iris123 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) If you are in Berlin Doug, perhaps we could ask him (I'm Planning for Berlin, Assen and Inzell this season!) Then i will try to make sure i am there mate.About time we had a beer together I have been to Assen,but i'll leave any comments/advice to Conkers or Dutchgrasstrack as they have more knowledge and like the place more than i do Edited October 28, 2014 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted October 29, 2014 Report Share Posted October 29, 2014 LS-Photo and I already have booked Berlin, Assen and Inzell for 2015. And for the WM-Challenge St. Johann we`ll decide a few days before their date due of the weather forcast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted October 29, 2014 Report Share Posted October 29, 2014 Weissenbach, Sankt Johann, Berlin, Assen for me If there will be a meeting in Sanok then I will be there as well. Love it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 Anyone been to assen? If so what did you think of it? Any advice to someone going there to see ice speedway for the first time? Assen is a great welcomer for you in the icespeedway world The place is easy accessible by car or public transport. If you fly in to Schiphol (AMS) then you can pop on a train and two hours later you are in Assen. A rental car journey is easy as well as it's highway all the way to Assen for 1.5 hour. Train info: http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home Hotel info: http://ijsspeedway-assen.nl/en/location/accomodation The weekend already starts on thursday with the free practice for the Roelof Thijs Bokaal on friday. On saturday eve and sunday afternoon you will see the usual Grand Prix's. If you need more info, let me know :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 These mainland Europe tracks, are they naturally frozen tracks or are they artificially frozen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 Assen, Berlin, Inzell, Sanok ar artificial. The rest are frozen lakes, or flooded fields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conkers Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Anyone been to assen? If so what did you think of it? Any advice to someone going there to see ice speedway for the first time? This year is my 30th covering Ice Speedway which started at Assen in 1985. Been there almost every year since. If you want a stadium seat, then book early, but if you like to stand, you can get really close to the action. The track is covered, and whilst the track is 400mtrs, the Stadium itself is quite compact. The stadium is on the edge of town and easily reached from the Station, and if you are driving its quite close to the A28 main highway. If you want to stay in Assen, there are a few Hotels (which book up early) and a number of B&Bs where you can stay, or stay in Groningen, 30 minutes on the train away, and with the last trains around 11.30, it's only a 15 minute walk from track to Station. There are three nights of racing and the Friday meeting, the Roloef Thijs Bokaal, is a chance to see riders who are outside the World Championship, yet are just as spectacular, with some very unpredictable racing. Both Travel Plus and Eurorider do trips from the UK, staying in Groningen, although The Netherlands is quite easy to get to. As DutchGrassTrack says, you are only a 2 hour train ride from Amsterdam. In the last few years I've done the plane/train route - off the plane and onto the train. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conkers Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 This does not sound good: dvhn.nl/nieuws/drenthe… The Assen track is to close! (You may need to translate this page from the Dutch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 2015 will be the last time for Assen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Ore Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 This does not sound good: dvhn.nl/nieuws/drenthe The Assen track is to close! (You may need to translate this page from the Dutch) This does not sound good: dvhn.nl/nieuws/drenthe The Assen track is to close! (You may need to translate this page from the Dutch) Not looking at all good as the closing date is the weekend before the Assen round is scheduled. Unless the hotel owners are prepared to extend the deadline the last meeting at Assen may already have taken place. Logistics of a date change would mean other venues also being able to accommodate, as wel as availability of the Bonte Wever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Contracts have already be signed for 6/7/8 march 2015 so there will be no change of date. March 1st is the end of the speedskating season, so that's why they probably named that date. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conkers Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Spent the day chasing this story but as DGT says, the Assen event will go ahead but it will be the last event at this venue. The club are actively looking for a new venue but as I was told, "Ice Speedway is expensive to stage, and the rules may not allow some of the stadiums to be used for it." So if you've never been to Assen, next year may be your last chance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusky Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 The irony is that the reason for closure is the cost of refurbishment. If that stadium needs refurbishment they probably better hadn't look too hard at any of the stadiums here in the UK.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 The refurbishment is more for the system that, well how can I put this, 'makes the ice'. It's over 40 years old and needs to be replaced and it's not 'allowed' anymore because it's potentional dangerous (some amonia problem). This costs around 10 million euros to replace, plus they lose 200.000 euros every year. The owner can't afford this, and the municipality also has no money for it. They say the owner has to go, for example, to a bank to get the money together, but he doesn't seem to be very interested for that. The ice track will be closed in march 2015, or in 2016. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Ore Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Contracts have already be signed for 6/7/8 march 2015 so there will be no change of date. March 1st is the end of the speedskating season, so that's why they probably named that date. Spent the day chasing this story but as DGT says, the Assen event will go ahead but it will be the last event at this venue. The club are actively looking for a new venue but as I was told, "Ice Speedway is expensive to stage, and the rules may not allow some of the stadiums to be used for it." So if you've never been to Assen, next year may be your last chance! Thanks for clarifying matters both. I hate to say that it is not my favourite venue, from a viewing stance, but the whole weekend is a real buzz in the town and stadium and it will be a tremendous loss. Memories of some great races there too. I am being wined and dined by my Championship football team on the Saturday but will try to get across for the Sunday event. I'd rather it was not to say "goodbye" though. I like to think I am a realist rather than a dreamer but, clutching at straws perhaps, if the arena could last until 2016, even if there is no World event scheduled, maybe a formal farewell event could be considered. Again I prefer official meetings but feel with a great deal of advance notice such an event would show the demand for Ice Speedway in the region and attract a big crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 The refurbishment is more for the system that, well how can I put this, 'makes the ice'. It's over 40 years old and needs to be replaced and i t's not 'allowed' anymore because it's potentional dangerous (some amonia problem). This costs around 10 million euros to replace, plus they lose 200.000 euros every year. The owner can't afford this, and the municipality also has no money for it. They say the owner has to go, for example, to a bank to get the money together, but he doesn't seem to be very interested for that. The ice track will be closed in march 2015, or in 2016. 10M € sounds a bit exaggerated? In my city about 1-2 years ago, they changed the two coolant units which are used to freeze the ice at the two rinks at Eskilstuna ice stadium, which has one outdoor ice rink which is about 11340m2 big and one in door icehockey rink which is about 1800m2. I don't remember the exact cost but I doubt it cost 10M €. Maybe 1M € but not 10M € so is it really that much more expensive to do the same in NL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchGrasstrack Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 10 million euros is quoted everywhere in the Dutch press, some even state 10 - 20 million euros. I agree it sounds a bit steep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f-s-p Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 10M € sounds a bit exaggerated? In my city about 1-2 years ago, they changed the two coolant units which are used to freeze the ice at the two rinks at Eskilstuna ice stadium, which has one outdoor ice rink which is about 11340m2 big and one in door icehockey rink which is about 1800m2. I don't remember the exact cost but I doubt it cost 10M €. Maybe 1M € but not 10M € so is it really that much more expensive to do the same in NL? 10 million euros is quoted everywhere in the Dutch press, some even state 10 - 20 million euros. I agree it sounds a bit steep. The mentioned money must involve something else as well. The legendary Koulukatu here in Tampere is also up for renewal, this will be the last winter they use the old machines. Two outdoor ice hockey rinks and said cost to renew them is between 700 000 - 1000 000 euros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conkers Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Reading between the lines, the Ice Plant is just one factor. I'm guessing the owners DeBonte Wever want shut of the venue, as it gets in the way of running their Hotel. After all, they are saying they are making 'substantial losses' by having it. On a positive note, I spoke to some people from the club, and they are 'Actively seeking' a new venue. It's quite possible the venue may change in 2016, but Ice Speedway is not lost to the Netherlands, yet! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted November 17, 2014 Report Share Posted November 17, 2014 Stefan Svensson and Per-Anders Lindström have been seeded to the GP.challenge in St. Johann on January 17th. http://www.racemagazine.se/isracing/svenska-direktnominerade-till-gp-challenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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