PHILIPRISING

TRUE but TRUE but hopefully the message is getting through. We will soon know.

GARRY was a remarkable character in every sense of the word but was also a very talented and classy rider who could and would achieved so much more had he not been a bit ... well, nuts. At the time he was riding for Hackney the Speedway Star office was in Temple Chambers, just off Fleet Street in London. Garry visited quite often, sometimes dressed as an airline pilot, sometimes as a German police officer or in various other guises. He would drive through German with fake police id. He had a few run-ins with Briggo and I think the gun made a number of appearances. On one occasion he tried to mow down Martin Rogers, then promoter at either KL or Leicester, with his Mercedes. Martin all but smashed the windscreen with the umbrella that he carried most of the time, rather like Chaplin and his cane. Garry contacted us on the day of the 1982 World Final at the LA Coliseum and asked for a pass. Briggo said no. I can remember walking down the slope that acted as the pits towards the track and there was Garry, bold as brass. He had got in okay. He could talk his way out of a cardboard box. He was also involved in a fraud involving herbal tea, and its 'magical healing qualities,' in the US. Like so many, we lost contact and if the stories of his demise are true it is sad. He was great company at times but his whole life was an act. If only he had taken himself and his unquestionable talent seriously.

MOST riders will tell you that the track basically wore out and became a one-line pony. Remedial work required isn't really complex or expensive and will hopefully have been done or will be done by May. Tony Olsson will be there at CoC meeting and is very keen to ensure that track is improved.

THERE will be an FIM Clerk of the Course seminar there in February. Should get an update then.

LIKE it ...

HUGE crowds? Around 5,000 not that huge especially compared to those almost assured in Poland. If the new Belle Vue stadium is ready and FIM certified by 2013 the SWC final will almost certainly go there. Don't think there is any threat to the SWC. A World Pairs has been discussed and it would open the door to a few more countries to be represented at the top level but the calendar is a bit unforgiving these days.

PERHAPS it is not so much about making money as not losing it, unless the SWC Final is held in Poland every year. That's the reality these days. Ole Olsen lost money when he last staged the race-off and final (remember, it is two meetings that the hosts are responsible for) at Vojens and the Swedes have never been prepared to stick their necks out without the guarantee of home participation. We can all argue that it would be better if that were not the case but we aren't the ones writing the cheques.

NOT keen on Aussies then? AS I posted ... Incidentally, I have no idea whether it did or did not have a bearing on his decision TO the best of my knowledge Ward never specifically declined the offer for a wild card place simply because of his decision to sign a contract with Torun although it would be foolish to think that wasn't a major factor. However, I do know for a fact that even before he was officially offered a place he was making it known that he didn't think he was 'ready' for a place. Quite obviously Ward is ready in terms of his riding ability. He proved that in Torun and to a lesser extent Gorzow. When asked about Ward the newly crowned World Champion Greg Hancock said his ability was scary and he doubted whether even Darcy knew just how good he is and will be. Ward repeatedly pointed out that he didn't think he was ready off the track and that he didn't have all the components (bikes, mechanics, organisation, etc) required by a GP rider in place.

edit: Posting removed due to court case...please do not comment on it. Thanks Henry ... that's a bit like a footballer remonstrating with the referee to get another player booked.

NEW Zealand riders won 12 World titles between 1954 and 1979 but they never had a World Final. Bjarne Pedersen and Antonio Lindback are both in the GP this year because they went thorough the qualifying rounds and finished in the top three of the GP CHallenge. As did Lindback, Laguta and Lindgren in 2010. Zetterstrom and Holder before them and so on.

WHAT has the lack of a GP in Argentina, Australia or the USA got to do with it? Fortunately scores of riders young and not so young disagree with you and set about trying to qualify. Perhaps you should tell them there is no point coz it an't happening. As I said earlier, the case of Lindback suggests otherwise.

YOU are right Iris ... British Final, Commonwealth Final (in England every year) and Inter-Continental Final frequently here too. Not much travelling there. Even the Eastern bloc didn't go too far before competing in the Continental Final. Or the Scandinavians. And it just isn't the cost to the riders. For many years I sat through meetings of the CCP at the FIM Congress when they allocated World Championship places and venues. Each year it became harder and harder to find countries willing to fund early qualifying rounds knowing that they would lose a stack of money. Which is why the whole process became more condensed even before the SGP was introduced. And you cannot deny that it is possible to get through. Look at Antonio Lindback, he has achieved in two years ion the trot.

TELL that to those who have made it through in recent years. They obviously thought it was worth it. As must all those who enter the qualifying rounds each year. The fact is it is not a closed shop. Tough to get into maybe but not impossible.

BUT there is nothing to stop the British from staging such a qualifying round en route to the British Final and then on to the GP Challenge and qualification for the SGP itself. It is up to individual countries to determine how their riders qualify for the final stages... that much hasn't changed over the years. The fact is that such rounds have proved too costly to stage and have been binned but if the British wanted to give every licensed rider a chance to take part they could.

WELL put Henry ... the FIM still allocate places in the qualifying rounds for the GP Challenge just as they did for the old style World Championship and it is up to individual countries to determine how their riders qualify for those places.

AM I missing something? Aren't there still qualifying rounds, starting in Australia next month. Hardly a closed shop.

IT'S being so cheerful that keeps you going. Thought you hadn't been for a while so obviously haven't experienced the FanZone. Thankfully, tens of thousands of fans don't agree with you although no one will disagree that the hotel prices are outrageous but's that supply and demand for you.

SOMEONE staying at the Thistle Hotel in Westminster, for example, couldn't walk to Wembley in 10 minutes. Not blinkered at all. Weekend in Wembley or Cardiff? Only one winner for me.

BET you cannot walk to the stadium in 10 minutes ...

DOMESTIC seasons won't have started in Poland, Sweden and Denmark when riders travel to NZ and they will be back for Easter weekend. A single rider travelling to a domestic meeting hardly equates to a full blown GP. There are many plusses with regard to Togliati. Super stadium apparently, on a par with Torun, and a chance to spread the GP gospel. Said it was impractical to travel by road. The transportation of riders and all their equipment in and out of NZ in the space of a few days will hopefully show what can be done and could potentially open several other doors including Russia.

TIME mainly. Ice racers don't compete in Sweden on a Tuesday or UK on a Wednesday or Thursday or Poland on a Sunday. Impossible to fit that in with a road trip to Togliati to be there on a Friday and out Saturday evening.

THE major issue with Togliati is not so much visas for those travelling but the actual logistics of getting there and back. It is simply not practical, or indeed safe, to make the long journey by road. Flying in and out (perhaps from Warsaw) would seem the most suitable solution. It would also enable the riders to be back in Poland on the Sunday morning and able to fulfil their Polish league commitments.

DON'T think it is that easy to tell the Russian authorities anything. One thing that the FIM seem to forget is that riders cannot simply hand over their passports for several days in order to acquire a visa. It does, however, work both ways. I recently had a conversation about the Laguta brothers and their problems getting into the UK this year and was told that the British Embassy in Moscow needed to have their passports for at least two weeks in order to process their applications for visas. Their problem was also compounded by them leaving it late, seemingly unaware of the process. But due to their commitments in Poland and Sweden they couldn't relinquish their passports. Am quite happy to raise the question with someone from the FIM asap. Hoping to have a pint with Tony Steele shortly and will see what light he can shed on it. But getting visas for Russia remains a major hurdle and one that the authorities in Togliati, who fancy a Grand Prix round, must overcome. Unless they can agree to flying the whole shebang (riders, mechanics, officials, equipment) in and out, with all visas pre-arranged, they will never get past first base.

HOW many World Final venues required a track to be laid? The LA Coliseum ... but then it doesn't rain much at that time of the year in LA.

DOESN'T he win that every day?