Crowd Size Differences!

[Guest]

It is generally estimated that 3,000 saw the opening meeting at Kent Kings on Bank Holiday Monday (May 6) - there was also 5,000 at Eastbourne (Arlington) on the same day. For a variant motorsport event - why can't speedway get these size crowds on Bank Holidays. Look at

http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/huge-crowd-of-5-000-plus-squeeze-into-arlington-for-national-bangers-big-bash-1-5082159

[ch958]

i think attracting crowds for one off events is always simpler that week in week out year in year out. People would soon tire of this particular spectacle i think.

[manchesterpaul]

i think attracting crowds for one off events is always simpler that week in week out year in year out. People would soon tire of this particular spectacle i think.

 

There isn't a shadow of a doubt that this is the case. No way would this event average 5,000 a meeting over a season of eight months. Not only would it no longer be a one off, 'only chance to see' the sport, many families wouldn't be able to budget for it on such a regular basis over the length of a speedway or other sports season. I used to often have to point that out to stock car fans at Belle Vue.

[cityrebel]

It is generally estimated that 3,000 saw the opening meeting at Kent Kings on Bank Holiday Monday (May 6) - there was also 5,000 at Eastbourne (Arlington) on the same day. For a variant motorsport event - why can't speedway get these size crowds on Bank Holidays. Look at

http://www.sussexexp...sh-1-5082159for

i doubt if there was much more than 500 at arlington on saturday for the coventry match. there was about a 1000 at kent's second meeting last night. the horrendous weather is having a major impact on speedway attendances this season.

[ch958]

the thinking at one time was that speedway had to be weekly so that it was a regular habit. I'm not sure this is necessarily where we need to be now - especially in the elite league.

Edited May 14, 2013 by ch958

[blueherb777]

Blimey what would the Eagles give to get half that sort of crowd each Saturday. Talking of Kent Kings I estimated the crowd was nearer 4,000,but certainly 3,500+.As said already around 1,000 last night and with another Bank Holiday in two weeks against Mildenhall,hopefully a crowd of 2,000+is not out of the question.

[SteveLyric2]

the thinking at one time was that speedway had to be weekly so that it was a regular habit. I'm not sure this is necessarily where we need to be now - especially in the elite league.

...and certainly not at Elite League prices!!!!!!

[ch958]

I've been going on til I'm blue in the face about the need for the sport to reposition itself as a £10 sport and everything else tailored to achieve that - wages, costs, etc

[TwoMinuteWarning]

Stock cars are an "entertainment" really, not a true sport. Ask the bank holiday 5,000 crowd who won the main events, and I'd be amazed if more than 1 in 20 knew the answer.

 

Stock cars normally run on Wednesday nights at Arlington, when crowds I'm told are 1,500 to 2,000. Mums and dads love it, and of course the kids love all the crashes and bangs. Nothing wrong with that, I'm sure its a fun afternoon out.

 

Speedway is a 1-minute race which has a 50% chance of being boring and processional, followed by 5 minutes of, well, nothing. Not what young families expect from an evening's sport in the 21st century, I'm afraid.

 

By the way, stock cars on Wednesday nights could make it difficult for Eastbourne to stage Sky matches now.

Edited May 14, 2013 by TwoMinuteWarning

[Man in black]

Stock cars are an "entertainment" really, not a true sport. Ask the bank holiday 5,000 crowd who won the main events, and I'd be amazed if more than 1 in 20 knew the answer.

 

Stock cars normally run on Wednesday nights at Arlington, when crowds I'm told are 1,500 to 2,000. Mums and dads love it, and of course the kids love all the crashes and bangs. Nothing wrong with that, I'm sure its a fun afternoon out.

 

Speedway is a 1-minute race which has a 50% chance of being boring and processional, followed by 5 minutes of, well, nothing. Not what young families expect from an evening's sport in the 21st century, I'm afraid.

 

By the way, stock cars on Wednesday nights could make it difficult for Eastbourne to stage Sky matches now.

 

 

Most of this post is absolutely spot on (though I'd reckon the chance is 90% by what I've seen this season) - it's all about entertainment and value for money to attract the casuaI spectators rather than relying on the die-hard fans. They don't need to know who won - they enjoy it just the same. I wonder what the admission price was for the banger meeting - bet it was less than the speedway.........

 

Just one thing though - please don't confuse "crash-n-bash" Bangers with Stock Car racing! I'm a stock car fan as well as a speedway fan and I can assure you that Formula 1 stock car racing is very much a serious motorsport. There's a lot of money invested in hi-tech equipment and the lap times at Coventry for the F1s are very similar to the speedway bikes, so they sure aren't slow! I'd recommend any speedway fan to put their prejudices aside and go to Brandon on the first Saturday of the month for the Brisca F1 meeting. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, but don't be late 'cos there'll be a big crowd!

[TwoMinuteWarning]

Just one thing though - please don't confuse "crash-n-bash" Bangers with Stock Car racing! I'm a stock car fan as well as a speedway fan and I can assure you that Formula 1 stock car racing is very much a serious motorsport. There's a lot of money invested in hi-tech equipment and the lap times at Coventry for the F1s are very similar to the speedway bikes, so they sure aren't slow! I'd recommend any speedway fan to put their prejudices aside and go to Brandon on the first Saturday of the month for the Brisca F1 meeting. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, but don't be late 'cos there'll be a big crowd!

 

Fair point.

Just to say that the Arlington bank holiday meeting was Bangers and Superstox, not Brisca F1 as shown on Premier Sports each week.

To my knowledge, Spedeworth must have been running stocks at Arlington for about 50 years now!

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

I was giving some thought about the speedway v stockcar debate. Up till about 20 years ago speedway was a sort of common mans grass roots type of sport like stocks. By that i mean the bikes were pretty much basic machines and to compete you didnt need a rocket ship .no really fancy gadgets and maybe this is what appealled to the fans. Modern speedway seems to be trying to be a F1 type of sport rather than stockcars. nothing wrong with F1 if thats your thing but F1 is about money and speedway dosent have it. so maybe we should be looking to make speedway more like stocks .make it less of a proffessonal sport more grass roots. This is just a thought not the answer

[ch958]

I was giving some thought about the speedway v stockcar debate. Up till about 20 years ago speedway was a sort of common mans grass roots type of sport like stocks. By that i mean the bikes were pretty much basic machines and to compete you didnt need a rocket ship .no really fancy gadgets and maybe this is what appealled to the fans. Modern speedway seems to be trying to be a F1 type of sport rather than stockcars. nothing wrong with F1 if thats your thing but F1 is about money and speedway dosent have it. so maybe we should be looking to make speedway more like stocks .make it less of a proffessonal sport more grass roots. This is just a thought not the answer

 

 

no i think it IS the answer - certainly below the level of grand prix

[mickthemuppet]

Stock cars are an "entertainment" really, not a true sport. Ask the bank holiday 5,000 crowd who won the main events, and I'd be amazed if more than 1 in 20 knew the answer.

 

 

 

Speedway is a 1-minute race which has a 50% chance of being boring and processional, followed by 5 minutes of, well, nothing. Not what young families expect from an evening's sport in the 21st century, I'm afraid.

 

 

Or like Horse racing which in about 8 minutes in 3 hours, or 12 minutes of action in an hour at a tennis match. Then there is golf ,about 4 minutes of play in 4 hours.

[Man in black]

Or like Horse racing which in about 8 minutes in 3 hours, or 12 minutes of action in an hour at a tennis match. Then there is golf ,about 4 minutes of play in 4 hours.

 

Maybe, but these sports don't seem to have a problem attracting spectators. What point are you trying to make?

[John Ernest Holland]

at scunthorpe they will run 11 banger and hot rod meetings this year promoter rob godfrey is on record that they make more money from them than speedway which he ploughs back into the running of speedway and is helping the steady stream of stadium and spectator improvements

[BWitcher]

Or like Horse racing which in about 8 minutes in 3 hours, or 12 minutes of action in an hour at a tennis match. Then there is golf ,about 4 minutes of play in 4 hours.

 

Add Cricket in too.

[moxey63]

I have been watching a programme on one of the channels, about Stockcar racing. based around Sussex (Eastbourne).

 

They get a healthy crowd at these events, I feel, because events can be spread about throughout the calendar year, and not, as speedway, shoved into once a week for seven months.

 

Therefore, promoters can advertise more and focus on one date. Race watchers have more time to build back up appetites. Less is more, they say.

 

Nevertheless, I also think more attend Stockcars because the sport is seen to be a lively night out and a bit of fun. It is cars being smashed-up, which is partly why TV programmes like Top Gear are popular.

 

Having never been to a stockcar meet, I would go along (if forced) just to watch a bit of a mad night. Speedway comes over as being slightly more serious. To attend speedway, I would have to fill in the scores; stockcars comes over as a bit of smash-and-bang.

 

I think people (ones that know it actually exists) tend to believe you have to have a love for motorbikes to have an interest to set foot in a speedway arena.

 

More people have something in common with cars than motorbikes... you don't even see that many motorbikes parked outside stadiums on speedway nights, as speedway is a sport that doesn't even attract many from the motorcycle fraternity.

 

Just a thought.

[trophykid]

Good point about the lack of support from bikers. People who own bikes are good supporters of two wheeled sport. Check out attendances at BSB for example. However, speedway is right off the biking radar. Certainly an area where I'd promote the sport.

[SCB]

Good point about the lack of support from bikers. People who own bikes are good supporters of two wheeled sport. Check out attendances at BSB for example. However, speedway is right off the biking radar. Certainly an area where I'd promote the sport.

But bikers can't go out and buy a Jawa or a GM like they see on the race track so it means very little to them. Speedway is an odd motorsport i that the bikes are not the attraction.