Future of the GP's...?

[Ghostwalker]

there are already rumours that both Krsko and Dagauvpils will be replaced for next season.

Croatia is mentioned as possible replacement for Krsko.

 

Regarding BSI they are only seems interested in making a profit as large as possible.

15'000 people at Ullevi is more then 8000 in Eskilstuna and if the racing at Ullevi is more like motocross

well they don't seem to care coz they got twice as many people.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Ghostwalker

[RobMcCaffery]

RACERS AND ROYAL…

 

1 - I AM sure BSI/IMG would like the quality of racing (entertainment) at

SGP events to improve but the remedy is not quite as easy as many on

this forum seem to think.

 

2 - I think it is important to understand that what British fans might

perceive to be boring and dull racing is not necessarily seen that way

by viewers and spectators elsewhere.

 

3 - Attendances at SGP rounds this year have been more than acceptable –

Latvia had their best to date, 20,000 were at Vojens, Krsko was an

improvement on last year – but nobody is resting on their laurels.

 

4 - First BSI and now BSI/IMG have made huge improvements to all aspects

of the actual staging and running of a SGP event.

 

5 -And it isn’t only SGP events that suffer from poor racing surfaces.

How many British tracks are properly prepared? No that many. Sadly

there is no cast iron formula for making “the perfect track” but very

little effort or investment is made to try and solve the riddle.

 

6 - There is also the issue of tyres, which the FIM ignore and is again

pinpointed in Speedway Star (yes, another plug) this week.

Efforts to produce better SGP tracks, maybe even with an artificial

surface, are on going.

 

7 - Racing in the old one-off World Finals was, in my eyes from 1962 to

1994, never that great and the occasion was dramatic because the World

Champion was crowned that night rather than the entertainment served

up through 20 often processional and action-less heats.

 

8 - We (and that includes Olsen and BSI/IMG) love to witness speedway on

the perfect track. It is the Holy Grail of the sport and hopefully

standards will improve.

 

PHILIP RISING

 

Philip, many thanks for your as-usual informative posting on the subject of the SGP. I do wish that more people with knowledge of and influence in the sport such as yours would post openly here as you do. Perhaps we could raise the level of debate above that of "my team's bigger than your team" that so wastes the opportunity given by a forum like this.

 

Now you raise several points that I'd like to offer some thoughts on which for convenience I've numbered. I hope that you could clarify on some if possible.

 

1 - I don't think people really think it's an easy problem to remedy but I'm sure many posters will be glad to know that the problem is recognised.

 

2 - I can appreciate that expectations of racing quality can vary from track to track let alone couintry. I saw a lot of my early speedway at Hackney which while it had significant safety problems was a track that in its heyday provided excellent racing.

 

However it grieves me that the BEL has been brought to its knees in order to provide Slovenian fans with the dross that we saw on Saturday night.

 

I've never been a big fan of World Championship or individual racing itself. At least under the previous format it could carry on without wrecking my main focus, team league speedway. A trip to Wembley every few years was a bit of light relief and it didn't wreck eleven weekends a year.

 

3 - Attendances. I'm glad to hear that they are holding-up. The hype is very effective. It's a moot point for how long of course. For many the meetings are the major event of a track or country's season so I suppose plenty will go for the sense of occasion even if the intrinsic product is deeply lacking. As you say perceptions of what makes a good speedway meeting do differ.

 

4 - It is clear that the staging of events is very professional and some may say it has to be in view of the underlying product.

 

5 - I agree with you totally about track surfaces. This is a fundamental problem that has to be resolved. As I have said many times you have to have racing to capture the passing fan and hold those you have. If the racing's great it's remarkable how the problems of the sport seem to be so less important.

 

6 - It's great to see that some research & development in speedway is looking at how to improve the product rather than just make it faster. I look forward to being informed of the tyre issue.

 

7 - Yes the racing wasn't always that great especially at Wembley. It wasn't so important when in effect the World Championship was a kind of 'side-show' to the real product in established speedway nations - league racing and while qualifying rounds were disruptive there were only a handful of meetings to disrupt this instead of eleven.

 

8 - Nobody expects perfection but it's not a bad thing to aim for...

 

The SGP has been a boon to lesser speedway nations but Britain in particular has been battered by it. It would be easier to accept this if much of the time it wasn't so downright boring!

 

I just wish the fundamental product was as good as its presentation.

 

Rob McCaffery.

 

Edited to add one extra point. It would be useful to know how BSI feel about the last two GPs' treatment by Sky. I'd be concerned, are they?

Edited September 14, 2009 by rmc

[Mark Evans]

2 valve engines, loads of dirt.... may the most skillfull win, not the best gater.......well thats my theory anyway

[TonyMac]

GHOSTWALKER …

SURE Croatia will join the series, probably next year and there is no doubt that Krsko may have run its course especially now that the local municipal authorities, who have helped the club financially, are short of money.

 

ESKILSTUNA was always a closure waiting to happen and the profile for the SGP on the global stage is obviously much higher at Ullevi. But they have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds buying and transporting materials to Sweden, which they believe will ensure they can get the track right.

 

The problem there this year was a very hot sun from a cloudless sky and a high wind. It was impossible to stop the track from drying out no matter how much water went on it. Interestingly, a product has come to light that, if mixed with water, retains moisture in the ground. Trials are taking place.

 

HUMPHREY APPLEBY (is that your real name?) …

 

077.2.3 "The Race Director is responsible for the conduct and efficient running of the FIM Speedway World Championship Grand Prix (SGP)."

 

077.4.2 "Track Inspection - At each Grand Prix meeting, prior to any practice or racing taking place, the Race Director, accompanied by the Referee and the Clerk of the Course, must carry out a track inspection and if necessary, order any measure(s) to comply with every security provision for riders, officials and spectators."

 

077.4.4 "Stadium facilities inspection - The Race Director and the Speedway Grand Prix Promoter will carry out a stadium facilities inspection prior to the FIM Conference Meetings for final approval."

 

Reg. 077.6 "The Race Director will decide on watering, grading etc. of the track according to the conditions."

 

 

ALL of the above is correct but in terms of 077.6 it is very much a joint effort with the local guys. Some times they listen, some times they do not.

 

There is no doubt that at Peterborough for the SWC this year the ‘local man’ got it right but that isn’t always the case. Olsen only really has total authority at temporary tracks. The amount of research that has gone into the materials and procedures required for temporary tracks is quite staggering but, as I have said before, there is no perfect recipe. It is not like baking a cake where you open a book, mix a few ingredients, put it in an oven and out pops a speedway track.

 

And, at the risk of repeating myself, Olsen is as keen as anyone to get it right. He was a rider, he still loves watching great racing, he drools over young Emil, he has a great passion.

 

If the FIM, who earn huge fees from the commercial rights, spent more of that income on speedway development, including track surfaces, rather than wasting time proposing a new silencer that could (believe me) totally wreck the sport we would all be better off.

 

Attendances … the only official ones that are fed to the media are BSI events but the figures I was given in Latvia was 6,000 and Slovenia last weekend 8,800. I cannot recall what they were last year but both staging clubs rely on financial support from their respective cities.

 

A misconception often seen on this Forum is that the attendance figures are the only consideration for the series. Of course they are critical for the local promoter along with any sponsorship and the money spent at the stadium by fans.

 

From BSI/IMG’s perspective it is a much bigger picture with TV income and audiences the crux of the matter.

 

This year’s British Grand Prix was watched by two million in India, the highest single TV audience in 2009. Not a massive number from a country with a population counted in billions but it is a start.

 

ROB McCAFFERY (me old china)

 

I honestly believe that the expectations of many continental fans in terms of actual racing is very different from those in Britain who see the whole thing from different eyes. We have been brought up in speedway terms very differently.

 

Many, who possibly see only one event a year, are enthralled by the mere spectacle of speedway bikes sliding at such high speeds, the close contact and, let’s face it, spectacular crashes.

 

The first 12 races on Saturday were boring, no doubt about it, but the second half came alive, at least it did if you were there. Fortunately no rider was seriously hurt but the incidents involving Harris, Hancock, Pedersen and Gollob (how did it get away with that?) were amazing.

 

BSI are no doubt unhappy with Sky shunting two of the last three GPs onto the red button.

 

At this time of the year, with so much other live sport, SKY have options but if Emil Sayfutdinov was British I wonder whether things would be different. I am sure Sky are not totally satisfied with the fare on offer but the fact that the two British boys are 14th and 15th in the standings cannot help.

MARK EVANS …

 

YOU will never halt progress, good or bad … Ivan Mauger won six World Championships by being the best gater. Chris Morton, one of the best racers I ever saw, won none. Times haven’t changed that much.

 

Incidentally, I enjoy debating here as long as comments don’t (as often appears to be the case on some subjects) degenerate into slagging matches. What is the point of that?

 

We will never all agree on anything other than a desire to see speedway get bigger and better.

 

PHILIP RISING

[Dave C]

RACERS AND ROYAL…

 

I AM sure BSI/IMG would like the quality of racing (entertainment) at

SGP events to improve but the remedy is not quite as easy as many on

this forum seem to think.

 

I think it is important to understand that what British fans might

perceive to be boring and dull racing is not necessarily seen that way

by viewers and spectators elsewhere.

 

Attendances at SGP rounds this year have been more than acceptable –

Latvia had their best to date, 20,000 were at Vojens, Krsko was an

improvement on last year – but nobody is resting on their laurels.

 

Yes, the FIM Jury – which is entirely divorced from BSI/IMG - do

report on all aspects of the meeting that are within their

jurisdiction … racing, fairness of gates, etc. What happens to those

reports is anyone’s guess, however.

 

Another contributor here suggests that the FIM should take the rights

away from BSI for making a mockery of it. He or she obviously has no

conception of what BSI do or do not control. All aspects of the actual

racing – track, appointment of officials, including referees, the

pits, rider facilities, machinery, etc, come under the FIM umbrella.

 

First BSI and now BSI/IMG have made huge improvements to all aspects

of the actual staging and running of a SGP event.

 

If you read Speedway Star this week you will learn what making a

mockery of speedway is really all about.

 

Ole Olsen is a favourite target here but, believe it or not, his

actual influence on the preparation of some tracks is nowhere near as

much as you think.

 

And it isn’t only SGP events that suffer from poor racing surfaces.

How many British tracks are properly prepared? No that many. Sadly

there is no cast iron formula for making “the perfect track” but very

little effort or investment is made to try and solve the riddle.

 

And let’s not lose sight of the fact that Emil Sayfutdinov had no

complaints about the track in Krsko. As Barry Briggs – in my humble

opinion among the greatest motorcycle riders ever – said: “Emil can

see racing lines others cannot, he used the ruts to get grip, he is a

fantastic talent and the only one who actually rode properly all night.”

 

Perhaps that is why he, the youngest and most inexperienced rider in

the field, won and Matej Zagar didn’t rather than because the track

wasn’t to his liking.

 

There is also the issue of tyres, which the FIM ignore and is again

pinpointed in Speedway Star (yes, another plug) this week.

Efforts to produce better SGP tracks, maybe even with an artificial

surface, are on going.

 

Racing in the old one-off World Finals was, in my eyes from 1962 to

1994, never that great and the occasion was dramatic because the World

Champion was crowned that night rather than the entertainment served

up through 20 often processional and action-less heats.

 

We (and that includes Olsen and BSI/IMG) love to witness speedway on

the perfect track. It is the Holy Grail of the sport and hopefully

standards will improve.

 

PHILIP RISING

 

 

Firstly Philip, thank-you for taking the time to respond to some of the points that have been raised. If other people who are also directly involved in the sport responded in the same considered way that you have on several occasions, it would go a long way to diffusing much of the negative and damaging nonsense that often originates on the forum.

 

There are many words that could be used to sum up the collective consensus: Disappointing, Predictable, Uninspired, Repetitive, Tedious and Tiresome, to name but a few, but thats enough about Tony Millard's comentary...

 

The truth is that the GP is consistently failing to live up to the promise that it has shown in the past, or the undoubted potential that it has as a series. The biggest problem without a doubt is the poor quality of the racing on offer. The reason why the preparation of the tracks is always criticised, is because we have all seen what these riders are capable of when they are given the right conditions on which to perform.

 

While there have always been issues with the temporary tracks, somewhat ironically they seem to be getting better (or at least safer) than they have been in the past. Perhaps the biggest frustration is that some of the best racing tracks in the world (Leszno & Bydgoszcz for example) seem to be prepared completely differently to how they are usually prepared for league racing. It is of course the same riders who race at these tracks regularly in the leagues, so the question that never seems to be answered satisfactorily is why are the GP tracks prepared in the (generally slick) way they are? Keith Hewen asks this same question at nearly every event and he doesn't seem to ever get a response! The only common link throughout is Ole Olsen, in his capacity as race director, so it is only natural that we all look to him for answers, as he is ultimately responsible.

 

The net result is an endless succession of meetings which are in the main a very poor spectacle, whether watching on TV, or in the stands. When the die-hards are losing heart, there really is very little prospect of newcomers being attracted to the sport, and this is surely the priority for any series which has an aspiration to grow.

 

Unlike many on the forum, I am not a BSI basher or one of the rose tinted "World Finals were better" brigade. I have always supported the Grand Prix as a concept, but I just find it very sad that it doesn't fulfill the undoubted promise that it has. Much is made of new markets opening up for TV coverage, but if the product is as dull and uninspired as it often is, these efforts will be in vain.

 

I have much respect for what BSI initially achieved in terms of transforming the series at the start of the decade. While he was not everyones cup of tea, John Postlethwaite seemed to drive the series for-wards in many respects, but since he left there seems to be a strange void, which is summed up by the continual confusion about who actually runs the SGP. We are told it is "BSI - an IMG company" but what does this really mean?. Nearly three seasons have now passed since IMG assumed control, and I wonder how they really view the SGP. Was their involvement simply a convenient way for Postlethwaite to quietly make his exit, or do they have a genuine long term strategy for the series? And more importantly, are they happy with the product which is served up?

 

As far as the Sky "red button" issue, I feel this has more to do with the fact that the two British riders in the series are at the bottom of the championship table, rather than any other reason. If either of them was challenging Jason Crump at the top of the leader-board, I think they would have a very different priority in terms of their coverage. With the exception of the excruciating Tony Millard, I feel the Sky coverage is generally excellent. As a commercial broadcaster, all Sky will ever really worry about is the viewing figures, and that must be the real worry for speedway coverage. If people get bored and disillusioned enough, they will eventually cancel their subscriptions, and that is when the sport as a whole will really need to worry.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Dave C

[Ghostwalker]

TMC

the track have been a disgrace at Ullevi every year. It was that this year, it was even worse last year,

in 2004 it was the same kind of motocross track and in 2003 well they actually had to to postpone the GP a week

after the riders striked.

[RobMcCaffery]

I must echo the thanks to Phil (me old mucka?) for taking part in this debate. It does show what the forum is capable of if people treat it properly.

 

I hate what the GPs have done to British Speedway but while we have them it's vital that they are a top quality product throughout. The point regarding the failure of the British riders in this year's series is a very vaild one in terms of the events' appeal in this country. The poverty of the racing at times, not just in Krsko surely doesn't help and has to be a concern.

 

Yes Sky have many sports to show on a Saturday night but I doubt whether there's more than there have been over the past seasons. Most of Sky's top-level development lately has been in the field of European mid-week football so I would suspect they are very disllusioned with us. With the BEL having had a torrid season let's hope for some great play-off matches to give an encouraging finale to what has been a difficult year for televised speedway.

 

Rob McCaffery.

 

Another afterthought. I'd suggest BSI have a few words with the Slovenian start line girls to see if they have a few more Saturdays free next year...

Edited September 14, 2009 by rmc

[Bryn]

I must echo the thanks to Phil (me old mucka?) for taking part in this debate. It does show what the forum is capable of if people treat it properly.

 

And I'll certainly echo those thoughts too.

 

I hate what the GPs have done to British Speedway but while we have them it's vital that they are a top quality product throughout.

Rob McCaffery.

 

Another afterthought. I'd suggest BSI have a few words with the Slovenian start line girls to see if they have a few more Saturdays free next year...

 

Much as I enjoyed the one off finals over many years the GP's ARE, I sure, here to stay. The main drawback of the GP system though as I see it is that some riders are chosen to be in it rather than having to qualify to be in it although I fully accept the logic behind inclusion of one 'wildcard' per round.

 

And as for the Slovenian start line girls 'young' Robert, you surely would much prefer the legendary Hackney Kestrelettes to be signed up for the whole series rather than them wouldn't you?

 

Go to: http://www.hackneyreunion.com/Photo-Gallery to remind yourself of their grace, poise and other attributes!

Edited September 14, 2009 by Bryn

[Pirate Nick]

And as for the Slovenian start line girls 'young' Robert, you surely would much prefer the legendary Hackney Kestrelettes to be signed up for the whole series rather than them wouldn't you?

 

Go to: http://www.hackneyreunion.com/Photo-Gallery to remind yourself of their grace, poise and other attributes!

 

Isnt there a watershed for photos like that?

[Parsloes 1928 nearly]

If you read Speedway Star this week you will learn what making a

mockery of speedway is really all about.

PHILIP RISING

 

Is it only me wondering what this aside is referring to..?!

[Stevie b]

Phillip, I understand what you say about how the GPs are appreciated in other countries and yes we may have a different take on them in this country.

However a worrying aspect on Sky on Saturday was Keith Hewens comments that the track conditions are possibly bringing the sport into disrepute.

Interesting to see you say that Ole Olsen does not have as much say in track preperation as most people seem to think.

That's as maybe, the fact remains that Saturday was not the first time a rider has made the same comment as Zager.

If my memory serves me right it was at Lesno in the World Team Cup and it was Leigh Adams. I am not able to quote verbatim but it went along these lines, he said that the track is very different tonight and there is nothing you can do about it and shrugged his shoulders.

He usually says something like it's the same for all of us and we just have to get on with it, difficult to relate on here but his body language on the night spoke volumes.

I for one would miss Sky's coverage, I can even put up with Mr Millard repeatedly telling me Holta is on a polish Licence. ok only just.

As others have suggested Sky may walk away, I hope they don't

 

[AndyM]

We (and that includes Olsen and BSI/IMG) love to witness speedway on

the perfect track. It is the Holy Grail of the sport and hopefully

standards will improve.

 

PHILIP RISING

Phil, with all due respect to those who prepare tracks for the GP circus, this is an art and/or science proven over decades. If you have the right expertise, the right tools and the right raw materials, it should be quite possible to provide a track capable of high quality racing at every venue - just as our cricket authorities insist on a minimum standard for pitches, which are uniformally inspected and punishments meted out to those who fail to provide pitches meeting the required standard. It should never be a "holy grail", it should be the very minimum we expect.

 

Your point about what people expect to see is also erroneous. People might cheer if their own riders are in front but the expectation is clearly for close, exciting racing with multiple racing lines so the most skilled rider can always win whether or not he gates first. If you cannot provide a track with that capability, something is wrong.

[racers and royals]

I would like to add my thanks to phil for his answers.i can only echo the thoughts of many that the GP`s are the pinnacle of this great sport,and its frustrating to a lot of us that the racing has gone downhill over recent years.I would say that when one is actually at the track it always seems a better meeting than for the people watching it on tv at home.

 

My own gripe is that there is never any bite (grip) on the tracks-if only there was more dirt riders would be able to use the outside more.

 

one point that has been made before is the damage practice does to the track-obviously the rules have changed(offically or maybe un-offically)about riders having to be at practice eg Scott Nicholls.If there was more money in the sport, instead of practice the day before they could have test days,weeks before the GP(obviously couldn`t be done at Copenhagen and Cardiff)

 

As regards Gothenburg Phil i was there getting covered in dust on the first bend from heat one onwards and i arrived at my seat very early and i certainly didnt see continual watering-they only came out twice in 2 hrs and during the meeting they didnt put any water on the inside third of the track Didn`t they have problems at practice after watering ?

[jeff...]

QUOTE (Stevie b @ Sep 14 2009, 01:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Phillip, I understand what you say about how the GPs are appreciated in other countries and yes we may have a different take on them in this country.

However a worrying aspect on Sky on Saturday was Keith Hewens comments that the track conditions are possibly bringing the sport into disrepute.

Interesting to see you say that Ole Olsen does not have as much say in track preperation as most people seem to think.

That's as maybe, the fact remains that Saturday was not the first time a rider has made the same comment as Zager.

If my memory serves me right it was at Lesno in the World Team Cup and it was Leigh Adams. I am not able to quote verbatim but it went along these lines, he said that the track is very different tonight and there is nothing you can do about it and shrugged his shoulders.

He usually says something like it's the same for all of us and we just have to get on with it, difficult to relate on here but his body language on the night spoke volumes.

I for one would miss Sky's coverage, I can even put up with Mr Millard repeatedly telling me Holta is on a polish Licence. ok only just.

As others have suggested Sky may walk away, I hope they don't

 

Sky are only concerned in high viewing figures, high figures equates to a premium rate for the ad breaks, so while they may not care what crap is being shown once that crap makes viewers start to turn off the GP speedway will be no more

 

[Ghostwalker]

And I'll certainly echo those thoughts too.

 

 

 

Much as I enjoyed the one off finals over many years the GP's ARE, I sure, here to stay. The main drawback of the GP system though as

I see it is that some riders are chosen to be in it rather than having to qualify to be in it although I fully accept the logic behind inclusion of one 'wildcard' per round.

 

Well there are scenarios that i think can justify a Wild Card system.

 

There is allot of injuries in speedway and a rider can enter the qualifications but hwta happenes

if they get injured while leading the Quali semi but because if the injury he cannot continue the semi and misses the

chance to qualify for the Gp challenge. Or even worse a GP rider enters the qualifications but also gets injured

while riding a the qualifications. For this rider too the injury prevents further advancement in the qualifications.

The injury also causes this rider to finish outside the top 8 (he was with top 8 before injury) don't you think it would a good

idea with a WC system so that this rider can be in the gp the next season?

 

The qualifications also sometimes reward those who are familiar with the track so i don't know if it would be possible but i would like to have

2-3 CP challenge finals instead of one just to make sure that no rider gets too much advantage from the track.

 

I think that the WC system is good if used in an appropriate way.

However i do think that is totally wrong to give the same people the WCs year after year.

Like Nicholls should not get another WC because he have already got his chances

 

Also Isn't Emil S a WC rider this year?

[RobMcCaffery]

And as for the Slovenian start line girls 'young' Robert, you surely would much prefer the legendary Hackney Kestrelettes to be signed up for the whole series rather than them wouldn't you?

 

They are probably old enough to be of interest now ;-)

 

Now look young Superkin......er Bryn (must look up definition of 'young') I may have severed my links with Rye House many a season ago but my interest in Hackney was purely academic ;-) - and Mrs.McC would throw a fit - not for looking at young girls mainly because she was a Hawk and certainly not a 'budgie' ;-) . She still calls the Hackney Kestrels "The Leyton Buzzards".

 

Hmm - on second thoughts that isn't the troupe of hairy/bearded cheer 'girls' mainly recruited from the Vic Harding Lounge by any chance?

 

Veering rapidly back on-topic....

 

This has been a fascinating debate. If Sky are allowing presenters to criticise the product you can guarantee that it is in a very weak position. The mantra at Sky is always to talk the product up.

 

I am sure that a very detailed review of product quality is needed by BSI - not in the presentation which is first class but in that core product, the racing. Certain tracks have abjectly failed to provide a worthwhile TV show. They must concentrate on those GPs that worked and produced great TV, not just atmosphere and either make sure that other venues are b`rought up to standard or deleted from the schedule.

 

Quite simply if a track doesn't entertain it's future on the schedule has to be reviewed irrespective of how powerful the organising club or federation is. Equally if tracks are not being prepared to their best potential steps have to be taken now. The SWC round at Peterborough was excellent. If it takes a decent budget, quality materials and local expertise to make these events work then those elements MUST be used.

 

We must not waste the opportunity that we have to sell the sport both nationally and world-wide.

 

The sport deserves better than the 2009 GP series.

 

Rob McCaffery.

Edited September 14, 2009 by rmc

[Parsloes 1928 nearly]

7 - Yes the racing wasn't always that great especially at Wembley.

 

Ah, but sometimes it was!!!

 

 

 

And no, neither clip is from 1981!!

 

:approve:

[Humphrey Appleby]

Regarding BSI they are only seems interested in making a profit as large as possible.

 

Of course they are. They're a commercial company who are in it to make money (although one may question whether they're actually doing so) and I don't blame them for that for a moment.

 

The real issue though, is why the speedway promoters in the professional speedway nations allowed their premier product to be sold off to a third party with barely a squeak of indignation. Of course, the old World Championship had been run into the ground by the previous incumbents, but it just demonstrates the lack of vision that generally exists in the sport. There's nothing to stop the BSPA, PZM and SVEMO doing exactly what BSI did, yet they're seemingly happy to allow a commercial company with no previous stake in the sport to come along and skim off the cream.

 

Many riders from the past have said in interviews in magazines such as Backtrack, that they wished the GP system had been around in their day.

 

Unfortunately, the riders are the last people you should be asking. I've learnt over the years that most competitors fail to grasp the economic and practical realities of running professional sports, and should have nothing more than advisory input into the decision making process.

 

That said, I can see the benefits of a GP system in speedway if the number of rounds are somewhat limited, and that any revenue accrues to directly to those actually running the sport at various levels, rather than an US-based sports management company that doesn't.

 

Was their involvement simply a convenient way for Postlethwaite to quietly make his exit, or do they have a genuine long term strategy for the series?

 

A trawl around the Internet provides some indicators as to why BSI might have been sold to IMG, such as the financial state of certain associated companies.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Humphrey Appleby

[RobMcCaffery]

Ah, but sometimes it was!!!

 

 

 

And no, neither clip is from 1981!!

 

:approve:

 

Oh yes Derek, Wembley had its moments, but also its critics. I always enjoyed it there, not just for the atmosphere of the place albeit with outdated and inadequate facilities by the end.

 

Rob McCaffery.

[Humphrey Appleby]

If the FIM, who earn huge fees from the commercial rights, spent more of that income on speedway development, including track surfaces, rather than wasting time proposing a new silencer that could (believe me) totally wreck the sport we would all be better off.

 

But is it not the case that FIM pays the GP prize money, so most of the commercial rights fees go towards this?

 

To be honest, I find the various buck passing for the poor spectacle to be a little weak. If I were paying 1 million quid a year or so for the rights to something, I'd make damn sure the contract allowed me to do things the way I wanted, and I'd certainly not put myself in the position where I'd have to kowtow to committees and other third parties with respect to my core product. I find it a little surprising that any professional organisational company would seemingly agree to such terms, because I certainly wouldn't in my business.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Humphrey Appleby