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Defunct speedway tracks - and their resurrection


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16 hours ago, iris123 said:

It's nice to have you back. I look forward to a positive post or three from you on the sport. :t:

I'm sure Terry Mussett would agree...

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On 8/15/2020 at 9:01 AM, old bob at herne bay said:

With all the discussions about Oxford Coventry Rye House.......which still have the remains of stadia in place.. I was looking back and thinking  how many defunct tracks have successfully been rescued ? 

The success rate is pretty low I think 

I can remember New Cross having a few attempts in the early 1960’s at reopening.... none of which lasted very long .....West Ham restarting in 1964.... and running for another 10 years...... but are there ANY more recent examples of tracks once closed being re opened ? 

 

Great Yarmouth's Stadium is still in place and operating and is on the outskirts of the town...perhaps a resurgence?

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57 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Great Yarmouth's Stadium is still in place and operating and is on the outskirts of the town...perhaps a resurgence?

Yarmouth and Brafield (Northampton) are both operated by Spedeworth I believe, who also run bangers out of Eastbourne, Ipswich and Mildenhall. Which means there is a working relationship at least potentially, and also surely opening a Speedway track in a venue that already hosts motorsport should make the noise complaints an easier hurdle to cross. 

Whether the venues would draw a sustainable crowd is another matter altogether.

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50 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Great Yarmouth's Stadium is still in place and operating and is on the outskirts of the town...perhaps a resurgence?

Went there a few times in the 80's for stock cars (we had some hols up there). Narrow track, so it may take a bit of work. Of course, if they couldn't get it back when speedway was still "popular", I think it may be a struggle now...

In response to old Bob's question, there have been quite a few tracks that have reopened after being out of action for a while. Unfortunately, most have since been flattened. The ones that spring to mind since the mid-60's are the London quartet (Hackney, Wembley, White City, and Wimbledon), Plymouth (Pennycross), and Birmingham (Perry Barr).

Berwick (Shielfield Park), Newcastle (Brough Park), and Workington (Derwent Park) all reopened successfully, and although we don't know what will happen with the latter, it is still standing.

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43 minutes ago, chunky said:

Went there a few times in the 80's for stock cars (we had some hols up there). Narrow track, so it may take a bit of work. Of course, if they couldn't get it back when speedway was still "popular", I think it may be a struggle now...

In response to old Bob's question, there have been quite a few tracks that have reopened after being out of action for a while. Unfortunately, most have since been flattened. The ones that spring to mind since the mid-60's are the London quartet (Hackney, Wembley, White City, and Wimbledon), Plymouth (Pennycross), and Birmingham (Perry Barr).

Berwick (Shielfield Park), Newcastle (Brough Park), and Workington (Derwent Park) all reopened successfully, and although we don't know what will happen with the latter, it is still standing.

I passed Skegness Stadium only last year when a meeting was taking place which, again, was somewhat out of town but that was a complete disaster when the sport was introduced there during the nineties.

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3 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I passed Skegness Stadium only last year when a meeting was taking place which, again, was somewhat out of town but that was a complete disaster when the sport was introduced there during the nineties.

Of course the rain offs most weeks before the promotion gave up also played a part.

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3 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I passed Skegness Stadium only last year when a meeting was taking place which, again, was somewhat out of town but that was a complete disaster when the sport was introduced there during the nineties.

I went there twice. Once for a rain off and also the last PL level meeting against Arena Essex. It was quite a sparce stadium, but the track was a good shape. On a gorgeous sunny evening, the crowd was no more than 200!

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5 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I passed Skegness Stadium only last year when a meeting was taking place which, again, was somewhat out of town but that was a complete disaster when the sport was introduced there during the nineties.

I went to what turned out to be the last two meetings at Skegness. Complete dust bowl and barely anybody watching.

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8 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I passed Skegness Stadium only last year when a meeting was taking place which, again, was somewhat out of town but that was a complete disaster when the sport was introduced there during the nineties.

Again, it goes back to what I keep saying; that we have been forced out of city centres (for various reasons), and just aren't as visible and accessible as we used to be.

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10 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I passed Skegness Stadium only last year when a meeting was taking place which, again, was somewhat out of town but that was a complete disaster when the sport was introduced there during the nineties.

Circuit car racing at Skegness.

http://skegness-raceway.info/Home

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1 hour ago, chunky said:

Again, it goes back to what I keep saying; that we have been forced out of city centres (for various reasons), and just aren't as visible and accessible as we used to be.

I wish Oxford all the possible luck but personally I think that it will be fraught with problems as it lies within a built up area having lain dormant for ten plus years.

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Sunderland Stadium looked to be in a decent state when I passed it a few years back now. Was never really a success as a speedway and having Nwcastle running a team I guess finding sufficient interest would be difficult but, then again, think of the rivalry it may well educe?

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11 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I passed Skegness Stadium only last year when a meeting was taking place which, again, was somewhat out of town but that was a complete disaster when the sport was introduced there during the nineties.

 

33 minutes ago, gustix said:

Circuit car racing at Skegness.

http://skegness-raceway.info/Home

Defunct Tracks and Skegness speedway racing 1997:

http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Skegness.htm

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20 hours ago, NickH114 said:

Does anyone know what the plans are for Arena Essex, as apparently the stadium hasn't been touched since its closure 2 years ago.

No decision on the planning application yet.

I'd presume the developers are in discussion with Thurrock and that has been stalled/slowed down by Covid

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4 hours ago, teaboy279 said:

A couple of viable people gave looked to restart racing (initially 4 wheels, but to inc speedway too)

The land owners stance is there will never be another race of any description on that land again.

There's a suprise. No landowner is going to want sitting tenants on their property.

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