Conkers

Line up for The Amur Region Governor's Cup, Sunday 27th November, 2011: They haven't made the draw for start numbers yet. Roman Akimenko (Blagoveshensk) Pawel Tschajka (Blagoveshensk) Sergei Logachev (Blagoveshensk) Roman Pavlenko (Blagoveshensk) Alexander Turovets (Blagoveshensk) Alex Jelenia (Blagoveshensk) Constantine Starosel'tsev (Rajchikhinsk) Andrei Ivanov (Ussuriisk) Vladimir Momont (Ussuriisk) Basil Luhovoj(Ussuriisk) Alexander Kotlyar (Ussuriisk) Anatoly Komarov (Ussuriisk) Peter Shevchenko (Ussuriisk) Arkady Shalavin (Ussuriisk) Vladimir Matyas (Ussuriisk) Andrei Selifonev (Khabarovsk)

The Russian Premier League will have six teams this season, following the return of Miner Uchaly after a season out of the sport, with relegated Lukhovitsy and a team from the Far Eastern Region of Amur, Blagoveshensk taking part. Speedway-Amur have signed Roman Akimenko and Pawel Tschajka as their main riders and will use local riders in the reserve slot. There would have been seven teams but Kumertau had their application rejected. Teams: Speedway-Amur Blagoveshensk, Miners Uchaly Samara Mordovia 2 Saransk Lukhovitsy Izhevsk There is an Amur Governer's Cup meeting on 27/11 at Blagoveshensk with the opening Premier League meeting the weekend after 3/4.12 There is something about the track and the meetings from the local Amur paper here but you'll need to use a translation site unless you are using Chrome

That applies to most of the World Championship competitors too, in respect of the meetings announced. With all due respect to the Dresden organisers, I can see them being forced to use those riders who populate the support meetings and open meetings. Plus a few of the Russians who are available as their season is over by that point.

Thats a shame, you are still going to the Upsalla meeting though?

And will you be there? (Question along the line of questioning whether bears defecate arboreally or as to the religion of the main occupant of the Vatican)

Just noticed that the Ice Racing Finals will get rid of the A,B,C & D finals after each day, and the points system of Finals which have been around since the start of the GP system (remember, the Ice Racing "trialed" the GP the year before speedway!) and we move to the GP system of 2 semi finals and a final, with every point scored counting towards the championship. This is in the FIM Regs for 2012:

Been in contact with Sue Hüttinger regarding this - Kamensk are waiting for the Austrian Federation to OK it. Notice that Ufa have named Nikolai Krasnikov in their squad, and that Ivan Ivanov won't ride for Togliatti, Karachintsev is back instead after his loan spell with Novosibirsk. Spuer League Teams "Mega-Lada" Togliatti - D. Ivanov, V. and D. Khomitsevichi, Karachintsev. Ufa - Krasnikov, Koltakov, Bulankina, Vitrik, Myshkovets. "Kaustic" Sterlitamak - Kononov, Shishegov, Arkhipov, Krisov . Kamensk-Ural - Golosheykin, Drozdov, Taushkanov, Simon , Belousov, Nesytyh, Saydullin, Vasiliev. "Mordovia" Saransk - Baseev, Gavrilkin, Karpukhin, Lushnikov, B. and E. Kosovo, Shcherbakov. "Siberia" Novosibirsk - Korchemaha, Kochetov, Komarov, Zhdanov, Lviv. "Torpedo-Shadrinsk - Rodin, Zelepukin, Novik, Akumbaev, Stukov , Borodulin.

Good Oh! We can put the (Speedway) World right after a few beers then

Hi Rob, no, there is just the European Championship over the weekend of 10th/11th (Practice 9th) and World Championship 16th/17th (practice 15th) From I have been told, they have to have the Stadium ready to be handed back on the Monday 19th, so they have to strip everything down after Saturday and all day Sunday. They are hoping to stage open practice between Monday 12th - Wednesday 14th, subject to confirmation..

I have to be a realist and whilst I'll be at both Assen meetings, I won't be travelling elsewhere as I have to think of sell on. Plus my football commitments "pay the rent" as it were. For the Euro Championship I'm doing a flyer - out Saturday and home Sunday, with a BnB about 1km from the track (The other side of Asserbos). The following weekend I'm staying in Groningen, but we should catch up at the track both weekends. I'll text you the number I use nearer the time

They did have some sidecar exhibition races at Inzell a few years ago, when Kath went with me and John was 3. Kath quite liked them, but did express the opinion that if the Ice Racers were mad, then the sidecars were clinically insane They only had the two 500cc chairs on the ice though!

If I remember in the past, Inzell used to stage their meetings in early February, and only staged a the odd year outside February. I assumed because it was an outdoor Stadium, and although it had a freezer plant they cashed in on the winter sports crowd packing the stadium with the 'regulars'. Now they have an indoor track, they could in theory stage a meeting anytime. I wonder if the Speed Skaters have a major say in the use of the Stadium? They did at the Sportforum in Berlin, where the Master of Spikes were forced out because of the Speed Skating Federation's inflexability. If that is the case maybe the only weekend free clashed with the Togliatti fixture. Incidentally, I heard a good rumour last week that the FIM have appointed Illa Terroma to give the sport a major makeover and a massive push for 2013, taking it out of the traditional venues. Now, where have I heard that before?

If Togliatti put the date back a week, then the Russians would have been pretty miffed, as they have the final round of the Team Championships - both Super League and Premier League on the weekend of 3/4th March.

Looking at Google Maps, it's about 660km from Assen to Dresden, and would take about 8 hours (allowing for breaks) so it's feasible for riders to drive from Assen overnight to Dresden. But if they have a few Russians in the Saturday meeting, would it overshadow the German Championship if they held that on the Sunday? With the Berlin meeting the weekend after (24/25th March) and the European Championship the weekend before, I suppose they booked the meeting unaware of Assen staging two meetings over two weekends. Pity as I'd like to have gone to Dresden, but I'm committed to Assen. I'll say, It's my Birthday!

One problem is the German Championship being ran on the Saturday night. It devalues it slightly if the defending Champion is riding in Assen, or are relations between Bauer and the German Federation that bad that the promoters don't want him? I suspect Krasnikov will ride in Ufa and may be tempted out with the right money. Is Thomas Schiffner behind this meeting by any chance?

Maybe they are hoping that the Friday/Saturday in Assen will be unattractive to those German fans who give the Friday in Assen a miss?

Russian Fixtures finalised: Russian Individual Championship Semi-final1 Sloboda 17-18.12.2011 Semifinal 2 Shadrinsk 17-18.12.2011 Semi-final 3 Kamensk-Ural 17-18.12.2011 Semi-final 4 Ufa 17-18.12.2011 Final 1 Novosibirsk 24-25.12.2011 Final 2 Togliatti 07-08.01.2012 Russian Team Championship Super league, Rounds 1 & 2 Novosibirsk 10-11.12.2011 Rounds 3 & 4, Ufa 21-22.01.2012 Rounds 5 & 6 Togliatti 03-04.03.2012 Premier League Rounds 1 & 2 Blagoveshchensk 03-04.12.2011 Rounds 3 & 4 Glazov 21-22.01.2012 Rounds 5 & 6 Kumertau 03-04.03.2012 Cup of Russia Individual Final 1 Sterlitamak 14-15.01.2012 Final 2 Shadrinsk 28-29.01.2012 Final 3 Lukhovitsy 18-19.02.2012 Final 4 Novosibirsk 10-11.03.2012 Russian Junior Individual Championship Semi-final 1 Novosibirsk 04-05.02.2012 Semifinal 2 Lukhovitsy 04-05.02.2012 Final . Kamensk-Ural 11-12.02.2012 Russian Juniors Team Championship Final Samara 25-26.02.2012 MFR Cup Individual Final 1 Glazov 14-15.01.2012 Final 2 Samara 28-29.01.2012 Final 3 Krasnokamsk 18-19.02.2012 Nationwide and international competitions Far East Championship (Primorsky Krai & Amur Regions) Round 1 Ussuriisk _ 28-29.01.2012 Round 2 Far Spassk _ 11-12.02.2012 Round 3 Dalnegorsk _ 25-26.02.2012 Round 4 Blagoveshchensk _ 03-04.03.2012 Vladimir Tsybrova Memorial Meeting Luhovitsy 25-26.02.2012 International competition (Sverdlovsk region Season Opener) Kamensk-Ural _ 03-04.12.2011

The FIM released the 2012 dates today: 14.01.2012 OeAMTC World Championship Q. Round 1 St. Johann Austria, 28.01.2012 PZM World Championship Q. Round 2 Sanok Poland 28.01.2012 MFR World Championship Q. Round 3 Lukhovitsy Russia 04-05.02.2012 MFR World Championship Final 1 Krasnogorsk Russia 11-12.02.2012 MFR World Championship Final 2 Ufa Russia 16-17.03.2012 KNMV World Championship Final 3 Assen The Netherlands 31.03-01.04.2012 SVEMO World Championship Final 4 Uppsala Sweden 25-26.02.2012 MFR Team Ice Racing World Championship Final Togliatti Russia So, no Team semi, and Russia stage a QR and three big weekends.

Poland would be the logical; choice, but Sanock have the World Championship QR followed by the Sanok Cup, so where else could they stage it? Also I heard last week, the FIM may only stage one round of the World Championship in Russia, as they have a World Championship QR and the team Final. Still no sign of the confirmed FIM dates, but they should be out in the next week or so, as the Russians appear to be getting impatient to confirm their dates

I think we said that back in March, Doug, when it was being talked about. The Semi wouldn't get a big crowd without the Austrians as the German team are without Bauer. But the sooner that Stadium is staging finals the better. The economics of that place staging the Semi Final would be astronomic, as they wouldn't get a big crowd to cover the costs IMHO.

Enjoy your retirement Mark, just hope to bump into each other at the races sometime.

The results are on the Buxton Hitmen Twitter Feed

It looks like the Russians are to organise their Championship over three rounds in 2011/12. So far the provisional dates for the Individual events are: Dec 17/18, 2011: Individual Semi Finals: Lukhovitsy, Kamensk-Ural, Ufa, Shadrinsk Dec 24/25, 2011: Final 1 - Novosibisrk Jan 7/8, 2012: Final 2 - Ufa Feb 18/19 2012: Final 3 - Togliatti They have the teams for the leagues set, but the MFR are waiting on the FIM to issue their fixture list so they can finalise theirs. Poland have moved the Sanok QR and Sanok Cup back a week according to eSpeedway to 28/29th Jan 2012, but the FIM need to ratify it.

Berlin may be off the FIM rota for the forthcoming season, but they are staging a Challenge Meeting on 24th/25th March 2012 More details Here

The FIM will issue their full fixture list in October, and this will be followed by the Russian fixtures. However, Motorclub Assen made a major announcement. 2012 is the 90th Anniversary of the founding of the club, and it's also the 40th Anniversary of Ice Racing being introduced at the popular Dutch venue. To celebrate the club will stage TWO Ice Racing events in March: March 10/11 - The European Championship (Sat: Semi Final, Sun: Final) The first time it has been staged this far west March 16/17 - World Championship Final 3 (Fri: Round 5, Sat: Round 6) FIM Provisional Fixtures: INDIVIDUAL: Jan 14: World Championship QR 1 - St. Johann, Austria Jan 21: World Championship QR 2 - Sanok, Poland Jan 28: World Championship QR 3 - TBA, Russia Feb 4/5 World Championship Final 1 Krasnagorsk, Russia Feb 11/12 World Championship Final 2 TBA, Russia Mar 16/17 World Championship Final 3 Assen, Holland Mar 31/Apl 1: World Championship Final 4: Uppsala, Sweden TEAM: TBC: World Championship Semi Final, Inzell, Germany Feb 25/26 World Championship Final, Togliatti, Russia I'll post fixtures when I get them unless you can add any!