Track specialist Bob Dugard has warned a rider could be killed or seriously injured at speedway's most high-profile meeting.

Dugard has described the track used for Saturday's British GP, which attracted 45,000 fans to the Millennium Stadium, as a disgrace.

Some of the top riders in the world struggled desperately to cling on to their 500cc motorbikes or were thrown badly off course as ruts quickly developed in the temporary circuit.

There were similar problems last year but criticism led by Nicki Pedersen was overshadowed by home delight as Chris Harris won the final.

This year's GP was littered with near misses, notably when Jason Crump suddenly veered sideways yards from the finish line and was almost overtaken, or taken out, by the hotly pursuing Scott Nicholls.

Dugard, who prepares the highly praised circuit at Arlington Stadium said: "The track was an absolute disgrace.

"I think if that had been any other meeting the riders would have refused to go back out after a few heats. They are trying to put too much on to the surface at once, trying to get too deep a level.

"You need to use mature shale. They have tried and failed miserably to get a good track there for eight years now.

"They were quite lucky not to get a really serious injury or even a fatality.

"If Scott had run into Crumpy or, even worse, if Andreas Jonsson had hit Hans Andersen when he was facing the wrong way, it would have been very serious. It's not good enough. Pride makes the riders go out there and do it. Most track people take safety very seriously."

Four speedway GPs are now staged on temporary tracks in stadia larger than those routinely used for league speedway. Retractable roofs at venues like Cardiff and Parken in Copenhagen mean fans can travel with no fear of the meeting being called off.

What do you think?