Subedei

It's rather sad to see the way that Mikael Max is struggling.

The draw for the European Grand Prix at Leszno has been staged - details available at the following: http://www.speedwayworld.tv/draw/2008/draw_pol.php Interestingly, young Iversen was also drawn at No 14 for Krsko.

It looks to me like the fire in the belly of Crump has been extinguished - over a year since he tasted victory in a Grand Prix.

But he still went out and won all four of them. Didn't the former British champion have red in his last race? A win and he'd have been pushing for the semi-finals, but he couldn't do the business.

No, they have a different kind of race director to King's Lynn - the golem Olsen tells them to ride and they ride. In fact, he didn't even seem to need to tell them, just nodded his head a couple of times and they knew what they had to do.

No, today was a "reserve date" for any fixtures that hadn't yet been staged, due to weather, et cetera. The next Polish league fixtures are a full programme on 01-05-08 - the traditional "May Day" holiday in Poland - and then there's another full programme next Sunday. Edit: By the way, today's meeting in Poznan is a pairs event, not an individual event.

Not the first time Jonsson has done that, is it? Tosh and nonsense.

Which is true. But it's also true that he qualified on merit. I didn't know why he bothered then and I still don't know now. He doesn't seem to bother in the GPs, so why the effort to qualify? Ah well, qualifying final in Zielona Gora not Vojens this season, so hopefully it's the last we'll see of him.

No, of course it isn't only "built for GPs".

Maury Robinson was a Kiwi, I believe.

No, there is no minimum rides rule in Poland. The tactical rules appear to be a hybrid of British systems old and and new. If you're six points or more down, it's the old Tactical Substitute rules that we all knew and loved. But if you go ten points or more down, the Tactical Substitute can be nominated as a "Joker" and go for double points. Yes, the junior riders can replace riders at any stage of the meeting. The juniors have six programmed rides between them and these MUST be taken by a junior, so you couldn't replace a Sitera with Crump as Tactical Substitute, for example. The racing order, in British terms is: Ht 1..6-7 vs 6-7 Ht 2..1-2 vs 1-2 Ht 3..3-4 vs 3-4 Ht 4..5-6 vs 5-6 Ht 5..3-4 vs 1-2 Ht 6..5-6 vs 3-4 Ht 7..1-2 vs 5-6 Ht 8..5-6 vs 1-2 Ht 9..1-2 vs 3-4 Ht 10..3-4 vs 5-6 Ht 11..2-5 vs 2-3 Ht 12..3-6 vs 1-6 Ht 13..1-5 vs 4-5 Ht 14..Nominated (low scorers) Ht 15..Nominated (high scorers)

Okay, there is no points limit in Poland. And averages play no part in determining where riders are positioned in the team. In Liga I there are eight man teams, Nos 1-5 (9-13 for the home team) may be any age, Nos 6-7 (14-15) and referred to as "juniors" must be aged 21 or under and No 8 (16) must be aged 23 or under. The No 8 (16) may replace any rider in the 1-5 at anytime, or, if the No 8 (16) is 21 or under, any rider at any time, up to a maximum number of rides (5, I think). Since "Unsteady" is well past 21 years of age, he won't be allowed to drop down. And if he carries on the way he's going, he might find Zenon Plech dropping him from the Bydgoszcz team.

I'm going to upset the Bydgoszcz fans and I'm sorry for it, but didn't your city once have a Teutonic sounding name (Bromberg)?

I think there is a league programme on 01-05 (May Day holiday in Poland, I assume) and then again on the Sunday (04-05). Lawrence is merely giving dates when they'll be available on-line - a day after the fixture takes place, so 02-05 and 05-05.

Yet more insane racing from Sajfutdinov - what a talent. Surprised Ht 7 wasn't stopped when Jedrzejewski hit the deck on the 1st turn - a sure-fire stoppage over here. Great race between Kylmakorpi and Jonsson in Ht 10, but Jedrzejewski getting roughed up a little, again. What was Stead playing at in Ht 11? All he did was get in Sajfutdinov's way on the 1st-2nd turns. Not that it mattered - the crazy Russian brushed him aside and then carved up the Ostrow riders. Fantastic. Brilliant ride from Kylmakorpi to get the better of Jedrzejewski on the last turn in Ht 12. More insane riding from Sajfutdinov in Ht 14 - it always looked likely to end in a tumble. And it did. Strange to see the race carry on with Sajfutdinov lying on the track. Was a fantastic race for three laps. Sajfutdinov is compelling. Well, it was about a million times better than Wolverhampton last night. But when is Zenon Plech going to run out of patience with Simon Stead? Edit: And thank you, Lawrence, it is fantastic to watch - you're spoiled over in Poland.

I'm afraid they think the television public is stupid and believes anything they say. Negativity (reality) is not allowed - every meeting is fantastic and thrilling.

Sorry, Liverstam, missed your post - you usually get some twaddle along the lines of the track will get better. It never does, of course. At Rzeszow not only did Watt say the track was "rubbish", but he said it would probably get worse. And he apologised for the standard of the racing. You'll not hear that on Sky.

Yes, the Gdansk meeting is superb, especially the Sajfutdinov-Pedersen races in Hts 4 and 13. For racing of the type they have there, I'd be tempted to go the whole hog and bring the guy over full time.

Just flicked through what I presume was a pre-season individual meeting held at Bydgoszcz and the racing is on another level - the great man wins, of course. But some breath-taking action along the way.

Yes, that wasn't good. But it had some merit, such as honesty - I'm thinking particularly of riders (Davey Watt) just coming straight out and saying the track and the action were rubbish.

That's the problem having this feast available on the internet - domestic speedway really loses out in comparison. We're all desperately waiting for a Polish second tier meeting to sustain us after the rubbish served up at Monmore Green.

And by the looks of it, this meeting is finally being staged. But not a good start for Zabik, with a couple of noughts to his name so far. And Hampel only has a couple of points from his first couple of rides: http://live.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel1.htm

An added bonus of having these meetings on the internet is that one learns how to pronounce the Polish names correctly - who'd have thought Rzeszow would be pronounced the way it is? And fair play to Davey Watt for managing to say it - Leigh Adams has been with Leszno for 12 years and still hasn't got that one right. Mind you, he gets it right on the track and I suppose that's all that really matters.

I think that he's referring to the bribery scandal at the end of last season, Mateusz.

Rafineria Trzebinia was the company that financed Tarnow's glory years. And the company hasn't literally disappeared - they're still going, just not sponsoring Tarnow anymore. And so does his brother, these days.