Tim G

I don’t think anyone has a solution and that is why as a sport it is in deep trouble. Speedway is not like track days where you can rock up on your ride bike, make a few adjustments and go on the track. How many people are going to spend thousands on a bike and van to do this? Not many is the answer. There are opportunities as Dean has stated and they are struggling to get riders. i expect also as most tracks are hired, the promoter probably has to sign up for a minimum number of meetings. To me, we need to lower costs and for clubs to run on the best night for the fan base, I know this means losing top riders. This will not save the sport but hopefully keep it going for a few more seasons. I don’t think it’s just speedway struggling, I feel the whole motorcycle sector is not very healthy atm.

All great in theory but in reality it wouldn’t work. Poole the other night were struggling to get 16 juniors to ride in a midweek meeting. If it becomes pay to compete you would probably only end up with about 4 tracks left in the country. Most race tracks like Brands Hatch can run everyday so can offer more variation in what they can do to make it sustainable. Unfortunately most speedway tracks can’t operate that way.

Without league racing speedway will die quicker than what it already is. Clubs don't run open meetings like they used too as the crowd levels are often worse than at league meetings. The same as sidecar meetings and junior meetings. A lot of what you have said has already been tried and failed. BSB runs at about 8 different tracks around the country and will only visit once or twice to a couple of circuits so it is much easier to get a crowd in as it becomes a day out a bit like Cardiff used to be.

The Arenacross is an excellent night out and I go and watch most years either at the NEC or Wembley Arena. Normally pay about £40 and it’s 3 hours non stop entertainment and very enjoyable. I took 2 friends this year and who have never been before and both found it brilliant and both will be going back. However before Covid it was starting to get stale as the format hadn’t changed and the crowds were dropping dramatically. So during the Covid break they used the time to tweak the format only a little bit and changed it to a British Championship and got riders like Tommy Searle involved and the crowds are back where they used to be.

He was doing fine at number 3 for Oxford and was in great form before his crash in the championship riders championship, the wheels seem to come off after that. I think he had a bit off a falling out at the end of the season at Oxford and he did'nt ride the the under 18 championship meeting at Cowley.

A tear can be fixed with an injection and they say at least two weeks rest after it but recovery to ride a speedway bike would probably take a fair bit longer.

A tear can be fixed with an injection and they say at least two weeks rest after it but recovery to ride a speedway bike would probably take a fair bit longer.

I found all the races really good this weekend. Gutted for Fabio as he deserved the win.

He isn’t going to be fit for at least 6 weeks probably longer so I doubt it will be happening.

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Why? It’s pretty much spot on. The Foords run it as as a business and without Cairns it will not make financial sense so run it with the golden boy of British speedway who you have signed makes sense.

I did read somewhere that Virgin were giving free TNT Sports to some customers in contract as compensation for the loss of the Eurosport channels.

They do, through NOW.

Good solid team he is riding for, will do well to beat his team mate though.

I think Marquez should be relatively safer this season as he will be on the best bike on the grid which he hasn’t had for about 5 years so hopefully he won’t override. Unfortunately I think Acosta could struggle as I doubt KTM will be spending much money on upgrades as they are in big financial trouble. I see the auditor has said they will be pulling out of all the Moto GP classes which would be disastrous for Moto GP, they didn’t state when this would be.