Col

You don't get where he's got without being able to gate, but he isn't a Dudek for example who never scores if he doesn't gate.

Piotr Pawlicki is one of several Poles who are not quite as good as Janowski & Zmarzlik (not many are) along with Kubera, Dudek, Woźniak. But should be a decent #1 in the Premiership. Pawlicki's generally more entertaining - less reliant on gating - than most Poles. I like Milik, plucky rider, but he's a few levels below the GP's and will struggle in heats 13 & 15 I'd imagine, on the continent he's probably on a par with Musielak... but Musielak's UK form exceeds his continental form.

Of those mentioned the two Pawlicki's seem the most likely, both are better than Zagar these days (unless its the NSS). Still think they'd probably be one of the weakest spearheads in the Premiership, possibly on a par with Oxford, Kings Lynn & Leicester.. I assume Cook & Brennan will be @#3 & #4 with Brennan @#2

And expensive.

I'm still here! But I'd rather travel *4 the distance to see racing at the best racetrack in the country (NSS) than go to Perry Barr weekly (same could have been said for Monmore in the last few years). If Brummies get the track right and the team is competitive I'm sure more ex-Heathens & ex-Bee's fans would attend. But a dusty track and a team getting hammered every week isn't much fun, especially when it's not the team you grew up supporting. There were enough people wearing Bees merchandise when I visited Leicester a couple of times last year.

Not much in it really both Pawlicki brothers are better than Musielak on the continent, Musielak has spent an awful lot more time riding in GB than either Pawlicki. Covatti may have made an OK engine room signing, his signing would be as disastrous as Schien at this point.

Bewley can be immense at NSS, but his away performances were poor last year. If he can become more dominant at NSS & improve away, then he can put a substantial amount on his average. Kurtz is what he is, can't see much improvement but solid home & away. Lidsey worries me, can be great at NSS but offers little away, if he isn't gating he isn't scoring. Cook should improve, as should Blodorn who had an awkward season in 2023. Swapping between top 5 & reserve all year. I didn't see Mountain at NSS in 2023 but he was decent & forceful the year before, Bailey can be super fast, should develop. I don't think the Aces of 2024 are favourites for the title but I can't imagine they won't make the playoffs.

I've only seen Schlein at Perry Barr once, he was wearing Pugwash navy & was awful. If he is one of the final 3 riders the Brummies are destined for the wooden spoon. Any three of Zagar, Lindgren & the Pawlicki brothers and they'll be competitive. It's a solid bottom 4 signed so far..

Well .. the idea of a 'heat leader' is surely to be the best rider for the team in a heat, whatever that heat is. Until heat #12 that's the case if #1, #3 & #5 are the heat leaders... ignoring heat #2 & #8. There is a valid argument for putting a teams 3rd best rider at #4 rather than #3. The terms are historical. Modern day...#1 & #5 - Big hitters, #2, #3, #4 & #6 Engine room, #7 Rising star are more appropriate. It was more interesting when team managers had a job that required craft and they could put any rider in the top 5 where they wanted. Bring that back!!! I'd always want my teams best rider at #5 & my teams best gater at #2.

There never is & never will be a "4th heat leader". Three heat leaders, two seconds strings & two reserves.... is a speedway team. Team is Ok, don't see it being able to challenge, may scrape the Play Offs. Other than possibly Blodorn & Bewley I don't see any improvement.

They were all googled during a traffic jam, as it was about 4 p.m. yesterday. Not that time of day makes much difference to the M6 through Birmingham, it's always a traffic jam and when it isn't (between 11pm and 5 am) they're doing roadworks somewhere and that makes it worse. Wouldn't offer you one!

There is almost nothing in it! Perry Barr to Cowley... 2 hr 5 min (82.9 mi) Perry Barr to Longsight... 2 hr 16 min (82.5 mi) Perry Barr to Owlerton.... 2 hr 19 min (82.7 mi)

Actually they are probably not. I keep forgetting I'm 20+ miles North of Perry Barr. Both Owlerton & NSS are far easier to get to for me than Cowley. Anyway.... Owlerton & NSS are closer than the next closest club in the Championship, which I imagine is Scunthorpe. Still less of a commute for the visiting fans than most Championship teams.

I would imagine a few Wolves fans will go to Perry Barr for their Speedway fix in 2024. You also have Leicester, Sheffield, Belle Vue in the same league.. which are also an awful lot closer than Oxford which was the Brummies local derby in 2023. More chance of a few visiting fans, but the key will be getting a decent race track & competitive team.

I'm certain Janowski will never be at #6! I'll be exceptionally surprised if any of the other Spires riders in the team get within a point & half of Janowski average wise.

I like the new logo, better than the previous two. The first logo when Leicester first returned was a bit too cartoonish, the second one I did not like the font at all.

Richard Lawson's return to Leicester is confirmed on 6.57, discounted to 6.41.

Richard Lawson's return is confirmed 6.57 (discounted to 6.41)

So Aces in 2024 are set to be Kurtz, Blodorn, Ben Cook, Lindsey, Bewley, Mountain, Bailey...as I believe is rumoured.. There is a smidgen of improvement potentially from all as it's a fairly young septet Bewley needs to show his GP/Ekstraliga form weekly, 8.21 is frankly an embarrassment in this company.

While that is true, it often seems that if a rider goes to another track for a year, gain a little more experience. When the rider returns to their parents club. That rider then sky rockets. Bewley was good at Beaumont Park in the pairs. It's a big season for Lindsey, make or break time. Jury is out on weather he'll ever be World Class.

I went a fair few times in 2019, so it wasn't unused for two years.

Kemp was good the few times I saw him at Beaumont Park last season.

I have been to Monmore Green & Perry Barr many times, had season tickets at both over the years. I used to enjoy the racing at Monmore Green but it hasn't been as good as it was in the last 10ish years. When Wolves had Peter Karlsson & Lindgren you could guarantee good racing weekly, before that when Ermolenko was in his pomp especially when Cradley visited with Hancock & Hamill. Perry Barr was a decent race surface when it re-opened, I think it deteriorated after Tony Mole departed the club and the last time I was a regular visitor in the 2021 season it was awfully dusty almost every week.

Some odd rumours here. Laguta wasn't exactly reliable last year for Stars or Panthers but is a "marquee signing"... but when they don't turn up when expected people get really miffed . The Pawlicki's I can sort of see, neither have been in the GP's for a few years & both have experience in UK league racing. Doubt either would be a consistent #1 but I also doubt either would be on an high average. Lampart I don't rate, he is a bit lightweight. Like many a Pole he can gate and when he does hit the front he can be quick. That said would make a mockery of a 4.00 assessed average.

Sam Masters confrmed.