Subedei

Well, he hardly seems that interested in going back into the GPs.

And it looks as if the Poles have nominated Torun's Wieslaw Jagus for the "Wild Card" berth at Bydgoszcz and are awaiting the green light from the uber-golem: http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2008/08/...-z-dzika-karta/ The "Berry", of course, was the "Wild Card" at Bydgoszcz in 2006 and made the final.

But the mind is often a very powerful tool for a sportsman.

But tinkering with his engines - and sometimes an awful lot more, such as during the SWC race-off last season - mid-meeting seems to keep Tomasz Gollob happy.

The call, so it seems, is for "new blood" to inject life into the Grands Prix circus. In his blog on the Sky Sports website, Sky's top pundit and new official crash helmet carrier for the global superstar writes: "The pressure is certainly on both Nicholls and Chris Harris to try and force their way in [to the top eight], particularly as there is a lot of talk about the new teenage sensation Tai Woffinden...Without question the powers that be are beginning to take a lot of interest in him. I think they would like some fresh faces and I think some of the riders who have been kicking around who are not in the top eight will be in a vulnerable position. There are some youngsters who are making names for themselves like Tai Woffinden and the Australian rider Chris Holder who is getting a terrific reputation." Well, lets have a look at the final standings in the Grands Prix this century (I have only produced the riders qualifying automatically for the next season's circus): 2007 1..N Pedersen 2..L Adams 3..J Crump 4..T Gollob 5..H Andersen 6..G Hancock 7..R Holta 8..S Nicholls 2006 1..J Crump 2..G Hancock 3..N Pedersen 4..A Jonsson 5..L Adams 6..H Andersen 7..M Zagar 8..T Gollob 2005 1..T Rickardsson 2..J Crump 3..L Adams 4..N Pedersen 5..G Hancock 6..B Pedersen 7..T Gollob 8..A Jonsson 2004 1..J Crump 2..T Rickardsson 3..G Hancock 4..L Adams 5..N Pedersen 6..T Gollob 7..A Jonsson 8..J Hampel 2003 1..N Pedersen 2..J Crump 3..T Rickardsson 4..L Adams 5..G Hancock 6..T Gollob 7..S Nicholls 8..R Holta 9..R Sullivan 10..P Protasiewicz 2002 1..T Rickardsson 2..J Crump 3..R Sullivan 4..L Adams 5..M Karlsson (now known as M Max) 6..G Hancock 7..T Gollob 8..M Loram 9..B Hamill 10..L Dryml 2001 1..T Rickardsson 2..J Crump 3..T Gollob 4..R Sullivan 5..L Adams 6..B Hamill 7..M Karlsson (now known as M Max) 8..T Wiltshire 9..M Loram 10..N Klingberg 2000 1..M Loram 2..B Hamill 3..T Rickardsson 4..J Crump 5..G Hancock 6..L Adams 7..T Gollob 8..T Wiltshire 9..R Sullivan 10..C Louis As you will note, I've highlighted three riders in bold. Messrs Crump, Adams and Gollob have managed to qualify via their placing in the Grands Prix on each and every single occasion. Another rider, "The Grin", has just missed out on a single occasion, while two riders - Billy Hamill and Tony Rickardsson - bowed out of their own accord; Rickardsson as world champion mid-way through the 2006 season. And you have to think that Rickardsson, if he'd carried on, would still have been a force to this day and a sure-fire qualifier. Old father time, one knock too many and satiated ambition did for Tony Rickardsson. He was knocking on in years, the on-track knocks were taking their toll and he had six world championships to his name. Enough was surely enough. And it looks like we're going to have to wait for Messrs Adams, Crump and Gollob (and, to be fair to him, Hancock) to finally decide that they also have had their fill. Which is surely as it should be? So, what chance does that give the likes of Tai Woffinden, Chris Holder, Jurica Pavlic and Emil Sajfutdinov, to name the outstanding prospects of speedway? Well, every chance, if they're prepared to do the hard work and have the skill, determination and balls, if you ask me. But it seems to me that the creation of the Grands Prix circus has enabled a cabal of riders to form an elite corps whose talent and resources makes them virtually invulnerable. To be sure, it looks as if Hans Andersen is set to join that cabal, while world championship favourite Nicki Pedersen most certainly has, but even a rider as gifted and as well backed as Andreas Jonsson has so far been merely a "fringe player". But isn't that how it should be? Only the best, the driven, the determined and the gifted should find themselves regularly at the top table, gorging themselves on the fruits of the Grands Prix circus.

And why not ask Ipswich supporters, pray tell?

And what, exactly, does that have to do with the price of noodles in Alama Ata? The erroneous point made by hyderd was that "Scotty...is a better team player at league level." My subsequent point about the global superstar dumping on his Swedish team merely blew that point out of the water.

Are you sure about that? Could you swear to it? This is, after all, the global superstar who dumped on his Swedish team so he could concentrate on the GP circus.

Tomek is the popular nickname of Tomasz Gollob.

And this one time out of a hundred it wasn't called as all 4 back and in the circumstances, if an exclusion is going to happen, the right rider was excluded. The global superstar was pointing in such a way that he was heading into the line of the rider off gate 1. He hoped no doubt to bully Holta into conceding the first turn to him, but Holta was having none of it.

Yes, I'm fine. Cast your mind back to Cardiff - rider on the inside makes the start, moves out and clips a rider moving in. Result, uproar as the inside rider is excluded, twice. Now, malilla rider on the inside makes the start moves out a little a clips a rider who was pointing inwards from the get go. result, furore when the outside rider is excluded. Once again, I am constant as the Northern Star, while all about me wriggle and squirm. Anyway, the exclusion was good news for the global superstar - he can complain bitterly about the perceived injustice of the whole thing, rather than address a sixty-fourth failure.

No, either way I'd probably have called all 4 back. But if the situation were reversed and an exclusion were required, I'd have excluded Holta.

You see how generous I am to the global superstar?

Did anyone think young Kasprzak was looking to help his compatriot Gollob out in Ht 19? He certainly seemed keen to get Lindgren to the back of the pack, which would more or less assure Gollob of a place in the semis. Contrast that with the let's try and knock each other off approach of the former Coventry team mates.

Ah well, did you know that Tomasz Gollob scored as many wins in Ht 18 tonight as your beloved global superstar has managed in - count them - 37 GP races this season?

Agreed.

Tee hee Mrs Miggins, tee hee. SIXTY-FOUR and counting. Has he no shame?

But did score the same as Harris tonight. And only one less than the global superstar, who was gifted most of his points.

Didn't go to university at all - was too busy rampaging around central Asia with Genghis and the Mongol tumens for all that nonsense. I just read extensively and always try and increase my knowledge. As for well-respected on here, I think that's open to debate. Of course, some people respect my opinion, others don't. The Welsh gulag are where those who oppose the New Jerusalem will be left to ponder on the error of their ways - the gulag were the system of forced Labour camps of Stalinst era USSR.

Yes, as is said in the first post. Indeed, both Laguta brothers ride for Lokomotiv Daugavpils. And he put on a good show last season - he made the semi-finals.

And for the second year running it appears the "Wild Card" for the Latvian Grand Prix will go to Lokomotiv Daugavpils' Russian star Grigorij Laguta, with the "Track Reserve" positions going to a couple of Latvians - Kjastas Puodzuks and Maksim Bogdanovs - from Lokomotiv Daugavpils: http://www.sportowefakty.pl/zuzel/2008/08/...-na-daugavpils/ Laguta was something of a sensation in last season's Latvian Grand Prix and also impressed for the Russians in this year's SWC, particularly the race-off. But here's a clip of him showing the global superstar how it's done around Daugavpils last season:

Just out of interest, how did Hammarby manage to wangle Rider Replacement for the global superstar? I shouldn't have though "resting" was a legitimate reason for Rider Replacement to be allowed.

Or maybe this is Silver Bees' song: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=w1IYEaDXCTo

Yes, how?

Do you reckon sixty-fourth time lucky?