The Decline Of British Speedway

[longlivefrankie]

Some people don't consider any motor sports , true sports because of the motor aspect

[Vince]

With that analogy I wonder what we are all worrying about ?

 

I'm worrying that Speedway as it stands isn't sustainable on those crowd levels. Either the costs need to be lowered or the crowds increased.

 

If you are going to use comparisons then they need to be genuinely relevant and that means events that happen weekly or more often otherwise expectations of revised marketing strategies are unrealistic.

[orion]

 

 

Oh dear... So Phil Taylor could become World Speedway's next sensation , as long as he had the fastest bike?

 

Pure skill? Oh dear... I thought it was about the amount of girth you had around the old waistband.

 

Although I have to admit, that my bedroom wall has more holes in it than the dart board I was aiming at... and skill is indeed a factor in darts... I cannot agree, that the best riders simply rely on the fastest bikes. Of course, their rise has seen them acquire the fastest bikes, but Boris Johnson, for example, I wouldn't trust him near a speedway bike... but I bet he can play darts.

Tai Woffiden would not have won the world title unless he had and could afford those super quick engines he had last year the same as Lewis H would not be leading the world champion in f 1 if was he in another team . On the other anyone can buy the same Darts as Phil Taylor uses . So as I said Darts is pure skill while Motor Sport is not .

[jimmy jimmy]

I have to say I still see speedway as a spectacle now, I thought this years British GP was as good a sporting event as you will see anywhere

[longlivefrankie]

For me WK the standard was higher,more strength in depth,a top 20 then were all top dollar riders now even world wide how many are world class ? twenty maybe?

 

I believe speedway was a better prospect in the seventies, u only got to see the top riders a handful of times if u were lucky. We used to make the effort to go to Swindon from South wales to catch the likes of belle vue to see pc & mort. Exeter to see mauger & autrey When they visited blunsdon.

The lack of tv coverage helped I think, there was more variety of value in meetings - major open meetings like BLRC, Internationale etc., world champs qualifiers, pairs (the world pairs at belle vue in 74 ?was a highlight I remember)fours. Match races I can remember travelling to see the monthly challenges Phil crump had.

 

Perhaps there was just less to do lol

[Mike.Butler]

the spectacle has diminished because of technology. 1. Cost:Only a select few can afford top machinery. 2. Bikes are too fast for the tracks they are on.

[Vince]

Tai Woffiden would not have won the world title unless he had and could afford those super quick engines he had last year the same as Lewis H would not be leading the world champion in f 1 if was he in another team . On the other anyone can buy the same Darts as Phil Taylor uses . So as I said Darts is pure skill while Motor Sport is not .

 

Doesn't matter how much money I had, if I buy Tai's engines I would be worse off than on a standard motor because I don't have the skills to make use of them. Everybody in the GP's has the opportunity to build the engines they want and Tai looking like he had a really quick engine at times will be much more down to getting the set up right than the basic engine.

[longlivefrankie]

the spectacle has diminished because of technology. 1. Cost:Only a select few can afford top machinery. 2. Bikes are too fast for the tracks they are on.

Re the tracks one thing I do remember from those rose tinted days of the seventies were the variety of tracks in this country from biggish - belle vue, Halifax, Exeter etc to smallish Wimbledon etc and plenty of variety in between. But you're right I think one of the main reasons is the bikes are too advanced for those remaining and need simplyfiing and imo standardising at league level leaving the tech stuff for GP level

[orion]

 

Doesn't matter how much money I had, if I buy Tai's engines I would be worse off than on a standard motor because I don't have the skills to make use of them. Everybody in the GP's has the opportunity to build the engines they want and Tai looking like he had a really quick engine at times will be much more down to getting the set up right than the basic engine.

 

 

How many bikes, engines etc do you think Rickardsson had in the old days ? sure your going to get it right all the time but it's gives you a much better chance . Do you think in f1 that the teams with the more money have more chance of getting the set up right ? of course they do . Unless you have standard bikes or standard cars etc then Motor Sport is never going to pure skill

[Vince]

F1 isn't very similar at all to Speedway, the aims and way you get to them aren't in any way comparable. The drivers however will have all been at the top in at least one tightly restricted class on their way to their current seat.

 

Speedway engines are rarely built or set up to make maximum power, it is far more about the rider finding something that works for him. The top riders all have that, the very best are able to make small adjustments that suit the conditions better on the night. I do no believe that Tai won the World Championship because his engines were superior on 16 different track but because he was the rider able to get the best out of his bikes throughout the series, he rarely made the wrong choice of where to go in a race either. As one who didn't think he should have been in the series at the beginning of last year I had to eat my words because he was brilliant at every aspect of his job in the GP's and totally deserved his championship.

[orion]

F1 isn't very similar at all to Speedway, the aims and way you get to them aren't in any way comparable. The drivers however will have all been at the top in at least one tightly restricted class on their way to their current seat.

 

Speedway engines are rarely built or set up to make maximum power, it is far more about the rider finding something that works for him. The top riders all have that, the very best are able to make small adjustments that suit the conditions better on the night. I do no believe that Tai won the World Championship because his engines were superior on 16 different track but because he was the rider able to get the best out of his bikes throughout the series, he rarely made the wrong choice of where to go in a race either. As one who didn't think he should have been in the series at the beginning of last year I had to eat my words because he was brilliant at every aspect of his job in the GP's and totally deserved his championship.

So when you get a engine tuned etc it costs the same money no matter who you go to ? . No matter how Woffy done it his bikes were quicker than the others so as I said it was not pure skill it's as much about your bikes or cars in Motor racing.

[Vince]

His bikes were quicker with him on them, put one of the other top riders on the same bike, set up the same way and they most likely would be slower than on their own bike.

 

Unlike F1 where you have to be in that years best car to win a Championship.

[orion]

His bikes were quicker with him on them, put one of the other top riders on the same bike, set up the same way and they most likely would be slower than on their own bike.

 

Unlike F1 where you have to be in that years best car to win a Championship.

Not a chance Woffy bikes had unreal speed and make a average rider a World Champion . I have my doubts that they were even legal .

 

Another away to look at if all bikes were standard would have he had won ? not a chance

Edited September 28, 2014 by orion

[OveFundinFan]

Some very strong opinions there orion.

I'm out of it.

[New Science]

So, just to add to the pointless theme, X Factor!

 

Prime time TV, mega attendances at the auditions and huge revenue generated which even makes darts look Mickey Mouse (I know!).

 

There's no plan by the way, just saying.

 

No doubt oron will be here telling us how X Factor is a true test of ability and speedway is dead easy with the only requirement being a fast bike, lol!

You could say the X factor and British speedway have something in common,both on their last legs.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Having just watched the polish playoff's it hard to believe british speedway is the same sport

[orion]

So, just to add to the pointless theme, X Factor!

 

Prime time TV, mega attendances at the auditions and huge revenue generated which even makes darts look Mickey Mouse (I know!).

 

There's no plan by the way, just saying.

 

No doubt oron will be here telling us how X Factor is a true test of ability and speedway is dead easy with the only requirement being a fast bike, lol!

Why would anyone talk about the X Factor as it's not a sport like Darts or Speedway ...No one ever said that Speedway was easy or having a fast bike was the only requirement but it's common sense that without certain speed you are going to do very well no matter how good you are .

[The White Knight]

Why would anyone talk about the X Factor as it's not a sport like Darts or Speedway ...No one ever said that Speedway was easy or having a fast bike was the only requirement but it's common sense that without certain speed you are going to do very well no matter how good you are .

Are you really???

 

I would read that bit again orion.

[stratton]

Not a chance Woffy bikes had unreal speed and make a average rider a World Champion . I have my doubts that they were even legal .

 

Another away to look at if all bikes were standard would have he had won ? not a chance

A ridiculous statement you have to be good to ride quick bikes end of,i thought this of Hans Nielsen in his day how wrong i was.If you put a average rider on his Tai,s aquipment at say a King's Lynn ( like the WTC a few years ago dirt galore on in) alot of riders would get out of shape and would not be able to cope.

[Whisperer]

Not a chance Woffy bikes had unreal speed and make a average rider a World Champion . I have my doubts that they were even legal .

 

Another away to look at if all bikes were standard would have he had won ? not a chance

I hope I haven't misunderstood but if you are suggesting for one second that Woffy might be using illegal kit then you really have produced a post that is the lowest of the low. If you knew this kid you would understand exactly how he became world champion and to be absolutely frank it's got next to F A to do with bikes. Have I misunderstood, please tell me I have j arthur!