Silver Bee

Going for the sympathy vote about rounds he's missed to try and get himself a wilcard?

I know - the irony

Fantastic first bend by Freddie to keep that tart out the GP's

By that I assume you're implying that it isn't

That's because they are principally the same company, many of the top BSI boys are the top boys at IMG so very little will change.

I hope so - was soo good last time I'd be gutted if I couldn't go next year.

They'd have to win the run-off though

It's possible to be world champion in the old format on 10 points too, meaning it can be done without winning a single race It's just as likely as someone winning the world championship in the current format without a single race. What a joke

Thank You for proving my point so well. Awarding the league title to whoever finished top of the league gives a fair representation of how a team has performed that season yes? Just like the GP's. The play-offs allow a team in a good run-off form to sneak in in 4th and still have an opportunity to win the league, much like the 1 off world final. Someone could sneak through the qualifying rounds in 8th, even ninth if riders end up injured but hit form on world final and win the world title. According to you that's amazing, but in principle it would be the same as the 4th place team being on blistering form and winning the play-offs

No it is that simple, so why complicate it? FIM hold the rights to the speedway world championship as it currently stands. That is THE bottom line. Speedway is different because of the league structures, on that much we agree, but the FIM do NOT take that into account. Whether they should or not is a different matter all together but from their point of view they are doing nothing wrong. For them if they lost speedway, I doubt it would be a huge loss with the other disciplines of sport they hold rights too. OK I can see that they wouldn't lose the riders, but would it be fair unless the leagues came up with a positive alternative solution for the riders not be able to compete for the world championship. They would effectively be blocking them from earning even more money and denying them an opportunity to become world champion. Personally, I don't believe the leagues are in a position to take on the task of running the GP series, let alone the fact each of the 3 separate entities that would be involved would all want different things for their own country. In principle it could work, in reality I very much doubt it would be a successful way forward but that's a matter of opinion. BSI do a good job, they know how to attract big crowds, big sponsers e.t.c to the event. They were the ones bold enough to take the GP's to the Millenium Stadium and Italy e.t.c and it's paid off for them. There are lots of promoting companies in the world that may well do a better job than BSI, but ones that would be interested in the SGP? I very much doubt it.

No YOU are missing the point. FIM own it. It's THAT simple. Who they employ within FIM to govern over the speedway world championship is entirely up to them and no-one else. The FIM could impose a rule on voting on such issues to only allow major speedwaying nature a vote, but that's up to them. Whilst you may not think it's fair because you've lost your beloved world finals because of it, there's nothing you can do about it, FIM have done nothing wrong. If the FIM want the GP series so be it. They want speedway to fit in line with other sports they govern over and the GP series is the way to go. Why on earth would these leagues want rid of GP riders? They are the big name draws at the end of the day and they're the riders that bring the crowds in. Say in 2007 the british Swedish and Polish leagues ALL banned riders who ride in the GP. You think that would have a positive effect on both speedway in these countries and the world championship as a whole? If so, how? Would the BSPA and the Swedish and Polish governing bodies all join together to create a world championship with a world final? Dream On BSI do a good job at running the Grand Prix series. I'm happy with the product and the standard of racing it produces and Cardiff is a sensational product of BSI's entry into speedway, which wouldn;t have happened with the 1 off world final.

As it stands, it's the FIM speedway world championship yes? They chose to sell the rights to promote their championship to BSI. The rights to promote the speedway world championship were theirs to sell. The FIM still own the rights to the 'speedway world championship' whilst at the same time letting BSI promote, so surely it's up to them who votes on the format of the competition, regardless of how many meetings their country may have in a season. However I see no reason why a rival world championship cannot be set up with a different name. Who would want to try nand take on BSI/IMG though?

Why? Because Nicki Pedersen is winning the world title by a fair way? Because Crump did the same last year? and Rickardsson the year before? All 3 of them could quite easily have scored a 15 point max in a world final on the form they've each shown in the last 3 last years, would that have been predictable if they'd romped to world titles on world final night? Just as a matter of interest, what are your views on the play-offs? Better to have a fairer indication of how good a team is over the whole season don't you think?

Because they've been given the power to do it by owning the rights to the Speedway World Championship. If a business didn't take an opportunity like the one presented to them, or paid for by them, they wouldn't be a sucesful business. It doesn't matter how many old-timers on here campaign for the one off world finals, they aint coming back. Times have changed and the GP's are here to stay.

At the end of the day, BSI/IMG are businesses. They are in it to make money, quite simply. They would be mad to change from 10/11 money making GP to just 1 money making meeting.

Well Done Nicki. Superb year and well and truely deserved

So why did Jarek Hampel qualify last year?

Lubos finished 1 place outside the qualification place in the qualifier. Whoever finishes 9th in the GP series has done the same. It's not like Lubos has more right to it because they acheived the same

Surely if Adams' pulls out it goes to Scott and Not Lubos?

I'm waiting to see Subedei's reaction when Scott finishes 9th but Adams retires

Wishful thinking?

Can't wait to see Pavlic

True, and that much I'm not arguing with Scott's biggest problem at tracks like Bydgoszcz is he lacks speed. Really isn't profesional enough with regard to bikes, equipment e.t.c and that's his biggest problem. Until he decides he wants to be a world champion, rather than it 'being nice if it happened' - he'll never even get close.

Yeah, its really difficult to stick your back wheel on the bouncy castle and give it a handful