Stoke Potter

Sorry I'm not sure as I never actually went to Sun Street, it was before my time! The site became a Garage/Car Sales business and I think still does car repairs to this day. Not sure if you can get any clues from what you remember here: https://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/details.aspx?ResourceID=35846&ExhibitionID=35849&SearchType=2&ThemeID=768 Not sure if the Greyhound track is higher than the Speedway Circuit??

That was Stoke Sun Street and it is long gone.

I've long thought this is something that should happen but the distance that gate 4 is in front of gate 1 should be unique to each track. I think 2 feet forward at most tracks would be way too much. All starts should be made to be as even as possible, there are enough boring races in Speedway without the starts giving advantages to certain gate positions.

Weren't Ipswich one of the few that weren't actually for sale?!!

I remember that meeting. I seem to recall Dugard bleating that his career could be over because he got excluded at the start. He jumped the start claiming a piece of the tapes flapping in the wind had put him off!

Thanks Dean. I think most agree that a more manageable engine is required. Hopefully those ideas work and the engine gets adopted. I imagine there are not many tyre manufacturers interested in making one for Speedway especially if the idea would be shift around half the amount Mitas currently sell, i.e. making them last twice as long.

In your opinion is it a genuine solution to the "technical" issues of the sport then? Lower costs, improved control, better racing?? Would anything else need to happen as well to sort the issues?

Is the idea that they will be easier to handle Dean?

Good on you for doing it, that's exactly how most Speedway riders should be in this country. If Speedway was year round that's damn good earnings for what amounts to part-time work, albeit with massive personal risk.

You didn't answer how many days work to get that 8 grand!

Yes there have. Crowds have been crap for years - Sky money has been bailing the sport out. Most races at most tracks are over by the back straight, if not the first bend. There is next to no racing - the reason for this is that most tracks are not conducive to proper racing/passing due to their size, shape, preparation, etc. In short, it's boring that's why nobody goes.

8 Grand in 4 and a half months! 1800 quid a month... How many meetings is that? We'll call a meeting a full days work and then add another day's work for meeting prep... So many "days" work to get 8 grand? On the bigger picture, I've not yet read this weeks Star cover to cover bit I've not yet picked up on anyone saying the tracks need to be fixed, apart from Andy Meredith wittering on about everybody getting decent shale - that won't help with the poor size/shape of most of them.

I seem to recall the guy who created Somerset was, in more recent times, trying to get Bristol back. Wasn't there some suggestion of a track being put in near some railway sidings or something - sorry for the vagueness I'm not familiar with the area at all.

This is exactly what should happen, I said the same on the Swindon 2019 thread back in September. It should be the case not just with Swindon, but any new or modified track.

Proper sized, shaped, prepared tracks would do more to address the amount of injuries than slowing the bikes down.

You're a bit late with that, at least one other person said the same. You obviously missed the response. I look at tracks, and the sport, objectively. Do you? You won't find me defending Stoke as a track but there are a plenty of others not much better. The IoW could be so much better, they have the space for a proper sized track. Time will tell as to whether the present promoters realise the true potential of their facility. As my response to them on here went unanswered, I suspect any track "improvements" they will make will turn out to be sub-optimal in terms of what could actually be achieved.

The only person they should be calling about the design of the track is Chris Morton. Goes without saying they won't. 300m is too short to be a genuine top class circuit and there will need to be considerable additional width added to the straights and bends, not to mention the correct amount of banking on the bends. 2 miracles required at Swindon it seems: 1. They actually get a new track in place. 2. They manage to get the design right. Hope it all works out for the Swindon fans.

I think you are probably right but if that's what needs to happen to get a proper track in there then they should do it. Goes without saying that they won't do what's required and will basically keep wasting money playing at it. Plenty of space around Beaumont park for a proper sized/shaped track.

So the obvious conclusion, staring the sport in the face: Fix the tracks, more tracks like B.V. Leicester are apparently improving their track during the close season, are they making it more like B.V.? Of course they aren't!

I can't recall a single track that is prepared, on a consistent basis, to give proper racing from the off. Although I have seen decent racing from Heat 1 at the NSS. There are 2 possible answers. 1) Research methods to give proper racing from heat 1. 2) Run 5 heats of junior racing prior to the main match. Another amazing heat 13, brace yourself for all those people that see races like that all the time at every other track in the country...

The last Weymouth track was awful, the fact that you say otherwise tells me a lot. I've not been to Plymouth but I can predict what it's like - not real Speedway. Scunthorpe and Somerset had a reputation as good tracks because most of the rest are so bad, both have been surpassed by Belle Vue. Your insistence that every track produces decent racing is just plain wrong to be frank. As regards the IoW investing in their track, you have answered your own question: They are getting 5 times the gate money according to you and have a massive increase in sponsorship revenue. Invest it in the track. If the sport doesn't invest in improving the tracks then it will carry on being in dire straits and the long slow death will continue.

Did you actually read what I wrote? Did I say that Stoke was better? If your local track is poor does that prevent you from having an objective opinion about other tracks, and the problems of the sport in general? First of all Barry, can I commend you on your response to my somewhat flippant remark. You appear to have an excellent attitude to the (potentially) paying customer which is something that is all too rare in this sport of ours. Well done on getting the blade back in operation and sorting out the problem of the poor shale, these were not the issues I was referring to though. In my opinion the problems with the track are down to shape, banking and width. I would usually add in material and preparation but, as a promotion with foresight, you appear to be already on top of this. The overall size at 385m is very good so it would be a shame if you significantly shortened the track during any changes you plan to make. The best track in the country is, undoubtedly, Belle Vue. My thoughts for the IoW are simple, make your track like B.V., you are already in the fortunate position of having a large track and also appearing to have space around the circuit to add width to the straights and bends. I would urge you to do exactly that. Of course it may not be possible to do that all in one go but with careful planning the changes could be introduced over a period of time. Every speedway promotion should know that their track is their biggest asset! Invest in it!!! I wish you the best of luck with your efforts and I will certainly attend the speedway next time I am down on the island. My visit will be all the more pleasing if i turn up and see a track similar to Belle Vue!

Shame their track is pants and needs improvement.

If you go by the number of meetings attended at various tracks this season then I am more of a Poole and Belle Vue than a Stoke fan... As I've said on other threads, you won't find me defending the state of Stoke, it is generally poor. Unfortunately for the sport there are too many tracks that are poorly prepared or badly shaped. Stoke at it's best (mid 80's) was considerably better than Poole. I remember going Poole in the 80's and there was a massive mound on the 4th bend. From memory, Marvyn Cox tried to draw the Ref's attention to it but the ref made them get on with it and I think David Biles ended up coming off and breaking his leg...

I seem to remember it was said on here that they only did part of the bends because I asked how wide the bends were and nobody answered.