Gp In Auckland 2012

[richtea]

Personally I detest airhorns so would be tempted by a meeting that didnt have them. The speedway equivalent of the vuvuzelas

[kiwi]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.390023497684179.95714.100000295966552&type=1

 

We've all had a great week, we got most of it right, a couple of things to improve on

Think BSI/IMG were happy, FIM were happy.

I think locally it has boosted speedway's profile.

It think it opened a lot of peoples eyes here, on how professional and good you have to be at the top.

Hopefully it introduces a few new kids and parents to give it a try

 

think I saw 4 races from behind the mechanics and riders heads, the rest I had to watch from the TV monitors in the pits. So looking forward to watching the full replay on tv tonight.

 

Got to go out in the cars for the parade, was great to see Western Springs terraces full,

Next year I'm guessing the grass banks will be full too.

[josietoms]

Bunyan beats Bjerre. Sums up why Bjerre is nothing but a gating tart.

Cough cough holder cough cough

[SCB]

Cough cough holder cough cough

Holder is many things and I could if I wanted to be really petty pick fault in a number of problems with Chris Holder, his ability to pass is not one of them things.

[josietoms]

Holder is many things and I could if I wanted to be really petty pick fault in a number of problems with Chris Holder, his ability to pass is not one of them things.

In a watered down elite league maybe. In the first gp of 2012 then not.

[raceleader]

What follow-up positives are there to rekindle interest in speedway following the success of the Grand Prix at Western Springs. It would appear a lot of hard work is needed as my research shows just one track regularly - sort of - staging speedway in the North Island (at Rosebank) and two in the South Island (at Oreti Park and at Moore Park) and these are not on a regular weekly basis.

[raceleader]

What follow-up positives are there to rekindle interest in speedway following the success of the Grand Prix at Western Springs. It would appear a lot of hard work is needed as my research shows just one track regularly - sort of - staging speedway in the North Island (at Rosebank) and two in the South Island (at Oreti Park and at Moore Park) and these are not on a regular weekly basis.

[kiwi]

His partner had their baby just before the GP, I'm sure that would have had an impact on his performance

[BigFatDave]

His partner had their baby just before the GP, I'm sure that would have had an impact on his performance

At least he scored a Max!

 

Couple of clips from the GP - Nikki's dive -

and the Final -

[kiwi]

highlights video of the day from crowd

[nw42]

highlights video of the day from crowd

 

Thanks for that, much appreciated as I missed the coverage.

[speedyguy]

The NEW ZEALAND HERALD the day after the GP at Western Springs. Look at the sports coverage for April 1 2012 Sunday edition. Am I missing something...?

 

http://www.nzherald....ines.cfm?c_id=4

 

 

And here's an email from a friend in New Zealand on the same topic:

 

 

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: David L <davejl@...>

To: John Hyam <speedstox12@...>

Sent: Saturday, 31 March 2012, 22:01

Subject: Speedway GP in New Zealand

 

Hi John

Lucky you people around the world who I believe had a live broadcast on TV. I tried to watch it via web streaming but had the same problems as I noted others did as well where the streaming stopped and started.

Here in NZ, we will get a delayed broadcast from 6.30pm - 9.30pm Sunday night, around 24 hours after the event.

I had thought of going but did not in the end.

No doubt when friends get back to Christchurch, I will get a run down on how everything went. Auckland papers seemed to have given a fair amount of publicity, but here our local major paper seems to have forgotten that it was a world championship event, but every small cricket and ruby game gets massive coverage.

Our local paper also seems to want to ignore most if not all speedway events here, we even had trouble getting the results published. They were not even interested in a major NZ Sprintcar Championship held here with some of the world's top drivers competing.

Oh well , awaiting the broadcast tonight.

Cheers

Dave

 

:::::::::::

 

Here's an update that might be of interest which was forwarded to me by Bob Andrews.

 

[

Subject: Watch Thrills and spills at the speedway

 

 

dave@...... wants to share this video with you:

 

Thrills and spills at the speedway

 

Video:

Close Up gets down and dirty with the riders who will be tearing up Western Springs Speedway tomorrow night.

http://tvnz.co.nz/cl...y-video-4808896[/indent]

Edited April 1, 2012 by speedyguy

[speedyguy]

Here's another view of the GP sent by another friend in New Zealand::

 

From: "Bill Walsh" <candbwalsh@.......

Date:

1 April 2012 00:17:44 GMT+01:00

To:

"John Hyam" <john.hyam1@.....

 

I can't believe that Ronnie Moore had to buy a ticket. What a miserable thing to do. I was expecting to see a lap of honour at the start by Ivan Mauger, Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs. I heard later about Briggo being sick.

 

It was a great event for Auckland. I left home at 2 pm for a 4pm start, a 20 minute drive to join the back of the queue to the car park and it was full. Drove around several back streets to find a park and had to write down the names of the streets we navigated to get to the Springs, so we could find our car later! What impressed me was the large number of oldies present, many with disabilites, walking difficulties, wheelchairs etc, nothing was going to stop them seeing this wonderful event.

 

[i thought the Army band was wonderful, and this is one thing that our government has said is going to go in cost cutting excercises. I was disappointed when the track marshalls were introduced and they just walked out casually waving to the crowd. I was expecting it to be like Odsal in the 1940s/50s where they marched out to the tune of Blaze Away. No way. I was also disappointed with the people on the speaker systems.

The introductions were poor. There was not one race time mentioned after each race. That is all part of it surely.

 

I gave up on marking my programme after the first race. I thought I can fill in the programme later from the newspaper reports. Believe it or not, in the "Sunday Star-Times", our main Sunday paper, I had to wade through to near the back of the sports section to find a report and THEN it was only about a 1/4 page across the top. NO heat results or times. NO mention of the size of the crowd. I guessed it to between 20-25,000 but that is just a guesstimate.

 

I was thrilled with the evening. There was no way I was going to pay 150 dollars for a ticket, (my wife might have divorced me if I did) but we took a few cushions and a picnic and we were happy. My wife indulged me in going with me and my son went too for his first taste of speedway and seemed to enjoy it. I think that they were more worried about me behaving myself after the recent heart scare and I am supposed to be taking it easy.

 

There were several interviews during the quiet spells between races, while they were grading/watering etc, some of the riders and some of the overseas dignitaries (is that the right expression) involved in the GP events management, and they all said good things about Auckland, the stadium, the track, with comments such "It's the biggest and best track I have ever seen" (that was an English official), "the fastest track I have ever raced on" Superior to most tracks in Europe"etc etc so there is lots of good stuff to be taken from the evening.

 

Let me finish by saying a big thank you to Western Springs promoter Bill Buckley for spending several million dollars to stage this event and I sincerely hope that he gets a return on it, not like the debacle in Australia 10 years ago when it cost them a lot of money to stage it and it hasn't been back. Bill has contracted for three years so I can't wait until this time next year.

 

Cheers.

Bill Walsh, Auckland, New Zealand.

Edited April 1, 2012 by speedyguy

[PHILIPRISING]

RONNIE Moore certainly didn't have to buy a ticket. But Ronnie, being Ronnie, sort of wandered off when he got there and disappeared into the crowd. Arrangements had been made for him to have everything he needed, as with Ivan.

 

I played golf with Briggo the day before I left the UK and he just didn't feel up to another long trip to NZ having only left there recently. He will also be going back in April for the launch of a paperback version of his book Wembley and Beyond for which we have written a couple of additional chapters.

[kiwi]

why go to the trouble of buying a paper to see the results?

haven't you heard of the internet

 

The NEW ZEALAND HERALD the day after the GP at Western Springs. Look at the sports coverage for April 1 2012 Sunday edition. Am I missing something...?

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motorsport/news/article.cfm?c_id=66&objectid=10795939

[speedyguy]

why go to the trouble of buying a paper to see the results?

haven't you heard of the internet

 

The NEW ZEALAND HERALD the day after the GP at Western Springs. Look at the sports coverage for April 1 2012 Sunday edition. Am I missing something...?

 

http://www.nzherald....jectid=10795939

 

Yes, there is a report but it's not dated the day after the meeting but is for Monday April 2 2012. For all that, iit's an interesting read. Many thanks for the updated link.

Edited April 1, 2012 by speedyguy

[The Know]

His partner had their baby just before the GP, I'm sure that would have had an impact on his performance

 

should make no differance. he is a pro and if anything should of rode better.

 

Bunyan secures his place in next years series with that fighting third

 

as i expected did nothing but turn up.

 

so it seems will be preety much the same faces up front this year. gollob looking fast, good gp to kick start the season and great crowd for them .

looking like we know who will be near the tail end come the end of season , gona be plenty racing for third and forth

 

what was them start girls on, must a been summit monster, they were terrible

[g13webb]

Got up at 3.30 to watch the SGP live. Must say , I thought SKY did a wonderful presentation of a really good Grand Prix.

 

Herbie was a well deserved winner, But already, we can all pick out the fore-runners of this years championship.

 

I was hoping more riders would step up to the mark, but as we all saw, it is going to be the same riders in contention as before..

[superguest]

Really enjoyed the racing but had to mute it a few times as Pearson was talking about Crump and Hancock toooo much.

 

Thought Lindback rode very well and would be good to see him continue that form. What a shame Gollob missed the final. Would have been a cracker!

 

Well done to Greg

[speedyguy]

What follow-up positives are there to rekindle interest in speedway following the success of the Grand Prix at Western Springs. It would appear a lot of hard work is needed as my research shows just one track regularly - sort of - staging speedway in the North Island (at Rosebank) and two in the South Island (at Oreti Park and at Moore Park) and these are not on a regular weekly basis.

 

That is a good point. What do our NZ-based site posters think in the aftermath of the GP. How can speedway there benefit from its staging in Auckland. By the look of it the NZ media has already moved on.