Conkers

Please say Hello, as I'm staying at the same Hotel as you, ask Ron to point me out!

Okay then, with four weeks to Assen and five to Berlin, are there any more of you who have decided to take the plunge to try and get to the Ice Racing? I know there are a few who usually decide after Christmas, so I'm sure that we can arrange something for both venues. Best place to meet in Assen is the Main Bar under the Grandstand, but in Berlin, I think it's a bit hit and miss, although the food stalls at the back of the first and second turns is quite good (although I'm sure someone can suggest a better place?). BTW Toonarmy084 - send my best wishes to Mark for the Qualifier this year in Saransk (or Penza or Sterlitamak or Ufa or...... )

The results from Ostersund taken from Inspeed.de Ivan Ivanov (Rus) 15 Danil Ivanov (Rus) 14 Marcus Skabraut (A) 12 Dmitri Bulankin (Rus) 12 Harald Simon (A) 10 Max Niedermayer (D) 9 ----------------------------------- Sebastian Gegenbauer (D) 8 Per-Andres Lindström (S) 8 Sven Hollsten (NL) 7 Paul Johansson (S) 6 Johan Lundqvist (S) 5 Simon Gartmann (CH) 4 Heinz Göldi (CH) 3 Claude Gadene (F) 3 Jo Saetre (N) 2 Josef Kreuzberger (A) 2 By my reckoning, the top 6 go through, with the highest scoring 6th place rider getting the 16th place in the first round, and the other two reserves for R1.

Excellent stuff! Thanks Liverstam. I trust you'll update the results as and when? Are the site carrying live results too? EDIT: Looks like the Russian QR is next week in Saransk (11/12.2.2007) (From Inspeed.de)

With any luck, the semi is on in Ostersund Sunday, and practice should be on today. Any of our Swedish Friends able to give details?

According to the Assen Site, the alternate date/venue is Sterlitamak on 17/18th Feb I suppose that the Austrians don't want to travel a long way to see their man, so the economics of it are sound. Also reading the Assen site, they have moved the European Championship to 17/18th at Utsaly (Sp?) in Russia, which now clashes with the first two rounds of the Golden Spike and the Swedish Championship. One can only admire their persistence in trying to salvage the season, but frankly it is now a joke.

Good luck to Mark Uzell in Penza. (Waves Union Flag furiously!) Looking at the Draw, there are eight Russians, who will all get through. As for the others, Zorn, Serenius, Svensson and Aakko. The other eight are all so close together I think Tuinstra, Tony Klatovsky, Bauer and Simon with Skabraut and Flyktman as reserves. Anyone care to predict differently?

Lets not count the chickens mind.......

It also looks like today's Flims meeting has been moved to 24th Feb too, and Saalfelden are attempting to stage their round on the 3/4th feb or the 17th/18th All in all, it looks like the season is falling rapidly to bits.

This thread makes me more and more depressed. The season is rapidly shrinking into two months, and even that looks shaky. At least with the artificial tracks we will get some racing in March, but if the Russians are now rescheduling meetings..... Heard on Radio 4 this Morning that it was 4'C in Moscow and the Russians are amazed that the temp is so high. So much so that some of the migrating birds are still in the Moscow parks! We have had high winds in Manchester today (and one of the Brats at school thought it clever to set off the Fire alarm, so we had to stand in the yard in the wind whilst the school was checked) and it was bitterly cold, yet the winds are set to drop, and they are saying a mild weekend. But considering it's January it still warm!

I bet that Saalfelden don't want to run after 3/4th Feb, as with Inzell a few kilometers up the road so to speak, to run the weekend after would financial suicide for them. I put my money on Oulu taking the round the following weekend, and Inzell being packed with frustrated Ice racing junkies desperate to see a race this season! Just hope they can run in Divisov this weekend! At least we can look forward to the Team Final in Russia, unless they are having a sudden Heatwave the weekend after next......

1. Frank Zorn 15 (3,3,3,3,3) 2. Harald Simon 14 (3,3,3,3,2) 3. Jan Klatovsky 12 (3,2,3,2,2) 4. Rene Stellingwerf 11 (1,2,2,3,3) 5. Marian Kreklau 10 (2,2,2,3,1) 6. Antonin Klatovsky jr. 9 (3,w,3,d,3) 7. Frederik Olsson 9 (2,w,2,2,3) 8. Stefan Pletschacher 8 (1,3,2,2,0) 9. Johan Bruckner 6 (0,3,1,1,1) 10. Lukas Rosti 6 (2,1,0,1,2) 11. Graham Halsall 5 (w,2,1,2,0) 12. Josef Kreuzberger 5 (0,1,1,1,2) 13. Peter Jansson 3 (2,w,1,0,0) 14. Thomas Cavigelli 3 (1,1,0,0,1) 15. Zdzisław Żerdziński 2 (1,w,0,1,0) 16. Rene Verhoef 1 (0,0,0,0,1) 17. Jan Pecina 0 (d) Looking at the results, with all due respect to Franky, he is head and shoulders above this field. Good result for Stefan Pletschacher after his injury, and 11th place for Graham is a good result for him. Would expect better of Toni Klabo, but it looks like he had some problems. Any more news on the Saalfelden qualifier next weekend? Watching the Skiing this afternoon from Italy, it looks like they had to pack the snow on the runs.

I believe that the Assen Club are heavily involved in the organisation of the Saalfelden meeting, and they have been able to move the meeting and all the admin to Oulu as they have in the past. With the 21st still in doubt, all three semi's on the same weekend is interesting, but it is decimating the Ice Season outside Russia. Out of interest, is the Inzell track artificial? (Despite it's location in the Bavarian Alps)

To be frank, with all the warm weather, and the lack of racing for the Western riders, I think not only is Krasnikov going to be World champion for a third time, but it will be a Russian 1 - 8 with the best Western riders 9th onwards! Well done to Nikolai - he is going to be difficult to beat!

Spoke to Roger Newton today, he has entered the Norway meeting on March 10th and one in Oluo (sp.) around the same time. There a few Ice Racers who won't be at Assen, so they are all going to Norway too. Interesting that Assen have dropped the Golden Spike meeting, preferring to run an open meeting where they can choose the riders rather than have them dictated

Krasnikov dropping a point to Bulankin - sign of things to come?

Looks like we may have enough for a Forum meet up then. I'm 50 on 17th March so I'm covering the meeting then having a few drinks afterwards. Have to agree with Iris 123 though, Bauer's non-appearance two years ago slashed the gate numbers, and the Erfurt Crowd suffered too, as he was a Golden Spike Competitor I managed to book into the Winters Hotel across the road from the stadium too!

Found the results of the last QF at Ufa Ufa Dmitri Bulankin 28 Sergey Baltachev 25 Artem Samorodov 25 Maxim Zakharov 21 Dmitriy Carpuchin 19 Andrey Shishegov] 18 Nail Galiakberov] 18 Aleksey Zenin 17 Nikolai Ryabokoni 16, Andrey Gavrilkin 13 Sergey Zazakov 12 Ivan Sinichkin 11 Ilya Ruzanov 5 Nikita Alekseyev 5 Rais Miniakhmetov 4 Maxim Carpuchin 2 Eugene Dydykin 1

Posa will be 59 on 9th March, so Friday at Assen will be the usual celebration.

Thanks for that. Also thanks to Niklos for the Semi Final riders

Any sign of the second day at Sterlitamak yet? (PS Can you post the site with the results please?)

Roger Newton was telling me last year when it was snowing he did some testing of his Ice Bike in Buxton. Now if we had a cold snap in Derbyshire........ (Well I live in hope!)

Saw this entry on the Inspeed.de forum: Just in case you don't know the dates they are: December 26. Tu Santa Cup Örnsköldsvik, Sweden 27. We Santa Cup Östersund, Sweden 28. Th Santa Cup Bollnäs, Sweden 29. Fr Santa Cup Gävle, Sweden

Just had a message from Roger Newton, the Brits were training in Sweden last weekend, and Graham Halsall and Mark Uzzell will be riding in the European Championship at Lukhovitsy. Mark will ride in the WC qualifier in Penza the following weekend. Roger will have his bike on Display at the Northern Mortorcycle Show in January as part of the Lancashire Grass Track stand. I do hope that the Brits get some of the Wild card slots in the Golden Spike for 2007, as last year Graham had plenty of support in Assen last year.

Have to agree, DGT, Johnny has come back well after his injury in March. Perhaps he could be a spoiler this year? Mind you, Krasnikov will take some stopping this season!