Grand Central

Not easy. Just the ONLY thing that could ever get the win

Drop back and help him ... That was the ONLY thing to do.

I don't understand those tactics at all. Let Laguta go and muck up emil. It was Millik all over again. Stupid.

Not sure she has grasped an awful lot about the sport> TV people are a funny lot ... finals are so important despite the fact that they render many of the earlier heats redundant and birds are chosen for interviews because of their ... brains?

Now, is anyone going to call for Cook to be brought in !!! What's the betting with Roscoe ?

Well you're half right.

So on the whole still a pairs meeting very similar to this and to the World Pairs of old. Just without the daft stuff added on top. Not sure myself. As someone else has just said. The lack of public engagement with this type of format should be factored into the thoughts strongly. World Championships in empty stadiums dont make much sense just because some folk at the FIM have such dogmatic ideas.

Really? ... what are you thinking that would be?

Yes, I had to laugh when Peter Oakes wrote this week in the Star that the SON was not the biggest event in Manchester on Tuesday. Surprise surprise. As The Rolling Stones were playing at Old Trafford ! As if it were a close second ... I imagine Wetherspoons saw more patrons than the NSS.

And no one would say otherwise. But WHEN Tai is THREE times world individual champion. That would trump it. I reckon.

Quite possibly. If they can pull it off tonight AND with Tai looking like this could easily be another World Championship winning year ... surely the idea that he be called the greatest British rider ever is actually just around the corner ?

Winning just makes everything look different. Getting to the final is still going to be tough. So this incredible score will give them such a good chance tomorrow. They still may be the ones that benefit from having a final. If they do get there we do know they have it in them to do it. Fingers crossed.

Now this IS looking good

so this team riding thing. shall we leave it till tomorrow before we bother with that.

A 4-2 with no team riding will do, I suppose.

Cheers. Often, there is a policy of 'seeing what happens on the first bend', or as you say letting one opponent go and concentrate on the minor places. In the earlier parts of the meeting when total points are still important getting to the front and trying to dictate the race by slowing it down from there to let your partner through can come into play Here, in the final though, right from the start you should be trying to optimise your chances of getting one opponent to be last as the main tactic. Choosing gate positions with that single objective and setting out with that plan. After the first bend/lap you may never get a better chance. Sacrificing your top guy to do it is a gamble but a sensible one i would say. The fact that they are trying to do it to you, while you are doing it to them ... Will be interesting. And as Iris says ... The ref may not view it kindly. As I said on Tuesday if you are clear of warnings by that stage a bit of movement at the start to put your oppo into the tapes wouldn't go amiss either, as an option.

I actually didn't say I had a problem in this discussion. This is the rule created for this meeting. OK it is not my preference. But who cares about that now. We need to work WITH it to win. I was highlighting the totally different tactics needed from 'usual' deciding races. As Mr Millik proved on Tuesday, when the riders is not too bright ... It loses the race for his team.

Again true. But going for a 5-1 still encourages the pair to ride for the win. Nothing else. That just not whats needed here. The key to this 3-3 scenario is totally different. It encourages the exact opposite tactics . Tai off gate two in the final can 'sacrifice' his race by clamping the guy on the the inside to the kerb, almost to the a standstill. He doesnt care if his partner or the other opposition guy streak off into the sunset. And the positions of those two guys are irrelevant ... Tai just keeps the hapless guy behind him. Half a lap behind. And England (sorry GB) are world champs ! Actually , now I've written it ... Let's hope that is just what happens !

Many a time. True. But it the great majority of those instances a race win would have sufficed. Only under this (and other infrequent pairs contests) is it that a 3-3 will do but ONLY if the opposition has a guy made to come last.

You are right of course. Nothing could beat the poles if they are on that form. But it still is technically true that GB getting 4-2s right through to final would still be a winner. Fantasy land i know.

Tbh I think we have all got a bit obsessed with 'team riding'. We never usually go on about this so much with league racing as we have been doing here. I would want a British win above everything else. A 4-2 in every race, right though to the final, with Tai winning by a mile and Lambert scrabbling a third place ... That would would do fine. If a bit of team work brought that about, fair enough, but it is the result that matters not marvelling at 'synchronised speedway'.

Regulation 3.4 states that if a medical certificate is available for injury or illness and the Jury approves them a replacement is allowed. There is no distinction made for the rounds or the two days of the final.

Thanks for that. I do love the 'of course' bit ... when (apart from this thread title)it has seemed to have been avoided by everyone in print and commentary in any terminology used. Edit .. I do see the FIM regs state it Is.

I got that first time. But is this an official 'World Championship' ?

I made my mind up as the details were presented to me. As each snippet of information was made available the flaws were instantly obvious. if the ideas had been good i would not have been able to 'make my mind up' in that way. But time And again the FIM/BSi have made it for me. And IS this a world championship? As far as I have seen only a couple of Speedway Star reporters this week have inferred that. No one else seems to have the courage of that conviction.