False dawn

1 minute. Open the pit gate, let riders and mechanics do what they like, but competitors have 60 seconds to back at the tapes.

Can I just say welcome to Victor? We hope you settle into your new home and make an ongoing contribution to Leicester's run to the title.

Hey, I'm with you. The British Championship should mean something and I was pleased when they started sending the winner to Cardiff. We could help by introducing the winner on TV and elsewhere as the British Champion. As to why Tai doesn't make the trip and Scott wants to win another one, I think we know that their sights are set on different targets. My point about those Wednesdays at Brandon that you refer to, is that riders back then were there to progress in the WC first and to be British Champion second.

The British Final was on the road to the World Final back then.

Quite right. Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Whereas Palovaara is a hill in Finland. Alright, I'll get my coat.

or Brandon

Tai, what are you saying about Poole???

Alun obviously reads the forum and has put his hat on!

This ref makes the muppets look good

You're the 4th person making a list. I'll get my coat.

I hope it's better than the TV camera work!

It appears that the sidecar meeting scheduled for this Friday at Leicester has been postponed. It sounds like the venue has become unavailable: https://www.acu.org.uk/News/2019/07/ACU-British-Sidecar-Speedway-Round-3-Cancelled/

Blackbird Road

You don't believe that Mr single decker bus. We're close to resolving the local attendance problem by offering a discount. The greater exposure TV offers has to be to our advantage. But hey ho, let's run off into a dark corner and compliment each other?

My friend, please draw back from making rash decisions. This was a bad end to a bad week wasn't it? Regardless of the initial cause of the stoppage, this was an unfortunate and extreme example of this kind of delay. I know such delays are more common than they were back in the day due to the rules covering paramedic cover etc. But they are still unusual. I also became very impatient but as it happens the speedway that eventually followed was pretty good and hard fought. The commentator described the last race as the best of the year. I'm not sure I'd go that far but it was up there. The point is that I went home with the adrenaline flowing. Sorry to Redcar and their followers, you did deserve that point (but there was no conspiracy, please). Janet. Should you end your spectating career, I am but one of a very large number of people who would miss you. Think of all those forum friends you've met, the people who know you because they're Lucy's friends and just those who know you because you're approachable and a friendly face. The world of speedway would be worse off should you not return. David x

I like Josh. He overrides and he knows it. But he gives 100%, 100% of the time and he is exciting to watch. But that move wasn't a racing accident. He arrived at the corner going far too fast and would have ended up in a big heap under the air fence regardless. Unfortunately for all concerned, Broc got tangled up in the ongoing accident and both riders now face an enforced break. If the track played a part, and I emphasis if, then Josh should have sized up his move having tried a couple of lines first. This was his first lap of his first race and only heat 3 of the meeting. He is growing in experience and he has to use his growing knowledge to make more measured moves. Throwing himself full blooded into move like that having not even ridden that turn was ill advised.

I have no axe to grind either way (although I am Bees fan at heart, so draw your own conclusions ). I guess my objection, if I have one, is that curtailed meetings due to a curfew, weather or any other reason, should be declared without any risk of an accusation of bias.

Josh had been beaten by Dan Bewley. Brady had been beaten by Dan Bewley, Steve Worrall and Max Fricke. Jack had been beaten by Max and Scott (not to mention his own team mate, twice). I think the meeting was in the balance, however you look at it.

Perhaps Leicester can talk nicely to Charles Wright tonight.

You are quite right, of course. But if you take a big enough sample, the influence of one gate over another will begin to emerge.

We can debate the pros and cons of qualifying. For me, the focus is now starting to move to where it should be. Just what makes one gate better than any other? Last year, 10 of the 23 heats were won from gate 3. Unacceptable in my view and I ask, "what was so good about gate 3?". Well this year, something quite different happened. There was a total of 2 points scored from gate 3 in the first 8 heats. Two contrasting sets of statistics which should raise some questions. But worse still. A late significant "track grading" suddenly changed the picture completely. In the last round of qualification races, 3 out of 4 of the heats were won from gate 3. It was quite clear that this track (as well as any, in my opinion) could be prepared to make all 4 gates fair. Oh, I know the characteristics of gate 4 and to a lesser extent gate 3 do evolve as these are on the racing line. But grade the gates. Men with rakes. It ain't rocket science.

But, as someone has pointed out elsewhere, we have, sort of, replaced the old lottery draw for a new one. Why not give the lowest scorer from the previous GP, first pick of his qualification slot. At least we'd avoid any worries about manipulation. And before you say the lowest scorer would obviously go first, the first 3 GPs don't support that assumption. Warsaw being the most obvious example where Matej Zagar was fastest, having gone out 8th.

Thank you moomin man 76. A thoroughly illuminating report on a meeting of great interest to many fans. I wish I'd cancelled my other commitments and gone now. The nerdy analysis shows that there was no significant advantage to any of the gates and the race times were quite comparable to the track record. Despite the obvious speed of races generally, your report and others show that there was a goodly amount of overtaking. It sounds like Glasgow deserve a huge pat on the back. The importance of this meeting cannot be overstated in world championship terms. Riders career aspirations can hinge on track preparation alone. I'm sure the FIM won't have missed the quality of this presentation and will hopefully assign future meetings to the same promotion.

Interesting rule question. It appears that it's clear that you can't ride without gloves. Someone said to me on Sunday at Leicester when wet shale was a problem to everyone but the race leader, that riding without goggles was against the rules also, despite some riders pulling them off during whilst racing. Can anyone confirm this please?