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Quick glance at the averages, Belle Vue had the highest team average at the end of the season, if they dropped Hagon (no longer eligible) for Shimelt, they'd still be 3 points over the limit. I wonder if some higher averaged riders may ride for one team & lower averaged riders find it easier to race for 2 clubs?

My idea would be riders racing for Kent in the league would also race for Kent in the trophy, so no clashing of riders. Imagine if Cairns made his debut in the trophy only & guested 3 times in the league, he'd be starting on a 3.00 average this season (if only league matches count).

I'll disagree, there is an option to ride in both if another club assisted them? For example if Kent said, "we'd like to ride in both competitions to make it more worth our while, we don't want to rent a stadium for only 4 meetings a season" what's to stop Oxford for example saying, "ok in that case we'll go in the Trophy & you can take our place in the league" Maybe they didn't ask, maybe no current team thought to offer. All they would've been doing is replacing 5 home league matches for 5 home trophy matches, helping Kent & giving riders more matches. For the sake of new stand-alone teams etc I'd like to believe such a scenario would be a possibility.

I'd be happy with Roynon if there was only 3.50 available, but there's gotta be better options nearer or above 4.

I didn't realise Mark Riss had retired, just assumed he carried on racing on the Continent.

It isn't easy making strong looking teams, especially with a low points limit. But I notice you never give alternative teams or ideas to strengthen a team I've put out, just keep telling me they're awful! It's very easy to say a team looks bad without suggesting a better one, anyone could do that. If you think my teams are so bad & must clearly think it's easy to pick a stronger one, why not show me how to do it, you could easily say "how about rider A&B instead of C&D etc.

You wouldn't, this would be the plan if they couldn't find a part time top rider. For example I don't imagine they'd want to sign a 5 point rider, start 3 points below the limit & hope they have enough points available for Nicholls once he's fit.

I'm not sure why you're confused, but I can't help that, except try to explain my ideas. My suggestion wouldn't have required Kent to find 7 new riders, the current NDL riders would just be shared around the 6 league teams, like happens every season with transfers, plus any newbies.

Kent would sign 7 riders who wouldn't ride for anyone else. These riders wouldn't be looking for a second team as they'd be getting double the fixtures just riding for Kent. You wouldn't even need any extra riders, currently there's 6 teams x 7 riders so 42 riders needed. If Kent raced in both & another team went into the trophy, still only need 42 riders to cover both competitions. As for Lynn's replacement (if it was needed) maybe one of the league clubs would be happy with 4 home fixtures instead of 5. Or maybe Scunthorpe / Sheffield would race 2 home matches each instead of 3 & 2 if entering the Trophy? Mind you if a league team entered the Trophy to even up the numbers, they wouldn't end up with less matches than the league sides would as both competitions would have 5 teams. But that would surely be a better alternative than a 4 team trophy (3 home matches each). Hopefully Lynn do enter & alternative plans aren't needed.

If Oxford can't find a top rider to replace Nicholls, how about a solid team with strong reserves instead? Sam Masters 9.15 Cameron Heeps 6.37 Jordan Jenkins 6.21 Dan Gilkes 5.08 Nathan Ablitt 4.91 Jacob Hook 4.19 Luke Killeen 3.85 Total 39.76

Best rider I can see for Workington's last rider would be Jake Mulford, but I'm guessing he'll be back at Redcar, so Jacob Hook would be my next pick. Unless they find a suitable 4.00 newcomer.

I don't want to discriminate because of age. If he wants to try & make it as a rider, he has every right to. Same as 30 somethings Luke Crang or Jason Garrad etc.

If you read Peter Schroeck's comments about Riss, he thinks he's good enough to be a number one. If everyone was a positive as Peter, you'd wouldn't be worrying about not having a number one lol! Can't find the link to share / quote from, darn!

There's loads of 3 point riders who guested in the NDL or rode in Nora matches to fill reserve spaces if needed: Owen Booth, Max Broadhurst, Billy Budd, Josh Couzins, Kieran Douglas, Jacob Fellows, Lee Harrison, Nathan Hargrave, Wayne Hutt, Chris Laidlaw, James Laker, Rhys Laker, Nick Laurence, Eli Meadows, Sam Ward, Morgan Williams, Charlie Wood & Sam Woods.

Those two points don't really clash though? What has someone wondering how the averages work got to do with riders getting track time? You can be very happy riders are getting opportunities whilst still curious about averages.

Would've preferred 6 man teams (5 rides each). Also a tad surprised Kent didn't enter both competitions. Wonder what the plan is if Lynn don't enter, will a league team go into the trophy? Delighted that riders will get more fixtures, well done to all the teams taking part, especially Championship ones as this fills some blank dates in the fixture list.

I wondered that to.

The fans can make it viable by turning up in the same numbers they do for Championship fixtures. Here's hoping they do.

I agree, brilliant post

Paco was a heat leader last year (3rd in Monarchs averages) although rode in a second string spot. If Kyle & Lasse are of a similar ability, why does Paco have such a higher average (than Lasse especially)? I know it makes sense in Speedway terms (with the points limit), but it must sound odd to a non fan if you said "it would be good to have Paco back, just not on that average" then you'd have to explain to them why you'd want Paco back if he performed poorer last season, but as he did much better you don't want him back lol!

Thorsell very nearly qualified for the GP though. Certainly can be good on his day.

I think he's better than Schroeck & Ermolenko.

Of course I omitted Fellows' scores, they weren't relevant to my post. I was commenting on previous posts suggesting 5 riders each was better for development & someone thinking "surely teams wouldn't give one reserve more rides & one 3 rides only". Oxford didn't break any rules & were entitled to do what they did, my comment was based solely on riders being taken out of rides, to answer the previous posts.

Catching up on my old Speedway Stars & here's some interesting comments by Peter Schroeck after the KOC semi final against Redcar, especially in light of Boughen leaving Oxford. "All the boys got stuck in on Friday. Last time (there) we didn't have Ashton Boughen, who is phenomenal, he loves it around Redcar. Ashton's background isn't from speedway but in the early training days I could immediately see that he had determination and a clever racing brain. I don't take too much credit for it but I have worked quite hard with him and he is loyal, so I'd like to work with him for years to come. He's got some good guys around him in the team, which is important. Having only been in the sport for two-and-a-half years, it's a hell of a task riding at No. 3 but he has been awesome over our last few meetings."

I think Foord would be better off taking RS guest bookings & hoping for an RS spot if someone loses form. If he signed at 6 for Sheffield, then that opportunity would be gone. If he has a good season then bound to get an RS spot in 2026 you'd think?