GP line-up for 2026

[Youhave2minutes]

15 hours ago, IainB said:

 push pineapple, shake the tree 😂

Last time I shook the tree a load of coconuts fell down

[PersonalResponsibility]

9 minutes ago, IainB said:

That may very well be the case but I'm trying to think back to his WC years (a long time ago now) and I can't ever remember him being a swashbuckling BZ type rider forcing his way through from the back, I could be wrong, like I say it was a long time ago

I remember him being pretty good to watch at his peak, in fairness. I don't think he was ever as exciting as Ward/Zmarzlik/Emil, etc., but still put it about plenty. In addition, he only actually won 3 GPs across 2013/2015, and in 2013 he had Hampel/NKI behind him, so probably didn't really need to do anything exciting!

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

28 minutes ago, IainB said:

That may very well be the case but I'm trying to think back to his WC years (a long time ago now) and I can't ever remember him being a swashbuckling BZ type rider forcing his way through from the back, I could be wrong, like I say it was a long time ago

That’s why I said he is a good opportunist rider because he sees an opportunity and he’s quick enough to react to it. He has never been an out and out racer.this is why I believe zmarzlik is the GOAT  because all the greats have their style of riding which serves them very well but zmarzlik has everything in his armour, he doesn’t seem to have a weakness 

Edited yesterday at 09:51 AM by THE DEAN MACHINE

[LagutaRacingFan]

The idea that Woffinden is some sort of mega star is hilarious.

A couple of appearances on BBC news don't make you a public figure.

 

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

He will still win some races and he will still be the opportunistic rider he has always been but I can’t see him taking the big risks anymore, he has been bitten too many times now, imo there shouldn’t be be no wildcards, it’s either a serious world championship without wild cards or it’s a travelling circus with them 

Tai spent the last few seasons being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, too many times, to be "just unlucky"...

He also became a very defensive rider when hitting the bends in close proximity to the other three....  

Quite natural I would say given his injuries sustained in the past five years or so, but he is now coming back from a huge one, which would mean a monumental effort to still mix it aggressively with the rest of the GP field...

Let's hope for his own sake, as well as the GP's, that he justifies the spot in the line up, as no one would want to see his incredible legacy tainted by being an "also ran" meeting after meeting...

 

[ytsejam]

I've seen some farcical decisions and events in the 50 years I have watched this sport BUT the inclusion of Woffinden in the GP series for next year has to be the biggest FARCE ever. Utter joke of a decision, done purely for publicity reasons and not for the good of the sport or other riders.

Disgraceful decision which just makes the sport look even more tinpot than usual!!

[Fromafar]

Would agree ,stinks of cronyism.  

[PolskiZuzel]

6 hours ago, IainB said:

the exception seems to be BZ who has to do a lot of his work from the back

... and that's what I like in speedway...ability to RACE...to pass opponents during a given race. Jumping from the gate  and taking the best lines on the track is also fine...but it doesn't beat for me ability to pass from (last, third, second) and win the race

[IainB]

5 hours ago, ytsejam said:

I've seen some farcical decisions and events in the 50 years I have watched this sport BUT the inclusion of Woffinden in the GP series for next year has to be the biggest FARCE ever. Utter joke of a decision, done purely for publicity reasons and not for the good of the sport or other riders.

Disgraceful decision which just makes the sport look even more tinpot than usual!!

A bigger farce than Kvech & Huckenbeck? A bigger farce than still including a local wild card even though all locales were already catered for? A bigger farce than the Sprint Races? A bigger farce than the points scoring system... I'll leave it at that for the time being 😁

[PolskiZuzel]

8 hours ago, IainB said:

Okay, let's assume he is affordable... why then is he not seen outside of his country promoting Speedway as World Champion? Where are his media appearances? His interviews and promotional activities? He doesn't even do interviews during a GP on the world feed!

I'll give you that he rides in Sweden

So you agree that your talk about BZ's "high appearance fee" ... is nonsense. You also accuse BZ of not "being seen outside of his country promoting Speedway", Where would you like him to be seen? In Argentina? France? Which other countries, apart from Australia, have speedway tracks. Oh yes, there is also league racing in Britain, but he is already riding in two leagues. One could say there are also individual event. I would say there were. Where is Internationale, Pride of the East, etc., etc. As far as  BZ's "inability to communicate with anybody outside of Poland" is concerned ,why all the Extraliga English speaking stars communicate only in English whilst they ride and earn big money on Polish tracks. If you want him to do "interview during GP on the world feed", ask then Abi Stephens to interview him in his native language and then translate (on the spot) into the language you understand. That's how it done in the Polish League.

[FAST GATER]

5 hours ago, PolskiZuzel said:

... and that's what I like in speedway...ability to RACE...to pass opponents during a given race. Jumping from the gate  and taking the best lines on the track is also fine...but it doesn't beat for me ability to pass from (last, third, second) and win the race

That's why IMO BZ is the GOAT no gate and go ,almost all his races are box office  !

[chunky]

15 hours ago, mikebv said:

Tai spent the last few seasons being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, too many times, to be "just unlucky"...

He also became a very defensive rider when hitting the bends in close proximity to the other three....  

Quite natural I would say given his injuries sustained in the past five years or so, but he is now coming back from a huge one, which would mean a monumental effort to still mix it aggressively with the rest of the GP field...

Let's hope for his own sake, as well as the GP's, that he justifies the spot in the line up, as no one would want to see his incredible legacy tainted by being an "also ran" meeting after meeting...

 

Couldn't agree more. It was unbelievable how he found himself in those situations, and how badly it turned out for him. I can certainly understand him "playing it safe", but in a sport like speedway, that can actually make things worse.

After the last one. I just pray that it wasn't one too many...

[IainB]

14 hours ago, PolskiZuzel said:

So you agree that your talk about BZ's "high appearance fee" ... is nonsense. You also accuse BZ of not "being seen outside of his country promoting Speedway", Where would you like him to be seen? In Argentina? France? Which other countries, apart from Australia, have speedway tracks. Oh yes, there is also league racing in Britain, but he is already riding in two leagues. One could say there are also individual event. I would say there were. Where is Internationale, Pride of the East, etc., etc. As far as  BZ's "inability to communicate with anybody outside of Poland" is concerned ,why all the Extraliga English speaking stars communicate only in English whilst they ride and earn big money on Polish tracks. If you want him to do "interview during GP on the world feed", ask then Abi Stephens to interview him in his native language and then translate (on the spot) into the language you understand. That's how it done in the Polish League.

Okay, there's a bit to unpack here...

I don't agree that BZ's high appearance fee is nonsense as a self employed person myself I adjust my prices according as to what my customers can afford, I don't charge the factory down the road the same as I charge multl-billion pound financial institutions, not if I want the factory down the roads' business.

Yes I do want to see the World Champion in emerging Speedway nations like Argentina & France.

Apart from Australia tracks can be found in Poland, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Sweden, Denmark, Argentina, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa.

I gave you 2 examples of individual events BZ has yet to ride in the PCMT in UK and Czech Golden Helmet, 2 prestigious individual events and you could argue that the decline in the other big events like the Gold Bar etc is due to the high appearance fees from riders.

I agree if riders are riding over in Poland and taking the Polish coin the least they could do is learn some Polish language effectively enough to communicate even if it's only "jestem bardzo szczęśliwy" (me big happy? 😂)

You may not like it but English is the international language and generally used as the international standard, if you want to be a world star and have cut through with the media around the world you need to be speaking in English. Cristiano Ronaldo didn't have a great grasp of English when he played for Manchester United but as he became a world star learnt it and has a much better media cut through than Lionel Messi because of this. Look at F1, all press conferences conducted in English and all drivers completely fluent in the language.

If Speedway wants any media cut through at all and wants to expand its reach it's essential that the World Champion at least speaks English and is also seen outside of Poland.

[PersonalResponsibility]

One question that I'd like to know the answer to: has anyone asked Bartosz to do any of this?

It's a fair point that he might price himself out of individual meetings, but WBD have 'promoted' the GPs for the last 5 seasons. They are a multi-billion dollar, global organisation, I'm certain they had the resources to ferry Bartosz around the world. He's the best speedway rider of a generation (potentially the best ever), he's exciting, and he's in a country that has fanatical speedway support. It's not exactly a hard sell. Go and arrange a GP in Argentina, plaster him on every channel, have him do exhibition rides. 

I do partly agree with the concept that the World Champion should represent our sport, but equally, what can he do on his own? If he rides in individual meetings in UK/Czech, then probably 75% of the audience has seen him in a GP anyway. The lesser nations is where it needs representation but what use is rocking up in Argentina and riding in a random individual?

[Gavan]

16 hours ago, IainB said:

A bigger farce than Kvech & Huckenbeck? A bigger farce than still including a local wild card even though all locales were already catered for? A bigger farce than the Sprint Races? A bigger farce than the points scoring system... I'll leave it at that for the time being 😁

Yes a much bigger farce then Kvech or Kai…. 
Tai was so bad in 2024 he wasn’t offered a wild card for 2025…… he then has an horrific accident which thankfully he recovered from but doesn’t ride all season …. To now be deemed to be a better rider than he was in 2024 is farcical …. For what it’s worth I don’t believe Kvech or especially Kai should be back in the series in 2026 but I would have had both of them ahead of Woffinden …along with all the reserves and Michelsen

Also for what it’s worth I agree with you on all the other points though lol 

[IainB]

5 hours ago, Gavan said:

Yes a much bigger farce then Kvech or Kai…. 
Tai was so bad in 2024 he wasn’t offered a wild card for 2025…… he then has an horrific accident which thankfully he recovered from but doesn’t ride all season …. To now be deemed to be a better rider than he was in 2024 is farcical …. For what it’s worth I don’t believe Kvech or especially Kai should be back in the series in 2026 but I would have had both of them ahead of Woffinden …along with all the reserves and Michelsen

Also for what it’s worth I agree with you on all the other points though lol 

I agree with you he shouldn't be in the series based on recent form... I did say earlier though that he should in to generate some much needed publicity for the series, he can do that more than the rest combined imo.