False dawn

I don't hold out much hope for a Cheetahs win with the Bees fielding Bomber as their third heat leader behind Greg and Billy. We might even squeeze Freddy Hodder into the team and still manage the win. 🤣

Given that the two leg semi final will be a lucrative pair of fixtures, will we see teams "manipulating" their final league position to finish 2nd or 3rd rather going for the top slot? It's not like you get anything for winning the pre playoff league is it?

I remember, quite vividly, watching Philip around the NSS in 2021. This was in the 2 day SON final when because of two early injuries and Covid travel restrictions he was left as Sweden's only rider there. As a clear underdog the crowd took him to their hearts and he played to it. He actually rode very well, scoring 26 from 11 rides with every ride being a win or 2nd. He rounded off the end of the second day with a visit to the track on foot to thank the crowd for their support. A real showman. From what I know of the team spirit at Ipswich, he'll fit right in. [edit] I was forgetting the 4320 scoring system. Philip's every ride were 2nds or 3rds

Yes

It is a bit curious though, isn't it? The last time i went to Cardiff I paid £18 (early bird price). And the place was more than half empty which lead to no more GPs there. I have to say though that I went to the Friday meeting at BV last year and as we left I did say that the meeting we'd just seen was a real candidate for the best GP ever. Perhaps real fans want to see real racing eh? [edit] P.S. I've just bought two day tickets for this year.

A few "interesting" names in this list....

I think I asked BV to include such a roll of honour on their website last year. But I can't find it if they have. The only reference I can find is on the Peter Craven page on Wikipedia... "Since 1967, there has been a Peter Craven Memorial meeting held intermittently at the Belle Vue Stadium in honour of his memory. Winners of the Memorial have included World Champions Ivan Mauger (the inaugural winner), Ole Olsen, Peter Collins, Greg Hancock, Jason Crump and Chris Morton" Jason Doyle has won it [edit] twice four times and Brady Kurtz won it last year. I'm sure other fans can fill the blanks on recent winners at least.

We generally book parking at the school next door for the big meetings. You can book this on the ticketing website. The access looks tight but we've never had problems getting away quite quickly after the meeting.

Danyon Hume Racing (31st Dec 2025 on FaceBook) I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank all of my supporters. The back end year has been an incredibly tough one following my broken back injury, and I am still currently waiting for the metalwork to be removed. Throughout this challenging period, the support, encouragement, and patience shown to me has meant more than I can put into words. I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has stood by me, and I’m hopeful that 2026 will be a far more positive year and I will back on the bike with no doubt. Thank you all for your continued support — it truly doesn’t go unnoticed. Happy New Year

Thank you. But my question remains; if stock cars are/were possible, why is speedway impossible?

There is something of a rather large assumption in that statement

Apologies if this has been discussed to death in the past.... I've just seen on the news that Bradford Bulls are "back". During the news piece there was an interview with the stadium in the background and you can quite clearly see that the track is still there. Do I have a vague memory that they still run stock cars? I also seem to recall that speedway is now impossible because of the VIP grandstand sticking out over the track. If my memories are all correct, how is it possible to run stock cars but not speedway. I have many fond memories of going to Odsal back in the day, including two WC finals.

Respectful question: Are we allowed to ask if this is insider information or just speculation.

You're excused 🙃

Fahrenheit?

Tatum O’neal? That would be a refreshing change.

I think the issues around BSN are simple. Without them, we wouldn't have any league speedway on TV this year at all.

You've got to laugh at Reid Battye's quote about Berwick...... “I’ve heard it’s a really big speedway town and it’s on the coast. I live near the beach in Australia so it’s probably the same – just a bit colder!” Me thinks he's in for a bit of a shock

We are witnessing another major dent in the future of our sport at the top level. Let's not spend our time scoring points off one another, please.

Sadly, SGP2 doesn't attract the fans. We all talk about fostering the next generation but won't turn out to support them.

Not necessarily in that order, eh?

That was my assumption. Mind you, if we had a half way decent league they could run the BLRC. Was always as good, if not better than the World Final back in the day. Hey ho.

I think we're violently agreeing. I don't think BV can really afford to stage just one GP. But if they do, the ticket price will be so high we'll all complain vehemently and probably vote with our feet.

I rate Anders Rowe. But that was the offence of boring for which riders can be excluded

But you said, 13 years ago, on here, "Graeme Smith was known as 'The White Knight' - hence my name on this Forum. He rode in white leathers." 🤣