Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Well a place like Barcelona with its excellent hotels and entertainment is as easy for people to get to - probably easier - than some of the venues on the SGP schedule. That's because the riders are wearing/carrying their national racing numbers. If one had a programme of names against numbers that would help but this youtube clip is really designed to show that Spain could be an outlet for a GP. The Spanish love motorcycle racing. This isn't speedway on the youtube but flat track riders from various countries. My reason was to show that the Spanish might be interested in creating - as at Cardiff - a track especially laid down for a GP as they did for this flat-track meeting. I think the last time speedway as such took place in Barcelona was 1950 when former Plymouth and England rider Ted Gibson took a group of English and Australian riders there? Whhhooooooooosssshhhhhhh That's a well thought out response. What exactly does it mean though...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 That's a well thought out response. What exactly does it mean though...? You missed MattK's sarcasm x2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 A major international motorcycle flat track motor cycle meeting was recently held in Barcelona. Are the facilities available also suitable for a Spanish Speedway GP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 A major international motorcycle flat track motor cycle meeting was recently held in Barcelona. Are the facilities available also suitable for a Spanish Speedway GP? What, mug... err promoter would stump up the readies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 (edited) A major international motorcycle flat track motor cycle meeting was recently held in Barcelona. Are the facilities available also suitable for a Spanish Speedway GP? What, mug... err promoter would stump up the readies? Well that's soon ruled out the Spanish Speedway GP suggestion. Perhaps had the venue been in a more attractive city than Barcelona the idea just might have been worth consideration? This how the flat track riders viewed their recent venture in Barcelona. http://home.amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=61917 A forwarded message re the Barcelona flat track meeting also appearing currently on the BSF::: :::::Sent by DutchGrasstrack::: Members 1,778 posts Posted 14 December 2014 - 01:05 AM Well what can I say... it was a fantastic event! Great racing and a big crowd, 9000 people according to a press release. Will definitely pop back to Barcelona again next year. Edited December 27, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusky Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 There has been speedway in this stadium before (1991 if memory serves me right), when Graham Drury & Ian Thomas took a number of riders there. These riders were there as part of the opening celebrations for that stadium. There was a good crowd there for an evening of mixed events. The track was small, and built on clay so was quite difficult to ride, but there was some reasonable racing. As I remember it was a reasonable distance out of Barelona centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 The stadium would be great for speedway, although the track they put in it for the flattrack event was a bit small. Don't think they can get a bigger track in it, plus the track was also quite narrow. But the stadium is perfect, great facilities for the fans and good press facilities for us media people as well. Plenty of room for the riders to set up their paddock. Stadium is indeed close to the city center and very easy accessible for the fans. I flew into Barcelona airport, got on bus to the center (15 mins, Pl. Espanya) and from there I had to walk 25 minutes to the stadium (Palau Saint Jordi). Track panorama: https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/10848531_10152442028511428_4516232800700416388_o.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 (edited) What, mug... err promoter would stump up the readies? The stadium would be great for speedway, although the track they put in it for the flattrack event was a bit small. Don't think they can get a bigger track in it, plus the track was also quite narrow. But the stadium is perfect, great facilities for the fans and good press facilities for us media people as well. Plenty of room for the riders to set up their paddock. Stadium is indeed close to the city center and very easy accessible for the fans. I flew into Barcelona airport, got on bus to the center (15 mins, Pl. Espanya) and from there I had to walk 25 minutes to the stadium (Palau Saint Jordi). Track panorama: https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/10848531_10152442028511428_4516232800700416388_o.jpg Dutch Grasstrack -- Are you clear on the speedway possibilities for Barcelona? Our good friend Humphrey Appleby looks very sceptical aboutt the suggestion? However DGT I willl say that the jpg image you have sent of the venue tends to reflect the venue in a good way. Edited December 27, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 However DGT I willl say that the jpg image you have sent of the venue tends to reflect the venue in a good way. It's not a matter of whether a suitable venue can be found in Barcelona/Spain, but whether it will get the financial support from the local government, and whether there's a promoter willing to take the financial risks of staging. Spain and Catalonia are going through some tough financial times, not to mention that Catalonia is mired an independence debate at the moment. Barcelona is also a city with virtually no speedway tradition - either locally or in its hinterland - nor a tourist trade that that's likely to know anything about the sport. Who'd want to run the financial risks of promoting a GP with the odds stacked against you before you've started? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 (edited) It's not a matter of whether a suitable venue can be found in Barcelona/Spain, but whether it will get the financial support from the local government, and whether there's a promoter willing to take the financial risks of staging. Spain and Catalonia are going through some tough financial times, not to mention that Catalonia is mired an independence debate at the moment. Barcelona is also a city with virtually no speedway tradition - either locally or in its hinterland - nor a tourist trade that that's likely to know anything about the sport. Who'd want to run the financial risks of promoting a GP with the odds stacked against you before you've started? A valid point that would seem to rule out any possibility of a Spanish Speedway GP. On the other hand, negotiations for a third annual flat track meeting are in hand - and that's probably a more Americanised version of track motorcycle racing than speedway? I wonder how that type of racing has attracted so much attention in Spain and featuring among the international riders top USA American Motorcycle Association starters? I wonder where the finance for this is coming from? Edited December 27, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryW Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 A valid point that would seem to rule out any possibility of a Spanish Speedway GP. On the other hand, negotiations for a third annual flat track meeting are in hand - and that's probably a more Americanised version of track motorcycle racing than speedway? I wonder how that type of racing has attracted so much attention in Spain and featuring among the international riders top USA American Motorcycle Association starters? I wonder where the finance for this is coming from? Because of Marc Marquez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Because of Marc Marquez. Here's an interesting follow-up comment: http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/10/09/is-there-a-future-for-dirt-track-racing-kevin-cameron-examines-this-question/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Because of Marc Marquez. I'd say it was all pretty obvious to most people.You have a superstar who though only a part-timer on flattrack,can compete and beat the top flattrackers.No wonder locals will go and watch it and no wonder someone will put up the Euros for it.But that isn't the case for speedway.Ok if Marquez gets a wildcard for a Spanish GP you might get a good crowd the first year,but after he can't cope and gets thrashed,who will want to put up the cash or go and see it the second year?We already have seen that speedway was there over 20 years ago.There must be a good reason it hasn't been seen since Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 We already have seen that speedway was there over 20 years ago.There must be a good reason it hasn't been seen since Speedway, given the current state that it's in, needs to be focusing on the countries where the sport is established and has something of an established fan base. Spain/Catalonia is not in that category. Wasn't there also an attempt to introduce speedway to Portugal a few years ago? What became of that? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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