Grand Prix In Australia And New Zealand?

[Primary Chain]

Ahhh timing!!!

Now there's an interesting dilema.

Would you have an Aust and NZ (why not take in South Africa too?) GP as the last on the calendar or the first of a new year.

I'm sure that the riders who are home from Europe would love to attend but it might not fit the schedule.

I've heard from friends that by putting in temporary stands at Gillman you would have a ready made GP venue.

I know Wayville in Adelaide but you would need a smaller track maybe.

What is the longest GP track at the moment?

[thehammer]

I think early in the season would be the better option... then there isn't the problem of riders missing end of season meetings like last time

[Humphrey Appleby]

Would you have an Aust and NZ (why not take in South Africa too?) GP as the last on the calendar or the first of a new year.

 

The problem with a pre-season GP is that riders will have had less preparation and practice time, so I'm not sure they'd be greatly enamoured by the prospect.

 

The truth of the matter though, is there's no ideal time for an Antipodean GP. A pre-season GP at the end of February or early March would leave too long a gap before the start of the European rounds, an October GP clashes with the end of the European (or at least British) season, and a November GP not only has the same problem of a long gap between rounds, but starts competing with the pre-Christmas dollar.

[kiwi]

The problem with a pre-season GP is that riders will have had less preparation and practice time, so I'm not sure they'd be greatly enamoured by the prospect.

 

The truth of the matter though, is there's no ideal time for an Antipodean GP. A pre-season GP at the end of February or early March would leave too long a gap before the start of the European rounds, an October GP clashes with the end of the European (or at least British) season, and a November GP not only has the same problem of a long gap between rounds, but starts competing with the pre-Christmas dollar.

 

Doesn't really matter what we think, it's going to be in March

[thehammer]

Doesn't really matter what we think, it's going to be in March

Sounds ideal for me

[Professor]

Sorry i posted this elsewhere before i saw this topic! Looks like i is much much more likely than you may have thought?

 

http://www.sunlive.co.nz/14325a1.page

[Carrie]

Sorry i posted this elsewhere before i saw this topic! Looks like i is much much more likely than you may have thought?

 

http://www.sunlive.co.nz/14325a1.page

 

In case the link isn't working (or just to save people time)

 

Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty area is the front runner for a NZ event

 

It has an airport (domestic flights only) is only 2 hours drive from Auckland, and has a good range of accomodation available.

 

March is, of course, just comming out of summer and the weather should be really good still.

 

If it happens I'd really like to be able to get over there to see it - but it might need a lotto win!

[T.N.T.]

World Super Bikes, F1 and many other motor sports race in countries that have never had a home rider involved and take it to countries like Dubai, Thailand, Japan etc.

 

 

Why Speedway cant do this with the GP Series instead of having 3 in Poland and 2 in Sweden each year is beyond me. Get the series out to the whole world and maybe the sport will grow outside of Europe more ..... even if only on TV !!!

[thehammer]

I'm delighted if this is gonna happen... A trip up to North Island is on the cards it seems (and if as planned the OZ GP is done week before or week after I'll hopefully do that one too )

[manchesterpaul]

I wish this could be moved to the more appropiate 'Grand Prix' section of the forum, i so keep forgetting it is here and it's a subject i want to keep up with.

 

Sincerely hope it comes to bear that we could have over two weekends in March(ish) a GP in both Australia and New Zealand. Hope it's not going to be an emabarassing country hick style venue though. I'm sure there are many excellent stadiums in both countries, however, that would imply the use of a dreaded temporary track lol. Ideally, an established speedway track could be used so long as removable seating is brought in - always presuming there are enough posteriors forthcoming to fill the seats.

 

Apart from the one GP a few years back, i can't even think when i've ever seen a speedway meeting on tv from down under. I must get You Tubing as one is spoilt for choice when it comes to internet accessed european coverage, so i hope there are plenty of antipodean clips online.

 

Fingers crossed for both New Zealand and Australia.

[Bavarian]

I wish this could be moved to the more appropiate 'Grand Prix' section of the forum, i so keep forgetting it is here and it's a subject i want to keep up with.

 

Sincerely hope it comes to bear that we could have over two weekends in March(ish) a GP in both Australia and New Zealand. Hope it's not going to be an emabarassing country hick style venue though. I'm sure there are many excellent stadiums in both countries, however, that would imply the use of a dreaded temporary track lol. Ideally, an established speedway track could be used so long as removable seating is brought in - always presuming there are enough posteriors forthcoming to fill the seats.

 

Apart from the one GP a few years back, i can't even think when i've ever seen a speedway meeting on tv from down under. I must get You Tubing as one is spoilt for choice when it comes to internet accessed european coverage, so i hope there are plenty of antipodean clips online.

 

Fingers crossed for both New Zealand and Australia.

 

Baypark Stadium in Tauranga is an established speedway track, a large one as it is in use for the cars racing.

The stadium is a beauty an about the right size, not too small and not too big.

 

Take a look here at some recent car racing action

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCnVw4VlDGU&feature=related

[BigFatDave]

EnZed leg of the double looks like its on: just waiting for confirmation of Oz.

[thehammer]

Just hope an Oz one is somewhere with easy access from Christchurch and cheap on Easy Jet

[BigFatDave]

Just hope an Oz one is somewhere with easy access from Christchurch and cheap on Easy Jet

Newcastle or Wayville.

[kiwi]

Baypark Stadium in Tauranga is an established speedway track, a large one as it is in use for the cars racing.

The stadium is a beauty an about the right size, not too small and not too big.

 

Take a look here at some recent car racing action

 

 

purpose built for speedway(cars) holds 20000 all seated

The speedway is an oval with the two end radius being 36 meters and 40 meters.<br style="line-height: 14px; "><br style="line-height: 14px; ">Circuit Length: 451 meters <br style="line-height: 14px; "><br style="line-height: 14px; ">Length of Straights: 108 meters<br style="line-height: 14px; "><br style="line-height: 14px; ">Width of Main Straight: 18 meters <br style="line-height: 14px; "><br style="line-height: 14px; ">Width of Corners: 20 meters

 

 

obviously will be different with temp surface and air fence, but plenty of room to make any shape or size

 

 

 

http://www.baypark.co.nz/

 

http://www.bayparkspeedway.co.nz/

Edited May 18, 2010 by kiwi

[alanpriddy]

<!--quoteo(post=1723248:date=May 7 2010, 11:15 AM:name=Professor)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Professor @ May 7 2010, 11:15 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1723248"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Sorry i posted this elsewhere before i saw this topic! Looks like i is much much more likely than you may have thought?

 

<a href="http://www.sunlive.co.nz/14325a1.page" target="_blank">http://www.sunlive.co.nz/14325a1.page</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

 

In case the link isn't working (or just to save people time)

 

Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty area is the front runner for a NZ event

 

It has an airport (domestic flights only) is only 2 hours drive from Auckland, and has a good range of accomodation available.

 

March is, of course, just comming out of summer and the weather should be really good still.

 

If it happens I'd really like to be able to get over there to see it - but it might need a lotto win!

 

 

Hi there, i now live here in Tauranga and have been a supporter of speedway for as long as i live. To hear that there maybe a Speedway GP on my door step is out of this world.

If you need any advice if you plan to come out then just say the word and send me a personal message on here and i will do my very best to help you out.

 

Regards

Alan Priddy

[spanner47]

Newcastle or Wayville.

Just had a look on google. Is Wayville the track that appears walking distance from Adelaide airport?

[BigFatDave]

Even tho' this one's been put to bed for next year Downunder fans should not give up hope: according to the latest Speedway Racing News IMG have not given up on a GP in Oz (and NZ). They've always been keen to expand SGP worldwide - "To move forward you've got to look at new venues, whether they're in Europe, Australasia, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East or North America" - to the extent that they've inspected several venues and one venue in particular in Sydney is in the 'very likely' basket for the future. Of course its pure speculation on my behalf but you'd have to think that that might possibly be Parramatta, or Tyrepower Speedway Sydney as its latest name change announces. The fact that David Tapp is GM there is enough for those in the IMG corridors of power to continue to flag interest.

[Humphrey Appleby]

They've always been keen to expand SGP worldwide - "To move forward you've got to look at new venues, whether they're in Europe, Australasia, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East or North America"

 

They've been saying it for years, but it's quite another thing to actually make it happen.

[Bavarian]

Even tho' this one's been put to bed for next year Downunder fans should not give up hope: according to the latest Speedway Racing News IMG have not given up on a GP in Oz (and NZ). They've always been keen to expand SGP worldwide - "To move forward you've got to look at new venues, whether they're in Europe, Australasia, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East or North America" - to the extent that they've inspected several venues and one venue in particular in Sydney is in the 'very likely' basket for the future. Of course its pure speculation on my behalf but you'd have to think that that might possibly be Parramatta, or Tyrepower Speedway Sydney as its latest name change announces. The fact that David Tapp is GM there is enough for those in the IMG corridors of power to continue to flag interest.

I wonder if IMG still have Malaysia / or Singapore on the SGP radar.

And what about the USA, a couple of years ago there was talk about a brand new speedway stadium (for the American Dirt-Track motorcycle racing) of some 400m length to be opened at Daytona Beach, right next to the Daytona Superspeedway they use for the Daytona 500 NASCAR race. That would be a great loaction for a Speedway Grand Prix!