Coventry Stadium - The Promotion Men Vs Boys !

[Mixy230]

Jeremy (I think I agree with your post!)

 

Several things come to mind as a long time Speedway fan (But not anal enough to read up and take in all of the rules legalities of team Speedway)

 

Overcomplicated rules (My other half prefers Speedway over Stock Cars but always asks me what is going on?!)

Why do the rules need to be so complicated? (Overcomplicated)

 

Why does Speedway need to be Aloof with a certain amount of inbuilt snobbery (Harsh I know) The reason I say this is Sat night we walked the pits, spoke to several drivers/teams/mechanics/ engine builders, which in my opinion is part of the attraction........ (In Speedway it appears they keep the common masses away from the "Stars")

 

Build long term consistent teams (3 years +?) So we can build a following a fan base - not just mercenary short term riders

 

Build some hype / grudge matches / riders grudges (Even if its a little staged!) It needs Drama and excitement! One of the BIGGEST talking points from Sat night was a "Payback" for a previous incident. (Whether it was deliberate/ whether it was a racing incident) Who knows who cares but the fans are talking about it!

PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT STILL WHEN THEY GET HOME, WHEN THEY GO TO WORK! That makes a difference!

 

I could go on!

When I win £24million on Lottery I have a Stcok Car / Speedway track in my mind ready to be built! lol

 

Great subject but please do not keep burying heads in sand ! Or Speedway will die

 

M

And in the same period (had it not rained) you had 24 planned speedway meetings. So thats 1 stock car meeting for every 8 speedway meetings.

 

 

So what does that tell you?

 

Would Cardiff be packed if it was on Twice a week?

Edited April 5, 2015 by Mixy230

[Panthers89]

but it only runs once a month could that be the answer ?

 

Once a month at Brandon maybe, but its the same price, if not cheaper at the rest of the tracks that do Brisca and Stockcars.

 

Definitely a better package watching them to Speedway.

[neil bv]

Prices and fixture planning need looking at, look at last week for example:Fri: Cov vs Wolves - £18Sun: Bombers Bash - £20Mon: Wolves vs Cov - £18Fri: Cov vs Leicester - £18Sat: Leicester vs Cov - £17There's £91 quid and that's before you've even got there! add in a prog, maybe something to eat and drink and you're looking at £150 for the week. You could have a week in Spain for that

& that's just for 1 person. Take the family of 4 & you're talking big bucks for a watered down product from what I grew up with. I almost took the other half & one the kids on Friday but it got rained off. I ended having to buy her a Karcher window vax instead which will keep her happier than watching a speedway meeting.

[Bruiser McHuge]

For a person just attending speedway with no background knowledge I don't think the rules are complicated at all...all the behind the scenes wrangling about team strengths, guests and all different stuff matters not a jot when viewing the racing and speedway is easy to follow for any newcomer....if they got into it down the line then they might start complaining about rules, guests and everything but that's not going to be an issue for any newcomer.......they will only be bothered about being entertained on the night...if promoters get the whole night right and people go home feeling they have had a good night and got value for money then they'll come back and become fans...but too many people are leaving meetings not feeling like that and that's nothing to do with so called stupid rules.

[deanr1]

Have just returned from an highly enjoyable evening watching Stox at Brandon for the first time in I guess 15 years. The whole event was ultra slick and unfortunately put the speedway guys to shame!

I haven't been to a Stox meeting since I was a kid, I might take my kids along to a meeting as it sounds like a good night out and something a bit different.

[Bruiser McHuge]

I haven't been to a Stox meeting since I was a kid, I might take my kids along to a meeting as it sounds like a good night out and something a bit different.

I took my eldest son to a bank holiday stock car meeting once as it was heavily advertised and looked impressive...there was certainly a lot going on , there were a lot of races and they got on with it but he didn't enjoy it and I thought it was boring....I went again a few years later with my youngest, 7 year age gap, and to be honest it was exactly the same ....I actually think speedway is far more interesting for a kid as it's far easier to follow, far easier to see who's winning a race and in my opinion far more entertaining when presented properly on a well prepared track.....but speedway does itself no favours in its all round promotion , track preparing and all round package....there's a fantastic product in speedway just waiting to be released and showcased properly but I fear the horse has already bolted and I fear for its future at top level league racing.

[heathen chemistry]

i carnt ever see squads working in EL for the simple fact of cost...leathers, engines, contracts, flights, travel, etc all riders would need all these to be ready to be picked for the squad

 

also theres not enough top riders based in england for it to work , as most of the top boys would be abroad and unavailable to be picked immediately if needed.....

[cityrebel]

The bore fest at king's Lynn last week was a typical meeting, the type I see every week. I have been to seven matches this season, with the exception of peterborough, all have been the same. Powerful bikes on ultra slick tracks with a couple of passes if you are lucky. Is speedway still exciting, if I'm honest I don't think it is. My kids don't go anymore, and I don't blame them.

Edited April 5, 2015 by cityrebel

[Trees]

Re the borefest at Lynn , the promoters need to ask the Lakeside riders what their problem was at Lynn and vice versa the Lynn boys at Lakeside. Honest answers ....

[Guest]

Stock cars place some good adverts in the paper round our way...they make it look exciting and attractive to take the kids....the problem I have with stock cars is that when you are there, and I've been a couple of times, it's bloody boring !...even speedway at its worst is better in my opinion but other people maybe feel different...

But it's not just in the UK...I've watched plenty of meetings in Australia and people seem to prefer the sprintcars, speedcars and sedans than the solo speedway even when all on the same bill on the same night and if a demolition derby is put on then the crowd was heaving.....no accounting for taste

I think speedway has to re define itself as a dangerous, extreme sport and place adverts that emphasise this...try to go down that road and try and appeal to an X Games type of crowd....not easy when it's staged in old stadiums with not much crowd or atmosphere but it's the route they should be trying to go down.

 

To enjoy stock car racing the concept is to follow how a favourite driver performs in his race formula. One does not BASICALLY watch it overall to the finish. And one also needs to have a formula in which you are interested - Brisca F1 for contact or National Hot Rods for non-contact are the top two formulas. And the best cars cost many thousands of pounds. I have followed the formula since it came to the UK at New Cross on Good Friday 1954.

[speedibee]

 

To enjoy stock car racing the concept is to follow how a favourite driver performs in his race formula. One does not BASICALLY watch it overall to the finish. And one also needs to have a formula in which you are interested - Brisca F1 for contact or National Hot Rods for non-contact are the top two formulas. And the best cars cost many thousands of pounds. I have followed the formula since it came to the UK at New Cross on Good Friday 1954.

I went to stock cars once . after the initial novelty of all the noise and bluster wore off . I think about 10 laps in. I began to see it for what it really is .. not a lot . I think if overpowered cars driven round and round in circles by Gipsy scrap yard owners is what floats your boat , and it appears there are many whose boat it does float, since the terraces are often littered with the skin off their knuckles at the next speedway meeting , then all well and good . the damage they do to the track surface is more than offset by the revenue they bring in ,which helps keep the gates open for entertainment that requires a little more skill and a support base that has a bit more between it's ears

[stevehone]

young girls go to speedway, get a bit older, shag a few riders, then stop going ..

[cityrebel]

Re the borefest at Lynn , the promoters need to ask the Lakeside riders what their problem was at Lynn and vice versa the Lynn boys at Lakeside. Honest answers ....

as a neutral with no axe to grind, I was at lakeside on Friday. It was another poor meeting on a lifeless track. In fact I enjoyed eastbourne far more, watching a few youngsters give their all on a very wet surface.

[Trees]

Lifeless track, that about sums up Lakeside on Friday I think.

[Guest]

I went to stock cars once . after the initial novelty of all the noise and bluster wore off . I think about 10 laps in. I began to see it for what it really is .. not a lot . I think if overpowered cars driven round and round in circles by Gipsy scrap yard owners is what floats your boat , and it appears there are many whose boat it does float, since the terraces are often littered with the skin off their knuckles at the next speedway meeting , then all well and good . the damage they do to the track surface is more than offset by the revenue they bring in ,which helps keep the gates open for entertainment that requires a little more skill and a support base that has a bit more between it's ears

 

A bitter and twisted comment IMO on a motorsport class you obviously know very little about. You conceded you have only ever been once and that many years ago.

And your comment about drivers as "Gipsy scrap yard owners" is really astounding. Many of the drivers, especially in Brisca F1 and National Hot Rods, are wealthy businessmen. But, as you say, "...I think if overpowered cars driven round and round in circles by Gipsy scrap yard owners is what floats your boat , and it appears there are many whose boat it does float, since the terraces are often littered with the skin off their knuckles at the next speedway meeting , then all well and good.." is incredible. But that's your view on something you only view from a biased standpoint and you are entitled to it.

::::: There is a stock car meeting at Eastbourne this afternoon. My betting is there will be a bigger attendance for that than there was for Saturday's Eastbourne v Kent Kings speedway match. In the mind of speedibee one must ponder "...how can so many people be wrong...?"

Edited April 6, 2015 by Guest

[Mixy230]

 

A bitter and twisted comment IMO on a motorsport class you obviously know very little about. You conceded you have only ever been once and that many years ago.

And your comment about drivers as "Gipsy scrap yard owners" is really astounding. Many of the drivers, especially in Brisca F1 and National Hot Rods, are wealthy businessmen. But, as you say, "...I think if overpowered cars driven round and round in circles by Gipsy scrap yard owners is what floats your boat , and it appears there are many whose boat it does float, since the terraces are often littered with the skin off their knuckles at the next speedway meeting , then all well and good.." is incredible. But that's your view on something you only view from a biased standpoint and you are entitled to it.

::::: There is a stock car meeting at Eastbourne this afternoon. My betting is there will be a bigger attendance for that than there was for Saturday's Eastbourne v Kent Kings speedway match. In the mind of speedibee one must ponder "...how can so many people be wrong...?"

Trying to be controversial speedibee?

 

People who work hard, people who run businesses, people that love to race, people who pay there own way race cars for fun.

 

Or you could pay for the professional Speedway racers that produce as often quoted (Boring Speedway Meeting)

 

I agree we all have different likes and dislikes, but if a track had to rely on 1 to keep it open what would they pick? (Brafield tarmaced, Birmingham Wheels tarmaced?)

 

Some cross pollination / support would probably benefit us all (keep the tracks open/ work together etc)

Edited April 6, 2015 by Mixy230

[T.N.T.]

Have just returned from an highly enjoyable evening watching Stox at Brandon for the first time in I guess 15 years. The whole event was ultra slick and unfortunately put the speedway guys to shame massively !

 

Having been an attendee as a regular since the Olsen era circa 1976, hand on heart the track even after race 2 of the Rebels and Stox was the best I have seen in years - this even despite a very wet morning in Coventry.

 

I guess one word good news for speedway fans is that I can not see Mr Sandhu giving up the cash cow of sport at the Brandon Stadium as the crowd for a very cool night at the start of April was fantastic, with the Grandstand, bends 1,2,3 & 4 plus the back straight being reminiscent of the early Olsen days for speedway.

 

 

Good to see the stadium filling up more than the Speedway, but doesn't Mr Sandhu only get Stadium rent money for these events anyway so if there was 100 or 3,000 there, he still gets the same money ?

 

 

I am going to Hednesford Raceway today as the Speedway has been put back til Tuesday night and I will be taking my 12 year old daughter and 5 year old son, just as I did at Brandon when Wolves visited the other week. Let's see which they enjoy more and what is there for them to see apart from the racing.

 

When we were at the speedway, my 5 year old had more fun running up and down the grass bank on turn two than watching the racing and my daughter was 50/50 racing and being with my son. There was nothing there to attract young kids to be entertained apart from fifteen 60 second races ...... 15 minutes in two hours !!

 

 

Today at Hednesford there are 12 races with four different events having two qualifying heats and a final. This not only adds variety but also there are 228 laps in thos 12 races which in speedway terms would be 57 races. Apart from the racing or crashing (something kids like), I will be interested to see what else is there for kids apart from the Burger bars and Ice Cream vans

[Aces51]

I went to 3 or 4 stock car meetings at Hyde Road in the 1950's and Hednesford once inthe 70's. I found them boring, often couldn't tell who was winning or overtaking for a position rather than just lapping someone and soon got bored with the crashes. To me speedway was far more exciting but the reality is it is entirely down to personal taste.

 

I find football a total bore but plainly the majority of sports fans think otherwise.

[Guest]

I went to 3 or 4 stock car meetings at Hyde Road in the 1950's and Hednesford once inthe 70's. I found them boring, often couldn't tell who was winning or overtaking for a position rather than just lapping someone and soon got bored with the crashes. To me speedway was far more exciting but the reality is it is entirely down to personal taste.

 

I find football a total bore but plainly the majority of sports fans think otherwise.

 

At Wimbledon they have a lap-by-lap- to show the leading paces during a race. I should think this is also the practice at other tracks promoted by Spedeworth International an would assume there is similar information provided at other stock car venues.

[25yearfan]

I've been to quite a few stock car events over the last 50+ years going back to the Firs, and to be honest I've never found it that interesting, only going once in a blue moon out of curiosity and its certainly poor in comparison to speedway although obviously other people think differently!

 

The reality of modern times is that stock cars and bangers are more popular than speedway. Without stock car racing, I suspect my 3 local speedway teams, King's Lynn, Mildenhall and Ipswich wouldn't be running, so while stock cars can have a negative effect on speedway (U21 qualifier at Mildenhall yesterday being a prime example!) they are a necessity. Multi use is the way forward, most professional football stadiums in this Country are multi use being used for many things as well as football!

 

With the news in the last year that Mr Sandhu is looking to sell Brandon Stadium for housing development, (something I suspect the planning process will contest!) let hope this Stock cars V speedway at Coventry discussion will still be going on for many years to come!