Midland Red Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Vince said: To be fair Speedway and Grasstrack sidecars are loved by many, it seems like they are more popular than solo's with spectators at Grasstrack........but I have never liked them much. Love the sidecars on the grasstrack - but speedway tracks seem too narrow in comparison (and too short) for full on racing Brandon staged sidecars on occasions but I never found any entertainment or excitement from them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 13 minutes ago, Midland Red said: Love the sidecars on the grasstrack - but speedway tracks seem too narrow in comparison (and too short) for full on racing Brandon staged sidecars on occasions but I never found any entertainment or excitement from them I agree. I've seen junior speedway, sidecars and even quads after the main meeting at Swindon. The fact is the majority of supporters leave before the support races even start. This isn't the solution to speedway's problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOS50 Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 6 minutes ago, MattK said: I agree. I've seen junior speedway, sidecars and even quads after the main meeting at Swindon. The fact is the majority of supporters leave before the support races even start. This isn't the solution to speedway's problems. 30 odd years ago, when Bob Jones and Jim Gregory rode their Rudges with Steve Chilman on a Douglas and others rode in second half most people stayed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 1 minute ago, JOS50 said: 30 odd years ago, when Bob Jones and Jim Gregory rode their Rudges with Steve Chilman on a Douglas and others rode in second half most people stayed. It is a strange phenomenon. At Swindon more than half the crowd leave before the team have come round on the victory parade, let alone stay for the post meeting interviews, MoTM presentation etc. I can't explain it. I'd rather stand around for 10 minutes watching the proceedings than sit in a queue of traffic waiting to get out of the car park 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 1 hour ago, MattK said: Every promoter (and their entourage) I've seen are on comps yeah it was just a gag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldyman Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 5 hours ago, MattK said: It is a strange phenomenon. At Swindon more than half the crowd leave before the team have come round on the victory parade, let alone stay for the post meeting interviews, MoTM presentation etc. I can't explain it. I'd rather stand around for 10 minutes watching the proceedings than sit in a queue of traffic waiting to get out of the car park You see that at most tracks...they all walk towards the exit before heat 15 and then rush out of the gate on lap 4 of heat 15..but a fair few do it and they then sit in traffic. The daft thing though is even if everyone leaves at the same time..it barely takes 2 mins to get out of car park since so few people go . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 12 hours ago, Vince said: This video gives some idea of the effort put into making the AMA Supercross a well publicised and superb spectacle. The social media coverage is excellent, the events are well publicised locally and held in Football stadiums with top notch facilities. The racing is great (a must watch on the PC every Sunday morning for me). The stars of the sport become rich and famous as sportsmen. It is supported by factory efforts from the main manufacturers backed up by some huge sponsorship deals and teams. Vast sums of money are invested in these events. They run around 18 meetings a year between January and May throughout the US. They do absolutely everything that I have seen suggested needs doing for Speedway. The live crowds are dropping, currently they are still big enough to be sustainable but it's becoming a real concern. I think the majority of live sports are losing spectators in an age when you can watch just about anything on your phone, PC or TV at little or no cost. Don't know the answers but Speedway has been around a lot longer than Supercross and it seems to have found a level now. I was in Barcelona before Christmas and as I was on a tour bus I saw banner for the Superprestigio. Greta I though, I'll pop along and see that, see Marques and hopefully a speedway rider or two as they have competed in recent years - just my luck that no Marques and no speedway riders (Kylmakoprpi having retired and Lindgren being injured I guess) but I still had a decent evening out for about £20. The racing was OK, there was passing (100% up the inside) but the actual show itself was better. There was noise, a light and razzmatazz. OK it's a one off but surely that just makes all them things more expensive to do? Why does British Speedway do it best to be as boring and dull as possible before, after and between heats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 1 hour ago, SCB said: ...Why does British Speedway do it best to be as boring and dull as possible before, after and between heats? How dare you? How can the music of Glenn Miller, Bill Haley and Roy Orbison possibly be called dull? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 13 hours ago, MattK said: I agree. I've seen junior speedway, sidecars and even quads after the main meeting at Swindon. The fact is the majority of supporters leave before the support races even start. This isn't the solution to speedway's problems. It isn't, but you could do it in the interval (if you have one) instead. Personally, I loathe intervals but if there is some form of attraction it makes them slightly more tolerable. Isle of Wight have a kids bike race. All lined up at the tapes with their helmets on to rocket round, and they even have handicaps for some of the older competitors. I still would prefer to get on with the meeting but I have no reason to doubt Barry Bishop when he told me that that is why some of the youngsters are actually there, the speedway coming a distant second. Better that than standing around in the freezing cold for 20 minutes as I did at Birmingham a couple of seasons back. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A ORLOV Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 11 hours ago, SCB said: OK it's a one off but surely that just makes all them things more expensive to do? Why does British Speedway do it best to be as boring and dull as possible before, after and between heats? The 2017 season was the worst yet for the many fans, the number of restarts from the tapes and the riders stopping at the pit gates to muck about with the bike before going back to the start. Cutting the two mins to a one min time would help and stop much gardening etc. They should reduce the delays between races, and at certain clubs, the amount of tractor racing and get on with the meetings, especially when it is cold. The main meeting should take no more than 90 mins, unless there are many accidents or air fence issues and fans can then either go or stay on for a second half of either practice or a 4 or 6 heat junior type event. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamish McRaker Posted January 10, 2018 Report Share Posted January 10, 2018 Unlimited free Hot Chocolate in March, April, September and October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
False dawn Posted January 10, 2018 Report Share Posted January 10, 2018 I won't talk about sidecars as an alternative attraction since I'm a touch biased.... As to post meeting entertainment, the most successful attraction I've seen in recent years was at Leicester. They not only interview the riders on the home straight in front of the remaining crowd, but the riders entered into open conversation with the crowd. This seemed very popular with enough of the crowd to keep a significant number entertained for 20 minutes or more. And we heard some news from the riders that would otherwise not be known. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted January 10, 2018 Report Share Posted January 10, 2018 What you want to have, in order to keep fans entertained between races, is riders who are excluded standing on the track gesticulating at the ref. Fallen riders stomping over to the pits phone by the starting gate because they've been harshly excluded. None of this is allowed now. It should be encouraged. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A ORLOV Posted January 11, 2018 Report Share Posted January 11, 2018 On 1/10/2018 at 11:16 AM, Grachan said: What you want to have, in order to keep fans entertained between races, is riders who are excluded standing on the track gesticulating at the ref. Fallen riders stomping over to the pits phone by the starting gate because they've been harshly excluded. None of this is allowed now. It should be encouraged. Fights between the clubs mascots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 Fans talked about what happened during the race, years ago - especially the passing or close efforts to pass - but there is so little to say about 75% of races nowadays, that all you can say is X missed the start and couldn't cut back on the second bend - ergo race over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 On 10 January 2018 at 11:16 AM, Grachan said: What you want to have, in order to keep fans entertained between races, is riders who are excluded standing on the track gesticulating at the ref. Fallen riders stomping over to the pits phone by the starting gate because they've been harshly excluded. None of this is allowed now. It should be encouraged. ...remember talking to the late Bernard Crapper about the times he would appear to 'rant and rave' at the referee whilst on the phone at the starting gate. He explained to me that often he was just passing the time of day with the referee but felt the need to liven up proceedings just to get the crowd excitable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A ORLOV Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 (edited) Oxford also had a speedway star seller who kept trying to wind up the opposition fans, but at one meeting a few away fans had taken water filled balloons and he got wet and crap pelted out of him with the balloons. Now that helped the away fans in addition to the booing of the Oxford riders. Edited January 12, 2018 by A ORLOV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racers and royals Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 8 minutes ago, A ORLOV said: Oxford also had a speedway star seller who kept trying to wind up the opposition fans, but at one meeting a few away fans had taken water filled balloons and he got wet and crap pelted out of him with the balloons. Now that helped the away fans in addition to the booing of the Oxford riders. Kojak !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A ORLOV Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 2 minutes ago, racers and royals said: Kojak !!! Yes, he had wound up the Swindon fans next to the pit entrance for a few meetings so the response was planned and went well. Not sure if it was just Swindon or if he did the same with other clubs fans as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 26 minutes ago, racers and royals said: Kojak !!! Good old Kojak...remember him well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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