OveFundinFan

But Tom showed his skills a couple weeks ago in the British Final and on the way to Cardiff, can’t ignore it.

Seems he caught up in the deep stuff …….. on the straight! It nearly caught out Zmarzlick as well. The maintenance of the track during the meeting was lacking. To have the racing line so far up the banking was silly.

“Firstly” - been thinking the same for a few years now. Mostly speedway GP racing is at a higher level and needs time for a rider to “get up there”. Typically, beginning of the year I didn’t rate Jan Kvech, and he hasn’t contributed much until last Saturday when he showed much potential. Too far behind in points to make top 6 this year, but if he keeps improving I think he deserves a second year, but under current rules it would be difficult. ”Secondly” - not got my head around this thought. Initially looks a bit clumsy. Could be convinced though, maybe. Last Point - definitely NO. You taken away what a rider may be able to do on the track and given to imperfect thoughts of “man”. Just one example, 1966, Ove Fundin coming to an end of his sparkling international career. He “upsets” SVEM, the Swedish speedway authority. They ban him from riding in certain events which meant he couldn’t compete in the individual world championship qualifiers that year. Come 1967 he’s back in and looking good. Mid season he joins Belle Vue. Come world championship in September, Wembley….one of his favourite tracks and he wins world championship no 5. Take SVEM out do the situation, could Fundin now be showing 6 world championship wins and ranked alongside Mauger and Rikardsson. We will never know. But the point is, imperfect men (SVEM) took away what could have been. Let the riders compete in qualifiers and qualify by their ability on the track. For sure, you will get riders who qualify who you may think shouldn’t, and riders not qualifying who perhaps should…..but that is speedway and always will be.

Looking at that video, he had the right colour on his helmet, so exclusion appears to be for exceeding 2 minutes to be ready at the tapes. And at Gorzow GP Saturday just gone, again he had the right colour helmet in the final.

I agree with what you say. When interviewed and asked “what do you thinks of the refs decision” (to exclude him) he said “no comment”. Replays showed clearly showed he wasn’t touched.

I just watched replay, Madsen had a white helmet colour on at the start and he was on gate 3. He was late getting his bike out of the pits box. Well behind the others, eating into his 2 minutes. Problem started there maybe? What though? Shame because he and his bike were “tuned in” at that stage of the meeting.

If Madsen fuel was not turned on in the final, and it looked like that was the case, then it’s not the first time lack of fuel has cost him big time. 2019 when he finished 2nd in the world just 2 points behind Zmarzlik. Can’t recall which round it was, but he was in 2nd place in a race when just coming round the final bend of a lap and his engine died. If I remember correctly it was not that his fuel wasn’t on but his tank had not been refilled from his previous race. Big mistake obviously. Two points in that race would have made the year end total the same as Zmarzlik. If a tie meant a run off as the last race of the year I would have put my money on Madsen as he had just won the Torun GP with 7 unbeaten rides, beating Zmarzlik in heat 5. would be interesting to hear what did happen last night.

Some talent there in those under 16’s. The power of those engines was too low for a largish track though. Add the fact some of those lads were physically too big for the bikes they were riding made more than a few races processional, but some showed their skill by catching and often passing the guy in front of them. Some of those lads today will by next year be in the sgp2, be good to follow their progress.

I saw Ove do a few tough moves.......one I saw him show respect to was Peter Craven

In your opinion…..who would those two be and why?

How the track staff managed to turned what looked like a cancelled meeting into something I found very exciting I don’t know. If they can do that in Sweden why can’t it be done on British tracks after prolonged rain. Is it drainage, track foundation, material on top, something else that made it possible. And it sounds like it wasn’t a one off. It was an amazing turnaround.

Who would think we are in the middle of June and longest day of the year is next Friday. Has anything gone wrong with our weather….not heard of anything.

Discovery plus starts at 5:30 invtheccUK but racing will start after presentations etc so probably 6pm UK race time start.

Link for JK blank racecard ....SGP2 Malilla tonight https://www.speedwayservice.at/images/racecards/2024/SGP22024-01.pdf

JK's Under 21 World Championship GP - Sweden 14th June 2024 racecard.....fill in yourself. https://www.speedwayservice.at/images/racecards/2024/SGP22024-01.pdf I will e watching on Discovery+ tonight 17:45

£10 for parking is disgusting.

Interesting the 3 races Fundin and Plechanov met at Norwich, Fundin won all 3. Yet at World Championship Fundins nemesis was Plechanov. Plechanov finished 2nd in 1964 (Gothenberg) and also 2nd in 1965 (Wembley) both times beating Fundin in a run off after both scored 13 points. Coming 2nd in 1965 at Wembley means Plechanov was the first and only eastern European rider to be in the top 3 at Wembley. Boris Samarodov came close at Wembley, coming 4th in 1963, followed by 4th in 1964 at Gothenberg. He was also World Ice Racing champion in 1967. Boris also had a 2nd, 3rd, and three 5th places on the ice World Championships.

The good ole days when the Russians (and the Poles) used to tour the uk, riding the communist Czech ESO machines with handlebars clamped to front forks. A pity the likes of Igor Plechanov and Boris Samarodov couldn’t ride regularly in the UK…. Russia would have had a world champion long before Laguta. Those were the days when riding in the UK was THE place to be if you wanted to be at the very top of world class speedway.

Thought I heard Lambert say he brought couple Polish engines over. GB won’t be cold, 4 GB riders were there last night, any 3 of that 4 will be in the final.

Discovery+

What has actually been stolen?

Thank you for the heads up on that. What could have been a meaningless Sunday evening gained some interest.

Watching Peter Craven and Ove thundering into the 3rd bend at Belle Vue (where I always stood), especially for the Golden Helmet Match Race, was absolutely amazing. Two brilliant riders, completely different in build and riding styles, racing very close but not clashing, total respect for each other........ never to be forgot.

He won many titles, and deservedly so, but this one was given to him “Mr Perpatual Motion”, 10 top three places on the trot in the world championship between 1956-1965. He missed out in 1966 (f I recall correctly SVEMO banned him riding), he came back in 1967, whilst riding for Belle Vue, and won it for the last time. An amazing record. Only other rider to do 10 top three finishes on the trot in the world championship was Jason Crump from 2001-2010 in the gran prix era.

Better than anticipated. But these are the worlds best, I wonder if a German league meeting would provide the same entertainment.