bazaar3

It has been well documented that Holder has said ' He does not wish to ride in the GP because he doesn't think he is ready' and do you really think Zagar would have been picked ahead of him.....come on.

Who on earth picked these wildcards....Stevie Wonder. So Bjarne Pedersen and Chris Harris have been replaced by the calibre of Sebastian Ulamek and Matej Zagar.....are they having a giraffe or what. Nicholls and Saufutdinov I understand and I am glad Holder turned down the GP series but it is really embarrassing for GB that we have only one rider in. Matej Zagar igve me a break.....Davy Watt could do better or Lindback or Hampel....even Mark Loram and he's been injured for a year.

I agree and disagree. Yes, I would like to see both these two young riders in the GP as they are great talents and better than some of the other riders there... But...IMO and as CH has said, it is just a year or 2 too early for them to make the step up. Too much pressure and not many young riders who have entered the GP at an early age have actually progressed....with Hampel and Lindback to name a few.

Well done Pedersen. I still think your a little reckless when it comes to the riding but I don't mind as your a nice bloke to chat with when your out of racing mode......and that is true of many a motor sport champion.

Where is this meeting being held? My group would be: 1 Holder 2 Saufutdinov 3 Hougarrd 4 Batchelor 5 Pavlic 6 Risager 7 Woffinden 8 Zengota 9 Kus 10 Bridger 11 Sitera 12 Karpov 13 Lindgren 14 Kononov 15 Vaculik 16 Lawson

So let me get this right..... Say for instance that Nicki and Jason get second and third next year then they go into a seeded bit of a GP challenge and say if it's a wet one off night and Crump falls or Nicki gets excluded and someone like Simon Gustafsson sneaks into the challenge and finds the meeting on his home track and qualifies into the GP. Could that be a possibility?

I think Holder is riding better than all of those 3 riders in Poland and I would guess Sweden. Him and Nicki joint top scorer a weeks. When it is is everywhere the rider is riding well he must be considered but I do agree with the Kasprzak bit. Give him a year or 2.

Could have said exactly the same about the 3 that qualified last year and the year before that......they may not win a series but there is always a chance of a GP win as Rune Holta and Brian Andersen have proved.

I don't think there are many out there until next year who deserve to replace the current crop so I would stick with 9th, 10th and 11th and 12th. Swidders, Holder and the other young guns to be in the 2010 series.

Holder has already stated that he is not ready and I agree. Bet all of King Midas's fortune wouldn't get him in the GP's next season which should hopefully leave a place for Bomber or Scott to have another triumphant season.

Can't believe so many are predicting Sullivan.....surely his EL form says 'I'm past it' and IMO I think he has done well to get as far as the challenge. It is quite a weak meeting and I hope someone like Pavlic or Bjerre can step up but at the moment I would say; even though they have earned the right; I think stronger riders could be selected from elsewhere instead of this meeting.

So with the GP Challenge looming and with mainly old hands in this one, is there likely to be anyone out of the pack who can make a dent in the GP series next season. I would say no at the moment but their are a few who may fancy there chances next year like Chris Holder, Piotr Swiderski and Emil Safutdinov plus others who are waiting in the wings. My prediction for the top 3 this year are: 1) Greg Walasek (Will win with a maximum) 2) Niels Kristian Iversen 3) Peter Karlsson (probably winning a run off against a surprise packet)

I agree with Chris Holder and I don't think he is quite ready for another year or two and I think he knew it when he got knocked out the qualifying rounds for the GP series. He has plenty of time whereas riders like Lindback and Hampel have hit the GP's at a young age and actually gone backwards in there careers so I think Chris is wise to go for this when he is 22/23.

Have to agree. Like Rosco, but don't think he is quite ready for the role tactically and obviously the BSPA and myself actually amazingly agreed on something....

Can't believe I have missed 20 odd pages of thread...where do I begin? By to shazzybird and saying 'we told em so'. Plenty more responses tomorrow especially to Sir Honealot and people who think Norris should be in charge as he as the tactical nouse of Guy Fawkes....

So if a rider who has won a GP and been in the GP's for the last few seasons is not world class, wtf do you call world class.... I suppose he is shy of world class like a Johnno or a Howe...

Brilliant

Very disappointing that mostly the old guard who have been there and done that have got through to the challenge and mainly are the favourites. Hopefully next season we will see young riders like Holder, Korniellesson, Batchelor, Kennett and Safutdinov make the challenge final.

Very disappointing that Stead, Kennett or King couldn't get through against riders of the caliber such as Jedrezak, Nermark and Davidsson who are riders they can beat comfortably on other tracks. Gutted for Watty, he would have won this.

My knowledge of speedway around the world is getting better, but if this was one of the quarters, I think it seems alot easier than the other 3. If Kevin Wolbert and Adam Roynon been in this one I think they would have got through IMO.

Always like these kind of meetings as you can usually get an idea who is still a force or who is a new force. No idea how many riders go through but I will think the top 8 in winning order will be: Watt Klingberg Howe Kennett Dobrucki Smolinski Kroner Max Franc ®?

I have to say I agree with Authorised. Regardless of last seasons averages surely this seasons start is how to assess a rider and Allen has scored a lot heavily than King and indeed most of the Brits even though he was poor at Poole on Wedensday. Makes no sense and I would like to hear an explanation from Jim why he didn't pick Allen. I am glad he picked mostly youngish riders and regardless of how far they get at least they get some more experience. Don't get me started on the timing of the British Final....

Obviously the FIM didnt read about me complaining about this before. Instead of holding at the big nations tracks, lets make it fair and hold it at a neutral venue.

But the bigwigs love Poland cos it makes em big bucks so they throw in another Polish GP veteran to keep their 10,000 fans happy and coming through the turnstiles just incase Sir Gollob was to get injured. We agree to disagree and I hope you are right. Now what would have been interesting would have been if Bjarne Pedersen was beaten by Tomicek in the run-off for third. Would he have taken the place with 3 danes already in....

Good thread. I agree with most that Jonsson, Harris and Hampel will be back in. But I think Zagar will get the nod over Lindgren for two reasons even though I would prefer to see Freddy. 1) The FIM always want riders from different nations represented especially if they have a home GP to take part in. 2) Lindgren failed to qualify from the GP challenge. Why give him right over Tomicek who got beaten into 4th from a run-off.