Share your memories - 2004

[Genghis]

A new idea of mine.

It's the winter, so there's not a lot of new news. So I thought I'd start up a new thread each weekend, where we can share our speeway-related memories of a certain year.

At random, I've picked 2004 as the first season. It's the year that:

* Jason Crump won his first World Championship, after finishing second the three years beforehand.
* Greg Hancock won the British GP at Cardiff.
* Poole won a second successive EL title.
* Hull completed the treble at PL level.
* Mildenhall won a controversial double at Conference League level, after Boston walked out of the cup final.
* The controversial tactical ride was introduced to league racing (having been previously tested in the PL KOC).

What are people's memories of this year?

[Genghis]

I'll start this off myself.

2004 was the year of the Nicki Pedersen / Greg Hancock feud, after Nicki sent Greg bouncing down the Prague back straight during the Czech Grand Prix. Greg got even by coming under Nicki very hard in the re-run.

The feud didn't last that long. Greg spent the whole of an Eastbourne v Oxford match aiming for Nicki on the first bend (a case, I think, of "Let's see how you like it?") but they shook hands at the end of that meeting and that was that.

[Deleted]

First memory of 2004 that springs to mind is the Prague GP and the torrential rain that delayed the start and was the cause of me consuming far too many pivo's!

Whilst waiting for the meeting to start my other half disowned me as I decided to take on a group of about 8 swindon fans in a battle of the banter.

8 against 1 isn't fair I know, but it's ok the Swindle fans called for back up and introduced me to Terry Russell and Matt Ford who was there with him. I ended up having a pint with the Tan Man and telling Matt what lovely hair he had.

Oh, and the swindon fans.... well they turned out to be our hero's as they dragged us literally onto the last tram back into the city that night.