Steve Shovlar

One might be run with hundreds of millions, the other on two packets of crisps and a Bacon roll, but comparing both sporting events that took place this weekend, there is only one winner. The Speedway GP was a far superior sporting event. Loads of action right to the final bend. The F1 GP was boring all the way with absolutely nothing happening of any interest whatsoever. If this had been a boxing match the ref would have called a halt after round one. Yet tomorrows press will have page after page of reports on the F1 GP, with speedway coverage being probably a square inch in one of the columns up the side of the page. Speedway has no press and very little chance of gettng much further. The BBC will not even mention it and will cover a golf tournament in Abu Dabai rather than mention over 40,000 fans were pcked into Cardiff for the second biggest sporting event in the UK this weekend. Why 110,000 paid upwards of £200 a ticket to watch some cars whizz past at 200mpg and then have to go home or look on the internet to see who has won beggars belief. But media coverage generates interest and the F1 GP has lot of it. Giving freebies to reporters will always help. Envious of the F1 coverage? I sure am. But the Britsh Speedway GP is slowly getting there. The crowd was the biggest yet, the Fanzone very good addition. Not sure the media could completely ignore it if it got to the stage whee it sold out weeks in advance. Long way to go for that to happen and we would need a British challanger. And there isn't one even on the horizon. Still, we all know that the Speedway GP was the far superior product this weekend and doubt there is a single F1 fan who would disagree.

Official crowd figure released as 44,150. First one I missed buut wathing it on TV it certainly looks the biggest crowd with the top tier much busier than previous British GP's.

He passed riders every single time he missed the gate. A shame Gollob went out as he would have made the final a hell of a battle with Holder. In the end holder deserved his first GP win.He was leading when Crump fell, on his own. Crump should never have been allowed back into that heat which ended with Holder finishing third. Noddy is one of the new young riders who along with Emil with revitalise the GP series. Out with the old and in with the youngsters who have no fear.

I have just got in and watched it. Fantastic GP and loads of great racing, with a couple of spats to bring it to fever pitch. Will easily be the best GP in the UK this weekend buut will only get 1% of the bore fest at Silverstone tomorrow afternoon. Well done to Noddy. Totally deserved. Bad luck on Gollob as well, buut he will hopefully bounceback to take the crown this year. Looking forward to Wednesday to welcome Holder home with his trophy!

Sorry to disappoint Bryn but I have a wedding to film today. Took the booking well before the GP date was announced. Gutted I am not going to be there today but business has to come first.

Sorrry to say my book signing has been cancelled. Very funny TT. Gutted I won't be at Cardiff tomorrow as its the first British GP I have missed for 15 years.

Went along tonight and there were a few very good races. But the crowd, if you can call it that was abysmal. 2-300 at best.

Way to go Leon Madsen! Third tonight and on his way. Proves that he is a talent and deserves his spot in the GP Challenge.

Looks like Davey watt will be riding at Cardiff after Pepe stepped down. Pirates fans have Noddy, Watty and Zorro to cheer on this time around!

No of course but I doubt an armchair fan who is considering going for the first time would know that.

Tonight couldn't have been a better advert for the sport for those at home thinking about buying a ticket for Cardiff. A great GP tonight though the nasty crashes soured it somewhat. If that meeting tonight doesn't add a couple of thousand to Cardiff nothing will. Gutted I won't be there as the first I will have missed.

Magnus seems OK thank god. EDIT. LATEST IS NODDY IS OK.

Bjerre hit the same patch as Noddy and went from first to last. Artur being his first race didn't have much of an idea of it and bang, carnage. A great GP ruined by bad smashes and injury.

Holder, then Bjerre, the King Artur hit the same bad patch. Again nasty nasty nasty. Awaiting the usual suspects saying Artur is an accident waiting to happen blah blah blah...

Well said. I am gutted for Noddy. he was doing so well in his first season but I am sure the GP directors will give him one of the wild cards along with Emil. Both have brough fresh air to the GP series as the old guard start to fade away. Very unlucky crash where he picked up some nasty drive. I thought for a split second he had got away from it but Hancock had really no chance of avoiding him. Get well soon Noddy.

You said what I thought but just couldn't be arsed to reply to such a crass comment.

Crap.

Fantastic GP so far. Has everything. Best for a long while.

My god we agree on something! I also think Hampel would makeWorld champion. I also think the muchkin would as well, though i rate him slightly above Hampel. The old guard is certaily changing, and about time too. Adams has gone, Crump and gollob will be going soon as well, and Hancock should have gone when Adams called it quits. New, young blood not afraid to race, but perhaps don't have the financial backing of the old boys who have stayed at the top of the game through being financially sound and who could afford the best of the best in their corner. Emil, Noddy, Darcy, Tai, this is what is needed.

Pretty good gp. Thought Zorro was dreadfully unlucky not to make the semis. But a fair result in the end. Muchkin croaking after being gifted several points during the meeting.

Just "watched" this pile of poo on Sky this morning. What joke that ref was. The most clear, obvious decision to be made and he bottles it for his countryman. It was clear to see at every angle that Gollob took Jonssons leg away. He came under Jonsson, there wasn't room, he clipped AJ's leg, down came AJ, and AJ gets excluded with the ref saying there was no contact!!!! Is he blind? I hope the FIM take immediate action and remove him immediately frommthe roster. He is incapable of making an honest decision when it comes to Polish riders. As for the meeting itself. It was utterly dire. Utterly. Concerte strip with a coating of dust. Passing was virtually impossible and gates 2 and 3 were dead mans shoes for the majority of the meeting. Either the FIM get someone in to do the tracks or Prague should be removed from the GP series. There was more passing in the F1 GP from Monaco! Only good thing to say is that Zorro is proving many on here wrong, and made the final. Somany on here wrote him off before the series started yet he has sparkled, showing British riders how it should be done. Well done to Zorro. A hollow vistory for Gollob. Should never have been anywhere near the final last night.

Getting football at the moment.

So hopefully we can log onto Sopcast at 10.15 GMT tonght to watch the speedway.

So the big derby is not going out live?

You have missd a lot of action.