SCB

Chris has decided to take a year out of British Speedway so other than a few individuals he won't be riding over here this season.

I love the bit where he was asked what he thought when he won the title and he swore and his mother said they couldn't print it And the story of missing a ride in a pair event in Aus when Chris Holder asked why he said he was eating his hot dog. Agreed, it was a great read.

I take nothing from what Hancock has achieved. To win two World titles as a great achievement, to win two World titles so far apart even more so. To win it at 42 was a great achievement. He's clearly a great speedway rider, one of the best ever and hopefully my mention of him on this thread doesn't make anyone think I'm discrediting him. In fact I'd almost says it's a compliment of sorts that he's achieved what he has in such a manner. But, how many memories do people have of Greg Hancock? Compare that to Nicki!

When people say they don't like Nicki I always ask them, if 4 Nicki Pedersens were in one race while on another track 4 Greg Hancocks were the track behind that which race would you watch? The 4 Mr Nice Guys who will gate and ride around following each other or the race that will see all 4 hit the first behind together 1 or 2 of them going own and as they do he has his hand in the air protesting to the before hes hit the floor while the ones who stay on ride past them and spray them with shale for having the audacity to crash out. Then in the re-run the one in gate 1 runs so wide to block the other eh ends up at the back and we all laugh. They spend a couple of laps aiming for each other. They make it to lap 3 before one of them crashes out in spectacular style on his own so runs the length of the straight to pick up his bike and collapses on the centre green while the remaining 3 go into the 1st bend for the last time and the one in the inside aims for the one outside him taking him out. The crowd boo as he just wiped the other out but boo the other for going down because anyone else would have stayed on and he's "playing the referee". The winning Nicki tries around laping up the attention while the one who is excluded strops off, rings the referee, has a rant and then when he slams down the phone as a wry smile as he knows all along he was to blame. Meanwhile Greg has finished, packed away and everyone has gone home bored yet those watching Nicki (x4) are wound up, annoyed but fully entertained. I love to hate Nicki. And I'm sure Nicki loves that I hate him too. But it'll be a sad day when he retires.

So is Star Lady going to be called names for saying careers should not get free entry? FWIW, I think shes spot on, some discount maybe but free? As for the person who asked am I really comparing a disabled person to a child, then yes. I'll throw a question back at the same person, do you think it's a good idea to let kids go off to speedway on their own? Because I don't. What if it's a child thats disabled? Does being a child trump being disabled or vice-versa? Free entry for having a disabled kid or have to pay as you're a parent and "that's just parenthood"?

My take on it is if you missed the gate at ever you may as well have pootled around. I once had the extreme joy of seeing Kristian Lund make the gate at Exeter and havr the two exeter riders and Exeter legend Mike Coles (his Newport team mate that season) behind him and all 3 could not pass him (or each other) despite the fact his heat time was 8 seconds slower than heat 2!! It took him over 80 seconds to win the heat and the other 3 were right up his exhaust pipe. Its the only track Ive ever seen where trying to pass may have just been a waste of time!

Since when was Under 21 the highest level? Representing your country fully is the highest level. Or a GP.

TBF that could happen to any rider at Exeter. Niels Kristian Iversen once scored 33033 down at Exeter for Newport, he come last in a race against Nick Simmons, Exeters number 7! Miss the gate at that place and you were often in trouble, whoever you were.

They don't need one and haven't since at least 2001 (in the case of Czech and Poles). But if an rider needing a work permit achieved a qualifying average in the Swedish, Czech, Danish or Polish league they can get a UK permit/Visa

So when commentating, will Kelvin and Nigel refer to "Chris Harris" or "Rider 37"?

But all the riders on the GP website that are mentioned are PL riders. 2 PL reserves and 2 PL 3rd heatleaders. By no stretch of the imagination do they meet the criteria.

But as i said above, what about kids? You can't let a 10 year old go to speedway on their own so they need a carer, should that carer get in for nothing?

Ths might work for Jason as he is arguably proven at the highest level but I don't see how it's going to help any of the others listed on the GP site as they';re certainly not proven at the highest level.

i assume someone is not riding in the GPs next year then?

Ditto on Ben. He gets more upset than any fan when he has a bad ride, always give his all. For me hes what speedway is about. Off track I've always found him decent enough if a little outspoken.

Why charge adults who take a kid? After all, without the adult the kid would not be there. You have the draw the line somewhere

Because we're not constantly told Shaun Tacey is a nice guy and how everyone loved him.

No, fickle is changing the riders you support based on the race jacket they wear. Speedway fans are fickle, they hate a rider one season but he signs for them the year after and they love him.

Ooppps. sorry Jimmy Jimmy.

Are you kidding? So if someone murder someone and kills themselves you think they're beyond any criticism in life? Far from it IMO.

I've places bets of £200+ before now. Doesn't last long though, once you start winning the bookies don't want to know and limit you to pointless amounts.

I'll add Ryan Sullivan too. No reason, just never liked him. Was certainly pissed off when he passed Todd Wiltshire to win the Cardiff GP one year!

Where the one year it took 50 minutes to run a single heat due to re-runs and track grading. Just wouldn't happen in a GP.

Then finished 6th in the GP Challenge where the top 9 qualified for the GPs for 1998. So Chris Louis qualified. As for Andy Smith, the year before he qualified by right too, he got the last place in a run-off. Andy Smith and Chris Louis NEVER once received a GP wildcard.

Its why I didn't include a few others like Zorro. My dislike us perfectly rational!