MattK Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 That Marc Marquez is one talented rider! Why couldn't flat track racing be a regular thing at speedway tracks, as I am sure it could be quite a good attraction? More people, particularly, young uns, identify with motocross type bikes than they do with speedway machines. Quite a lot of youngsters ride or have ridden off roaders. Very few will have ridden a speedway bike. And I would have thought that the sport would be a lot more accessible to potential competitors as there are a lot more MX bikes about than speedway bikes. Speedway has got to expand it's portfolio otherwise it doesn't have much of a future, methinks. I went to the two meetings that were at Oxford a few years ago. The first was ace, lots of different heats, with loads of riders in each and all a bit bonkers. Held together by a very good commentator, as with so many riders it isn't as easy to follow as speedway. I have to admit that the novelty wore off pretty quickly and at the second Oxford meeting, which I think was a year or two later, I actually spent a significant amount of time in the bar watching England v Sweden. One of the things I liked most was during the interval you could walk the pits and get a close-up look a the bikes and mingle with some of the riders. This worked well due to the size of the crowd, but it is definitely something speedway could learn from. As you correctly pointed out, flat track has a lot more crossover appeal, as the bikes you see on the track are the same you can buy in the shops. This is what I don't understand with F2 Speedway. They are putting a motocross engine in a speedway frame, whereas I think someone should put a speedway engine in a motocross frame so that there is some semblance of mainstream appeal. Overall I am glad that I have experienced it, but am in no hurry to return to a flat track event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted December 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) I think a major problem is, as has been pointed out several times by speedibee, there simply are not enough suitable car parks available. Well, that was a pretty impressive car park at Barcelona! Trouble with that speedibee is that he is a bit of a Speedway Snob. The Right Crowd and No Crowding mentality. Mind you, when I get to his age, I might go a bit fuddy duddy as well. Can't all have youthful outlooks like me and Gustix! :rofl: Edited December 18, 2016 by Little Thumper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) This is a complete livestream from one of the UK Championship meetings held this year. Doesn't show all the groups because the meeting was split into two but gives a good idea of what goes on. Nothing happens until about 20 minutes in though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ObAgHApQ7Y And I'd love to do some meetings in any Tesco's car park, taking motorcycle racing of any sport to people rather than hoping they'll turn up would be brilliant Edited December 18, 2016 by Vince Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 They did start having Flat track meetings or at least races alongside speedway/longtrack in Germany.In general the speedway fans were fairly voiciferous against it.Not wanting to spend money on an "alien" sport and wanting more opportunities for young speedway riders rather than Flat track or short track as i think it was called.The flat trackers themselves really didn't bring many more fans to the meeting,o after a few years it all seemed to disappear.I quite liked the quads myself 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Hammer Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Not surprised that Marquez & Elias are so good at flat track, they both back it up into the corners in MotoGP Reckon Marco Melandri could cut the ice https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U8KtdsM7nY4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted December 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 I sometimes go and watch Super Moto at 3 Sisters near Wigan. The race meeting comprise various classes for different engine sizes and usually have things like quads and Superlites in the same programme. This variety provides a pretty entertaining day's racing and the paddock is always rammed with competitors and they seem to get healthy gates with the £5 admission charge. Speedway has got to think a bit more outside the box and widen it's appeal, in my humble opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Jones Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 I wonder whose supermarket car park it was for this event? It doesn't look like an Asda one to me! Could be a Sainsbury I suppose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUT0wB2h_3o It didn't look much like Asda to me . Not sure who's car park it was TBH but there was very Lidl passing from what I saw . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Morton and Gordon had agreed to have 5 flat track meetings at the NSS this winter. But that went to pop now obviouslyShame! I sometimes go and watch Super Moto at 3 Sisters near Wigan. The race meeting comprise various classes for different engine sizes and usually have things like quads and Superlites in the same programme. This variety provides a pretty entertaining day's racing and the paddock is always rammed with competitors and they seem to get healthy gates with the £5 admission charge. Speedway has got to think a bit more outside the box and widen it's appeal, in my humble opinion. Is it a professional sport? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted December 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Shame! Is it a professional sport? Not really. Most of the competitors appear to be amateurs - lot of plumbers, electricians and kitchen fitters' vans in the paddock! Both the riders and the race meetings/championship seem to attract quite a bit of sponsorship though. Lots of kids and families involved and some of the meetings are two dayers, so a bit of a social event as well. Usually, the events are pretty well promoted/advertised and I would certainly recommend people to go and have a look if they haven't already done so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shovlar Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Having watched it on youtube, I have come to the conclusion that its a load of crap. A NL rider on a speedway bike would have any of these for breakfast. Hardly any passing, and no dirt. Can't see anyone turning up in the UK to watch this. Only benefit would be to introduce mx riders into speedway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 A NL rider on a speedway bike would have any of these for breakfast. Kinda says it all when Aidan Collins became British Champion at this flat track malarkey a couple of years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Kinda says it all when Aidan Collins became British Champion at this flat track malarkey a couple of years ago. On the same level of professionalism as Long Track,when James Shanes can qualify for the GPS and someone like Kylmäkorpi can ride only about 5 or 6 meetings a season and still become World Champion in front of those riders who ride Long Track ever weekend..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedibee Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 That Marc Marquez is one talented rider! Why couldn't flat track racing be a regular thing at speedway tracks, as I am sure it could be quite a good attraction? More people, particularly, young uns, identify with motocross type bikes than they do with speedway machines. Quite a lot of youngsters ride or have ridden off roaders. Very few will have ridden a speedway bike. And I would have thought that the sport would be a lot more accessible to potential competitors as there are a lot more MX bikes about than speedway bikes. Speedway has got to expand it's portfolio otherwise it doesn't have much of a future, methinks. It's boring that's why . and most of the people who are involved in it have motocross mentality . if you have ever been involved with MX people you will know exactly what I mean, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) Having watched it on youtube, I have come to the conclusion that its a load of crap. The opinion of 'an expert like you' deserves full consideration by us lesser folk. You are obviously so right - as this youtube item reflects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUT0wB2h_3o It's boring that's why . and most of the people who are involved in it have motocross mentality . if you have ever been involved with MX people you will know exactly what I mean, Well said speeibee! It is tame stuff - I wonder why the riders seen in the youtube item even bother? Edited December 18, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted December 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 (edited) It's boring that's why . and most of the people who are involved in it have motocross mentality . if you have ever been involved with MX people you will know exactly what I mean, This might be a mistake................but go on, tell us about this motocross mentality. Edited December 18, 2016 by Little Thumper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 It's boring that's why . and most of the people who are involved in it have motocross mentality . if you have ever been involved with MX people you will know exactly what I mean, This might be a mistake................but go on, tell us about this motocross mentality. Let's see speedibee's 'words of wisdom' - nothing amusing has happened so far today on the BSF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted December 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 .......now where did I put my ear defenders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 It's not a professional sport by a long way and all the better for it, does attract some very god sponsors though. Quite simply Aidan is better at this than he was at Speedway and Eddie Kennett, Kev Doolan and even Jason Crump haven't turned up and run away with it so the idea any NL rider would is a load of nonsense by people who don't understand that it isn't a variant of Speedway but a completely different sport. The bikes are different, even more importantly the tyres are different and you ride in a completely different way, some tracks suit road racers while some suit those with an off road background better. If you watch it thinking it should be ridden like Speedway it only goes to show a complete lack of understanding of the way different motorcycles work. The fact that somebody like Marquez who is one of the best motorcycle riders ever thinks flat track is difficult to ride and excellent training for MotoGP while Steve Shovlar and Speedibee think it's easy tells you everything you need to know. But my bikes are still available to either so they can show me just how easy it is, perhaps if they can stay in front of an old man like myself I can pick up a few tips. That's an old man who has actually ridden Trials, Grasstrack, Speedway, MX and now Flat track bikes and thinks the Flat Track is as skilled as any of the others unlike those two spectators of course! Speedibee continues to spout nonsense as the pit atmosphere is the best I have come across in any motorcycle sport including years of MX. Speedway riders do well of course and will hold their own up to a point but the standard of the top boys in British Flat Track is now as high as any in Europe and such that they can hold their own in the states. It has changed a great deal in the past 5 years. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepturningleft Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Just been watching this on Motors tv and - it's boring as hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv Posted December 18, 2016 Report Share Posted December 18, 2016 Surprised Steve S didnt enjoy the clip more - the bump entering turn one would surely make him feel right at home.... 😲 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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