chun

more passing tonight than at the national speedway stadium this year

think the track is riding better with the natural watering it’s had today which is being held in the surface by the overcast conditions. much more opportunity to get around the outside which wasn’t the case in previous meetings

best racing foxhole has seen all year

the likely crowd restrictions were known a long time ago. could wolves not have looked to open up access to the back straight?

Let's sign craig cook on a 28 day deal before we go to belle vue on Monday. 15 pt max tonight surely is sufficient to take a punt

were there covid police in attendance? they did seem to be going OTT with Covid precautions. guess they are paranoid about getting closed down

exactly. the likes of king and heeps can only ride one way and it’s not round the inside...

Anyone know why they didn’t water the track at all during the meeting last night? Was that the case for other home meetings?

gate positions can make a huge difference in speedway. it’s one of the aspects that makes the sport interesting. At Ipswich last night Gate 4 was a bit a graveyard. At many tracks it’s very difficult to get across from Gate 4 so it makes the programming of gate positions important if the format is uneven, especially combined with the way the track develops through the meeting. Just my opinion but I think Gates 1&3 will be the preference for most teams this season and that’s to do with advantage they more often than not give you early on in the meeting, not just heat 1. I think there could be mileage in allowing the team that fall behind selection of gate positions in later heats, like one poster said in order to try to keep the racing competitive. I’m sure that statistical analysis would show gate 1 trumps gate 4. By the time you get to the last heat it tends to be less about gate positions as riders get dialled into the track.

I see both away sides won the toss and opted for 1&3 in the opening heats. Certainly might have helped Kings Lynn stay in touch and hold back their tactical ride to Heat 14. I also see that the Polish league has a different gates schedule, with more alternating between gates for consecutive heats.

We are already one heat leader short after allen came in to replace klindt so it would make sense to bring in a heat leader if one can be sourced. i think craig cook is worth a punt if he’s up for it. if it doesn’t work out then crump can come back in. it will also keep the other under performers on their toes, eg heeps.

From my vantage point on the 4th bend he was trying to block the inside run - and the front wheel clipped the kerb when he was fully locked - so as his front wheel lifted the back wheel then picked up traction sending him flying

I'd be surprised if he wasn't concussed although I don't think he hit his head as such

it was a nice touch for Masters and Schlein to come and see if Crump was OK. Shows the respect these boys have for him, but also the genuine concern for his welfare. The applause was almost an outpouring of relief as that could have ended up so much worse. Masters

I assumed he must have for the bike to reach that violently although I didn't see the exact moment as I was focussing on the Wolves pair closing in behind

schlein had king's number. you could see Danny was trying but he was powerless to stop the wolves boys going past. seemed the ipswich riders had the wrong set up as they kept going into the corners too hard and rearing coming off the bends. heeps and allen were more than disappointing.

that crump incident was something else. He must have been catapulted about 10 feet high! Did he clip the kerb? i wasn't all that impressed being exiled out onto the 4th turn but that's where most of the action was. I got hit by some wayward shale when Douglas shed that chain as well! Pass of the night was Luke Becker on Danny King in Heat 6. That kid looks a real prospect.

by way of example, the scorecard from last night's panthers versus aces fixture. peterborough_31.05.21_res.pdf (speedwaygb.co.uk) in the opening 6 heats the team off 1&3 in the opening heat have 4 inside gates. Of the two heats that the other team have 1&3, heat 2 is the reserves race and in heat 5 only the opposition number 2 enjoys the inside gate. therefore the team off 1&3 in the opening heat have a far higher percentage of heat leaders off inside gates in the opening heats, before track regrading has a chance to even things out. totally appreciate that not all tracks are the same and always offer advantage to inside gates but this programming of gate positions does seem to give scope for an uneven start to proceedings. Heats 7-10 have the side off 1&3 in the opener off 2&4 for 4 consecutive heats!

i have seen a few comments that opting for the heat 15 gate choice is the way to go. to put the opposing view. at wolves last night, Wolves won the toss and went for 1&3 in heat 1. this then puts the opposition heat leaders off gate 4 more often than not in the opening heats. at a track like wolves where passing is at a premium in the early heats this tends to give a huge advantage. once the track is graded and settles down then allows for more passing opportunities bringing 2&4 into play. in the interests of a better spectacle it is probably better for the away side to get those early 1&3 gates, although in the case of Ipswich last night it would have made little difference. i’m interested to understand the logic behind why the gates don’t alternate between 1&3 and 2&4. didn’t they always used to?

thoroughly outclassed. wolves have built a much stronger team.

streaming could save british speedway. not just marketing opportunities to away fans. what about fans in Australia, the US or poland. If all clubs could provide a stream then a monthly league pass could be sold internationally.

looks like this one could be one sided

better than turning left i suppose

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/55010011 A maximum of 4,000 fans are to be allowed at outdoor events in the lowest-risk areas when the national lockdown in England ends on 2 December, BBC Sport understands. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement this afternoon on the return of crowds. There will be no crowds allowed at sport in the highest-risk areas under the new Covid-19 restrictions for England from 2 December.

ruthless