King's Lynn Stars 2025

[Norwichstar]

Good help us if we have to resort to MPT

 

[Racin Jason 72]

I think cook is getting far too much stick.  He is a very good second string but not a number one. 
he hasn’t been a championship number one even last year he rode mostly at number 3 rather than 5 which is the easier heat leader berth. 
whoever is number one at lynn is going to struggle because of how the team is built. I have no doubt cook will drop to reserve and score prolifically and bomber will go to number one and he will struggle against fellow number one’s. 
I think Lynn will do ok at home most weeks but could struggle against the likes of Ipswich and Sheffield 

[LisaColette]

10 hours ago, TTT said:

I don't know what's happend to Ben Cook, Is his heart elsewhere now that he's made it in Poland and Sweden? The drop off is staggering for a rider who's got better and better year on year.

Buster certainly needs to start making some calls otherwise the season will be over in a blink of an eye.

I'd look at replacing Jan Kvech because he's not worth anywhere near his average away from the AFA.

I'd Keep Nicolai Klindt as I think he'll improve once the Championship season starts as he'll get a lot of confidence from that and he'll be on the bike more regularly.

Didn't you say earlier he looked distraught in the pits? You don't do that if you aren't bothered about riding in England. 

Maybe we should have moved up. As can guarantee they would have built a team so he was at 3 rather than 1. 

33 minutes ago, Racin Jason 72 said:

I think cook is getting far too much stick.  He is a very good second string but not a number one. 
he hasn’t been a championship number one even last year he rode mostly at number 3 rather than 5 which is the easier heat leader berth. 
whoever is number one at lynn is going to struggle because of how the team is built. I have no doubt cook will drop to reserve and score prolifically and bomber will go to number one and he will struggle against fellow number one’s. 
I think Lynn will do ok at home most weeks but could struggle against the likes of Ipswich and Sheffield 

Tbf if he was at Berwick instead of Poole he may have had a taste at no1 in the Championship.He got put back to ride at 3 as Tom Brennan was just racing Zach all the time, when Zach gated which sometimes messed him up a bit when he took his line.

When do averages change? I would wait to see who does what in next home meeting first. 

Edited April 11, 2025 by LisaColette

[therefused]

The key to the team should be to ensure no last places. We had 10 last night, 2 from Ashton. In theory if all the top 5 beat the opposing second string then we wouldnt be far off, but that isnt happening. 

[Bald Bloke]

4 hours ago, Haza said:

Palm Toft was in the pits last night so that be the more likely route 

 

13 hours ago, LisaColette said:

Would Kerr fit as the 5 pointer? 

 It feels like we've been there, done that, and some. Surly not again.

[Spoofer]

People saying Cook shouldn't be at number 1 are just making excuses for him.

Should beat both second strings even if you cant beat the oppo 1 and 5. That would be 6-8 points a meeting and he's nowhere near that.

Nothing to do with team position at all.

[Steve Irving]

1 hour ago, hasta la vista said:

People saying Cook shouldn't be at number 1 are just making excuses for him.

Should beat both second strings even if you cant beat the oppo 1 and 5. That would be 6-8 points a meeting and he's nowhere near that.

Nothing to do with team position at all.

TBF it can affect confidence riding in a position that you’re just not good enough to be in. 
 

This just seems to be a very tired old Kings Lynn set up to me. There’s very little there to get excited about with this team it’s just a bit drab isn’t it. 

[TTT]

I don't get the whole added pressure of being a No.1 argument tbh.

Even if you don't beat any of the oppositions Heat Leaders you should still be riding to your GSA.

 

Heat 01: Beat both No.2's = 2 Points

Heat 06: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.6 = 2 Points

Heat 10: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.4 = 2 Points

Heat 13: Beat your own team partner = 1 Point

[LisaColette]

5 minutes ago, TTT said:

I don't get the whole added pressure of being a No.1 argument tbh.

Even if you don't beat any of the oppositions Heat Leaders you should still be riding to your GSA.

 

Heat 01: Beat both No.2's = 2 Points

Heat 06: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.6 = 2 Points

Heat 10: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.4 = 2 Points

Heat 13: Beat your own team partner = 1 Point

Of course it's a pressure. Lindback struggled first time he was no1, same with Kurtz. Also have you seen Sheffields top 4? The one you could say he should have beaten is Flint. 

But Ben has started off in Poland ok, so seems to be a UK thing atm. 

[Steve Irving]

12 minutes ago, TTT said:

I don't get the whole added pressure of being a No.1 argument tbh.

Even if you don't beat any of the oppositions Heat Leaders you should still be riding to your GSA.

 

Heat 01: Beat both No.2's = 2 Points

Heat 06: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.6 = 2 Points

Heat 10: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.4 = 2 Points

Heat 13: Beat your own team partner = 1 Point

It undoubtedly brings more pressure which in turn can then affect confidence and affect results in those heats you’re describing where he could/should be beating riders of his own level. 
 

He needs to get away from 1 sharpish. 

[Bald Bloke]

18 minutes ago, TTT said:

I don't get the whole added pressure of being a No.1 argument tbh.

Even if you don't beat any of the oppositions Heat Leaders you should still be riding to your GSA.

 

Heat 01: Beat both No.2's = 2 Points

Heat 06: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.6 = 2 Points

Heat 10: Beat your own team partner and the oppositions No.4 = 2 Points

Heat 13: Beat your own team partner = 1 Point

 Ben is no doubt better than he is showing so far, and should be doing better. But it is early days. His 8.22 home average last season at BV inflated his average a bit (to 6.99 overall),while his away average was only 5.19. I'd expect around 7.50 at the AFA and 5.50 away this season.

Edited April 11, 2025 by Bald Bloke
spelling

[therefused]

23 minutes ago, Steve Irving said:

It undoubtedly brings more pressure which in turn can then affect confidence and affect results in those heats you’re describing where he could/should be beating riders of his own level. 
 

He needs to get away from 1 sharpish. 

he should be beating Anders in reality too. 

[TTT]

52 minutes ago, LisaColette said:

Of course it's a pressure. Lindback struggled first time he was no1, same with Kurtz. Also have you seen Sheffields top 4? The one you could say he should have beaten is Flint. 

But Ben has started off in Poland ok, so seems to be a UK thing atm. 

That's why I highlighted about Ben potentially having bigger priorities.

If it was related to the Sheffield crash in 2024 then he'd be poor everywhere.

[Daniel Smith]

I thought this team had enough in it to make top 4 at a bare minimum & in theory, it still should. But that is this teams absolute maximum. Absolutely getting nowhere near winning the league again. 

As said when the team was announced by some, you've got no chance without at least 1 genuine heatleader.

Once Harris moves out of the No6 position, none of the others will deliver the same numbers as him.

Without a genuine No1, can this team get win at home vs Ipswich, Sheffield & Belle Vue??

To make top 4 it absolutely has to. Results vs Birmingham, Oxford & Leicester won't be enough.

[kelvinht]

This team isn't far off what we were running end of last season. Would have hoped we'd have got a bit more momentum now. 

BV and Sheffield away were always going to be difficult away but didn't expect us to be that poor. 

We absolutely have to beat Leicester on Monday to turn this around. If we can get a bit of confidence this team can get to the play offs.

It's all very well talking about changes but who can you realistically bring in that's better than what we have....?

[szkocjasid]

I think people are over reacting to Lynn's early season form. Granted they had a disappointing away defeats at Sheffield & Belle Vue, but that could be the norm this season for most away teams.

They beat Oxford home & away, while the home loss to Belle Vue could be a one-off with better luck.

They're still be fighting for 4th spot with Leicester imo. Which tbh is a big improvement on previous seasons.

I wouldn't make any changes while Harris is still at reserve. Once he moves into the top 5, then I'd judge if anyone needs to be replaced.

Certainly Kvech & Cook have been the biggest disappointments, I don't understand why Cook has been so poor, obviously riding at number one isn't easy, but he still rides with the number 2 in three races, it's not like every heat is a "heat 13".

Besides if he can sign for a Polish Extraliga club & score double figures, should he not be able to score similar over here against weaker opposition?

Anyway if Lynn can win their next two home matches against Leicester & Oxford, which they should be able to do, things will look a bit more promising. If they can't, then I'd be wanting to make changes.

Edited April 11, 2025 by szkocjasid

[InTheDeepStuff]

If the tracks are flat and slick like NSS as an example Cook generally OK, once there’s a bit of dirt on there or a bit of an uneven track he generally struggles (his away average wasn’t great last season), he should really be a number 2 or 4 for Kings Lynn but unfortunately for him the team wasn’t built with out and out heat leaders 

[ouch]

On 4/11/2025 at 8:23 AM, tellboy said:

As per rules,by the looks of it now you can make changes up until you have completed 75% of the your fixtures,after that you can't.

Yes that’s correct, so you hit 75% on 21/7/25.

Belle Vue have the least amount of time again to make changes with our cut off being almost four weeks before Ipswich or Oxford.

[Zagarmeister]

Like every season, I was filled with false hope again this year, and the way Harris started off I though it boded well going forward. And then...........

It seems now that what KL do with team manipulation is irrelevant.

They are dead cert finishing 5th.

[Teromaafan]

On 4/11/2025 at 1:54 PM, Steve Irving said:

It undoubtedly brings more pressure which in turn can then affect confidence and affect results in those heats you’re describing where he could/should be beating riders of his own level. 
 

He needs to get away from 1 sharpish. 

Think that will take care of itself when the next averages are out!