Speedway - A different kind of sport

[Linus]

I found this excellent column about Ward, it explains in details what the new Polish rules could mean for the gp's.

I'd imagine he has bigger worries at the moment, too

Good article and spot on. The whole thing needs a shake up if they are going to keep audiences, over here especially. The play off's, the tacticals, the only one rider over 8.0 average per team...

Given those sums of money quoted it's a no brainer for Ward....

[Warren Aspinall]

Peter Ljung has replaced Protesiewicz? in the Gp's, Darcy Ward has also pulled out but no replacement yet.

It looks like speedway is determined to keep hold of the title for 'the sport that likes to shoot itself in the foot'. If riders are choosing domestic titles/cash over the prestige of the gp's, then in my opinion that's a very worrying thing to happen. I'm not sure what the solution should be other than scrapping the gp's & having a champs league style domestic competition, but on reflection that idea is probably unworkable.

What does everyone else think?

[avfcpg]

Yes the GP's have been getting filtered every year due to this. It's not even the top riders in the world anymore but more like "well, most of them" mainly due to the Polish clubs one GP rider per team rule. I don't blame the riders, they aren't in the football wage bracket and the Polish Clubs pay massive wages and signing on fees, but it does devalue the GP's none the less.

The clubs need to have just team building points limit and be done with it. We've scrapped the ridiculous 1 rider over 8 points only farce this year thank god. It's caused a lot of fuss down here because of Ward & Holder but if they both d0 stay, that's going to really hammer Pooles points limit.

And get rid of the play off's. If you finish top of the league, you've won it. Have a seperate comp for the top 4 if they want. But as long as Sky are pumping money in, then it will stay. Catch 22.   

[Warren Aspinall]

I wonder if there's any mileage in having the gp's on a different night of the week or working on a solution with the poles.

[avfcpg]

Don't think they could have the Gp's on another night with so many leagues being run in the week. They need to say to the Polish league to scrap the one GP rider rule. It should really be the same rule for all the leagues (i.e. points limit).

Otherwise scrap the GP's & find an alternate. The one off finals were fabulous. Some would say unfair as one ef could ruin it, but these days ef's are few and far between, certainly not as common as they used to be.

I remember Mark Loram winning the world championship but not winning one GP. Consistently the best rider in terms of placings but even though I am a Poole and Loram fan, it never really sat comfortably with me.   

[Warren Aspinall]

Latest odds for the 2012 GP season.

Bill Hill



Series Winner 2012 - Speedway GP Champion 2012
All Bets
31 Mar   07:15 UK   

7/2    Andreas Jonsson
7/2    Jaroslaw Hampel
5/1    Greg Hancock
5/1    Tomasz Gollob
6/1    Emil Sayfutdinov
8/1    Jason Crump
12/1  Chris Holder
14/1  Nicki Pedersen
20/1  Fredrik Lindgren
25/1  Hans Andersen
25/1  Kenneth Bjerre
40/1  Antonio Lindback
50/1  Chris Harris
66/1  Peter Ljung
66/1  Bjarne Pedersen
    
Any Non Runners - Rule 4 May Apply. One more rider to add to the field.

[avfcpg]

Those odds are tight. Think it could be a real tight one this year. Would like to see a new boy step up to the plate and really challenge. . Emil, Holder, Hampel. Andreas also showed us what he can do on a consistent basis.

Gutted Ward declined the place. Would have been great to watch. Next year though.

[Warren Aspinall]

I think the winner will come from those you've mentioned, personally I think Holder will win it. He's put together a few good GP's over the last couple of years & this year I expect him to be more consistent. Sayfutdinov will be his biggest challenge I feel.

[avfcpg]

Would love "Noddy" to win it. He certainly is getting to grips with the GP's. Emil is a real talent as well.
Mind you ben saying this for a few years but the old boys brigade keep firing. Think this is the year they start to fade away (famous last words).
Hampel is a good bet I reckon as well.
Should be good though...first one in New Zealand...!!! Awesome..

[Linus]

Holder winning it would be HORRIBLE. Whiny little creep with a penchant for stupid caps, and best friends with somneone of a very questionable nature. Backward step for speedway IMO.

[Warren Aspinall]

Who do you think will win it Linus?

I've met Holder & while I won't pretend to know him well, he came across as a decent chap.

What does everyone think about the state of british speedway, who's gonna win what & are there any riders coming through?

Not sure who'll win the elite, but the Brummies could surprise a few this year. As for the gp's, this for me is do or die year for Harris, He needs top 8 & not to scrape in there either. I can't see anyone ready to step up yet either, Woffinden still hasn't progressed & King & Barker whilst stars for the Brummies haven't yet made the step up.

[Linus]

British speedway is, as always, at a crossroads. We've just about lost another track today in Newport, though there are whispers of a buyout. The simple truth is that the BSPA - their version of the FA - is not fit for purpose and the sport will dwindle while Nero fiddles and all that. They constantly hamper themselves with rule changes that make no sense to the fan but advance the agenda of a select few. Like football, but with no money in it :p

In the Elite League it's a good shout for Swindon for the title, but Poole, Lakeside and Coventry have got a chance, too. The Brummies team has too much of a Frankenstein look to it, more a jumble of riders than an actual team, but you never know in this sport. In the Premier League it's anyone's guess, though Ipswich look good.

There are some good young Brits coming up, but none of them quick enough. The best is probably Nick Morris, who grew up in Australia, and has some off-track problems. Jason Garrity is a name to look out for, and Adam Roynon may do something if he can stay injury-free.

The GPs... well, it's hard to look past the usual names - Hancock, Gollob, Hampel... I think Sayfutdinov has to have a big year, and maybe Lindgren & Holder can make the step, though I doubt it. Harris will never succeed as long they produce tracks with no dirt on them - this hampers Sayfutdinov, too, but he has fast bikes. If you want actual speedway racing, then Harris is one of the world's best. At gate & go, he's a poor second. In the next few years I can see Ward (if he stays out of prison), Pawlicki, Batchelor, Holder, Sundstrom & Sayfutdinov dominating, but the old guys are still too fast for change to happen too soon.

[avfcpg]

Holder winning it would be HORRIBLE. Whiny little creep with a penchant for stupid caps, and best friends with somneone of a very questionable nature. Backward step for speedway IMO.

Behave..top bloke, nice chap and class rider, he's just what the sport needs in this country, a breath of fresh air.
Emil will have a say in it this year...and if he stays fit then Ward will win it in the next 5 years. Best rider I have seen for a long long time...

[Warren Aspinall]

I'm hearing rumours that their could be gp's in Argentina & Australia in 2013, hope it's true.

Although a quick search reveals nothing.

[avfcpg]

Australia must be on worth a good shout given Crump, Batch, Holder, Ward et al. Plus New Zealand have got the opening one this year. Argentina is a strange one?