Tactical Joker

Damp afternoon in Prague. Would appreciate any news if tonight's u21 meeting is called off to save a wasted tram trip and drinking time Forecast for the main event tomorrow is much better. Edit: ignore this post, found the correct thread.

Yes, all very enjoyable. Zmarzlik will take some beating though, to state the obvious. Can’t wait to go to one live again but meanwhile the tv coverage was indeed excellent. Kelvin and Chris are a good team, especially tonight under the circumstances, hope Chris continues in the role as he provides some interesting insights. And a big thank you to everyone whose first language isn’t English. We take it for granted but I wish I could be so fluent in a foreign tongue.

We always get a 72 hour tram / metro ticket at the main station in Prague. Valid from the time when you first validate it in a ticket machine, so for example midday Friday to midday Monday.

Long while since I went to speedway at West Ham but if it were to be logistically possible the London Stadium gets my vote over Cardiff.

Perhaps I see the header for this thread has been amended to confirm 16.00 start. Not sure why the start time has to be such a cryptic message on the tickets in the first place but taking it all at face value we would have been standing outside for the first hour

I received an email that simply said there was no need to do anything. I’ve printed off new tickets as suggested to play safe but hopefully there would be no problems if someone turned up using tickets with the original 2020 date on them. The new tickets say Doors:5:00PM | Engines 4:00PM , yet https://www.speedwaygp.com/son/event/Manchester says the event starts 16.00, so I assume there is a misprint on the tickets.

Indeed they have, but to be fair they do have the commentary to concentrate on too. I’m slowly getting to grips with the points system but it takes some getting used to. At least that answers the anthem question, shame as the Russian one is one of the best. Well done Laguta.

Me too, never mind the racing, it's just a great trip. However the BBC weather forecast for Saturday looks unpromising at this stage In fact tonight's has got worse since this morning too.

Well done Lynn, kept hanging on in there. Been impressed with Richard Lawson ever since hearing him speak so well at the last ever Lakeside meeting, although handing him the opportunity for a tactical substitute ride in heat 14 probably helped tonight. Andres Rowe certainly saved it being worse.

Can’t think who you are referring to At least if the whole event is rained off no one has to take that trophy home.

Good point about an indoor track being capable of lasting 46 heats. Safety obviously has to be the most important consideration. But an indoor track does take the weather out of the equation. A whole weekend rained off wouldn’t be good. Like the idea of choosing two adjacent venues too, but how many other pairings are practical, especially outside Poland. Hopefully travel restrictions will be over for next season, really missed the European trips this year.

Assuming a Covid free season, and all the effort it takes to create an indoor track, back to back there would make sense if it generates the income. And Scott said that as I was typing

Decided to cancel earlier this week too so backed the right horse for once. Somehow feel the result may be a foregone conclusion for some reason but hope it runs close and Saturday still has something riding on it.

There’s a virus about, otherwise the crowd would have been bigger by at least one. Prague is on both the UK and German quarantine list which stopped me going.

Glad you think that too. That’s what I had on my Mk1 excel spreadsheet. Wonder when they will realise. Two nights of thoroughly enjoyable Speedway with the right winners each night.

According to my score chart, with apologies for any errors in advance, the differences between the two different scoring systems were: Lindgren +6, Woffinden +2, Zagar +2, Janowski +1, Chugunov +1, Doyle +1 Vaculik -2, Madsen -1, Sayfutdinov -1, Michelsen -1 The rest get the same under either system. Didn’t even try to work out positions 5 to 13, just took them off the GP website. Certainly gives you some homework to do after the meeting. Another vote for the old system. Laguta thoroughly deserved that, good to see a new winner.

Thanks R & R for taking the time to post that. Hopefully it is easier to administer on the night than it is to understand in print. I predict many a spoilt scorecard.

Indeed. The logistics of trying to sort out who can be admitted to the stadium, on which night and for which seats, from those who purchased tickets for the original event are virtually impossible. Similar for Prague should capacity be reduced there. I’m trying to get my head round the new scoring system as it is, without all this too. I can see me still working out my scorecard while the final is being run

Thanks, wild speculation was a bit tongue in cheek, just wondered why the website doesn’t say so.

Likewise. According to the SGP official website the event on the Friday before Toruń is at a place called ?TBC. Does anyone have any wild speculation where this may turn out to be?

Thanks for mentioning this, wouldn’t have known otherwise. So along we went and enjoyed some close racing with lots of passing. A couple of withdrawals during the meeting meant some races were run with three riders as there were no reserves, but overall well worth the visit. Jaimon Lidsey won the meeting with 14 points from 5 rides, beaten only by Andreas Lyger who eventually finished third following a run off with Dimitri Bergé after they finished tied on 13. Meanwhile back at Toruń the racing again was excellent. Leon Madsen’s performance was top drawer and beyond, but of course overshadowed by Bartoz Zmarzlik winning the whole shooting match. Madsen next year will take some stopping if he returns fit and remains injury free. Congratulations to Zmarzlik though who Is a worthy champion. Would like to see Sayfutdinov or Madsen win next year, and see Woffinden back to his best. As for the Greg Hancock debate, to deny him a wild card after all he has put into the sport would have been a travesty in my humble opinion. I get the young blood argument, but I’m just a sentimentalist that enjoys watching experience.

Just don’t get it. 10 points up why would two riders be so poor both in riding and it would appear attitude. Josh is a true gentleman. Nikolai, never heard speak him before but an excellent interview and Nico gives 100%, those three kept Poole from bigger embarrassment and are three riders I’d watch anywhere. As for Ipswich, what a roller coaster. Typical to produce that on night I couldn’t be there but congratulations to everyone involved and to the supporters who deserve some enjoyment, whatever the result in the final turns out to be.

Worse than shocking. Not much more to add. Good job it rained at the start. Will need all 7 riders on top form to turn this around for Ipswich now.

With regard to expensive accommodation, a big hats off to the organisers for the 17.00 (ish) start which allows train travellers to get back as far as London and Manchester (and Norwich, although didnt see Jason Doyle on the train!). Yes of course Cardiff must continue and £50 for any event of that duration for the pinnacle of the sport is the going rate.

Snag is that THE occasion of the season is now Warsaw. Of course money talks, no use pushing the cause for Manchester if the sums don’t add up. What would be the maximum capacity with temporary stands? And then the catering, that would have to up its game considerably too.