If your bored with the World Cup already, England failing to deliver , teams happy to park the bus in front of the goal - turn your TV over to the speedway - Its the British Final !!!
16 riders, including current British Champion , Chris "Bomber" Harris, will compete over 20 heats for a place in this year's final.
You tend to find that riders who wouldn't normally cause you too much trouble raise their game for the British Championship - and who can blame them?
Not only is the title of national champion at stake, but there is the opportunity to earn a wildcard for July's British Grand Prix at the Cardiff Millenium Stadium. This is a showpiece event for riders in the Premier League and those just outside the international level; they really focus in on it and past winners have includend to race in front of 45,000 people.
So riders you wouldn't necessarily see on TV raise their game. In short, it's an opportunity for them to put their name on the map.
It's disappointing that Tai Woffinden, and Lee Richardson for that matter, will not be at the meeting. Richardson was the red-hot favourite going into the 2009 final after winning all five of his heats, a record that gave him the choice of starting gates. But Chris Harris, who is not renowned for his starts, went off like an absolute rocket and by the time the first lap was completed the race was as good as over!
Woffinden would have benefitted from home advantage at Monmore Green a terrific, entertaining track that is always well-prepared but with no Wolves riders in the field it means we have a level playing ground.
The Elite League riders will have an advantage in the sense that they compete there more often. Up until very recently, five-time winner Scott Nicholls would have been the red-hot favourite. He's outside the Grand Prix this year but has been riding very well for Ipswich and scoring a hat-full of points for them home and away. But Harris has run into form at just the right time. He finished third in the last Grand Prix in Denmark and has been in improved form for the Coventry Bees recently and on Saturday won the GP Qualifier in Croatia after a run off with Eastbourne's - Matej Zagar. This is shaping up as a titanic struggle between Harris and Nicholls for the Championship.
Nicholls is desperate to try and re-establish himself as Great Britain's No 1 after a very disappointing season last year. Not only would he like to regain the Championship but he'd relish the opportunity to ride at Cardiff in July.
Throw Simon Stead into the mix after winning his GP Qualifier in Italy, Eddie Kennett who has enjoyed the Cardiff wildcard for the past two seasons and the enigma that is Lewis Bridger? The Monmore track is well suited to Coventry's recent recruit, but even Lewis will admit a lot depends on which Lewis Bridger turns up. He would be an outsider for me to pinch the Cardiff wildcard.
Should be a night of entertaining racing and not a vuvuzula in site - hopefully.
Keep turning left !!!!!
16 riders, including current British Champion , Chris "Bomber" Harris, will compete over 20 heats for a place in this year's final.
You tend to find that riders who wouldn't normally cause you too much trouble raise their game for the British Championship - and who can blame them?
Not only is the title of national champion at stake, but there is the opportunity to earn a wildcard for July's British Grand Prix at the Cardiff Millenium Stadium. This is a showpiece event for riders in the Premier League and those just outside the international level; they really focus in on it and past winners have includend to race in front of 45,000 people.
So riders you wouldn't necessarily see on TV raise their game. In short, it's an opportunity for them to put their name on the map.
It's disappointing that Tai Woffinden, and Lee Richardson for that matter, will not be at the meeting. Richardson was the red-hot favourite going into the 2009 final after winning all five of his heats, a record that gave him the choice of starting gates. But Chris Harris, who is not renowned for his starts, went off like an absolute rocket and by the time the first lap was completed the race was as good as over!
Woffinden would have benefitted from home advantage at Monmore Green a terrific, entertaining track that is always well-prepared but with no Wolves riders in the field it means we have a level playing ground.
The Elite League riders will have an advantage in the sense that they compete there more often. Up until very recently, five-time winner Scott Nicholls would have been the red-hot favourite. He's outside the Grand Prix this year but has been riding very well for Ipswich and scoring a hat-full of points for them home and away. But Harris has run into form at just the right time. He finished third in the last Grand Prix in Denmark and has been in improved form for the Coventry Bees recently and on Saturday won the GP Qualifier in Croatia after a run off with Eastbourne's - Matej Zagar. This is shaping up as a titanic struggle between Harris and Nicholls for the Championship.
Nicholls is desperate to try and re-establish himself as Great Britain's No 1 after a very disappointing season last year. Not only would he like to regain the Championship but he'd relish the opportunity to ride at Cardiff in July.
Throw Simon Stead into the mix after winning his GP Qualifier in Italy, Eddie Kennett who has enjoyed the Cardiff wildcard for the past two seasons and the enigma that is Lewis Bridger? The Monmore track is well suited to Coventry's recent recruit, but even Lewis will admit a lot depends on which Lewis Bridger turns up. He would be an outsider for me to pinch the Cardiff wildcard.
Should be a night of entertaining racing and not a vuvuzula in site - hopefully.
Keep turning left !!!!!
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