BigFatDave

I'd be extremely surprised if there wasn't a full contingency plan from IMG to take SGP forward, wouldn't you? In the words of Oddball: "Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? Always with the negative waves Humphrey, always with the negative waves. "

The open-face helmets, the leather facemasks, the scarves, the rugby jerseys under the club racejackets, Castrol R.

Good shot of him here from the VSRA site,outside Harold Campbell at the Royale. Says he died in June 2002, Shaleways?

Top Post Jeff, we're talking about Australia here, a Country where Self-reliance, Self-help, Self-initiative and a Can-do attitude is the norm. No harm in thinking positive is there? You forget the Australian propensity for attending ANY Sporting Contest, particularly in Melbourne, undeniably the world's sporting capital. This will be a magnet for Motor Racing Fans of any description; the opportunity of seeing the World's Best in any division would galvanise the Oz sporting Public from Steep Point to Cape Byron, from Cape York to South Cape Bay. A magnificent centrally-located venue plus State and Local Government assistance from the Major Events Committee - you know - the mob that brings us a Major Sporting event in Victoria once a month if not more - would go a long way to ensuring the event at least broke even financially and IMG are wise enough to appreciate this. Once OZGP is set up and running then its on to So. Cal and Nippon. Don't forget, if Bernie and his mates can sell a GP to a mob of towelheads in Dubai I'm sure Harry Horsley & co at IMG can flog a Motorsport GP to a bunch of Revheads, with or without the Masterminds at BSI.

What?? You mean he's just found out his Hairdryer runs on a different Voltage?

G'day Shazz, an' howthaheckareya? Who you callin' a Funny ol' Sport?

The ol' "You drive, yer too drunk to sing" story, eh? I remember drivin' me dad & me uncle Derek back from a rugby match in Cardiff when I was 13. A few Sidebangers in here, m8

( From the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame) (with the odd judicious edit ) By the early 1970s, several U.S. riders, such as (edit: the incredibly evil ) Scott Autrey and Dewayne Keeter, were leaving America to race Speedway in the British League, to qualify to contest the World Finals. Mike Bast went to England to check it out. “It was cold, miserable, the food was bad and there was no money,” he said. “I was making 50 to 60 thousand a year in America living at the beach. So I never really rode British League." (edit)..........and who can blame him?

How very like you to "caeser" opportunity for a literary laugh, Ron. Maybe you'd like to have a stab at another one?

There'd be a few of 'em, well at least one fer sure, hangin' out at sandman's Chowder Bar & Booze Emporium in All Points South, Steve!! Mind you, if there's any Boozefighters in attendance I'd tread real careful if I was you. Thirty-odd years back when a well-known Aussie club became affiliated with an even more well-known US social group it was the custom to send over an "Exchange Student" for a few months to absorb the culture as it were. His turn duly arrived so Ocker the Shocker headed off to California where among others he met up with a few ol' die-hards from the Boozefighters including original member Snowman, who regaled him with tales of Hollister 1947. It was here that the Outlaw scene had its origins, and Club Founder Wino Willie became the inspiration for Chino, Lee Marvin's character in "The Wild One". Alas none of the Seppo party boys could keep up with Ocker, (whose twin mottoes of "First to Arrive, Last to Leave" and "Leave no turn Unstoned" were a personal inspiration to ME!) and another member was duly disPATCHed to bring Ocker home. Ocker later honoured me by awarding me my own personal BFD badge for being first in last out at a HA's rock concert. BFD? - Big ******* Deal!! Back to Don - any relation to Jimmy Hawley?

A Dead-set Legend and along with cronies like Dude Crisswell, Sammy Tanner and Eddie Mulder an inspiration to many US Champions like Mike Bast and his brother Steve back in the heyday of US Speedway. Don Hawley was definitely "Old School" and rode against the likes of Ivan Mauger, Bert Harkins and Jim Airey as well as piloting his Offenhauser Sprintcar. Gotta Dash, more later.

....responding to my post that Scotty should be in GP's 'cos he's British Champ, 'home straight' wrote: Since GB is one of the five top Nations I reckon the Winner & Runner-up should automatically qualify, subject to the approval of the national body. Might even re-inject a bit of interest in National Championships. Naturally current & former World Champs would be exempt: still leaves a few spots available for the lesser lights. It seems at the mo' we've got half-a-dozen 'A' grade riders, another 4 'B' grade and the rest make up the numbers; maybe an enlarged second tier comp would help determine who gets on the gravy train, similar to NASCAR with its three tier comp. Either that or a return to the 24-man fields of the earlier GPs.

He's the British Champion isn't he? Should be automatic qualification.

Worse than Gelsenkirchen?

Naturally when we finally DO get a GP in Oz again some of youse Pommy B******* will come out here to take in the thrills and spills and a fair few of ya, the intelligent ones anyhow, will wanna stay on. ITS NOT THAT SIMPLE!! Fer starters yer gunna hafta pass as Dinki-di Aussies in order ta blend in with the locals as it were, so now's the time ta start trainin'!! Keep watchin' Neighbours, drink heapsa Pi$$, guzzle Meat Pies with Sauce and Practise, Practise, Practise! Youse'll know when it feels right: just check off how yer goin' on tha list below. Yer gotta know the meaning of 'girt' Yer gotta believe that stubbies can either be worn or drunk Yer gotta think its normal to have a Prime Minister called Kevin Yer waddle when ya walk due to the 53 expired petrol discount vouchers stuffed in yer wallet or purse Youse've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for something illegal such as watering the garden When ya hear that an American 'roots for his team' ya wonder how often and with whom Yer understand that the phrase 'a group of women wearing black thongs' refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds Yer gotta pronounce Melbourne as 'Mel-bn' Yer gotta pronounce Penrith as 'Pen-riff' Yer believe the 'L' in the word ' Australia ' is optional - practise sayin' Straya. Yer can translate: 'Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to Maccas' Yer believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways with gigantic fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep Yer call your best friend 'a total b*****d' but someone youse really, truly despise is just 'a bit of a b*****d' Yer think 'Woolloomooloo' is a perfectly reasonable name for a place Yer gotta believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's twice as big as its $2 coin Yer gotta unnerstand that 'Wagga Wagga' can be abbreviated to 'Wagga' but 'Woy Woy' can't be called 'Woy' Yer gotta believe that cooked-down axlegrease makes a good breakfast spread Yer gotta believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian, until they stuff up, at which point the poor b******* become ******* Kiwis again. Yer gotta know, whatever the tourist books say, that no one except Vic White says 'cobber' (NB This is optional, Cobber) Yer gotta know that certain words must, by law, be shouted out during any rendition of the Angels' song 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again' (No Way, etc, etc!!) Yer gotta believe, as an article of faith, that the confectionary known as the Wagon Wheel has become smaller with every passing year Yer still don't get why the 'Labor' in 'Australian Labor Party' is not spelt with a 'u' Yer wear ugh boots outside the house Yer believe that the more youse shorten someone's name the more youse like them Whatever yer linguistic skills, youse find yourself able to order takeaway fluently in every Asian language Yer gotta understand that 'excuse me' can sound rude, while 'scuse me' is alway polite Yer know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasions via yer nose Yer understand that 'you' has a plural and that it's 'youse' Yer know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle Yer biggest family argument over the summer concerned the rules of beach cricket Yer shake your head in horror when companies try to market what they call 'Anzac cookies' Yer still think of Kylie as 'that girl off Neighbours' When returning home from overseas, youse expect to be brutally strip-searched by Customs - just in case yer trying to sneak in fruit Yer believe the phrase 'smart casual' refers to a pair of black tracky-daks, suitably laundered Yer understand that all train timetables are works of fiction When working at a bar, ya understand male customers will feel the need to offer an excuse whenever they order low-alcohol beer Ya get choked up with emotion by the first verse of the national anthem and then have trouble remembering the second Youse'll find yourself ignorant of nearly all the facts deemed essential in the government's new test for migrants. Gorrit? GOOD!! Copyal8r, Sport.

Former World No 2, World Pairs Championship winner with Peter Collins and British Speedway Champion is carving himself a new career after becoming the first Speedway Rider to represent England in two codes. Here's his latest achievement - representing his country in the Seniors Home Internationals at Tenby Golf Club in Wales. There IS life after Speedway!!

Definitely a "shot in the foot day" for some hapless BSI Suit who's gonna hafta face the board of directors of IMG, a professionally-run outfit, to tell them they have done in a $coupla mill 'cos some prat didn't put a cover on the shale while it was in storage.

While Gelsenkirchen is definitely GONE as a venue there may still be a German GP, and news is that the Oz GP is still a goer at the moment; bit of behind-the-scenes bribery, corruption and skullduggery goin on' to keep everyone happy.

....mebbe you'd like to phone 'em? I'm pretty sure if its anything like phoning Cable TV over here after a half-hour of press one, press two, listen to muzak and follow the prompts etc you'd have thrown the phone!!

Fingers crossed for him; he was starting to show real potential last Oz season. Ta Muchly M8!!

Don't think anyone's whacked this on yet so Earwiggo - From the Coventry Chipwrapper: ( Sorry !)Telegraph Bees hit after GP chaos in Germany Oct 13 2008 By David Rowe COVENTRY'S home leg of the Craven Shield Final will have to be re-arranged - after Saturday's German Grand Prix was sensationally postponed. There were major track problems at the indoor Gelsenkirchen stadium, which were blamed on adverse weather conditions during the transport of the material and at the stadium itself, and after an aborted practice session the meeting was called off six hours before the scheduled start. It was a major embarrassment for series organisers ahead of the last round of the season - but the knock-on effect is that the meeting will be re-staged this Saturday at Polish venue Bydgoszcz, which will host its second GP of the season. And that will be good news for track specialist Tomasz Gollob, who will now be hot favourite to edge out Greg Hancock and Buildbase Bees' No.1 Hans Andersen for third place overall. Bees co-promoter Colin Pratt will speak to his Lakeside counterpart Jon Cook regarding the Craven Shield Final this morning, but the home leg at least will need to be moved as the Grand Prix riders will be attending practice on Friday. The most obvious solution would be for the meeting to take place on the following Friday, October 24, but that is unconfirmed at this stage. It is an unhappy reminder of 2003 for the Grand Prix organisers as the Scandinavian event in Gothenburg was abandoned after three farcical races, and they were clearly not willing to risk a repeat. But once again, a swift rearrangement of a GP meeting for the following weekend is set to play havoc with the domestic racing calendar at a crucial stage of the season. Pratt said: "I wasn't out there so I'm not fully aware of what went on but it's an almost unbelievable situation with a track not being able to be laid. "here have been all sorts of different rumours going around, but whatever the case it's a pretty poor show to have an indoor meeting that can't go ahead, and I feel sorry for the people who spent money on flights and tickets. I'm sure there are plenty of riders who are unhappy too as there is big money on this meeting and going to Bydgoszcz obviously favours certain riders, whereas the German track should have been even for everyone. "It's also a major disruption to domestic leagues with Cup Finals and so on. We had a good arrangement with Lakeside to run back to back on Thursday and Friday and that will now have to be changed." I love the bit where he says "Bydgoszcz obviously favours certain riders, whereas the German track should have been even for everyone." I think instead of "Even" he could have used another word.

I dunno - just seen some piccies of the track and it looked like there was a bit of dirt there for once!! (Deep Too!!) Maybe a truckload of Blue Circle Cement would have helped?

As usual I know Nuzzinkk, and I'm sworn to secrecy - oh alright, mine's a Crownie. Davey Watt will be riding for Nathan Hedley's Team Aussie Speedway Imports, hopefully Tom will be back fit and well. Can't see Doyley, Cam, Corey, Aaron, James H, Richard S, Robert K, Kozza, Sam and all the other usual suspects not wanting to be in it. sEdgY2 oughta be a chance - btw, he's been awfully quiet lately. Might hafta be twenty man fields?? Jonno'd hafta be up for it as well, if only to ensure the attendance of his Chief Cheerleader Team Ozyace. There are so many good Aussie riders it'll be hard for anyone to miss out. What chance Wato? Shane Parker? Lemo? Any news of Trevor H Jnr? I hope Travis comes good, he's had a season to forget but hey, that's speedway. The Qualifier will be cut-throat to say the least! At least with all the Stadiums being outdoors there's little chance of a Waterlogged Track. BTW is there such a word as Pathetickest? As in "That's the Pathetickest excuse for calling off a Meeting I've ever heard? (Yes I know, God's waiting-room - aka Gosford - attracts rain!) Roll on January.

Neither of you were at the 2006 GP I take it? You obviously weren't then, Blazeaway, or you'd know the answer. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!!

Bad Dog!!