Problems with SGP

[PolskiZuzel]

The legendary Polish former National speedway team coach, Marek Cieslak, commented in sportowefakty.pl results of Poland’s sport Personality 2024 plebiscite announced yesterday. When mentioning fifth placed achieved by the 5-times world champion, Bartosz Zmarzlik, and problems with speedway, Marek Cieslak said this:

It is a complex issue. We need the successes of our national teams, which we do not have. We have achieved the best league in the world, which has great viewership. The problem is that the Grand Prix series cannot keep up with this at all, and it is folding down. This is visible, for example, in the locations. There are no new ones, and in addition, large stadiums are slowly disappearing. The FIM and the promoter Discovery are responsible for this. In addition, the best riders in the world do not ride in the series. The recent nominations for wild cards and their translation into geographical terms are a joke. All this means that the Grand Prix arouses interest in fewer and fewer countries. I have the impression that even here (i.e. in Poland) it does not generate the same emotions as it used to. If it were, the successes and the phenomenon of Zmarzlik would have a much greater echo in the country.

Do you think that it is time for Artiom Łaguta and Emil Sajfutdinov to return to the series?

Initially I was against them, but now I think they should be in the series. Zmarzlik would also benefit from the presence of Artiom Łaguta or Emil Sayfutdinov. I have no doubt that he would still win, but then his successes, this rivalry with the Russians would arouse much more emotions. In this way, the audience would be larger. Please remember what rivals Tomasz Gollob had. He had to compete with Tony Rickardsson, Greg Hancock, Billy Hamill, Jason Crump, Mark Loram, Hans Nielsen, Leigh Adams, Ryan Sullivan and many other great stars. Each of them had papers for the title. Now the series lacks such figures.

[RPNY]

Absolutely spot on in Everything he said. I hope they listen.

[Barrow Boy 2]

On 1/7/2025 at 5:49 PM, RPNY said:

Absolutely spot on in Everything he said. I hope they listen.

Seconded. Their use of Wild Cards is a joke. 

[Barrow Boy 2]

Just now, Barrow Boy 2 said:

Seconded. Their use of Wild Cards is a joke. 

Also their new rule to allow the top 2 to go straight to the final with riders 3 to 10 going into 2 semi finals to decide the other 2 finalists is also a joke. This way a rider finishing 10th with say 6 points can go on to win the meeting. Zmarzlik did not always end up top scorer but usually won the finals to gain most points. Perhaps the overall scoring system needs to be revised sonehow/

[LagutaRacingFan]

The only way to bring about change is boycotting.

 

[Diamonds85]

Haven't watched a GP in years, the whole meeting setup is usually pretty boring. Nothing beats league racing.

[Tinker]

15 hours ago, Diamonds85 said:

Haven't watched a GP in years, the whole meeting setup is usually pretty boring. Nothing beats league racing.

Couldn't agree more. I still watch the GP's,  but over the years most of them have become pretty boring and predictable. Give me British or Championship league racing any day of the week. 

[JoeW436]

Whilst I agree with Marek's comments, I cant see anyone stepping up to the plate to challenge Bartosz any time soon and that someone also having the star power to help generate some interest in the series as well.  

[Gambo]

Copied from Facebook

American defeat. Losses amounted to millions. Even Poles are fed up.

There were bold visions, announcements of global expansion, and a surge in popularity. It culminated in the purchase of a new podium and new boxes for the riders competing in the Speedway World Championship. A new promoter can have big problems.

When it was announced in 2019 that the rights to organize the Speedway Grand Prix series would be acquired by the global brand Warner Bros. Discovery from the USA, everyone expected a total revolution and the opening of new markets. Speedway was supposed to function similarly to MotoGP, with speedway riders competing year-round on every continent. Today, it sounds like a joke. After three seasons, none of the goals have been achieved, and sponsors, fans, and even players are beginning to turn away from the new promoter.

Although Bartosz Zmarzlik has already won the World Championship five times, these competitions are beginning to evoke less and less emotion in our country, too.

Initially, the organizers cited the pandemic as an excuse, but today, activists and fans respond to such excuses with a pitying smile. It's not just speedway fans who complain about the level of Grand Prix competitions, but also the competitors themselves. Even though they received a substantial raise immediately after the new promoter took office, they're slowly losing patience, and the fight for the World Championship is no longer fun.

It's already known that the company Infinite Reality will no longer advertise on the competitors' Kevlar clothing this year, and the organizers haven't been able to find a replacement. In the fourth season of Warner Bros., Regent Discovery Sports has had to admit defeat and insert the logo of the World Championship instead of its biggest sponsor's logo. According to estimates, this could result in a deficit of at least several hundred thousand dollars in the World Championship budget. When we asked representatives from Grand Prix about this, we received only the perfunctory answer that Infinite Reality remains a partner of GP.

However, this is nothing compared to what could happen before next season. Although no one from the management of the energy drink giant Monster wants to be identified, representatives of the company are sending unofficial signals that they are dissatisfied with the way the World Cup is going and their collaboration with the organizer so far. This year, in turn, is the final year of the current contract, which, according to unofficial information, is worth up to one million dollars per year.

According to our information, the company is currently seriously considering withdrawing from the Grand Prix series and changing its strategy. If this happens, it would be a blow to the World Cup organizers from which they may not recover.

Talk is slowly emerging of a losing streak, as this year's series will be the first in over 20 years that the legendary round will not take place in the large Cardiff stadium. Fan interest waned until the tournament eventually became unprofitable. This year's competition was moved to a smaller venue in Manchester. Next year, the last major venue, the PGE Narodowy, will disappear from the GP calendar. The Poles decided it would be better to take a break and organize the Team World Cup finale. The loss of two series' calling cards certainly won't make negotiations with potential sponsors any easier.

In addition, there are growing rumors in Poland that the promoters at Warner Bros. themselves might have had enough of speedway racing. It's a sport of discovery. Although this hasn't been confirmed yet, it's possible that the promoter won't have to stay with speedway until the end of its current contract, which runs until 2031.

Due to the strange decisions of FIM representative Armando Castagna, Polish fans have lost interest in the Grand Prix series, and without funding from Poland, it's difficult to think about developing a full-fledged product.

There are currently no news of plans to broadcast the series outside of Europe. So far, it hasn't been possible to organize a single round in Australia, let alone the US or other countries. The new promoter presented his tenure as the beginning of a new era in speedway racing, and no one currently associates anything good with such a slogan. The recent rule changes are not only completely incomprehensible, but also threaten to distort the sporting competition. The senseless adoption of models from other motorsport disciplines could lead to a distortion of the competition for the World Championship this year, and the decisive factor may not necessarily be the direct duels between the drivers on the track during the tournaments, but rather the times achieved in the morning qualifying rounds alone.

- I have the impression that the fans and the players themselves weren't expecting such changes. Most tournaments can only be watched online, and given the low level of competition, I didn't even want to buy a package. I think the vast majority of speedway fans in Poland will do the same next season. On the other hand, if we have enough of such races, it's difficult to pin our hopes on the Germans, the Czechs, or the Swedes, because the sport is beginning to play a marginal role there," admits former Polish national team coach Marek Cieślak.

Edited Thursday at 09:32 AM by Gambo

[IainB]

20 minutes ago, Gambo said:

Copied from Facebook

American defeat. Losses amounted to millions. Even Poles are fed up.

There were bold visions, announcements of global expansion, and a surge in popularity. It culminated in the purchase of a new podium and new boxes for the riders competing in the Speedway World Championship. A new promoter can have big problems.

When it was announced in 2019 that the rights to organize the Speedway Grand Prix series would be acquired by the global brand Warner Bros. Discovery from the USA, everyone expected a total revolution and the opening of new markets. Speedway was supposed to function similarly to MotoGP, with speedway riders competing year-round on every continent. Today, it sounds like a joke. After three seasons, none of the goals have been achieved, and sponsors, fans, and even players are beginning to turn away from the new promoter.

Although Bartosz Zmarzlik has already won the World Championship five times, these competitions are beginning to evoke less and less emotion in our country, too.

Initially, the organizers cited the pandemic as an excuse, but today, activists and fans respond to such excuses with a pitying smile. It's not just speedway fans who complain about the level of Grand Prix competitions, but also the competitors themselves. Even though they received a substantial raise immediately after the new promoter took office, they're slowly losing patience, and the fight for the World Championship is no longer fun.

It's already known that the company Infinite Reality will no longer advertise on the competitors' Kevlar clothing this year, and the organizers haven't been able to find a replacement. In the fourth season of Warner Bros., Regent Discovery Sports has had to admit defeat and insert the logo of the World Championship instead of its biggest sponsor's logo. According to estimates, this could result in a deficit of at least several hundred thousand dollars in the World Championship budget. When we asked representatives from Grand Prix about this, we received only the perfunctory answer that Infinite Reality remains a partner of GP.

However, this is nothing compared to what could happen before next season. Although no one from the management of the energy drink giant Monster wants to be identified, representatives of the company are sending unofficial signals that they are dissatisfied with the way the World Cup is going and their collaboration with the organizer so far. This year, in turn, is the final year of the current contract, which, according to unofficial information, is worth up to one million dollars per year.

According to our information, the company is currently seriously considering withdrawing from the Grand Prix series and changing its strategy. If this happens, it would be a blow to the World Cup organizers from which they may not recover.

Talk is slowly emerging of a losing streak, as this year's series will be the first in over 20 years that the legendary round will not take place in the large Cardiff stadium. Fan interest waned until the tournament eventually became unprofitable. This year's competition was moved to a smaller venue in Manchester. Next year, the last major venue, the PGE Narodowy, will disappear from the GP calendar. The Poles decided it would be better to take a break and organize the Team World Cup finale. The loss of two series' calling cards certainly won't make negotiations with potential sponsors any easier.

In addition, there are growing rumors in Poland that the promoters at Warner Bros. themselves might have had enough of speedway racing. It's a sport of discovery. Although this hasn't been confirmed yet, it's possible that the promoter won't have to stay with speedway until the end of its current contract, which runs until 2031.

Due to the strange decisions of FIM representative Armando Castagna, Polish fans have lost interest in the Grand Prix series, and without funding from Poland, it's difficult to think about developing a full-fledged product.

There are currently no news of plans to broadcast the series outside of Europe. So far, it hasn't been possible to organize a single round in Australia, let alone the US or other countries. The new promoter presented his tenure as the beginning of a new era in speedway racing, and no one currently associates anything good with such a slogan. The recent rule changes are not only completely incomprehensible, but also threaten to distort the sporting competition. The senseless adoption of models from other motorsport disciplines could lead to a distortion of the competition for the World Championship this year, and the decisive factor may not necessarily be the direct duels between the drivers on the track during the tournaments, but rather the times achieved in the morning qualifying rounds alone.

- I have the impression that the fans and the players themselves weren't expecting such changes. Most tournaments can only be watched online, and given the low level of competition, I didn't even want to buy a package. I think the vast majority of speedway fans in Poland will do the same next season. On the other hand, if we have enough of such races, it's difficult to pin our hopes on the Germans, the Czechs, or the Swedes, because the sport is beginning to play a marginal role there," admits former Polish national team coach Marek Cieślak.

Jesus! That could have been written by me! The guy needs to stop complaining, get a life, post something positive etc. 😂

Whereabouts on Facebook was this copied from?

[Gambo]

52 minutes ago, IainB said:

Jesus! That could have been written by me! The guy needs to stop complaining, get a life, post something positive etc. 😂

Whereabouts on Facebook was this copied from?

Erika Bartel Speedway Supporters

On Colin Meredith's page.

[Lefty]

Can we go back to the one-off World Final, Saturday night top league racing in the UK, more teams in the Leagues and no doubling up plz.

Bugger' I've just woken up from a lovely dream!

[IainB]

1 minute ago, Gambo said:

Erika Bartel Speedway Supporters

On Colin Meredith's page.

I'm not on FB, is she a journo or something?

[Gambo]

Just now, IainB said:

I'm not on FB, is she a journo or something?

I have no idea.

 

[IainB]

1 hour ago, Gambo said:

I have no idea.

 

I hope you've been copying my posts on here and putting them on Facebook 😉😂

[racers and royals]

2 hours ago, IainB said:

I'm not on FB, is she a journo or something?

It is a translated Sportowefakty article