spook

a welcome change to the site too...... looks good the stats sections in each rider's profile is helpful for us anoraks..... and sections like the rules section can only be good for those new

thx ok so the inflation question has been answered (i'm guessing rider prize money will see inflation changes as well at some stage)... and there is a loophole for IMG..... but I dont believe that there wont be loopholes for FIM as well... and it is unlikely that we will see that published by IMG It would also indicate that the fees involved between IMG and FIM are flat(ish) and not based on financial results.... which takes us full circle back to the ball and chain of an 18 year contract..... being completely honest now..... would we actually want members of the BSPA to be running the GP's? Aside from the events of this winter just gone they have shown little business acumen over the years..... and fail to recognise year in year out what the strengths of the sport are and how that can relate to bums on seats A mix of world speedway people would have been preferable.... but again as I mentioned before.... where is the start up capital? where is the experience in the modern age of sponsors and working with the media? (please see SKY/GOspeed contract for evidence) I don't think that IMG are a bad thing at all and over the years an identity has been built which is now recognisable for anyone who has watched one before and is flicking through the tv in the future........ handing out an 18 year contract in the first place is pure folly though In a 90min multi lap race I believe it is all about just how slow a moving chicane can be without causing carnage...... not much different to sticking a NL junior in a GP competition that was 20 laps+ aside from the technical stuff F1 is actually quite simple for the average viewer to understand........ and I think this is the beauty..... anyone who wants to wear an anorak can delve into the technical side at will ..... but the bottom line of the sport isnt affected for everyone else again we dont know the real ins and outs of it....... but we do know that compared to other sports who gain LESS viewers on SKY it is completely out of step and SKY must be laughing at the sheer charity................ we also know that far too big a slice go into El Tel's pockets it is my view that if anything was anything approaching professional then we would know where the sport stood as far as the deal is concerned...... we would know how much money is going back into the sport and where........

but a good example of what could be achieved good post Jim

My mistake... apologies to be fair I'm not sure that there are many of us who know the real extent of their earnings..... as others have pointed out the prizemoney is just the tip of the iceberg..... also Jim rightly points out that there are those in many motor sports who in effect pay to take 'their seat' 15 years on paper does seem like a long time .... but then it needs to be broken down into who was at the helm and when....... BSI obviously decided that they were unable to push things forward on their own as much as they could with IMG's umbrella over them..... If IMG have a 5 year plan then I suspect that the profit generated over the last year (in worldwide recession) is encouraging I wholeheartedly agree that if the contract between the FIM and IMG does not take into account a financially growing GP series.... and is instead based on flat fees for the full length of the contract.... then it is a bad piece of business Do any of us really know the ins and outs of the deal though? Surely, unless the FIM have complete disregard for speedway then they would have secured a deal that took into account the obvious potential that was there at the time re: money being put back in then surely it is time to start criticising the FIM for it rather than IMG? The FIM cut the deal and are paid for it others have already covered how much the riders gain from sponsorship....... as far as the leagues? its a difficult one as the British system at least, has been slowly dying now for 4 decades, and seemingly does not know how to help itself..... there could be a whole multitude of opportunities and I believe the BSPA would be blind to it as far as british speedway on tv is concerned though I think it could well be the case that the GP's allowed it to happen....... maybe look at other sports for the likely scenario...... was county cricket on first? british superbike? league football? superleague? etc yes I see what you mean well I guess we would hope in that scenario that the Chinese would start a couple of tracks.... but it wouldnt be the end of the world if they didnt ..... just that they watch and it ends up bringing in more and better sponsors........ My fantasy is that Japan sits up and takes notice...... because if they did you could bet your last pennies that Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki would start showing interest............. it is great to hear that Ole has been in NZ and working hard...... Japan next please lol I cant stand cricket.... and being completely honest one of the reasons for that is the complex nature..... however I am posting on a speedway forum... and enjoy the chess aspects of football so like you I must have a liking for the odd complex thing.......... but I suspect that most speedway fans are able to stomach the complex nature of the rules otherwise they wouldnt still be fans we arent talking about speedway fans though... we are talking about reaching joe bloggs who currently watches MotoGP, and F1 yes absolutely there was no need to just put it out to tender and I personally feel very strongly about the sale of the vast majority of out national public companies in the 80's when all it required was correct structuring and planning....... in that way this is quite similar...... maybe we are dinosaurs though Humphrey and the 21st Century requires millions of capital start up money and people working for you who have the necessary contacts 2021 is a ridiculous year to allow a contract to run to.... there was nothing wrong in giving 5 years... with some targets to reach to allow a further period to go ahead......... it is kind of the point I was making earlier though..... what do we really know about the deal? Wouldnt the FIM have insisted on some target loopholes with such a long contract? Or indeed the ability to renegotiate things within the deal? maybe instead we should be talking about the contract that GOspeed signed on behalf of British Speedway with SKY if we are to tread into areas of a lack of trickle down cash?

I had heard a rumour .....but it may have come from this forum ...... still doesnt help those who want to record it though

Rome was not built in a day and what came first the chicken or the egg? Being such a fan of the old world championship system and the league system you should know very well that the handling of the media is a huge part of any success.......... it goes without saying that it also goes hand in hand with sponsorship..... it may not be what it was all about in the 60's but it is the way of the modern world now.............. its all very well taking pot shots ad nauseum but where would you start Humphrey? If IMG had made gp profits of 1.5m for the last 10 years and not done anything with it I would also have an issue... but isnt it actually more the case that these 1 year profits are covering only some of the losses in previous years? As much as IMG's involvement goes against all your speedway beliefs the case is that its in their hands and they are doing the best job of dragging speedway kicking and screaming into the 21st century....... look around the sport... who else is doing it? Would they be doing it if they werent allowed to keep profits? Since when were they a charity? I may be wrong but I believe the pay off here is that a company takes charge who have the resources to not only organise and stage such a series but also build on it ..... and they get the fruits of their hard work re: no money goes to riders, tracks or the sport........ isnt that difficult to quantify? I can do exactly the same as you and state that the riders, tracks and sport as a whole benfit financially from the exposure that the GP's bring the sport....... I won't do that as I dont know what the FIM put back in from what they take from IMG.... and I really have no clue how many new fans are brought in because of the GP's..... or indeed how many fans are lost because of incompetence by the likes of the BSPA................... what I do know is that the best chance the sport has of bringing fans and money into the lower levels of the sport is the profile that the GP's and SWC potentially carries I think you miss the point completely..... it currently has a cult fanbase with the exception of Poland.... the idea is to reach new and more mainstream audiences................ your ski jumping analogy is an interesting one as I remember watching ski sunday for all what must have been 3 or 4 years that Eddie the Eagle was doing it...... was there a ski jump locally where he and the Finnish experts would be competing? Or even locals competing? Sadly no.... but if there was I would have been there........ as I would have been with downhill skiing try thinking more motogp or super/motocross ...... they have locals competing.... they have junior levels..... but the majority of the fan attention is at the pinnacle of the sport with copius amounts of fans making their way to superb venues.... while many more fans watch from home http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uedW_AoatYU http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/44306/Motorcycle-Photo-Gallery-Photo/2009-MotoGP---Misano.aspx does speedway have to copy other motorsports? No but I do think it is a good idea to follow a lot of what mainstream motorsport fans are used to as it is those fans that Speedway needs to grab..... the sponsor thing really isnt difficult to understand... combined with steadily increasing media exposure the sponsors involved become bigger = more money & more fans ...... and vice versa ........... it is something that is going to take time to build up and is unlikely to happen overnight unless the US or Japan get involved IMO you also miss the point with this.... you are already a speedway fan..... it is folly to expect the average person to want to swallow what is an extremely unreasonable rulebook..... especially when it contradicts itself so often simplicity is the key..... speedway shoots itself time and time again on this matter and all joe public wants is some close racing and a points tally at the end of it quite possibly..... but if they are all in the same boat is it an issue? the same could be said for those who race in the league couldnt it? I'm afraid I cant agree with your constant opposition to BSI/IMG and FIM partnership ...... but I am extremely interested how things are going to be taken forward.... and I don't necessarily agree with everything they do for instance Cardiff is never sold out.... and yet anyone buying a ticket for £10 is also likely to bring their partner, kids and buy programs (not to mention buy food, drink and air horns)....obviously a lot of thought would have to go into just how that would work but it is possible.............. maybe they should also insist with venues like Prague what the price should be? ie half the price brings in 3x the amount of fans? ... do they want the stadium packed out or an image on the tv like the sport is going nowhere?

I also dont understand the negativity in this thread.... the simple fact of the matter is that when you look around at other motor sports it becomes obvious that speedway is an untapped resource..... it is still nowhere near to fulfilling its potential I personally believe that its the team side of it that we all know and love that holds it back because the rules are too complex and potential fans are just not used to the concept..... a pursuit of establishing an individual side of it would do all sides of the sport no end of good...... so if a slice of the riders become dedicated to the individual side that would be fine by me.... there would soon be another crop to replace them in the leagues IMO BSI/IMG have already been carrying out the good work getting the sponsors in and then building on them season after season.... and if the big name brands start to come in.. the money involved will gush and there should be a trickle down process Looking at sports such as MotoGP and Supercross it is obviously an option to create 'teams' or 'pairs' for the GP's but i'm not sure it is necessary tbh...... the one big exception for me is if it would help the Japanese manufacturers to get involved as I believe that more than anything would propel speedway into being a more recognised sport on the world stage first things first though...... the GP's could start a month earlier ..... i'm sure in some cases they dont have to run fortnightly...... and southern hemisphere GP's can run in the off season........ so where is the panic and drama thats in this thread?

I dont see anything similar about the two riders at all

It has felt the last couple of years that he is only ever a 'click' away from starting to make things stick..... I don't know what the issue has been for him but it has looked psychological ....... I guess the thing we can say with any kind of sureity is that time is now starting to run out for him and he needs to start matching the guys at the top did you watch last year's competition Trees? I'm not disputing at all that to win the competition you need to be gating decently but to suggest it needs to be perfect would be giving an impression that doesnt fit with the racing last year

voting has been interesting so far...... seemingly there are only 4 guys who are capable of winning it.....and nobody actually wants one of those to win........ but the revelation so far is NickiP being popular

very much looking forward to this season and seeing what 2011 brings us.... this year is every bit as tough as last season so it can only be a win win for us fans One prediction that i'm willing to make is that bike testing and commitment to making sure that the competition is fair will be running at a minimum.... i'd like to be proven wrong on this though as SGP deserves it i'd never bet against Crumpy.... and Ladyluck is right, it is folly to write him off ... especially after what he did last season with one arm! and yes Bomber got 6th Lady.... he also finished 2pts off 4th..... he was also in title winning form in the final third of the season...... please tell me that you arent going to go on another anti Bomber/brit campaign this season and 2 months Mothersen? .... there was me thinking it was near .... oh well supercross and motogp will have to fill in

theres been no national pride for years... and it just seems to be getting worse

tbh I don't really 'get' the point of the thread.... is this some old fashioned square blocking to try to make the latest (or old) agenda work? (which amazingly also seems to be anti brit ) For some time now the point of the meeting wildcard has been to make sure that there is local talent on display to increase the bums on seats...... would I prefer to see world/international class talent instead? yes of course but I certainly understand why the 16th rider has sometimes been a Carpanese........ has the economy improved in a way that we have all missed?..... or has it been a badly conceived policy in the first place? so yes the likes of Tai, Scott, Ed and Floppy have not pulled up trees as wildcards but is anyone seriously saying that after conceding their own longstanding unspoken rule of two brits in the top 15 that IMG are going to sanction Cardiff only having one Brit?! It doesnt matter how much someone loves Darcy Ward, dislikes Brits, is in search of the best 16 in the world... or indeed what their agenda is full stop... quite frankly it isnt going to happen....... give British Speedway 5 more years of decline with no one capable of mixing it on the night and it could become an option I'm not sure what this thread has used as reference in the first place (something in the SS?) and as a result if it has been used out of context or not but I would suggest that it is more about the likes of Italian promoters and Carpanese who was so far off the pace that it makes it difficult to argue that he could possibly put bums on seats for next season....... do we really think that IMG will be a turkey voting for christmas and putting their own promoted events at risk as well? In an ideal world 16 riders of my choosing would do battle for the world championship in a format of my choosing ....... but it just isnt going to happen and speedway like all other sports is not immune to decisions made from commercial and corporate perspectives

so the reality is that nothing is done then other than keeping the bikes away from the riders or teams 'in case' someone wants to lodge an objection............. I think this is the major issue though as unless someone actually saw something being poured into a tank or saw some dubious engine/carb tweaking with their own eyes then on what grounds do they have to make an objection? ..... and if they do then it is going to cost them handsomely for the right..... unless they guessed correctly of course I said that I didnt intend this thread for mud slinging or accusations at individuals ...... but I believe that there are signs that all is not as it should be and I am concerned at the repurcussions if it is ever the case...... first of all how will it ever be discovered unless the authorities are not only on the cutting edge but also on top of it? ... and secondly just as cycling, boxing, football and horse racing have experienced before just what do they do with the information? Do they publish it and potentially suffer negative publicity or is it nipped in the bud and hushed up? I sincerely hope that my fears are wrong I really cannot see any other way..... but on top of that I would also suggest that another 1st choice bike chosen at random (no matter how many points they scored) suffers the same process... top 8 means everything in the gp's The issue with this I would have thought is the position it places riders and their teams..... one of logistics and cost ...... not to mention potential damage to the machinery....... But I just dont see how it can be classed as a bona fide world championship in the modern era unless it is taking care of the integrity of it edit: and talking of modern eras.... I would have thought that it was all important for potential (and existing) advertisers and investors that the competition has some recognition and semblance of 'clean'

a great thread to read so far I understand that I will be one of those 'knockers' but I tend to agree with Dave..... we all know what Ole did for the GP's and continues to do... and the temp tracks were good this year as they generally are...... his strengths are being employed........... the rest of it has been a shot in the arm for the competition though and was well overdue.... the sport needs passing and lots of it to gain and retain fans... and while I understood Ole's fears about poor weather, slick tracks are not the answer, track machinery is....... something which I feel Tony has not yet been tested on during a meeting but on the strength of 2010 hopefully all is in hand

Ok so possibly a controversial topic but one that isnt aimed at slinging mud or accusations at or about individuals.... more a case of a thread aimed at understanding the current processes and procedures in place at the GP's and just how effective they are Speedway may not have a reputation for shadyness on a par with the likes of horse racing or cycling but it has certainly had its moments over time and it certainly hasnt done the sport any good. Interestingly though the mud that has stuck has generally come from post career 'revelations' and not from people being caught out. We saw something taking place at the SWC where after the race, bikes were guided into an enclosure and what appeared to be tape measures were used.... I found this interesting on a couple of counts; we generally havent seen this before so why then? and just how long is the list of things that a rider or 'team' could gain an illegal advantage with? How many of those things were being checked? surely they werent just simply measuring the engines? My mechanical knowledge of speedway bikes is not good enough to know what in particular to look for in 2010/2011..... but there certainly are those in the sport armed with that knowledge and I wonder just how safeguarded the competition actually is..... I understand the system of accusation = ££££ = inquiry ... but it seems to me that the many thousands involved would tend to put someone off making the claim.... along of course with the social consequences amongst other riders of such an action...... it also seems to me that it takes responsibility away from the organisers who just like other motorsports should imo have a mandatory system that finds a balance between checking everything that they need to and inconveniencing the riders as little as possible Does anyone know what the system was this year? how it worked? and how effective it was? Was there even a 'system' other than riders having to pay a fortune to have someone put under the microscope?

Ultimately the right decision for the integrity of the sport and it will be interesting to see how Janusz does in 2011 In Hans case I think he has been unlucky that Janusz has been delivering the performances that he has, as otherwise he would no doubt be in .... it has now set a new standard for how few points you can be off the top 8 and not be offered a wildcard AJ I fear now is living on borrowed time.... he needs to rediscover the glory days and quickly if he is to avoid being the next sacrificial lamb I didnt think that the GP's could become even tougher but they just have with imo Laguta and Lindback being stronger than Woffinden and Zorro

well thats all a bit unecessary and direct isnt it? tbh yes I think I am practising what I preach...... the reality is that I have little respect for Andersen's riding style or attitude over the years but it doesnt stop me seeing the bigger picture.... I have my favourites and I have my preferences (and yes Janusz is in both categories) but none of that makes any difference to the outcome.... the only thing that does in the end is who IMG pick... so therefore (while being direct has apparently been given the green light) it is pointless me coming up with things like a 'tide that seems to be turning' when it is seemingly based on other forumer opinions and what could be an obvious tactic by the Polish federation.... just because we might want something to be so it doesnt mean it necessarily will be ... I would have thought that recent years were strewn with evidence of that one! the best way of working out who will be included is by studying IMG/BSI's behaviour of the past and that has included things such as: nationality, quota spread, did a rider finish in touching distance of the final 8? a GP win? injury, previous chances, someone on the sidelines who deserves their place (who knows what IMG's criteria for that one is!)......someone looking at these kind of things objectively should start seeing that it should/could actually be a close call....... as fans its a win win situation because we have such a strong lineup now that it probably means that we only get to have one of Hans or Janusz.... Hans who was in 2 finals and 3 semis... and Janusz who was in 2 out of 2 semis as wildcard and a top dog in the league.... for me personally it would be great if we could replace a gating, slick track liking, poacher and blocker with a blasting racer who should up the excitement....but I dont get to make the picks!

gotta agree that Tony did a fine job.... as far as I could tell there was no grandstanding from him and the tracks were prepared for racing on rather than possibility of weather or the level of dirt that certain riders prefer......... In just one year of it Tomasz found his missing world championship.... it helped Bomber to find his feet and provide some great performances.... Janusz stuck in two semi's..... and with one shoulder Crumpy got a podium........... I thought the Ole hangover was going to last for a while but we seemingly have had a quick recovery with racers and racing benefiting gotta agree with comments on Prague.... it really does serve up some dire racing at times the way it is usually prepared... the best ive seen it was the year I went and the famous downpour + nicki/greg incident... the downpour obviously left them with no other option than a good track

It would certainly simplify things ....... I never have been a fan of the amount of wildcards that IMG and BSI have dished out over the years but I do think that they need at least two tbh........ for instance with Robbie's plan Emil gets the wildcard...... but he hasnt been the only injured rider .... so if the qualification night took place at the end of the season then that would have raised question marks over the fitness of at least Hans, Bomber and Freddie....... earlier in the season a question mark over Nicki P at least Maybe we have got too used to the system in place and need a bit more of the ruthlessness that we had with the world championship qualifying ......but if you think it gets political over 4 wildcards wait until the day there is just 1..... is it such an easy decision between Emil and Nicki? What would it be in other years?

If he didnt suffer his injury then it is right to make an assumption that there was a very good chance that he would have continued his form..... top 8 is top 8.... the point I am making is that regardless of what has happened in previous seasons or regardless of how he hasnt fulfilled the promise that others felt he had, he actually doesnt deserve to be booted out.... and anyone who has been in his relative points position to the rest has only previously suffered it through political decisions....... GP history dictates that it is harder to get into the GP's from the cold than it is to remain in the series from outside of the top 8 ..... and i'd suggest more so these days with the sheer quality that is in the lineup..... like I said I think it is more likely that this will be a political decision than a comment on form...it could well come down to just how surplus to requirements Hans Andersen is as it could be argued that his chances of getting back in are less than Kolodziej's....... or it could simply come down to IMG's attitude for 2011 on how important quota is.... or maybe it will come down to £££££'s on the table no matter what league or riders we obsess over it is naive to suggest that IMG have worked in any other way than the way that they have over the years and there are currently two Polish riders in the top 4 who can provide testament to it

no one has an excuse if they don't ride in the qualifiers...... but as Dave Jessup can testify an ef is as good as a zero.... and while I dont disagree that Kolodziej has announced a world class status this year in particular ...I always find it disappointing when forumers start plumbing the depths to prove their point It is a fact that Hans Andersen rode the latter group of GP's injured and that his form following that injury differed greatly from before......... previous to the injury he was top 8... in my book and in IMG's book a top 8 finish is good enough for the following year.... just like an ef is only as good as a zero, an injury can wreck a season that the record books will not show later I have been far from being a Hans Andersen fan over the years but he would be hard done by to be kicked out of possibly the strongest lineup ever when he was sitting quite pretty before his misfortune............. I stand by what I have said from the start of the threads on this subject... and that is that it should be a close thing between Hans and Janusz...... the choice is almost certainly going to be political

and sadly it means that my hero (Marvyn) had a worse season that Pepe managed I think this is the point of many at the moment........ if it is difficult to get back in then it should result in riders trying harder, being better prepared and not knowing that there is a safety cushion to fall back on..... for sure that could mean that Tai went missing for a year or three but the reality is that he is 20 years old and in comparison to other riders shouldnt have been in the GP's yet anyway however if he isnt included in the wildcard picks then I am sure that he will benefit from one in the future if he can continue improving in all leagues...

yeah basically nothing more than a walk of shame list in a vague order of points divided by meetings just to show one perspective of Tai's season but lol I did completely have a blank on your mate Pepe and now after looking it seems he is worse than even Michael Max and is top of the table with 31 from 11

that is quite a bold statement..... the vast majority of posts I see suggesting this come from you ladyluck........ I don't seem to be able to join the dots like you have tbh.... Kelvin doesnt run Sky or their speedway production.... and in turn Sky don't run IMG or are in a better position to know 'best'... although of course I am sure that they have collective influence... along with the Star and others in the entourage.... The Brits for sure have enjoyed chances but only on a few occasions could they have been described as off the pace of the top 8 and therefore not deserving of a wildcard...... Like Tom Haines I also checked through the hall of shame in the GP's yesterday and two things became obvious..... the Brits lead the way.... and only one rider has returned the following season after their shocking year... Bomber....which coincidentally was the worst and most unsubtle decision that IMG/BSI have made based on the previous season's results .... although was also a decision made about a guy who everyone knows (and has subsequently been proven) is capable of far greater things..... I'm not sure that the same can be said currently of Tai (16 rider format) Max 17 from 6 Cox 15 from 5 Lindback 31 from 10 Chrzanowski 29 from 9 Staechmann 23 from 6 Rico 39 from 10 Scott Nicholls 45 from 11 Lukas Dryml 47 from 11 Woffinden 49 from 11 Iversen 51 from 10 Zagar 54 from 11 Kasprzak 57 from 11 Harris 58 from 11 Iversen 59 from 11