Sings4Speedway

Very surprised Chattin hasn't dropped in somewhere yet. Fear he could be another who's face doesn't fit as compared to several signings he looks a better bet both short and long term.

Would have to disagree to a point, there are plenty of riders who have failed to land team places over the years because either their face didn't fit, were deemed in the wrong location geographically or more often than not over the age of 20. I think there is easily an equal a list of riders who have been paid for their efforts and are equally worthless.

Whilst things have started to improve any training schools that exist are very costly and the Poultec scheme whilst excellent is limited to the privileged few who often can ride at a good level already. I believe Newcastle runs some form of training schools but do not know to what level. How many riders did the now demolished Eastbourne training track help generate?

Harris officially confirmed (shock horror). Actually a good recruit for Cradley and has been steadily improving year on year whilst staying under the radar should be putting 0.5 to a point on his average quite comfortably.

All should improve bar Musielak who i think will drop whilst i think Holder, Thorssell & Kurtz will all stay about the same. Biggest improvers being Lidsey & Wright.

Not that i want it to become a precedent but i suspect there are easily enough riders to fill every reserve berth who would ride the season for travel expenses only (including some of the lucky ones who have landed a spot)

In jest possibly but i do fear that we are on the edge of a pay to ride culture. There has always been influence from sponsors for certain riders to get / keep team places but i wonder how many would pay for a place? Or how many novices would ride for free for a season to get their name out there?

No offence but i feel both of these riders are filling a place that could / should have been given to a newcomer. Both riders have been around for years and achieved beggar all. Even a new 2.00 who didn't score anything would be learning for the future, both these riders "best" days are behind them.

Lydd has been non licenced for years and has made no difference and don't see why it should matter to Rye House either. Riders should be aware that the first aid cover may be lower (but all riders should check that at every track anyway) and if they do get injured don't go to the Ben Fund otherwise let riders get extra laps in as any practice facility is in the "best interests of the sport".

Sadly how many riders are "taught" anything? Speedway is a sport with hardly any training schools and any riders that are capable of progressing don't stay in them for very long anyway. The vast majority have to teach themselves (learn the hard way) with the odd pointer picked up from people around the sport. The result means that the majority of riders progressing into / are currently in the sport are riding the bike full throttle and adapting themselves on the bike to get it round for 4 laps.

Like for like swap, as in there was nothing to get excited about when Burnett signed and no change now.

Any ideas when the AGM(s) take place for the development leagues take place or if they have taken place? Ive seen nothing with regards to the competing teams for 2019 although i believe Weymouth have already completed their squad.

Not going to trawl through the regs but is there anything in place at the moment that states rev limiters are currently allowed? Could they not fall under traction control which is not permitted at present?

Glad to see Eastbourne have returned to their proper colours & landed a good sponsorship package along the way. Perhaps as part of the back to the future program the training track will finally be re-established also.

I don't doubt that on certain tracks etc they would be favourable, namely slick tyre shredders but were the limiters tested adjustable? Which of course would offer riders a choice rather than the newly proposed limiters at the top of any usable rev limits and therefore rendered largely useless.

That sounds terrible imagine regular speedway on regular nights during the summer, even worse if it was first week of May until end of August, all those dreadful nice warm evenings with reduced threat of rain and the whole of September reserved for Play Offs, Cup finals etc. Thankfully everyone will see sense and run erratically, enjoy the Easter weekend washout and embrace the rush of fixtures before the cut off dates / freezing their toes off watching the season wimper out in late October.

From my far from accurate mechanical knowledge i thought a standard short stroke gm revved to 12k rpm and the baby gm got to 13.5k rpm max. Unless there is a newer generation then the limiter is introduced to prevent the a selection of the engines going passed their very maximum revs which would only possibly be achieved on the start line when held by irritating referee's. Sounds like another load of unnecessary expense imposed upon every rider to me.

That would be the same governing bodies that charge development league teams who do not run under current club names e.g Camarthen, Reading etc £300+ more than they do Kent or Belle Vue.

Given the website has been stripped of all colour i am expecting an end to the fluro green this season? Shame everything wasn't in place for Christmas as new merchandise is an easy sell, that said the persistent re branding is lining someones pockets nicely.

With respect there are several reserves from last year that fall into the Douglas, Embleton category that don't pick up places the following season and has been the case since day dot. Fact is some take the opportunity and some don't, in much the same way that some faces fit and others don't and some get multiple chances and others get very few.

Personally if the sponsorship tie up was the reasoning the the Plymouth Cobra's sounds a better name but whichever. As long as there isn't an influx of polystyrene columns appearing and the water car towed round by a couple of horses im sure everything will be fine at the Eastbourne coloured Gladiators

In all fairness there are few riders who are truly missing out from the list. The majority are seeing out careers / have had injury problems hampering them. Shuttleworth & Wooley have been around for year and apart from one good season each at Belle Vue have stagnated at the same level every season. Don't know if Marson is coming back over this season? Embleton is likely to drop into a team part way through so for me the only genuine misses are Armstrong & Tony Atkin and largely because if that is the end of their careers they didn't get a proper goodbye.

Fingers crossed the new sponsor isn't Caburys otherwise you will be backing 7 big purple ones next season.....

Are I.T Foreman staying on? If not will Eastbourne be reverting to their more associated colour scheme?

I shudder to think what Barry & martin would do to get that nomination for next year......