Where Is British Speedway Going.

[tyretrax]

Modern laydown bikes don't handle deep dirt very well, so I have been told on several occasions by riders and ex riders alike..... And the silencers make them even worse.., add in to the mix super light flywheels, slipper pistons and the engines just die in the dirt.......

So to make speedway easier we do away with why we go to speedway........... ENTERTAINMENT

[Vince]

So what if they don't handle deep dirt so well, if they can use the modern day tracks in much the same way older bikes used deep tracks what does it matter? It's easy to think that it was deep tracks that gave good racing but the truth is that it's always been pot luck whether you saw a great meeting or not, the only difference is that the rose tinted glass brigade have now got more places to complain about how much better it was in the 'old days'

 

The old days being whenever you started going to Speedway with the enthusiasm of a newcomer. When I first went in the 60's I was often told how much better it was in the 50's, my son never saw a meeting until the 90's and was treated to any number of people telling him how much better it was in the 80's, for some who complain the 'good old days' are actually the 00's. Try looking at Speedway without the bias and it's still a fantastic sport with good races and bad like any motorsport. It's easier to talk it down though.

 

Forget uprights, black leathers, 2 valve engines, rolling into corners, one day world finals (where the best rider often didn't win) and so on, those days are gone. Accept modern Speedway where the lads are giving 100% every corner and they are riding closer than ever, overtaking just as much and just fractionally faster than they were a few years ago and it's brilliant at it's best and still a bloody good sport even when it's not a great meeting.

[The White Knight]

Modern laydown bikes don't handle deep dirt very well, so I have been told on several occasions by riders and ex riders alike..... And the silencers make them even worse.., add in to the mix super light flywheels, slipper pistons and the engines just die in the dirt.......

Which taken altogether with all the stupid Rule changes, make me sometimes question whether the Sport we are watching today is the same one as years ago. The answer to me anyway is that it isn't. It is just a version of what we used to watch. A poorer version at that.

[ch958]

So what if they don't handle deep dirt so well, if they can use the modern day tracks in much the same way older bikes used deep tracks what does it matter? It's easy to think that it was deep tracks that gave good racing but the truth is that it's always been pot luck whether you saw a great meeting or not, the only difference is that the rose tinted glass brigade have now got more places to complain about how much better it was in the 'old days'

 

The old days being whenever you started going to Speedway with the enthusiasm of a newcomer. When I first went in the 60's I was often told how much better it was in the 50's, my son never saw a meeting until the 90's and was treated to any number of people telling him how much better it was in the 80's, for some who complain the 'good old days' are actually the 00's. Try looking at Speedway without the bias and it's still a fantastic sport with good races and bad like any motorsport. It's easier to talk it down though.

 

Forget uprights, black leathers, 2 valve engines, rolling into corners, one day world finals (where the best rider often didn't win) and so on, those days are gone. Accept modern Speedway where the lads are giving 100% every corner and they are riding closer than ever, overtaking just as much and just fractionally faster than they were a few years ago and it's brilliant at it's best and still a bloody good sport even when it's not a great meeting.

 

 

it is a syndrome that people, especially older people, look back with rose coloured specs

 

however its more than that - crowds are falling - nobody - absolutely nobody can be making any money apart from maybe a dozen top riders

 

a complete rethink is needed - its not F1 - fans don't care about the bikes just the racing, the riders and the teams

 

make the bikes cheaper to buy and run - i don't care how but it must be possible - slow the thing down a bit - use the dirt more

[weatherwatcher]

There is very little in the way of exitement in the GP's or the EL. There is far to much dick follow the leader racing, and this is from the way the tracks are laid these days and the drop down bikes. Yes when the tracks where deeper and we had the old upright bikes the racing was much ceaner. The tracks are so hard and slick now, you could race 4 double deckers around the tracks if they fit and get the same sort of results.

You hardly see any sort of team racing with 2 riders from a side working together at the front close together trying thier hardest to keep the other 2 lads from getting past. All that folks seem to want nowadys is lots of overtaking.

Give me some hard fort racing anyday.

You can see it in most of the EL league and even in pairs racing which is very far and few these days, 1 rider goes out from the gate to be around 5 or 6 bike lengths in from his team mate is in second place with a couple of riders behind him usually a couple of bikes back, but if these 2 riders are close to him, then he has no team mate to help him out because he his miles infront and only thinking of the money and the glory of winning the heat.

So yes the old way was the best with teams being teams not idividual riders, who now ride for so many teams , I doubt even if they know which team is actually the team they should really ride for.

[wealdstone]

Which taken altogether with all the stupid Rule changes, make me sometimes question whether the Sport we are watching today is the same one as years ago. The answer to me anyway is that it isn't. It is just a version of what we used to watch. A poorer version at that.

It is a million miles from that which we used to watch. Moreover the Mafia drive and have driven anybody who dares to aspire to the inner sanctum or has any ambition or vision out of the sport.

[The White Knight]

It is a million miles from that which we used to watch. Moreover the Mafia drive and have driven anybody who dares to aspire to the inner sanctum or has any ambition or vision out of the sport.

It's difficult to argue with that.

[pandorum]

It's likely that speedway in the UK is not going anywhere sadly as it arrived years ago at a place called 'nowhere' and seems to want to stay there until it finally croaks on it's own hubris.

 

As TWK asks the sport is indeed light years away from the fun sport I got into as a kid.

And as wealdstone says anyone with an ounce of vision is ignored or hounded until they just give up.

UK speedway the Lemming of the sporting world.

[macinter]

We can discuss all day as to what is wrong with speedway but it is a fact that the average fan wants to see his team win by as big a margin as possible, as does his promoter. Which is why we have tracks prepared how the home team want them prepared. Which generally means crap racing with little passing and also means that any newcomer to the sport is not going to come back. Some generalities there I know but, generally speaking, correct.

[ch958]

We can discuss all day as to what is wrong with speedway but it is a fact that the average fan wants to see his team win by as big a margin as possible, as does his promoter. Which is why we have tracks prepared how the home team want them prepared. Which generally means crap racing with little passing and also means that any newcomer to the sport is not going to come back. Some generalities there I know but, generally speaking, correct.

 

does the average fan really think like this? if so we're f**ked

[The White Knight]

We can discuss all day as to what is wrong with speedway but it is a fact that the average fan wants to see his team win by as big a margin as possible, as does his promoter. Which is why we have tracks prepared how the home team want them prepared. Which generally means crap racing with little passing and also means that any newcomer to the sport is not going to come back. Some generalities there I know but, generally speaking, correct.

That is why they brought in Double Points? :rolleyes: :rofl:

[waiheke1]

They could sort out warring Promoters for a start. They could stop some of the 'fiddling' that goes on. They could make sure that the Sport is run in an open and honest manner. They might even be able to prevent SKY from changing the Rules ie. Double Points, Playoffs etc.

 

People seem keen to shoot down this idea of an independent body - but - nobody seems able to come up with suggestions that might help Speedway. I believe a truly INDEPENDENT body could help.

Sky didn't bring in double points, the promoters did to save money.

The play offs are the most financially successful part of the el season, can you see any rational independent body getting rid of them? Or the promoters agreeing if they tried to?

There is very little in the way of exitement in the GP's or the EL. There is far to much dick follow the leader racing, and this is from the way the tracks are laid these days and the drop down bikes. Yes when the tracks where deeper and we had the old upright bikes the racing was much ceaner.

 

I reckon the standard of racing in gps is generally better than the old world finals. How many world finals had racing as good as the first two gps this season?

There have always been good and bad meetings, even at hyde rd where I watched most of my speedway in the uk.

The main issue in the uk imho is that presentation of meetings has barely evolved in the last 30 years. People have more than ever limited time and a vast array of entertainment options - a league meeting needs to be condensed into an hour and a half of entertainment, 15-20 mins of which will be the racing itself.

[moxey63]

Sky didn't bring in double points, the promoters did to save money.

The play offs are the most financially successful part of the el season, can you see any rational independent body getting rid of them? Or the promoters agreeing if they tried to?

I reckon the standard of racing in gps is generally better than the old world finals. How many world finals had racing as good as the first two gps this season?

There have always been good and bad meetings, even at hyde rd where I watched most of my speedway in the uk.

The main issue in the uk imho is that presentation of meetings has barely evolved in the last 30 years. People have more than ever limited time and a vast array of entertainment options - a league meeting needs to be condensed into an hour and a half of entertainment, 15-20 mins of which will be the racing itself.

Your last statement is true. I for one used to sit through three or four hours of GPs, watching them live, and sometime s three hours for a league macth on SKY. I honestly don't know how I survived that, and now, when I feel like watching speedway, I record the match and just can through the needless waffle, watch the races, and I'm done in about half an hours, not waiting for Chris Louis' version on showing me what I've just seen, or Nigel and Kelv trying to sell me something.

Speedway doesn't have to be live, it is best perhaps being editied into a one hour programme and shown later in the week perhaps, give people the hunger to get back to their local tracks and deny them live speedway in their homes.

But, with internet, there are more avenues than before. There are always live matches on there.

Edited June 3, 2014 by moxey63

[Shale Searcher]

Just wrote a long post ref above, hit the post button and it vanished!!!!

[The White Knight]

Just wrote a long post ref above, hit the post button and it vanished!!!!

Obviously wasn't meant to be.

[cowboy cookie returns?]

Tonight at Ipswich being my first visit for a while showed up the one huge problem that British Speedway has yet again the rule book!

The double point or T##t hat rule as it is now know within my circle was brought in if I remember to keep alive meetings that could be a whitewash. So tonight we have A KO Cup match with yes different rules to a league match no double point tac subs are allowed ok fair enough I thought as the rule is daft anyway. But hang on the powers that be excel themselves by not allowing tac subs of any type so we have a match that was a complete white wash & the visiting team manager had no power to do anything about it.

So we now have team speedway in the same country with the same sides & 2 sets of rules crazy crazy crazy!!!

Please please please can we make speedway simple & easy to follow with out the crap rules & regs!!

[Trees]

But it's a KNOCK OUT cup match so no tacs makes sense imo, well done to the promoters!!

[Mixy230]

Times have changed in the last 20/25 years!

More TV, more social media, more computers.

Peoples tastes have changed.

In some towns (Worcester as an example 20ish years ago 6 to 8 Saturday leagues for Football, now lucky to get 1 League next year) tastes and life have changed.

 

I think the promotors are fighting a losing battle financially, that is a tough way to live week in and week out.

 

Speedway could end up being run as "clubs" with members who share the work, responsibility etc. (As some MotoX, Grasstrack, Autograss, Autocross, Local shows, steam fayres etc)

 

Paying for a Stadium is expensive, can costs keep being covered?

 

Needs a complete overhaul in the UK to survive.

Play on the extreme! make it an event etc etc (All been said before)

 

Good luck all, great sport, I fear it will slowly just ...............

 

m

[Midland Red]

Jumpers for goalposts!

[New Science]

Tonight at Ipswich being my first visit for a while showed up the one huge problem that British Speedway has yet again the rule book!

The double point or T##t hat rule as it is now know within my circle was brought in if I remember to keep alive meetings that could be a whitewash. So tonight we have A KO Cup match with yes different rules to a league match no double point tac subs are allowed ok fair enough I thought as the rule is daft anyway. But hang on the powers that be excel themselves by not allowing tac subs of any type so we have a match that was a complete white wash & the visiting team manager had no power to do anything about it.

So we now have team speedway in the same country with the same sides & 2 sets of rules crazy crazy crazy!!!

Please please please can we make speedway simple & easy to follow with out the crap rules & regs!!

Dammed if they do Dammed if they don't these promoters ! Edited June 6, 2014 by New Science