Take Speedway To New Places

[Richspeedway]

I was thinking the other day why don't BSI try to market the sport to the middle east/asia?

 

Other sports have gone to these places and have done well when took to the far east. I know we are a "minority" sport but I think there would be interest. I saw on Transworld Sport that the Chinese are starting to take up snooker as in the sport there are a few up and coming guys.

 

In the middle east they like there motorsports which has been shown with Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar opening race circuits that Moto GP and Formula 1 have been too. Also the Chinese/Japanese are mad when it comes to Moto GP and flock to the tracks to see Rossi and co. Maybe if they took a couple of bikes and riders over and tried to highlight the sport then there would be interest as BSI said they would love to have a GP outside of Europe but I have not seen them do anything to try and it started. I know speedway is a expensive sport buying equipment, bikes etc and not like football or tennis where you just buy a ball or a racket and start off, but it would be great to see GP's and more countries starting up the sport.

[lazyrider]

theres a guy trying in spain with not much luck

[fatface]

I'm living in Doha, Qatar temporarily, so am probably qualified to comment. This would be a country where they could well stage a GP. They have the stadiums and the authorities - by that I mean the Emir and family - who are keen to host big sporting events and are willing to put big money into it, even for a big loss. Their sole intention merely seems to be to get Qatar's name on the global stage.

 

Recently, we had the Asian Games here (like the Olympics, but just for Asia), Qatar Open Tennis (Andy Murray was 2nd), Qatar Masters Golf (Goosen won) and the Superbikes and MotoGP both arrive in the coming weeks. The facilities are great and admission is always free to these events - lucky me!

 

But, they are always pretty poorly attended because there really isn't that much interest from the local populace. Culturally, the natives are a rather sedate bunch and simply have little interest in sport, despite the best intentions of the Emir. It's mainly ex-pats who attend the events and also, most Qatari sporting success is due to competitors 'recruited' and renationalised from other countries.

 

So, while I have no doubt they could race a GP here and most outlay would be covered by the local authorities, I suspect it's only purpose would be to fill a date in the calendar for TV. The crowd wouldn't be that big and I'm 99% certain there would be absolutely no locals at all inspired to start up grassroots speedway.

[Grachan]

I've always thought that a well marketed Speedway GP would go down a storm in Japan. All those georgeous Western daredevils would have girls screaming at them at the airport - especially if BSI payed for a few to turn up and start it off!

 

They used to have speedway in Japan, but it has mutated into Autorace over there, but if the GP took off I could see it being a bigger event there than anywhere else in the world. Just get Crumpie and his wife on the telly. Japanese girlies would find him irresistable, and his wife speaks the language apparently.

[star ghost]

From memory I think that in the 70's Speedway did in fact try the Middle East with a Touring Group racing at some Stadiums out there. I don't think this has been tried since then though. It would make a good way to spend the Winter if the expenses were picked up by the rich Nationals out there

[Killer Cat from Mars]

From memory I think that in the 70's Speedway did in fact try the Middle East with a Touring Group racing at some Stadiums out there. I don't think this has been tried since then though. It would make a good way to spend the Winter if the expenses were picked up by the rich Nationals out there

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I seem to remember that the meetings were called the 'Craven A' Series and weren't they raced in Kuwait? I have a programme for one of them, but I don't know how successful they were.

[Diesel]

Just get Crumpie and his wife on the telly. Japanese girlies would find him irresistable, and his wife speaks the language apparently.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Into carrot tops in Tokyo are they?

[MattyHart]

i read in speedway star a while back that a new deal they signed meant they would look to branch out to middle east asia would be good for the sport but what would travelling be like not exactly local.

[Grachan]

Into carrot tops in Tokyo are they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yup. You want proof? I'll give you proof.

 

[Kevin Meynell]

I was thinking the other day why don't BSI try to market the sport to the middle east/asia?

 

I never understand this obsession with expansion when speedway is doing so badly in its core markets. Why not try to attract more people in places where the sport already operates, rather than chase nebulous markets in regions where sport in general isn't of much interest to the locals?

Edited April 3, 2007 by Kevin Meynell

[Liesdale]

I never understand this obsession with expansion when speedway is doing so badly in its core markets. Why not try to attract more people in places where the sport already operates, rather than chase nebulous markets in regions where sport in general isn't of much interest to the locals?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was thinking much the same. Why take it to the nips when the Reading public haven't even been fully engulfed yet?

[TonyM]

I never understand this obsession with expansion when speedway is doing so badly in its core markets. Why not try to attract more people in places where the sport already operates, rather than chase nebulous markets in regions where sport in general isn't of much interest to the locals?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Fair point about total virgin markets but I would like to see the GP circus attempt to give the sport a boost in Australia and/or North America

 

Problems with domestic markets are partly self inflicted and are not really related at to whether 'speedway' the sport could or should be expanding internationally

[speedibee]

Fair point about total virgin markets but I would like to see the GP circus attempt to give the sport a boost in Australia and/or North America

 

Problems with domestic markets are partly self inflicted and are not really related at to whether 'speedway' the sport could or should be expanding internationally

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

why not run the gp on indoor tracks and in the southern hemisphere during the winter. that way our domestic scene can thrive with all riders available each week to ride for their clubs and still get to go for individual glory

i personally would love to go to cardiff for a gp on a boring saturday night in november

[SwissPosition]

why not run the gp on indoor tracks and in the southern hemisphere during the winter. that way our domestic scene can thrive with all riders available each week to ride for their clubs and  still get to go for individual glory

i personally would love to go to cardiff for a gp on a boring saturday night in november

Interesting idea, but as it stands I don't think the riders would welcome it. By the end of the season, even the fittest and most motivated rider tends to be utterly cream-crackered, and well in need of a break. Also, the winter period is important for those carrying injuries to rest up and recover, or to attend treatment that they could not otherwise fit in during the season.

 

Having said all that, I wonder how well a one-off GP-style meeting in Australia would go down over the winter? With sufficient prize money on offer, it might be a reasonable water-tester before going for another attempt at an actual Aussie GP.

[speedibee]

Interesting idea, but as it stands I don't think the riders would welcome it. By the end of the season, even the fittest and most motivated rider tends to be utterly cream-crackered, and well in need of a break. Also, the winter period is important for those carrying injuries to rest up and recover, or to attend treatment that they could not otherwise fit in during the season.

 

Having said all that, I wonder how well a one-off GP-style meeting in Australia would go down over the winter? With sufficient prize money on offer, it might be a reasonable water-tester before going for another attempt at an actual Aussie GP.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

quite a few of the riders race in oz during the winter anyway but i do see your point about time to rest and recover although it would be 1 meeting in 2weeks not like at present where they are riding in poland sweden denmark angland every week and gp every other week.