[theo_luddite]

In the simmering heat of Singapore, temperatures between the McLaren F1 boys nearly boiled over on the first couple of corners of the first lap as Norris, starting from 5th barged past his team mate Piastri to take 3rd place off him. Piastri didn't think it was fair but it's a few more points nibbled out of his lead for The World Championship. A little bit further down the order, Alonso's team took an agonising 9 seconds to change one of his wheels in the pits which dropped him out of the points at the time and a stream of sarcasm aimed at everyone that got in his way as he tried (and succeeded) to get back into the points. His chief mechanic on the pit wall got short shrift too. After time penalties to The Hamster for leaving the track too often (er, his brakes didn't really work for the last few laps but they've taken the penalty and move on) Alonso got back to 7th, where he was (more or less) before finding himself in 13th.

Points, points points.
When the chequered flag was finally waved, George Russell had gone lights to flag out in front with Crash not far behind him. The points for 3rd and 4th mean McLaren have wrapped up the Team Championship, so that means that AmChaff, SCO and SHEP pick up a point each and SHEP stretches his lead on 16 points.













In the mens RL Egg Chasing, Leigh eventually turned up at Wigan and lost and Hull KR beat St. Helens as teams in Red and White qualified for the Grand Final next weekend. So 5 of us are still in with half-a-shout, but we're all betting on Wigan.

The Shale Shifting on Saturday night was won by Australia, regaining the FIM Speedway of Nations crown in Toruń Poland.

Last year’s silver medalists Kurtz and Holder rode a masterful first lap to get the better of Poland‘s six-time Speedway GP world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik and Patryk Dudek to win the Grand Final at the Marian Rose Motoarena.

Holder and No.3 Jason Doyle collect their second FIM SON gold medals, following up their 2022 victory at Vojens, Denmark. Meanwhile, new world No.2 Brady Kurtz wins his first FIM Speedway World Championship - weeks after falling just short of Speedway GP World Championship gold by one point.

Poland came 2nd and Denmark 3rd.

FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS FINAL SCORES:

1. AUSTRALIA 37: 1. Brady Kurtz 20, 2. Jack Holder 17, 3. Jason Doyle DNR.

2. POLAND 35: 1. Patryk Dudek 17, 2. Bartosz Zmarzlik 18, 3. Piotr Pawlicki DNR.

3. DENMARK 34: 1. Leon Madsen 18, 2. Michael Jepsen Jensen 16, 3. Mikkel Michelsen DNR.

4. SWEDEN 27: 1. Jacob Thorssell 6, 2. Fredrik Lindgren 21, 3. Timo Lahti DNR.

5. GREAT BRITAIN 24: 1. Robert Lambert 16, 2. Dan Bewley 6, 3. Tom Brennan 2.

6. LATVIA 18: 1. Andzejs Lebedevs 14, 2. Jevgenijs Kostigovs 0, 3. Daniils Kolodinskis 4.

7. CZECH REPUBLIC 14: 1. Vaclav Milik 2, 2. Jan Kvech 12, 3. Adam Bednar 0.

No points involved for us this season but another one on the post it notes for next year.

The Boys of Summer stuff is too early to call after only 1 or 2 games but both Milwaukee v Chicago (9-3) and Toronto v Noo Yark (10-1 and 13-7) gave their guests a bit of a shellacking. The Blue Jays have set a record for the number of runs in the first two play-off games and a club record number of strike-outs by a starting pitcher (11) and a club play-off record 5 home runs in the 2nd game. The other two games were a tad closer. I got my curve balls, sliders and fast balls all arse over apex previously. 1st 2 games are at the home of the side with the best record, next 2 away, final at home if required. Don't ask me to describe a "change up" pitch.