FAST GATER

The track was TOO GOOD smooth ,grip and every rider loved it so your saying that when they get the racing surface they all ask for it is no good to race on ,this could only happen in this sport !!!!!!!!!!

Let the rider skill be the difference not what is done in the workshop

My brother's favourite Rod never saw him sadly (too young ) but Pistol Pete always seemed to have an extra gear just at the right time and would break his opponents heart in the process. IMO if a rider makes the gate without breaking the tapes or moving the race should be his whether he has guessed right or read the Ref's starting routine so be it

Imo the rule was brought in to try and level the field( in fact it had the oposite effect because top riders would often get caught out) because some felt that Ivan &co would not win as many races as they did but cream will always float to the top and Ivan ,Ole and the rest would have adapted because were great riders .

In my own case I love the starts I believe they are as entertaining as the races and love the different methods and ways in which each rider sets himself up ,from my own point of view this has been wrecked by the strict and IMO boring robotic rules implimented today .I believe Colin Mererdith is to blame sorry one of the main reasons that we have gate and go s/way today would not mind but if my memory serves me correctly he was at best a very average rider perhaps this is his revenge on Mauger & Co .

I have been to about 18 mens finals ( my brother was an LTA concillor ) IMO the two stand out player were/are Sampras and Federer ,it is no accident the number of titles they have between them and Roger shaves it by the sheer grace he plays with .In recent times I have only missed the finals because a certain Scotsman was in them and I refuse to watch him under any circumstances because his contempt for the English which he barely conceals .

Good meeting worthy winners great racing have to mention Hancock who was more than a gater tonight and just can't believe he rides at this level consistently at the age he is amazing really .

Years ago most but not all riders( the likes of Kelvin Tattum , Andy Smith and Joe Screen went in BL straight off) started in the second half of meetings in those days the old NL and the Gulf British league ,firstly in the NL s/halves making the team then about a season later having ago in the s/halves of the Gulf league .From this position they were then offered BL places to cover injury etc before D/U on regular bacis ultimately moving up to full time BL after about 3yrs.This seemed to work quite well IMO as a general rule of thumb a NL number 1 was the same level as a BL reserve of course you had riders that never left the NL or never made the grade or could not make a living in the BL.

I saw Michael Lee doing a few laps as 15yr old at Boston you could just tell he was a star in the making ,but that can be said for most riders IMO if they have not made it within a couple of years in most cases they have reached their potential be it NL ,PL or EL .

Indeed that was so many Gulf league teams ( as it was in the 70's) put their juniors in the NL for 12mts or so we had Chris Morton at Ellesmere Port who in one season went from reserve to main team .I do think that the lack of second halves today in both PL and EL make such a difference to riders progressing to the EL rather than the ridiculous FTR we endure today .

For some reason his Swedish scoring has been erratic for a number of seasons ,I accept that the standard his higher now but his EL scoring even when the league was stronger always seemed so much more consistent .IMO British tracks demand a greater level of skill rather than the raw power of the continental tracks and are more suited to his style of riding .

I for one am so glad that he is here this season ,really thought we had seen the last of him in the EL but if this is his swansong then we could not ask for more !!!!

We need that format in the PL like a "hole in the head"

My daughter( 25yrs old Tai fan ) and myself were at the GP on Saturday but yesterday she said the runner up at Wimbledon behaved in a manner and conducted himself in such a way that he made Tai look yobish and foolish to say the least .

Great GP winner deserved to do so perhaps Peter Karlsson( probably the one of the most respected riders in speedway today ) can have a word in Tai's ear and we should leave it at that !!!!

I can't think why anyone would not be impressed with the NSS , IMO it ticks all the boxes and is a great testament to the B/V promotion who are rightly proud of it .All of us should be pleased that the sport has something to be admired and I am sure the crowds will increase and the track will become a favourite with all riders .

Sorry can't resist "tape touching" and flying starts being let go rather than 4 or 5 goes to get a race done

Think if they made a Sour Grapes flavour it might be popular with some posters

I am sure all of us would do so if we had a sponsorship deal like his and I for one am pleased that I high profile company is pumping money into the sport ,and amazed that he is still arguable the best rider in the world at 46 yrs old ,

I thought it was an excellent GP I think it will be tough for Tai to retain his title (not saying he won't) but that would make all the better,did I hear right that Hancock is racing for another 3yrs ?.Love or hate him he is amazing to be one of the top 3 riders in the world at his age and raced as hard as anyone else last night and never complains about his workload either .

Plus many held down full or part time jobs outside the sport but then they just wanted to ride s/way and if they made a few bob it was a bonus !!!

How true they did IMO earn the money in those days and I do get a little perplexed when the current w/champ( who has drivers, mechanics , works backing) says he is over worked ,has he ever had 2hrs sleep and got up for 8hrs work !!!

Top riders were happy to stay in the NL one reason was that many had jobs or businesses ( Tom Owen plant hire) and tended to where possible ride at tracks close to home /work.Another factor was that the vast majority of BL tracks were southern based except for the likes of B/VUE Wolves and the Dukes .

Jacko was tied to Elle Port by my father's sponsorship so difficult for hm to move up full time BL as it was then but you are right Jacko could have gone on to great things but was still one of the greatest NL stars of all time.The night he went to Wolves for a try out ( Bill Bridget was running it ) he got in the s/half final George Hunter ,Jimmy Mac ,Jacko and I forget the fourth rider but he gated and won the race.George said to him after the race your wasted in the NL the only rider I followed round here that riders like that is "Ole " himself !!!!

What want is the draft abolished and a return to the pre draft EL format as I believe that if a rider is good enough he will get there NL -PL - EL water will always find it's own level.