PHILIPRISING

SORRY but I haven't got a clue! Just going to breakfast at our hotel in Kolding and it is a dry morning. The covers will have done their job hopefully.

OLDER Pawlicki now sidelined with a badly broken leg ... won't be many left when it's time to leave for Argentina

16.30 local time here and it has stopped raining. But it has been lashing it down. Thanks heavens for the covers. Should be okay tomorrow. Lots of people, including riders, sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Not much to do here at the best of times but under a grey sky and rain it's pretty dismal. No indication from Bjarne Pedersen that he won't be riding.

THE stadium would be primarily for soccer but with more general usage as well. But, as you say, money is tight in Riga as well as the whole of Latvia.

PEEING down here in Kolding this morning and at Vojens about 25 miles away. The covers are down and it is forecast to rain all day. Will be very surprised if practice goes ahead. Should be a break in the rain tomorrow, especially the evening. Imagine covers will stay on for as long as possible.

THINK they have tried just about every month at one time or another but it ALWAYS rains in Vojens...

THERE was some talk about a new national stadium but that was put on back boiler when their economy headed south. Perhaps it is back on the cards.

DRAW will take place in Haderslev at 14.00 local time. This is the one GP when the programme will include the riders in draw order as it is printed just down the road! Mind you, the weather forecast (surprise, surprise) is particularly poor for Friday. The covers will down and practice must be in doubt ... not that any of the riders should need reminding of the way round Vojens.

UNLESS he gets through the Challenge...

I WOULDN"T have thought they had done too bad this year especially with Monster Energy on board and, judging by their reaction, that can only get bigger. Stockholm will be interesting. Think BSI will throw a lot at it knowing that the weather cannot intervene and should be on a par with Copenhagen and Denmark. But one problem that remains is that none of the Swedish riders are true superstars like Rickardsson was. If he was still in his pomp Stockholm would be rocking. Cardiff is a much more cosmopolitan speedway audience. The Danes and Swedes like to see their own at the top, as do the Poles of course. Probably the Brits as well judging by the Olympics and Paralympics but we have long become accustomed in speedway to not having that luxury.

THE date is definitely right

JUST one or two 'minor' items to be sorted out. One, I believe, is final approval for the temporary grandstand which caused some problems this year. Booked my flights today... flights for riders have been reserved. But it's your call

POSITIVE as ever ... good to have you back! AGREE on both counts. No worries about the weather is a huge bonus anywhere and particularly Sweden.

I ASKED Paul Bellamy this morning and his answer was that he hasn't signed any contract as yet. No doubt it is in the cards but one thing I have learned over the years is that nothing is certain until the ink is dry. If it happens it will be the replacement for Vojens and IF the series eventually goes to Riga I wouldn't see that as a step backwards. There is already one new (an old one really) big city next year and that's Stockholm with one of the most advanced stadiums in the world.

NO contract signed as yet ...

THE very same! In actual fact, various people including yours truly are encouraged to provide an opinion but, at the end of the day, it comes down to a consultation process between BSI (Paul Bellamy) and the FIM (Roy Otto, head of the CCP, and Tony Olsson).

HAD a long conversation with the man who does make the decision over the weekend and I do know for a fact that NO decisions have been made.

YOU do NOT know for a fact that Tai will be invited because the decision has not been made. Far from it. And nor is it certain that AJ will not get a call should he, as is likely, finish outside the top eight. Nothing is decided yet so please do not allude that it is.

NO need to exclude AJ as he didn't finish the race ...

BECAUSE Hampel effectively missed five rounds and otherwise would have cruised into the top eight after a second and third in the first two GPs... and the same reason why Sayfutdinov got a wild card after an injury-ravaged season. Not sure how much AJ actually wants it. He is a tough guy to read, puts his heart and soul into it but there is always a suspicion that he just isn't hungry enough.

WOFFINDEN'S form in Poland (where I think he has been using GMs rather than the Jawas he has in the UK) this year has been much improved. If there has to be a Brit - and I don't necessarily subscribe to the view that there does - he is the only logical choice.

ACTUALLY I don't have any inside knowledge and so much depends of which riders get through the Challenge. Just guesswork along with everyone else but I just don't see AJ as a shoe-in if Lindgren and Lindback are already there. Hampel is probably the only cert at this stage and rightly so. Great to have him back on Saturday, a top class rider, ultimate professional and a really nice guy. He's the only one I would bet my house on ...

MALILLA are hoping to fund a major redevelopment of the G&B Arena which would actually see the back straight grandstand demolished and replaced. I would be very surprised if the SGP series doesn't return there in 2014 with Gothenburg off the calendar. Incidentally, the Malilla club will be heavily involved in the GP at Stockholm's new national arena next year. With regard to the Pedersen/Jonsson incident, everybody has and is entitled to their own view. However, I would just say that many who criticised NP after only seeing it live had a different view later in the evening while watching the highlights show on Swedish TV.

WOULDN'T bet my house on AJ getting a wild card if he finishes outside of the top eight, especially assuming two Swedes already in.