jim3751

Strong personality. Speedway through and through.

Reference was made to using petrol instead of methanol because of its combustion advantages to bring costs down. Its main disadvantage is that as it is more volatile it could result in serious fires.

What a joy this thread is. When I returned to speedway in 2002 I wanted to find out more about the machinery and I've found out more from this thread than I ever had in the last 13 years. Thanks a lot .

I've never had a problem with Nigel and Kelvin but after Monday's farce I really wanted some comment. Didn't anyone tweet them a question about it? I kept winding it on to miss the pointless fillers and just as pointless interviews. Add to that the fact that this was yet another select team with 3 guests and I could't be bothered with it.

Yes they do. There have been a number of complaints from Premiership football clubs who have criticised having to play on Sundays and Mondays. Also the fact that they have staggered starting times to fit in with TV schedules. Sky (and now others) pay big money so they get a big say.

Sky are on again on Wednesday and I just hope the weather is 100% better and with the heatwave forcast all will be forgotten. But I would like to see Nigel and Kelvin discussing the matter while it's fresh in the mind. I know they come in for much criticism but can anyone doubt their enthusiasm for the sport? After the meeting they must have been gutted. I have no way of knowing but it wouldn't surprise me if they were told at the outset FFS be enthusiastic and promote the sport no matter how dire the conditions. The worst meeting I ever saw in wet conditions on Sky was one from Ipswich. They were just riding around in mud. I wonder how Chris felt about that but I guess we'll never know until Sky drop speedway for good.

You've got it. The intermediary who should be the representative of the clubs so that Sky get a good product.

This has turned into a blame the team/manager we don't like but really every time this sort of nonsense happens it is supposed to be the neutral clerk of the course or referee that has to make the call. BUT THEY NEVER DO. Ronnie Russell the Sky track rep pokes his oar in and they always carry on. Nobody has the bottle to tell Sky that the meeting has to be abandoned. Even in Heat 10 it was so dangerous that Holder nearly wiped out Watt in a non race. What a joke. Then Nigel and Kelvin have to waffle on with their bland tosh to fill in the remaining time.

Why is Ronnie Russell involved ?

Yet another meeting bolstered by guests and track specialists at that. Well, Ben should be! It'll be nice to see PK and Stuart again but is it Belle Vue? Who cares?

Of course the Garrity/North decision could have gone either way but it seems to me that GPs are judged by different standards and that should not be the case. Riders are more aware and know when to move out and if they lose a place - tough. It's racing. There's a GP rider who some years ago would regularly fall off in the league when undercut. Now he doesn't and he's a far better rider for it.

Not only that but you have a banked track and good viewing close to it.

It looked fairly innocuous when it happened so good news indeed, not only for Rye but Lakeside as well. Very impressed with Jacobson and Lykke and good to see Boxhall getting back to form. So that's 2 out of 2 excellent meetings (IMO) this season. If Lakeside can't race at Arena whenever it closes why not move to Rye? I'll get me coat

You and me both Bryn. Looks like we're the last of the optimists

This is timely.I was about to ask the tweet followers to let us know the 1st rider to break ranks. This is a rare landmark moment indeed where no rider can even be tempted to release anything regarding their feelings on something so big.

If ruts are going to cause the riders to question track suitability then I can see a big can of worms being opened. As for the starts why are we still using a mechanical method? Money is already being shelled out on air fences new silencers etcso why not add transponders for riders? 4 tamperproof units would be supplied for a race with -say- 8 spares. Any problems?

Andy and Scott at Eurosport did the best they could not knowing what was going on. Andy even said he was trying to access twitter but to no avail. So accusation of waffling is very unfair. And bear in mind that Scott only started full time last year yet was never stuck for something to say - which is what a broadcaster has to do. Dead air is not an option. And just to show how much attention is paid to the commentary Kelvin and Nigel even got the blame for referring to the "highlights" when all they did was the race commentary. The highlights - for that was what the races were compared to shots of the spectotors - had to be shown again and again.

I'm going tonight because the weather looks good and I want to see Max Fricke and Ben Morely again but honestly this isn't Swindon is it? If it was cricket it would be called Swindon Select As has been said - let's not go there.But surely a situation like this must be addressed sooner or later.

And he wouldn't have got that if Pederson had ridden Arena as he can. I think it would it be fair to say that in the 10 years or so since Greg rode regularly at Arena he has not progressed one bit.The trepidation at the 1st bend said it all. I wonder what he thought when he saw the fixture list

I found this track whilst on holiday in 2002 and it re introduced me to speedway since the 70s. I found it more by luck than anything else because it was before the satnav and in the dark. I followed a car with a speedway sticker and even that was lucky because the driver drove like a rally driver around the twisty lanes. I remember parking on a pretty steep hill then getting boxed in but the racing was fantastic due mainly to a young Chris Harris. I drove to the area the following day in daylight and couldn't see any obvious signs of it's existance.

Good to see Edward still racing his Rookie Rod - and being successful http://www.spedeworth.co.uk/news2.php?id=1780

Can anyone steer me towards the official declaration that Darcy Ward is finally suspended. I've searched for it on the SGB and Sky sites but can't find it anywhere

Lots of people inside the UK pronounce the letter H as Haitch but that doesn't make it right. I wonder how the Swedes pronounce it The best commentator is always the one who isn't on the box at the moment

So he parked his bike on the track did he? Didn't see that on TV but that's what riders did in the 60s when the riders were heros and the promoter in the double breasted suit was the big bad villain.

I see they were still advertising tickets for the British GP on the 12th July. Hope they're heavily discounted