HGould Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 In amidst all of the delays and issues hats off to the Stadium / Tannoy Presenter / Announcer Not sure who it was; as you don't really see them in the setting at Cardiff, but worked overtime and can't have been an easy gig. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 15 minutes ago, marko said: I support the idea of the meeting being moved to Belle Vue, in theory is should be a lot easier to improve the track at Cardiff than make the area that Belle Vue is in more suited to a day long event, but they have had years of practice, and still cannot get it right. Maybe Britain can have two GP`s, one either early or late in the calendar at Cardiff, with the other at Manchester around this time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 (edited) 32 minutes ago, mikebv said: But what about the racing? The racing? The racing? Because.. If it had good racing like the NSS, and some other tracks, UK Speedway would have no room left in stadiums each week given the tens of thousands who, after watching the British GP, would be instantly attracted to the domestic product.... It must be an irresistible force that will take over them and suddenly make them part with money each week to watch a sport that they have only ever seen once on TV.... As has been described by many riders over the years, Cardiff is "Speedway's "Monaco"... And as all know who watch F1, the racing in Monaco is often poor, usually close, but follow the car in front for the whole spectacle... The "event" is why people are there and for Cardiff it is similar for many who go... Loads of groups of people (families in the main), I got talking to yesterday were there with only one of their contingent being someone who attends UK Speedway... With the rest "knowing" about the sport obviously but just going along for the "special event" rather than having any opinion on the racing standard.. Thousands left the stadium last night very happy which was the icing on the Cardiff cake... Booking by ticket for next year as soon as they announce the date tomorrow.. Great venue and should be embraced by the UK promoters to "piggy back" onto given probably double the amount of fans will attend Cardiff that attend UK Speedway each week in total. Cardiff. . Think you are correct in the fact that a lot of people are there just for the Week end away.The racing is secondary,that’s their prerogative. As long as it’s well attended BSI won’t care. Edited August 14, 2022 by Fromafar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK246 Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 (edited) Sensible ride by Zmarzlik in the final to extend his Championship lead. Edited August 14, 2022 by MARK246 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 (edited) 20 minutes ago, Fromafar said: Think you are correct in the fact that a lot of people are there just for the Week end away.The racing is secondary,that’s their prerogative. As long as it’s well attended BSI would care. Indeed.. It was interesting to read the comments on here when I got back to the hotel re the racing... In the stadium itself, when Lebedevs won a race by half a straight the racing was "crap"... When Dan won his first two races by the same margin it brought "the house down"... If Lambert and Woffy had been in consideration for a semi then most races would have had something riding on them from the majority of the fans' perspective, and I can guarantee that less focus would have been on the racing,, (if), they had crossed the line in front. (Robert's last race a case in point).. If the racing is great then that is an added bonus to Cardiff.. As we always say on here, the atmosphere will live longer in the memory than any particular level of racing, hence so many "great meetings" of the past, when rewatched, were more about the night itself than what got produced, and all those "many great races" we remembered were actually usually only "one or two", at most... Good admission prices, decent crowd (excellent crowd for UK Speedway), great fan zone, excellent presentation that kept the momentum going through the lulls in between races, excellent facilities, and a home favourite winner... What's not to like..? If you could deliver all that most evenings domestically then I would suggest the sport in the UK would be a lot more successful as that ticks a lot of boxes.. Edited August 14, 2022 by mikebv 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 6 minutes ago, MARK246 said: Sensible ride by Zmarzlik in the final to extend his Championship lead. All he had to do in the final was beat Madsen and extend his lead even further. Could have it won with two GPs to spare. How we miss the Russians. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 (edited) 9 minutes ago, MARK246 said: Sensible ride by Zmarzlik in the final to extend his Championship lead. With Laguta missing there is no one consistent enough to bother Zmarzlik ,he knows he just has to stay out of trouble. Janowski who I thought was his main danger this season has lost the plot. Edited August 14, 2022 by Fromafar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGould Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 4 minutes ago, mikebv said: Indeed.. It was interesting to read the comments on here when I got back to the hotel re the racing... In the stadium itself, when Lebedevs won a race by half a straight the racing was "crap"... When Dan won his first two races by the same margin it brought "the house down"... If Lambert and Woffy had been in consideration for a semi then most races would have had something riding on them from the majority of the fans' perspective, and I can guarantee that less focus would have been on the racing,, (if), they had crossed the line in front. (Robert's last race a case in point).. If the racing is great then that is an added bonus to Cardiff.. As we always say on here, the atmosphere will live longer in the memory than any particular level of racing, hence so many "great meetings" of the past, when rewatched, were more about the night itself than what got produced, and all those "many great races" we remembered were actually usually only "one or two", at most... Good admission prices, decent crowd (excellent crowd for UK Speedway), great fan zone, excellent presentation that kept the momentum going through the lulls in between races, excellent facilities, and a home favourite winner... What's not to like..? If you could deliver all that most evenings domestically then I would suggest the sport in the UK would be a lot more successful as that ticks a lot of boxes.. Tend to agree.. I went to 4 Wembley Finals...90,000+ at each great occasions 1972 - awful racing 1975 - awful racing 1978 - poor racing only enlivened by Kennett and Jessup doing so well 1981 - great racing and great spectacle. Everyone remembers 1981, conveniently forgets how bad the racing was in the previous 3 (and before that) yet it's lauded as a "great venue" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAST GATER Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 11 minutes ago, MARK246 said: Sensible ride by Zmarzlik in the final to extend his Championship lead. Ideed going quietly about his business not taking any risks eye on the bigger prize ,turning it on when needed just needs to keep making finals and he did beat the eventual winner convincingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, HGould said: 1981 - great racing and great spectacle. Not quite; there were TWO races that people remember. 1976 actually had several good races. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesR Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 11 hours ago, Bagpuss said: You could well be right that the bikes and the way people ride nowadays are to blame but I just feel that Cardiff has run its course now Good point from Greg Hancock in the interview with Scott Nichols " I always used a bike that I had set aside for temporary tracks like this" It meybe had a slightly longer rear end and heavier flywheels for better control of the rough patchy track, unlike the light ones used that rev harder and take off if they hit a patch of dirt. At the end of the day good throttle control helps in conditions like Cardiff yesterday, but not all riders have it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 15 minutes ago, mikebv said: In the stadium itself, when Lebedevs won a race by half a straight the racing was "crap"... When Dan won his first two races by the same margin it brought "the house down"... Are you suggesting that speedway fans are fickle? Seriously though, that is so true. When I look at videos from the "good old days" the racing was mostly crap. However, when our team got a 5-1, nobody gave a toss, did we? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R87 Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 1 hour ago, hammer1969 said: There might have been no overtaking but Bewley was quicker from the gate than the rest and earned his great win. As for the City I reckon the people who live and work there are glad you never went back as well with an attitude like that. I wouldn't go back there if you paid me. Dreadful place, astronomical prices, nothing to do in the city. Manchester is a modern, vibrant city with a superb race track. Cardiff belongs in the 70s. Speedway fans couldn't care less about atmosphere, flashing lights and prematch "entertainment" They go for the racing - which year after year after year is garbage. The place is utter embarrassment to British Speedway. The sooner someone grows a pair and sticks the Cardiff contract in the shredder, the better. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haza Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 57 minutes ago, screm said: Maybe Britain can have two GP`s, one either early or late in the calendar at Cardiff, with the other at Manchester around this time of year. The danger is if there is two gps the crowd will be split yes some would go to both if there was two - Belle Vue and Odsal maybe instead of Cardiff ? Costs would be less than Cardiff though track covers would be a good idea for Belle Vue and Bradford 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisB Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 1 hour ago, racers and royals said: Not live it wasn’t. Will happily watch it after the event 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazysue Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 2 hours ago, OveFundinFan said: Manchester City Council funded the BV track. That part of Manchester, east, has the ManCity football ground (built specifically for some athletic championships maybe 20 years ago) , and close to that the National Velodrome, plus lots of other sporting venues. Chris Morton and Dave Gordon worked hard for many years to get a speedway track that matched the original Hyde Road track…….the site is just a few hundred yards away (now a car auction site). The council came up with the land, it’s area to build on was already determined by a road, housing, school, other sports facilities. The stadium is the biggest it could be. I know how the term National a speedway Stadium was born, I suspect as the council was stumping up the £6 million to build it, and considering the area is a sports area of Manchester they may well have dictated it gets called National Speedway stadium. Whether he SCB or anything high up in speedway had anything to do with that I havnt a clue. The track, as we know, quickly became renowned as one of the best racing tracks in the world, which it is, no doubt or arguing about it……. In the top 5 if not the top 3. The track organisers knew this weekend the Cardiff track was going to take some heavy usage with SGP1 and SGP2 taking place Sat/Sun plus practice/qualifying. They surely would have thrown everything at the preparation of the base upwards to ensure it would cope. It didn’t. We saw that Vojens stood up to 5 meetings and practices….a permanent track. Personally, for me, last night sounded a death bell for temporary tracks. Apart from the probability of poor race surface, the tracks are too small for frequent opportunities to overtake. How long the Cardiff contract is for I don’t know, but I want to see the British GP on a permanent track, so no to Olympic stadium (London), no football stadium (Newcastle), just a permanent track where good racing can be achieved. If, at the moment, that means BV with its limited spectator space, so be it. There are now no speedway tracks in city centres, so stop “making tracks” fit what some spectators want (pubs) and give what ardent speedway racing fans want….. world class racing “out of top draw". Pubs, restaurants, cafes etc are not just wants but needs for the travelling fan. I went to Formula E a couple of weeks ago and as a travelling fan, one of the first things we needed was food and drink (non alcoholic) after our journey and then again after qualifying and before the main race. A speedway meeting is just a speedway meeting, a GP is a whole different kettle of fish with a different audience (youngest will go to a GP, he won't go to a league meeting) where the whole experience of the day and not just the meeting, counts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 1 hour ago, racers and royals said: I have put some up already but they are on the meeting thread on the International world of speedway section “ world U 21 Championship “ more to follow including VK nearer to start time. Thanks, as always R and R .. I am actually going to the event but will sit in the stadium and watch via the stream to see if the racing is any good, before deciding to watch it "live"... Come on Tom and Leon....!!! Best of luck lads.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlieboy Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 6 minutes ago, R87 said: I wouldn't go back there if you paid me. Dreadful place, astronomical prices, nothing to do in the city. Manchester is a modern, vibrant city with a superb race track. Cardiff belongs in the 70s. Speedway fans couldn't care less about atmosphere, flashing lights and prematch "entertainment" They go for the racing - which year after year after year is garbage. The place is utter embarrassment to British Speedway. The sooner someone grows a pair and sticks the Cardiff contract in the shredder, the better. Really ? We’ve got a group of 12 and always find something to do and not missed any Cardiff meetings. Yes it is expensive but it always is on event weekends whether it’s Cardiff Manchester Leeds Sheffield We are not bothered about the fireworks etc but how many kids go and love it. They’ve got to cater for everyone. The track needs some serious thought last night was a joke. We had 20 heats then tractor racing then semis then tractor racing. Then to annoy fans even more we got the gate draw. Why not do the draw when the tractors were on track. Absolute disgrace. It’s a shame the track experts from belle vue and Ipswich weren’t there to sort it out cus they seem pretty clued when we had problems at Sheffield. In one respect it’s good to see problems do occur at other stadiums cus some on here think it only happens at our track. Anyway does anybody know why the roof was kept shut while we all sweltered in the stadium for nearly 4 hours ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazysue Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 20 minutes ago, R87 said: I wouldn't go back there if you paid me. Dreadful place, astronomical prices, nothing to do in the city. Manchester is a modern, vibrant city with a superb race track. Cardiff belongs in the 70s. Speedway fans couldn't care less about atmosphere, flashing lights and prematch "entertainment" They go for the racing - which year after year after year is garbage. The place is utter embarrassment to British Speedway. The sooner someone grows a pair and sticks the Cardiff contract in the shredder, the better. I must respectfully disagree, some will only go for the racing, some will only go for the experience and some will go for the experience, expect a not too exciting meeting but hope against hope that things are different this year but still tend to enjoy the weekend. I fall into the last category, however, I believe my speedway fan credentials are pretty good otherwise I wouldn't have spent the last 17 years running a results website for it! I had planned to go this year, unfortunately ill health and too many beggers wanting holidays at work put paid to that! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovalman Posted August 14, 2022 Report Share Posted August 14, 2022 Lucky the trains weren't running...we would have missed the final, catching the 9.00 back to Swindon. The track was awful. Embarrassment for the organisers. Still a good day out. Chatting to a Welsh couple who said a full stadium of Wales rugby fans don't make the noise that the speedway fans do! At least you can top your water bottles up in there, ridiculous prices. Speedway fans are a great, friendly bunch. And great organisation of car parking, at County Hall, and park n ride buses, and the staff that had to work in that heat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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