Steve Shovlar

No.

The racing at Poole is usually very good with lots of passing. This year it’s been very good up to the last three meetings where the track has been underwatered and today when this hole appeared.

Just got in and jumped into the shower for the second time today. Well what can you say? Quite a bit actually. I got into the stadium an hour before tapes up and the track looked like a battlefield. A tractor was working on bends three and 4 and you could see it had taken a big watering. But with 25 mins to tapes up the Birmingham team we’re not happy with the track going into bend 3 and the tractor spent 15 minutes sorting it out, removing dirt. The track looked rough and patchy but as heat one took place it wasn’t bad as it looked. Heat 2 was no issue either but heat 3 was a different story. A hole appeared, invisible to the fans in the grandstand but James Shanes went through it and his wheel buckled under him throwing him almost over the handle bars before he landed in a heap on the 4th bend. The 2 minutes for the rerun were cancelled and riders, management and track staff went and had a look at the issue. The interval was called at this stage. But ten minutes later everyone was still standing looking at this hole, what was described as the size of a kitchen table. Lots of kicking at shale and shaking of heads. I thought this has abandonment written all over it. The trackman then drove off to the tractor pits and changed to the blade. He came out and took off a huge pile of dirt in a trench down to the base. The track staff and Danny King then packed and smoothed out the hole. Again everyone stood about gawping but Rory Schlein went and got his bike, everyone ran off to the safety of the infield and he blasted around 3 laps with no issues. Riders as we know have a tendency to shake their heads, come out of racing mode and want to clear off home. The ref said all good and on with the meeting. Of course all this delay meant the track had dried out so we got several heats in dusty conditions before another short break when the bowser came out. Throughout the meeting the area of concern was dealt with between each heat and the meeting concluded without further issues. We have to thank the riders for not refusing to ride as that would have been catastrophic. As for the meeting, a one sided affair. For Poole Danny King was untouchable. Superb 15 point max. Backed up by Cook, Worrall and Schlein. Basso was unluckily not to score paid 3 in heat one but his bike played up when we’ll clear in second. For Brum, the standout rider for me was Jack Thomas, who was criminally under used. 9 from 5. Both Morris and Cartagena had 4 rides when they deserved 3. Not a great meeting and not a great advert for the sport. After the meeting Danny Ford said they would be working in the track before the Glasgow meeting on Friday.

He lives 20 mins from the track.

Constant maintanance of the hole between heats. Danny Ford said they had been working on the track since EWednesday but this hole only appeared after heat 2. The track is being bladed before heat 11.

About to restart. Next issue is dust. Not been watered track looks dry.

Schlein just did three laps no real issues.

No. Dont recognise them. Never seen an issue at this spot before overwatering opened up a hole?

Thats Frankly disgraceful to be honest. This will cost the club massively. They have dug a long groove and are raking out the hole. Dumping loads of shale on the grass.

This looks off. Every rider and trackman gawping at hole nothing being done. Lots of shale kicking nothing more. Big crowd not going to be happy.

Track is very very bad. A hole has appeared on apex third and fourth bend. Shanes hit it and his wheel collapsed. Riders all on track staring at it. Interval now taken. Lots of kicking of shale and standing about. Not good but not unexpected considering last two meetings. On arrival track looked like a battlefield.

I don’t want to watch a team with r/r for the majority of home meetings.

This does ask the obvious question. Why bother with a young Danish rider whose club rides on a Wednesday causing a direct clash with our home meetings? There’s no doubt he is a talent and a top rider in the future, but if he can’t ride in the U.K. on Wednesdays during the Danish season, he’s going to be of little use to our club.

Think the points system is wrong. Score 15 points, get blown out in the semi and end up with much less? Unfair imo. Perhaps someone could work out what the current standings would be under points scored with last years system.

A nice warm and sunny day here with temperatures up to 22 degrees. Should be a good crowd attending this afternoon. Hopefully the track staff are already at work flooding the track with water. Going to be one hell of a job to keep the dust down during the meeting. Watering and grading every two heats might be a solution though doubt that will happen as it will mean a 3 hour meeting.

Two minds think alike. The blonde one on gate 4 would crack a walnut no problem. But it shows how the meeting went when we are talking about start girls. I guarantee we will see a far superior meeting at Wimborne Road tomorrow afternoon.

No I am not a leftie. Only the hard right and thick people would want brexit.

No. I would want the Russian National anthem.

Lol! 10000% never.

Best thing about the gp was the start girls. Holy rubbish the blonde on gate 4. Yes I know it is not PC but

No Russian national anthem. Ridiculous.

It’s the way it is. Speedway is very small U.K. sport. Football, cricket, Rugby, Tennis, Superbikes, horse racing, huge list with much bigger crowds. When Woffy won three titles it was hardly mentioned.

We have much bigger sports than speedway in the U.K. unfortunately. Speedway doesn’t get mentioned on tv or media other than a satellite channel or two.

Fabulous result.