Speedway Grand Prix Cardiff 2011

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A160DSB

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Canvey Island, Essex
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A160 BRABUS Metallic Meteor Grey
I didn't know where to put this thread as i'm going to mention quiet a few different areas, so admins, feel free to move and apologies in advance.

So Speedway went to Cardiff. The best racers in the business from all over the world. I'm not into Speedway very much, but the girlfriends family are, so I tagged along. (at an extortionate price of £72 a seat!) Originally, we were taking the Grandads car, and the family friends car. Beautiful, I could have a kiss and a cuddle in the back of the car with the girlfriend :D ... or not. The day before we're leaving, the grandads car breaks down, and garage cant fix it until the Saturday afternoon. Muggins 'ere volunteers to drive.

I thought about it and really was excited about the longest drive I've ever done, Canvey to Cardiff and back again in a day. So we called it Canvey to Cardiff 2011.

Canvey, to Rainham, M25, M4, via Reading services and straight into Cardiff. Im surprised we never got stuck in any traffic what so ever on the way up. As there was 2 cars, we had a bit of a laugh driving, overtaking, waving, (safely) and blocking each other behind really slow caravans etc. A really enjoyable trip. Even the 50mph roadworks, not a single problem with traffic.

Now Jo's(the girlfriend) Dad is epileptic. We went out for a drink the night before, so he couldn't take his epilepsy tablets. So he's fine until we hit the bloody roadwork section, with 50mph average speed cameras, then he decides (maybe not the best of words) to go into a fit. So it was foot down, outside lane, flash everyone that was in the way. Didn't get pulled by PC Plod, but I get the feeling i'm going to get a ticket through the post. I should, should, win that on appeal.

Got to the Severn Bridge, windows open, and as soon as we hit Welsh tarmac, it stank (sorry to any welsh) but we concluded it was obviously the mudflaps (obviously). £5.70 to get into Wales. The cheek of it. Welsh M4 was nice though, easy to drive, no-one driving silly. Was a really good drive all the way. Was impressed with the A Class, started vibrating (not too violently) but bad enough to make me slow down a bit, but this was around the 80mph mark, so it was a good reminder that I needed to slow it down a tad. I'm guessing its either the tracking or balancing, so i'm going to put it in to a garage soon to see what they think.

We hit Cardiff. Junction 33 of the M4. Beautiful. We drive past the stadium, and next to the castle, and on Speedway GP day, they decide to have a little march, with lots of noisy trumpets,waving lots of flags about, blocking up the F'ing road. Cheeeers!

The one thing we really noticed first was that there were a lot of Polish around, I'd even suggest that they outnumbered the Welsh, let a lone the English. They were all p*ssed out of their heads, at 11am! Rude, aggressive and generally not a nice bunch of people to be around, especially after a 4hr drive. So we got past all the castle etc, and there was a PC plod walking the pavement, I stopped and asked politely where do I park for Speedway as Cardiff stadium doesnt have a car park. I was instructed to "park on the grass verge infront of the University Police Station" Which I did. :)

Cardiff was RAMMED! But the excitement and atmosphere was amazing. For someone that isn't interested in Speedway, even I was getting excited. We found our gate, and split up for some lunch, and so I could spend some time with the girlfriend. Pizza Express was where we ended up for Lunch, and for a place that was so crammed with customers, I think they dealt with it really well, the staff were polite, smart and really kept us informed of time until we would be seated. The food was very very good too, and well priced. Well done Pizza Express Cardiff!

So, the main event, SGP 2011!! ... We had amazing seats, 4 rows from the front, first corner. We would see the tape on the start finish line. I was more interested in the very beautiful young ladies dancing around umbrellas for the riders, to the girlfriends annoyance ;) In the end I settled on "i'd have all of them, at the same time" Typical 18yr old ayee :rolleyes:

An American, the only American, Chris Holder won the GP, and it beautiful fashion too. But the crowd favored Chris Harris. He under performed, but the crown still backed him. I've now got a favourite Speedway rider, Scotty Nicholls. Great atmosphere, great few hours, loved it. But it ended with a firework display, which we didnt stay for, try to get out of cardiff before the stadium emptied. Well, that was the plan.

Making our way back to the car, we noticed that every car in the area (which we were instructed by PC Plod to park) has a parking ticket. £70 or £15 if paid in 14 days. I'm paying it, and then appealing. There wasn't one sign which said that there was NO PARKING, the offense was that I stayed over 1hr in a restricted area. The ticket was issued at 4.51pm. exactly 9 mins before engines start time for the GP. Cynical me, I say it was planned. But anyway, it bothered me, but hey, these things happen. UNTIL, I look around, and EVERY car has a ticket. Except 1. The car parked directly infront of me. Which had a Welsh flag on his number plate. Now, i'm not saying for certain thats the reason he didnt get a ticket, but I know that he pulled up 30 seconds after me, I know he never moved his car. So why did he not receive a ticket? Your guess is as good as mine.

Anyway, the journey home, an absolute treat! Driving the rather empty M4 was a dream. The car never played up once, never stopped in traffic. Nice little drive home. only 230 Miles. The plan was, stop off at Potters Bar services before going to Rainham and them back to Canvey. I got as far as Reading before I needed to pull over. I physically couldn't keep my eyes open. My dads a bus driver, I always take the mick out of him when he comes home and says im exhausted. The response he gets is "All you do is sit on your **** all day" ... never again. It's bloody hard work!

Normally, I get 260miles out of a tank of around the £60 mark. I got 340 miles on a full tank. I was shocked. I know it increases, but wow, 80miles!

Anyway, I had a good weekend, and I thought I'd share it with you. 'cos i'm nice like that :D
 
I think you will find that Chris Holder is Australian.

The Amercan who won the Grand Prix was Greg Hancock.

I watched it from the comfort of my armchair and it was great.
 
Speedway in Cardiff is awesome. Friend of mine manages one of the riders - we had seats from the pits!
 
Glad you enjoyed Cardiff, and your right. The bridge toll is ridiculous !! Gets me seething every time i have to pay it !:wallbash:
But it's worth a trip to Cardiff any time theres a big event on , the whole city comes alive.
 
Tell us more if you can about the Poles being "not very nice people".
 
Mark, agreed, the city was buzzing! Was really enjoyable experience just being there.
and Dichtung, they were rude, loud, couldn't, or wouldn't speak a word of english and got very aggressive and iltempered if and when you couldn't understand what they were trying to ask you, or shout at you.
 
Tell us more if you can about the Poles being "not very nice people".

I think Dean explained it in his original post ?

'They were all p*ssed out of their heads, at 11am! Rude, aggressive and generally not a nice bunch of people to be around'
 
Thanks for that Deano,

I`ve only dealt twice with Poles, and each time, the`ve tried to pull a fast one.

I get on well with Germans; never seen a drunk, and despite their reputation IMHO they`re more akin to us Brits. They smoke cigars, eat Bratties with chips and mayo, down Bier; in fact like us, anything unhealthy - they like.

Perhaps the Poles lean more to the the Russian side and their alcoholic traits. Just a thought. :)
 

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