Ove Fundin 5 Times World Speedway Champion
Now that Jim Blanchard has started renewing and even renaming this website, I guess its time for me to write a new news letter.
The old one has been here for too long! By the way, you will now find the website under the new name 'www.ovefundin.com'
As it is a site directed mainly speedway lovers, I better start about speedway.
Most of the interest in speedway, these days is on the Grand Prix's and it's also the meetings I follow, sad to say, most on tv.
It now looks like the dominance of Jason Crump and Nicki Pedersen is over, but even so the new and young riders are finding it hard....
The current GP leader, Tomasz Gollob has been in the series longer than anyone and he is no youngster.
Whatever happens I, for one, would love to see Tomasz as World Champion, he is the most exciting rider to watch, but I don't like to see him 'give up' as
he often does.
Talking about the young riders, and some of the older, I find that they very often say 'I couldn't get the right set up for my bike' or 'the track was too
slick', or some other excuse. I think it has more to do with the attitude of the rider himself.
Anyway, the GP's are getting better and better and I much enjoy to watch the racing.
Regarding the league racing, in The UK, Poland and Sweden, I still think that too many of the riders are too greedy, asking for money that just isn't
there. In the long run it will hurt our sport. Also. I don't like the way lots of riders try to dictate speedway by refusing to do meetings they don't like,
or even talk about boycotting some meetings. The latest, over the new silencer the F I M wants to introduce..... some riders and engine turners have
no problem with this new silencer and if lower noise could bring back tracks located in cities it would be good news.
My own riding, these days, is on the roads: I've just bought myself a new BMW 800GS, still got my BMW 1200GS, but it feels a bit to heavier than the
smaller bike, so I prefer the 800. I have, so far this year, not done any long trip, mind
you, I've been up to my hometown Tranas in Sweden, it's 1500 miles each way and I guess most people would call that a long journey.
I am dreaming about a ride to Dakar, Senegal, not to race in the rally, just doing the trip as a tourist: We will see....
Next week Ioana and I are off to Romania, Moldova and Ukrain by car. We, as many of you know, have a house in Bucharest and travel there a few times every
year, but not often by road. It's the same distance as to Tranas. In Moldova we will see our good friends Igor and Nataly Kalashnik, Igor is probably the
No 1 speedway supporter from eastern Europe.
I close now with hope that all of you, dear readers, will enjoy a wonderful summer with lots of exciting speedway.
Sincerely
Ove and Ioana