BTFC LION

Depends which part of the county you come from, south its cov as you are on the edge of Warwickshire, north you are on the edge of Nottinghamshire.

They were originally know as the brafield flying foxes, before the name was changed to the brafield badgers.

There have been a few incidents, mainly just kids breaking windows etc, only 1 incident where someone tried to pinch a tractor, that was organised as they had a low loader parked on the industrial waiting for it . But this latest vandalism, criminal damage is way above anything that has happened in the past.

If that is a reference to me? I was not sacked! I left !!

It's not Nigel.

I wouldn't think so as it stands on what would be the 4th bend.

Yes i am aware of them, they also have them at Leicester I was just saying its alot of work needed, with various things, in a short space of time. Track wise it would need someone like Buster to go in and do the initial setting up of the track, I'm sure whoever is thinking about going in there as a speedway promoter has already thought about it all.

Having worked at Northampton last year I would say its not quite as simple as you suggest. No changing rooms, no showers, no refs box,(but is a building that could be used) . Foam fence is needed, but also wooden fencing to be made for the straights as that is steel plate aswell, plus some way of padding out the rope and post on top of the outer fence. Earth mounds with steel plate would all need removing on the inside of the bends. Then after all of that you need staff, licenced officials. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see it happen.

Just a thought, all the championship clubs signing riders, are the signed subject to confirmation by the league?

To save me reading through the rule book, what are the average discounts for a rider coming out of the rising star programme, year 1= ? Year 2= ?? Year 3=??? I understand british riders get 2.5% discount, is that on top of any moving out of the programme discounts??

You could be right, i was just using the fact that mildenhall were told they must have a foam fence to join the league, northampton track is near enough the same as mildenhall, so I'm guessing the same rule would apply. Unless they back track of course?

I agree the safety fence would be the biggest investment. The track is nearly all clay, so would need a good bit of work to make it smooth, wouldn't take long to do, maybe use more of a shale surface than clay. The stock car people have pretty much all the equipment that would be needed, if speedway were allowed to use it?

Northampton its 396 metres. The bends are slightly banked. The track has steel plate full circuit, plus rope and post, just like mildenhall. There is on office over looking the track that could possibly be converted in to a refs box. No air fence, it would probably have to be a foam fence as the track inspection at mildenhall stated for them to join the national league, wooden panels would have to be made for the straights, like coventry used to have. Start gates could be fitted quite easily, bike pits would need to be built. Showers would need to be put somewhere. Lots would need doing.

Just read the Oxford statement, it says only running 2 teams next season, but it doesn't say in which league the cheetahs will be in, ?

Who ever decides to try and go into Northampton will need very deep pockets. Track wise there would need to be a lot of investment, other facilities around the track are very good,

I know the rules, i have to read through them every season. Birmingham are well within the rules of what is required, In my head a water bowser is something that can soak a track in 4 or 5 laps, putting say 5000ltrs of water down. It is a very loose description, some tracks have tanker lorries, others have big bowser towed by tractors. Some have a smaller sprayer as I call them just to use to touch up parts of the track when needed.

There is no water tanker that i am aware we can use, there is a sprayer that is used all day, but it will never soak the track enough.

A very simple answer, no water tanker!!

Yes he was honest and open in the interview. To try and answer you observation about watering before ht1, This is only a guess as I do not know, but many times in the past after track walks riders request no more water, if you have attended lots of meetings at Leicester you may of noticed me waiting at the pit gate after track walks, then Stewart would pass on the info, a bit more around the outside of the bends or 2 laps the whole track or none at all. Another factor would be the strong possibility of rain , i think it was ment to arrive around 2pm, but can never be definite on timing, so you trust the weather apps, go out and water, then you look stupid if the rain comes early, and then the meeting get abandoned.

Thanks for the mention, track curator is the dirtiest hardest job in speedway, Dry dusty, to wet, not enough material, to much material, you use your experience to try and get it right, you think you have cracked it, then it bites right on the arse.

I can't speak for the club, as I'm no longer involved with the track prep, however I can tell you there are 6 drain pots on the infield, I am aware that atleast 5 of them are piped to the 40ft container buried near the 2nd bend, each pot used to hold about 6000 ltrs, couldn't tell you what the container holds, sure someone could work it out, but they will most likely be empty as there has been very little rain of late. As for the pond outside, that is just tap fed, not great, it would take a good 24 hours to fill from empty. It's the same water feed that supplies the stadium, so when the public enter the stadium that tap has to be turned off, otherwise the toilets ect would not work. For Thursday, if it was me I would of had the tap on all day today, taken water from the pond and put it in the big tank, do that for the next couple of days and it should be fine, then you have a full pond plus tank, water the track from the tank during the day of the meeting, then the pond at night time, if the pond is clear of silt and rubbish you should get 12 to 14 bowsers, and probably 6 from the tank at guess. I'm sure it's already been thought of so should be OK.

Not it wasnt watered ,simply because it had been watered from 6.30 am until 6.30 pm, if more had gone on after that it would of just sat on the top surface , making puddles which riders definitely do not want, they get filled in . In fact we were asked to try and dry it out abit with the grader at ht7. In Poland they have very different tracks, very different equipment, even the material. In my opinion watering a track is a very dark art, 1 bowser to many and you have materials that turn to slop, not quite enough then you have dust.

Having put an extra 20 ton of material on it on Sunday, and ripped up the outside for grip, I wouldn't say it was completely slick, yes the inside went slick, but that happens at a lot of track.

Sorry but you only get 1 day to do a track, dog racing all other days.

If time money and weather were not a problem, I would shorten the straights by bringing in the kerb on both ends, banking the track from airbag to kerb, By doing that it would enable riders to enter the bends on different lines hence giving them more options while in the bends. In the winter I would hope to get the motor blade on the track and do as much as we can to get rid of the off camber on turns 3 and 4.