Sings4Speedway

So if im getting you correctly should a rider agree to go onto the rising star register they must accept a team place if offered to them regardless of where it is or face the consequences whatever they may be? Obviously there might be some sense applied in some cases but only likely to financial such as not paying a rider 500 miles fuel money each home meeting. Would certainly be interesting reading to see the sanctions being held against the riders especially if you consider that two places per side will become the norm in the Champ in future. I can see the fun being sucked out of the sport very quickly for some riders being forced to clubs/tracks that they don't like very much.

You are right to a point but even the right amount of dirt can produce one line racing at even the best tracks like NSS or Peterborough. If all the grip is out by the fence at the showground it just produces fast but processional racing. Tracks need multiple racing lines / options for track craft to decide the outcome rather than gating technique and most suitable engine.

I completely agree but with printing costs on the rise and an increasing demand for better value for money how much revenue do program sales generate over a season? The programs on sale are often printed prior to team changes due to injury/unavailability, rain offs cause either redundant stock or repurposed scruffy examples plus of course the surplus of unsold items. More fans are printing their own sheets and filling in trackside as circa £3 for a document that is rarely read or adverts noted is a pricey addition to each visit. Advertising space could still be sold just to be displayed on the app and with links to companies websites may actually create some genuine trackable sales. Throw in a link to any team merchandise and it could be a very usable item.

The consequences should be published along with the list. The asset system is largely flawed and i fail to see why many riders sign for clubs/local clubs other than being given a sensible financial incentive. Being restricted by a club that could affect any riders development despite that club having zero interest is just daft.

The only benefit i can see of an app would be to remove the need for a physical program. A scorecard with the actual riders and updated meeting scores and actual times so that nobody has to rely on shoddy PA systems. They would get around any cancellation and reprints plus the dreaded insert. Obviously there are plenty who still enjoy the physical program but in a green sustainable world e-programs feel like the future.

But why is it so complicated? Why not say 0 years Champ experience 1 Star, 1 Year experience 2 stars etc. PL Experience 3 Stars min. All riders under 30 are eligible. Verge has ridden for 10 years, Harrison hasn't been on a 500. Naming individual riders and putting them into grades is opening it all up for criticism. There is still no incentive for any of the clubs that need the riders to get involved with the development of emerging riders, thats where the progression and success of the system will come from.

Was this not planned to be introduced via a new ignition system only for them to not actually be available due to production / hologamation constraints? Another well thought out ruling. 2nd halves stopped at Somerset because the track staff got fed up waiting for it to finish and wanted extra to stay on. Unfortunately rider availability and the lack of main meeting urgency hurt the numbers attending. The novelty for riders traveling fair distances to watch a lengthy interval, drawn out parade and interviews before curfew arriving and 2nd halves curt short/abandoned grew weary for many talented riders.

Don't knock the last one, Jacob has got good bikes and if Savalas could squeeze in his kevlars he could be brought in as a 1star ringer

Its not April 1st is it? Bacon, Stoneman, Andrews, Woolley, Verge, Bowen even on the list. These guys have been around forever. Dugard & JPB making a return? and thats without the major question marks over the grading and ability like how Palin & the Thompsons end up on 1 star (apart from being in Godfrey/Bates teams). How are Flint & Kemp 3 stars but Rowe and Bickley 4 stars? I didn't think this system would have any credibility and yet again this above draft would confirm it.....no wonder the sport is a laughing stock!

Jettison the top end who are largely doing that themselves by opting to ride in other leagues. The bottom moves up and the cycle continues. Of course there will always be riders who score more or less, who are just terrible at certain tracks but by reducing the average gaps it will assist with the strung out racing. As for price point i don't disagree, reductions need to made across the board in terms of entry and rider demands to reflect the product on show.

The same development that the BSPL has repeatedly tried to shoot down as they cannot take any credit for it? With respect to some riders that applies in much higher leagues also. Promotors are only concerned with points and not the manner of riding or safety of other competitors or themselves. Fans can be as bad with one persons dangerous is another's view of exciting.

Either would require strong points money to keep riders interest unless there are sanctions to prevent them missing meetings should it not go as they hope. Unless its an individual series of youth rounds as per the plan before?

Kent already have Ledwith & Hurry in their plans so a few more won't do any harm. In hilarious contrast to the upper two leagues (who think so highly of themselves that they seldom reference the NDL) the introduction of a minimum age limit. All riders to be 25 and above, no exams etc to worry about and bonus points offered for any side with a combined age that exceeds 220.

Nailed it. Two strength in depth sides going at it on a well prepared surface and let the result speak for itself. Team building needs a cap at the top and bottom ends so riders are closer in ability. A 10 pointer and 2/3 pointer on track at the same time isn't going to offer much however a heat with 7 & 5 pointers or 6&4 and the action is likely to be closer.

Speedway as a whole follows the same failing business model of many high street shops, namely products of differing quality but prices not reflecting. Its clear the there are plenty who will pay lower rates for a lower standard just look at Primark/Sports Direct for example. There are still those who will pay higher for better items but they are fewer transactions per year. Just look at the GP's Cardiff is packed, SON is packed but these are high level one off events. Weekly low grade showings need to reflect the prices. Speedway isn't the only area failing like this, Cinema's operate under the same model, chain restaurants are much the same but the takings and attendance in both have also been on a rapid decline (Pre Covid). If Speedway wants to continue weekly it needs to be at a weekly price, if it wants to make bigger events monthly then so be it. But don't bemoan people for asking for value for their money or choosing to spend it elsewhere. I don't bemoan clubs closing because either the product that was offered wasn't correct or the way the business was run wasn't up to scratch. Speedway will continue in this country but it will have to evolve to survive.

NDL riders above reserve level were never going to do the PL 2nd halves and why would they. Little or no money, little or guarantee that the meeting won't be binned if the main event over ran, limited benefit other than additional track time. Only emerging amateurs who were desperate to put themselves in the window would put themselves through that kind of torture with limited opportunities of progression.

I wonders if thats Danyon Hume? Im sure he won't but i would be sorely tempted to tell the Pirates to stick it as they went for unknown Aussies over a young Brit in the first place.

Im just glad they have stuck with stars, a couple are closer to rosette standard but try explaining that to a newbie

Dropping capacity wont work as you cannot sensibly supply enough riders from the youth classes across the league plus the majority of the teams are run midweek. I hope its a cap on the top riders averages creating more strength in depth sides as just reducing the team build averages artificially inflates the averages of riders and creates the impression they are better than they are.

I don't expect many Championship sides will feature 6 heat leaders. I don't debate that prices are too high across the board but just because all the riders feature in the Championship doesn't make it a Championship strength side.

Not an inspiring list to be fair with the exception of Bacon. Mountain worth another look? Kinsley is local-ish and unless ive missed something Stefan Nielsen would fit?

Bumper home side especially with the two Worrall's as second strings. Now it just needs Brady & Jye to confirm they will be coming over....and the season to start....and the weather to behave.....

Can't argue that the development of the 250 engine has been a major boost, sadly the 350 has been often overlooked as a usable class although there are still a few that worryingly jump from 125s to 500s steps are being taken albeit slowly. The 2v class that run on the IOW last year seemed to produce some decent racing? For the most part the bikes that can really explore the limits of a track are the 250cc machines where riders can almost take liberties looking for traction without the fear of being driven into the fence. More track craft would be required but unfortunately the development of engines would still follow the 500 led path and they are not really any cheaper to maintain than current machines.

sadly however most clubs aren't interested in running any level of second halves so the numbers and opportunities diminish even further. I in 100 may not be great but if you consider how many are taking up the sport each year 50 maybe? the figures look a lot worse.

Big financial differences between the two although high level team sports join a bubble and remain within it throughout travels etc. Individuals however will end up like the Tennis players in Aus at present i suspect. It could work if the same 7 riders rode for the same team in Poland, England and Sweden but as its all such a mish mash i fear all the Uk will see is UK based riders.