Nikko

Thundercats team for two meetings against Ipswich over the next 10 days At Ipswich next Thursday 1) Adam Portwood. 2) Jamie Collins. 3) Adam Kirby. 4) Simon Pearce At Peterborough the following Monday 1) Adam Portwood. 2) Jamie Collins 3) Adam Kirby. 4) Ben Holloway

Be leaving Kent shortly ready for, hopefully, our first meeting of the season. Surely we are not going to get another rain off!

Well the weather strikes again with Mondays meeting against Lakeside postponed due to continued wet weather. The Thundercats have now suffered rain offs in each of their first three meetings. The next meeting is due to be Mildenhall on Sunday 6th May

After two rain offs the Thundercats are looking for third time lucky as they hope to kick off their AJL campaign next Monday against Lakeside Junior Hammers at EOES. Thundercats Team Manager Neil "Nikko" Day commented "To say the boys are desperate to race would be an understatement. They are raring to go and look forward to showing the Peterborough fans what they can do". Teams for Monday are Peterborough Thundercats 1. Ben Holloway © 2. Adam Kirby 3. Adam Portwood 4. Jamie Collins Team Manager Neil "Nikko" Day Lakeside Junior Hammers 1. Mark Baldock 2. Martin Pearce 3. Jack Kingston 4. Adam Sheppard Team Manager Alan Sargent The Thundercats can also confirm that the rearranged AJL league match at Lakeside is set for Friday 11th May before the Panthers meet the Hammers.

Unfortunately tonights meeting between Peterborough Thundercats v Mildenhall Fen Tiger Cubs postponed due to waterlogged track. New date to be arranged. This is the second successive rain off for the Thundercats which is really disappointing but the lads will practice as much as they can over coming week and prepare for our first meeting.

Unfortunately tonights meeting between Peterborough Thundercats v Mildenhall Fen Tiger Cubs postponed due to waterlogged track. New date to be arranged.

Weather permitting the Peterborough Thundercats take on The Mildenhall Fen Tiger Cubs at the EOES on Thursday night after the Panthers take on Eastbourne Eagles. In a late change to the Fen Tiger Cubs Sam Woods will replace Josh Bates at No 1 following Joshs crash at Mildenhall on Sunday against Dudley. Teams in riding order: Thundercats 1. Ben Holloway © 2.Adam Kirby 3. Adam Portwood 4. Jamie Collins T/M Neil "Nikko" Day Fen Tiger Cubs 1. Sam Woods 2. Joe Graver 3. Niall Strudwick 4. Martin Knuckley T/M Kevin Jolly

Such a shame the meeting against Lakeside young Hammers was postponed last night due to waterlogged track. Thanks go to the Lakeside track staff for their efforts in trying to get the meeting on but in the the end the weather won. All the lads were there and raring to go. We had a good chat about the season ahead and look forward to meeting the Fen Tiger Cubs at Peterborough next Thursday. In the meantime Adam Portwood and Adam Kirby will guest for the Kings Lynn Lightning against the Fen Tiger Cubs at West Row on Sunday.

Just to confirm the Fen Tiger Cubs are scheduled to race against the Peterborough Thundercats next Thursday 19th April. A draft fixture list up to the middle of June has been sent to all clubs with dates for mid June September to be issued shortly. Certaintly a great time for junior league racing. Regards Nikko

The Thundercats are pleased to announce that Conor Dwyer joins the squad.

Hi Phil They both are, each team races each other twice home and away. At the moment the draft fixtures only go as far as the middle of June with more to follow for the rest of June, July and August. It will certainty be a little weird racing against the Fen Tigers for once but hope we have 4 great fixtures to watch. Regards Nikko

The Peterborough Thundercats have announced their first squad riders for the 2012 AJL season. The first riders named are Adam Kirby, Adam Portwood, Ben Holloway, Jamie Collins and Tim Nobes. Now joined by Conor Dwyer. Another couple of riders will be announced shortly. The Thundercats start their AJL campain next Friday 13th April against Lakeside Juniors with the Thundercats racing BEFORE the Peterborough Panthers take on the Lakeside Hammers. The AJL meeting will start approx 6.45pm with the EL meeting starting at 8pm. The first Thundercats team are: 1) Adam Kirby 2) Jamie Collins 3) Adam Portwood 4) Ben Holloway © Team Manager: Neil "Nikko" Day Thundercats draft fixtures for the next couple of months (more to follow, and subject to change) are: Fri 13 April @ Lakeside (postponed waterlogged track new date tba) Thu 19 April v Mildenhall Mon 30 April v Lakeside (subject to not being a Sky meeting) Sun 6 May @ Mildenhall Thu 17 May @ Ipswich Mon 21 May v Ipswich (subject to not being a Sky meeting) Thu 31 v Kings Lynn Sat 2 June @ Rye House Mon 4 June v Lakeside Wed 13 June @ Kings Lynn Thu 14 June v Mildenhall Lets give all the lads in the AJL the support they deserve. Nikko

Update on the offer to facilitate a meeting at the BSPA. No contact from anyone. Regards Neil "Nikko" Day

Good point

Hah, thats a classic you've seen his dress sense. Oh gawd the thought of "those" shorts coming out again this summer

CMO - sorry but HalifaxTiger is the least pretentious person I know. He travels up and down the country as a true speedway fan and although you may not agree with his views they are based on experience of most tracks in the country, Your comment about not being welcome is just plain childish, and I would not expect a true speedway fan to come up with such a stupid comment.

Certaintly an interesting signing

I would say up to a 6 point NL average is way to high and also 2 NL riders out of 4 is too many. For me this league is for young riders to gain experience in team racing and to to get ready for NL teams. Personally I have no problem with 1 NL reserve per team but no more and no riders who have ridden at NL heat leader or above. If you look at some of the reserves this season they are still very inexperienced and this league would help them. It will also give some riders without a team spot the chance to show what they can do. Rules are going to have to agreed and stuck to. If they are then this can only be a good thing.

Excellent post and I could not agree more. Look at the young riders without a team spot, there are a number of under 21 riders with one or two years experience who are now without teams and you have a number of 15 and 16 year olds who have come through the under 15 and under 16 championship who cannot even get a start in the NL. I know full well what it takes to run a NL side and yes the fans want a winning team but you also need variation of teams to race against and young exciting riders coming through to excite the fans. The Midlands league is filling a gap and is a very worthwhile exercise which I wholeheartedly support but we are reducing the racing experience of of our young riders. If you look at some of the 16 year olds in Midlands League squads for the 2012 season they should be National League reserves. It's such a shame that Sittingbourne, Bodmin and Exeter are not ready but will they ever be? It's even more of a shame, although understandable from a business perspective that Newport couldn't continue and Lakeside decided not to run an NL team having looked into it. You are spot on that the BSPA should not wait until the end of each season to sort this out. Let's see how serious the BSPA are about the NL and the future of young British riders coming through. I send out an open offer to Mr Peter Morrish the BSPA and the promoters to facilitate, at my own time and cost, a meeting in Rugby to discuss over the coming months a blueprint for 2013 and beyond. As a Programme Director with over 25 years experience in facilitating such meetings I am offering my time and as I am no longer directly involved with any club there is no conflict of interest. Regards Neil Day Edited with apologies to Mr Morrish for spelling his name wrong earlier.

More disappointing news and even less track time for the young lads now, the opportunities and chances to progress to the PL are getting less and less. Let's hope the AGM brings some positive news about some new teams or we are in big trouble.

Hi neil3065. I have no riders on my books anymore as I am no longer directly involved in the sport as I closed down Nikko Racing earlier this month, therefore my post had no hidden agenda. The Fen Tigers were successful last season because they had an experienced rider at reserve all season, this year they are going a different way. No one can argue with the Mildenhall managements experience, least of all me, and wish them well.

Even by the standard of other reserves named or being looked at so far this is a big ask for the lad. To go from 250cc racing to only just having started on 500cc bikes to NL racing by April is a massive leap. Great too see a young lad come through though. Good luck to him, I hope everyone gives him plenty of time and doesn't expect too much. The other reserve is now even more key and you would expect it to be someone with NL experience, albeit a small amount or the Fen Tigers are going to be very weak at reserve. Last year was built on an experienced reserve all season, the makeup of this years team is certaintly different.

Great to see that Stoke are joining the Midlands league and there are not many people who have done more that Malcolm over the years for the younger riders. Let's hope more and more clubs join the Midlands League and we see young British riders progress from the Midlands League, to National League, and Elite League. At the moment this looks like a pipe dream but who knows. Back to Mildenhall let's hope the last two riders fit this criteria, young, British and on their way to long careers.

Think you are trying to tell us something Phil lol.

With Nielsen and Dan Halsey in the top 5 that's going to put massive pressure on the reserves' one of whom may be a new 3 pointer. The success of last years team was based on having a very strong reserve all season. Both Dan and Nielson made their averages, if I remember correctly, from the reserve or even No 8 position in Nielsen case. If one of them rides at No 2 and the other at No 4 they are going to struggle to maintain their averages never mind step up to possible third heat leader. For the fans sake I hope Joe Joe recovers and has the season we all know he can, or Dan or one of the reserves is going to have to have a season like Lewis had or the Fen Tigers could be in trouble. Also how many meetings with Cam miss? Interesting team selection but the promotion know what there doing, and who was available and willing to ride at West Row, so we must wait and see.