Conkers

Sorry for not replying soooner, but I've been in Ireland for the last week and access to the internet in Doonbeg, Co Clare was poor to say the least. Berlin is a possibility on my Itinery, but Assen is a definite - seeing as they will crown the world champion there for the first time in a few years! (2001 I think was the last time!)

Sorry there weren't more, but after the first race and the wait for the Ambulance, I had to go, as I had another commitment at 8pm. And yes Steve, I sent them from the car on the way home (he said smugly!)

Oops - so busy getting a cheap flight to The Netherlands, I forgot. Here is the Provisional Calender: 14/15.01 Finland (TBC) QR1 14/15.01 Austria (Probably Salfaalden - organised by the Assen Club)QR3 14/15.01 Sweden QR2 4/5.02 Russia SF1 4/5.02 Germany SF2 (Probably Inzell) 18/19.02 Moscow or Krasnagorsk Russia WC Final 1 25/26.02 Saransk WC Final 2 11/12.03 Netherlands (Assen - due to the fact that the Hortels are all contacting the tour operators!) 18/19.03 Team Final, Germany (Berlin) The FIM Press release still says tbc by all of the dates except the Russian ones

From the FIM Press release, Assen are provisionally set to hold the Final Round of the Individual World Championship on the weekend of 11/12th March 2006. I stress this is only PROVISIONAL, but as I know a lot of Forum members travel to Assen for the racing, this year we Finally get to see the Champion Crowned in Assen So if Bernard Atherton reads this - sorry I've lost your e-mail address but I have found out a week later! Now off to the EasyJet Site......

I did and I'll post them later today.

Interesting point, Bavarian. Perhaps that is why Herr Shifner was promoting the European Championships held in Erfurt over the Easter Weekend with such vigour? That way, there are at least two venues (Erfurt and the proposed one in Hamburg) where a championship could be staged, thus isolating the two "Big Guys" at Assen and Inzell? But could the FIM do without their big payday at Assen (where the crowd this year was 10,000 on both days) ? I think not.

The FIM are contracting out all their World Championships, as Trials and Indoor Trials has been promoted by a Spanish Company for several years. Moto GP and Superbikes all have a promoting company, as does the FIM World Moto X Championship. Simply means that the FIM get an income and the promoters have to sell their product for them. BSI promote Speedway, so Ice Racing is a natural progression and I suppose Longtrack/Grasstrack will be next. But they will have to rely massively on the local clubs like MC Assen, and MC Bayern-Sud to help them out. Plus I don't think MC Assen would want "their" event taken off them As for Ice tracks - most of the ones used in Germany and in Holland tend to be skating facilities, who allow the promoting clubs to use their tracks. I understand that where the tracks are "natural" (ie Frozen by the weather) they tend to be in the colder regions, such as Sweden and Russia (who use either Speedway or athletic tracks). The "artificial" tracks like assen, Inzell, Erfurt etc, have massive Ice Plants to freeze the track and the adjacent Ice Rinks. To stage Ice Racing in Cardiff would mean having a massive Ice Plant to freeze the track for what would be in effect a three day event (Practice, and two days racing). The cost would outweigh the income generated, even if it was full.

I suppose the real traditionalists will want the GP to return to Wembley AND have it staged on a Thursday Night (which was the original night for the World Final - until they realised that Saturday might get one or two more in)

Heat 25 - Russia 61, USA 52, Latvia 31, France 6 I'm sure Dutch Grasstrack has the individual scores on his excellent http://www.baansportfansite.nl/ site

Heat 24 - Russia 58, USA 52, Latvia 29, France 6. Interesting comment on the Russian Site (the only one I can read anyway!) YANKEE GO HOME. Not heard that for a few years coming from the East

They are up to Ht 23 now, with Russia 55, USA 50. Latvia 28, France 5

Bernard Loftus told me this story just after the new track staged it's first meeting. He said that when Ken and he moved the location of the Buxton track in 1995/6 from the centre of the Stock Car Track to it's present location, they used the plans of the old Belle Vue Track and scaled it down to 2/3rds the size. No doubt Jayne can shed further light on this. As for the Old Belle vue, I went almost every week from 24/8/1968 to it's closure and it was the best race track I ever saw. The number of classic races there was phenominal.

Sports Action Radio now have a Radio show which concentrates on the US Speedway Scene. If you use the link above it will take you to a site where you can listen to an interview with New York's Jason Bonsignore. Jason owns the two tracks at Owego and Greene in NY, and is opening a third track near Rochester NY ay Batavia in time for Summer. The show is live between 3pm & 4pm PST (about 1am & 2am here) BUT FEAR NOT, the link is like the BBC Player and you can here it most times of the week. There is also plenty of Video from Costa Mesa speedway to watch. This is an American Internet Radio channel, and you can listen to it in either Real Player or Windows Media Player. Go listen!

Just had this from the USA regarding NZ Rider Hayden Allen NZ rider Hayden Allen, has been paralyzed as a result of being hit by a dumptruck while riding his roadbike to work. The accident happened the morning after Speedway Star described him as having shown flashes of brilliance in a NZ Speedway meeting the previous night. The article said he looked to be a promising prospect. Hayden is only 18 and is a very cool guy. He was living here in Rochester last summer and came down to watch at APE. He was saving some money up to buy a bike and was planning to come back here to NY to race this summer. For anyone who wishes to send Hayden a get well message his address is 47 Rehia Rd, Massey, Auckland, NZ 1008.

That is a major blow to the sport! Riders like Bauer, Zorn, Serenius and Aakko at least keep some interest in what is rapidly becoming a Russian Only sport.

I'm told that Franky injured his foot in his last ride after a clash with one of the Russians, but rode in the re-run. A pity he couldn't maintain his form for Russia, but he was still suffereing the after effects of the Pneumonia. Still, the guy is already planning for next year and how he can beat the Russian jinx.

Taken from Inspeed.de Semi Final Result: 1. Franz Zorn (A) 2. Maxim Zakharov (Rus) 3. Ilya Drozdov (Rus) 4. Sergei Makarov (Rus) 5. Harald Simon (A) 6. Junir Bazeev (Bye) 7. Antonin Klatovsky (CzR) 8. Stefan Pletschacher (D) Final Line Up now reads: 1. Robert Eibl (D) 2. Mikael Persson (S) 3. Stefan Pletschacher (D) 4. Junir Baseev (Bye) 5. Stanislav Archipov (Rus) 6. Maxim Zakharrov (Rus) 7. Franz Zorn (A) 8. Johnny Tuinstra (NL) 9. Posa Serenius (S) 10. Jan Klatovsky (CzR) 11. Harald Simon (A) 12. Sergei Makarov (Rus) 13. Marian Kreklau (D) 14. Pavel Tchaika (Rus) 15. Antonin Klatovsky (CzR) 16. Ilya Drozdov The official site appears to be wrong as it has Toni Klatovsky and Stefan P In the semi and the Final, whereas Speedway.org has a sort of line up with a lot of gaps. Personally, I think Franky will be there or in the top 3 after his improvements of the last two weekends.

Franky Zorn now replaces Verhoef at number 12

Far from retiring to the bar, I was out there for both meetings! And the results are now all up on my site. Also, Motorcycle News will have something on Franky Zorn in next weeks issue for anyone who is having Ice Withdrawal symptoms. (It should have been in this week but some Freestyle MXer got better and started riding again.....)

I just thought you ought to know that Nikolai Krasnikov DID win in Berlin, and was 20 years, 42 Days old when he won. That puts him in the record books.

Did you stand in that small taped off area at the start of the Back Straight terracing? If so, I was standing in there for some photos about Ht 9 - 15, and you weren't that far from Wolfsalyer and his mates who were in front of the stairs.

Sadly, No. I would like to go, but I'm afarid that two weekends at the Ice was bad enough for my wife and Family, a third consecutive weekend would be tantamount to Divorce! If you are going, GSF, enjoy yourself, it looks a good weekend.

Sorry I missed you Iris123, managed to meet up with Wolfslayer and the boys both days. Saturday was a great meeting, but I thought Sunday, whilst having it's moments was a little flat. Posa had loads of problems before the meeting which showed in a couple of his races, whilst Franky Zorn was starting to show something of a retrun to form. He told me he was still suffering the effects of Pneumonia in Russia, and that he had more problems than he could want, which set him back for 2005. Sunday he was on his 2nd bike after the first one had a problem Saturday. His main problems appear to have been suspension related. Antti Aakko was another rider with suspension problems, which were sorted by 1-30pm Sunday when a German turned up with his repaired suspension strut. It was all hands to the pump to re-fit it before the start of the Racing. His performance Sunday was a marked improvement. So apart from Erfurt that's it for another year.

I've finally got pictures from all three meetings in Assen on my site. Finished just in time as I'm off to Berlin in the Morning.

Speedway used to hold the youngest and Oldest World Champions in any form of Track Sport (Speedway, Grass Track, Long Track, Ice Racing), but in 1995 and 2002 Per-Olof Serenius won the Ice Racing World Title. The first time he was 47 beating Ivan Mauger, then in 2002 he became the oldest by winning it again, aged 54. This weekend, if Nikolai Krasnikov wins the Ice Racing title in Berlin, he will take the youngest World Champion title as he is only 20 and won't be 21 for another few months. I just needed to confirm who was the youngest in case he wins, so I can write the First line of my report, "Nikolai Krasnikov rode into the record books as the Youngest World Champion, aged 20....." - Just watch, Ivan Ivanov will go and win now