incredibly good rider, just because someone doesn't finish in the top 7, doesn't mean they shouldn't bother entering. There are more than 7 world class riders in the series, so there will always be brilliant riders who don't finish in the seeded spot for 2026 and that's before you even consider injuries. Why is trying to get another way in unfair? If GP riders & non GP riders enter the qualifiers to ensure the best make next year's series, what's unfair about that? If non GP riders can't get into the GPs because they lose to GP riders in the qualifiers, then that means they're not good enough for the gaps right? For clubs like Sheffield who want to sign international superstars, it comes with the knowledge they may miss meetings when racing elsewhere, not great for fans of British Speedway, but that's just the way it is now.

How about for away tracks?

By then you've got them hooked, hopefully

It's never nice for riders to get injured & naturally I wish Luke all the best, but as it happens so often on Speedway, it's hard not to think about how it will effect the teams plans. Now that Becker has done to 2nd in the Lions averages, r/R should cover well (though I wouldn't use it at number 2). It's always hard to know how long a rider will be out for as some make miraculous recoveries, possibly too early for their own safety. Hopefully Luke will be fit enough to return before the end of the season.

I wonder if because in recent years the FIM / SGP have picked weaker riders due to their nationalities ahead of riders who performed better in the GPs (Fricke, Madsen) do more GP riders enter the qualifiers now, as being born in the wrong country could hurt their wild card chances? An Aussie can no longer think "as king as I'm top 9 I'll be next year" but a Czech or German can think "I'll get a wildcard even if I'm last"?

You would think for Ipswich's benefit they'd want Sheffield to lose? Maybe should've had an agreement, Brennan can guest for you, if Holder then guests for Doyle?

Don't say anything, if they are new to Speedway they'll just assume Brennan is a Sheffield rider.

I totally understand that, mind you if Kvech got injured in heat 2 without using r/r Lynn would still be up against it. Ignoring the possibility of injuries, I'd say they're stronger using r/r, but using a guest will help if anything went wrong for any other rider for sure.

So the 8th best rider in the world doesn't get to race in a competition for the "best riders in the world" but 3 riders who weren't good enough to qualify will receive wildcards? It would be better for the bottom GP riders to meet the top qualifiers in the GP challenge, so people can qualify by right. Getting distracted from King's Lynn vs Sheffield, so Holder missing doesn't harm Sheffield as they'll be in the top 4 regardless of the result.

Given that Lynn could fill the r/r rides with riders who have higher averages than Blodorn, thought r/r would be the strongest option?

Drop the injured Wood, replace with a 4 point rider, this allows Hagon to drop to reserve. When Wood is fit again, can go to Edinburgh to replace Parker? I know it's not Berwick's prerogative to worry about Edinburgh strengthening up, but they'd have the knowledge a rider they are dropping (who has done nothing wrong) won't be without a team place for long, as I'm sure no club likes to leave a rider on the sidelines.

Why not just have a 5 heat individual (each rider sits out a heat). Only one extra race, but as each rider gets each gate position, fairest way to do it. As it is now, finishing 3rd in race one is no worse than 2nd, then finishing 2nd in race 3 is no worse than 1st. With the mini individual every heat counts.

According to the unofficial averages, Kildemand will get a new average of 7.71 next Saturday. That will leave Berwick 2.15 under the points limit. Will they look to strengthen up?

I don't understand this part "Erik informed us this morning that due to his Landshut meeting being called off he was now required at GP qualifying practise" Can anyone explain? It sounds as if his Polish match has priority over GP qualifying practice, but his British match doesn't? I'm guessing originally Riss could make it to the Landshut match, but GP qualifying must be harder to get to? Has this ever happened before, a rider due to ride in Britain on a Saturday, has to miss the match because a Polish League meeting the following day was postponed?

I'm pretty sure Glasgow could've used 2 guests, no requirement to use r/r. Oxford we're going to run with 4 guests before Heeps got injured, then using r/r for him.

Very surprised by this result. Glasgow's top 4 not doing their job collectively. Brilliant by Poole.

Not sure about the team managers decision not to give Masters the tac sub ride! Ok Jenkins was missing in heat 13 - just use Hook, then Sam as a tac sub for Hook in heat 14!

Should mean less gaps in the fixtures for the rest of the season though

Most fans are complaining about Oxford using 4 guests & a r/r, you don't normally get so many objections if there was one rider missing from both sides. You seem very negative to my question would running a NL fixture instead of the Champ fixture have worked, but you've never once said what you would've done? Run the match as it is? Postpone it for another day? It's very easy for you to dismiss any suggestion I make, but you never make an alternative suggestion?