SCB

I'll have a copy Steve, my sister said she'll fill it on for me shawncbrown84@ntlworld.com

I don't fancy paying to watch James Wright blow out of the water in a GP. I like to watch a meeting where everyone is competitive. Let James have a few laps on his own while the Sky adverts are shown if you want him to "soak up the atmosphere", he can race against Danny King, Simon Stead and David Howe who are also not capable of riding in such a big meeting. Wildcards should be about picking a decemt rider who is in with a chance of actually beating someone, preferably even wining a heat, which Floppy is, James Wright would score 0,0,0,0,0 (barring EF's) and not be the least bit entertaining. Prehaps I shoudl eb given a wildcard? I'm local, I'm yougn and you neevr know, one day I might be good enough to be in a GP.

Why will BSI reply? They don't want qualifiers as they want to pick the other riders themselves. The only way to guarentee which riders qualify for the GP's, BSI have to make the decision them selves. They didn't do a bad job a couple of years ago, Nicki Pedersen was a nomination the year he was World Champion. What odd riders have BSI put in? Yet even this year with 2 qualifiers, we have an odd rider qualifying (The Poles who name I can't even remember which says it all!), I actually think nominations CAN if done properly and without bias be done well.

I wasn't impressed, I had TESCO coke in the back of the car but it was not good enough for her. Jill has expensive taste, cost more for 2 cans of Pepsi in the bar at Newport Speedway than it does for 6 cans of TESCO's coke!!

SC, I'd pick Iversen over Bjerre too I don't think we're too biased either are we?!

Me, buy the drinks? I promised Matt a drink last year as he tried to go and pick up some tickets for us but told my mum to get it for him I did buy Jill a Pepsi last Sunday.

I'd prefer to watch Floppy at Cardiff rather than see Mark Loram ride around at the back looking nothing like the GP rider he was 5 years ago. It's stil new to Floppy and he'll be keen to do more than last season.

Vince, I don't think the idea is for Boyce to start behind Wato (or vice-vesa) but more for Wato and Boyce to start behind Karlis and Steen Jensen. That way, Wato would not only have to battle with Boycey but Steen Jensen too to try and get the win. The ideal senario would be that all riders get an equal average and there worth would be based on there handicap rather than their average.

You mean like this?

The Poles are great, have a chat with them, even if you speak no Polish and they speak no English, everyone in Cardiff that day understand GOLLOB CHAMPION Sadly they didn't understand "Kujawa crap" until they realised who Iw as refering to and taught me to say Kujawa the proper way. They were sat in front of us in the stadium and we had a good laugh with them thanks to some international sign language and pointing at programmes If you talk to the police and the stadium stewards they are confussed, they love GP weekend too as it a party/carnival atmosphere with all speedway fans being "one" rather than British, Polish, Swede, Newport fans, Swindon fans, Edinburgh fans etc. Just park on the opposite side of the city centre from the stadium, we managed to park in there at about 3.30 a few years back, plenty of spaces. As other have said, the university or even down the road and get a bus. I know some people park in Newport (2 car parks opposite the station) and get the train down to Cardiff. The train back to Newport is also buzzing as it's full of speedway fans. Get into Cardiff before lunch time if you can and you'll have no problem parking. I'd still advise parking the other side of the city centre, means a 10-20 minute walk (20 minutes if you have someone who walks at my mum pace) after the meeting but atleast you won't get stuck in as much traffic getting out of the car park and then Cardiff itself. Also worth trying to avoid the motorway too, it tends to get clogged up going towards Newpor but if you're not a local it's probably safer to stick to the motorway.

Simple answer is anyone with an average over 6 starts 5 metres back and anyone with an average over 8 starts 10 metres back and anyone with an average over 10 start 15 metres back I've always suggested handicapping when I posted my "ways to make speedway better" posts, always have people tel me it's not viable, well I don't care, I want to see handicapping! I always felt the BLC would have been better if the EL teams had started 10-15 metres back or started at the tapes on there real averages. AndyM, problem there is you can't take weight off Joe Screen

Like when we had Howe, Harris and Stead in a GP and they all had 2 or 3 rides and went home? Much prefered watching Floppy last year and thinking he had a genuine chance to win it, not get past 2 rides and out. Which young British rider would you give a chance to? We just don't seem to have any genuine contenders of a young age, sadly. The Poles seem to have loads of them year after year after year. Prehaps as the current British Under 21 Champion, Richie Hawkins should be considered

And that matters because? Lets assume Adams comes last, he could score 0,3,3,3,3=12. Yet if he met one each in a different heat he'd score 2,2,2,2,3=12. Difference being? To top score you have to beta all riders anyway, so it's really does not matter if you have the top 4 in the same heat or a different heat, if they lose to the other 3 they still get the same points, just in a different order. All 16 riders meeting each of the 15 other riders once. Thats why this format is so good and used so universally (except at Newport where the promoter prefers to pay only 12 riders not 16). Plus as has bene pointed out, it's not worked out that way, the riders have 2 numbers (rather like the EL, who said BSI should run the EL?) anyway, a GP number and a series number relating to there position last season.

So Ashley Jones is a 4. Just because the government are not giving out permits any more, it doesn't seem to mean that Australians are no longer allowed a 4 point average, provided they have qualified for a permit it the proper way (top 3 of a State Final). Sow e get rid of the permit for the sake of British sport and the BSPA STILL allow the Aussies in on 4's.

You beat me to it (do you realise you have posted something I was going to say, what does that say about you ). Mind you, the current format is the same, the rider at number 1 goes out against 5 heatleaders in his 4 rides, so assuming he never beats a heatleader but beats the rest he scores 7 or even 6. The number 7 goes out against the reserve 5 times, so can score 5+4 form his 4 rides. Meaning the reserve only beats the bottom 2 and averages 9 while the number 1 only losses to heatleaders (and potentially in heat 13 his team mate) and has an average of 6 or 7. Atleats with the tac sub a heatleader could have an easy heat 8 or 14 to get a win and increase his average while lowering the average of the reserve who scores 0 i one of his heats instead 1+1.

It spamming I agree with it though, as long as it's done right.

Anyone have any info? I have tried to wait before asking but I think wit the season now started it would be nice to know whats going on. Who will have teams? Who often will they ride? Will it be a proper league? Or will it be lots if challanges thoughout the season?

in Newport's case, this is all me guessing BTW, it's something like this. Admission is about £12, £9 and £3 now (I'm not sure of them prices)lets assume 2/5 are adults, 2/5 are kids and 1/5 are concessions, thats £1920 from adults, £720 from concessions and £480 from kids, £3120 all told. Add in say one programme for every 5th person, 80 programs at say a 50p profit is £40, 100 in the car park is £100 (£3260 so far). Stand has about 150 on a day where there are only 400 fans there, so another £200 (£3460). Add in bar profits and food outlets as well (no idea, I'll not even guess) thats £460+ a week for each rider. I don't know what costs Tim Stone has or what other income he has (I guess he has a few sponsors too that bring in some cash). Mind you, it amazes me that a team like Berwick can cope on so few as they only get the cash form the turnstiles. So they're only get the £3120 - rent + progams. Not a lot at all.

I seem to remember back in the early 90's attendance figures were quoted in the Speedway Star. Also, in the early 00's (how do you say that?) Oxford publiched figures on their website. Generally speaking, I think crowds are dropping, despite promoters saying that te sport is getting bigger. They're always trying to cut costs, if the sport is getting bigger why cut costs? In Newports case (Premier League, 2nd division), our promoter used to claim we had 2000+ fans, that was back in our first 3 years 1997-1999) but last season, during a meeting that was held up for rain vs Reading, I counted 300 people but that was low. Other times when I was bored I counted anything between 350 and 500. So Newports average attendance is about 450 but thats a fans estimate/rough count. Newport is now one of the poorer supported clubs. Berwick quoted a few figures in the Speedway Star at the end of last season, I can't remember the exact figures so I might be wrong, they said there average attendance was less than 400 and once had a crowd of less than 250.

Briefly, this weeks Speedway Star says, in an interview with Russell Paine (the man behind it all) says the following. The track is going to be built just off the E15 between Murcia and Almeria. It will be a training track as there is no point in hosting meeting as the locals don't know what it is. The contracts were due to be signed in the last few days. The track, based on Scunthorpe, will be built by Xmas/new year next year if all goes well. hopefully a few riders will go over for practise knowing the weather won't stop things. Russell has got 32 bikes, 100 race suits and 50 helmets. I think he could rival Tony Rickardson there HE was hoping to have someone else help him (current it's him and his partner Claire) but they pulled out lats week, sounds like an ex-promoter by what he says about his other side of the fence experience. They have a website here.

It's mention in the Speedway Star. some big (ish) names are involved. The one track is 20 minutes form the airport and the other is in the Almeria/Murcia area. The main men are Russell Paine and Roger Williams, both ex-riders. They're created a support group with people like Bob Coles, Reg Fearman, Ove Fundin.

A similar article is in this weeks Speedway Star. He says he bought Ivans helmet but Ivan said he could only have it if he removed the checked pair, he didn't and Ivan saw hi one day and asked why he had not got rid of it. Lou's reply was he only bought it for the checked paint so he was not going to paint over it.

There is no doubting that, what ever you think of him. I was not even born by the time he retired but watching him on videos makes me realise he was simply awesome, just what couldn't he do. Such a shame he quit, as if he had not it is quite possible I'd have been able to see him at his peak (can you imagine him at his peak if thats how good he was at such a young age?!).

Track reserve CAN ride in the semi-final if they have fairly qualified. They just cannot replace an excluded rider.

What odd rules! Why if you run heats 17, 18, 19 and 20 do heat 1-16 suddenly become relevant but not before?!