what next for Aussie speedway?

[Guest tapebreak]

Well for starters id like to point out that i have never been to an event that is in its first year that was succesful especially coz no body knew it was on. I think the big problem with the current promoter withdrawing is that there will be another bad year before the speedway fans start to support it. I know for a fact that in my little town we can get 3-4 thousand extra people to a bike meeting than we would on any car night so i dont think its a lack of fans wanting to watch the event. I think as a sport on its own people dont know too much. In this country speedway is viewed as a buch of cars, sprintcars etc and i guess thats why the Aussie sprintcar league is attracting so many americans. I think the solution to the problem is to initially advertise more and also put something on free to air television or it will never take off. Free to air is the best advertisment as everyone has access to it. Why not advertise it during another big sporting event (eg. cricket world cup games) which are not being shown on the pay network channels. The second part of the solution would come in the education of those not exactly sure of what speedway is and by this i mean start showing more of the series. The third part would be to give the Aussie round some meaning by showing the complete series so that when they arive in Australia there is some knowledge of the series and the fact that people have been watching it all year gives them another incentive to go and see the finale.

[Guest Sir Lunchalot]

Speedway on free to air TV in Australia has a huge problem. I believe it would become very, very popular if it ever got on to free to air TV ... but before the free to air channels will take a risk with anything they want things that are already popular !!

 

Somehow the speedway folk have to convince the TV networks that it is popular already and I would have thought right after the Aust GP last year would have been the time to approach them. Did we miss the boat perhaps ?

[21st century heathen 220]

how bout this. Norway could be run 1st week of November and Cardiff the week after so as to avoid clashing with domestic matches here in the U.K.

 

 

Theory ok but not really as there are two many other events that go on inside the Millennium stadium to take the pitch up for a one off meeting in the middle of the football season they would just be laughed at, that is why the grand prix is at the end of the season after the FA cup has been played there in May (ish) in fact last year they only had a little while to prepare the track to due another sporting event there close to the grand prix. I think anyway

 

See what your saying but November would be well before the Stadium was used for football finals. The chances of a clash with an international is slim. Don't know about rugby because I don't watch it. I just think it would be worth investigating.

 

Problem is now its not a true world championship is it? Unless I am mistaken. Without a southern hemisphere round its really only a European championship.

I really enjoyed watching them on sky last year though. I thought the Aussi round was brilliant on the box anyway

 

I think world championship refers to the participants rather than the location. However it would be fantastic if Aus/Kiwi rounds were revived, and what about the Yanks. Be great if we could we could find a way to incorporate the U.S.

[21st century heathen 220]

I think world championship refers to the participants rather than the location.

 

No sorry with all due respect I think your wrong about that. Its based on a 'world series'. The participants nationalities create the International' tag. To be truly a worlds championship based on Grand Prix (rather than a one off event) its accepted it should encompass events in both the North and the South hemispheres. The victor can then pronounce I am the 'Worlds Champion'. Like I said, who ever wins in 2003 series can really only say I am the, 'European Champion' even if the nationalites of the riders were all the same.

Road Racing and F1 run on the same principles.

 

While I respect your opinion I still don't agree. :-( Riders from both nothern and southern hemispheres compete in the G.P.'s. How could Crump, for example, be called the European Champion :?: :? It's the fact that you're competeing against the rest of the world that makes you a world champion in any sport. Think of the athletics world championships. They are held in one country, for arguments sake Germany, that doesn't make the competitors German Champion. As they are competing against competitors from across the globe they are, quite rightly, know as World Champions. If the 100m sprint record was broken would that make it a new German record because it hadn't been done in the southern hemisphere aswell :?:

[21st century heathen 220]

I aggree with you, we're not going to agree. :-(

 

F1 and MotoGP are great but Superbikes are probably better still.

[21st century heathen 220]

F1 is really crap at the moment and Superbikes is running its course. Lets face it it must be running out of steam if Neil Hodgson is favourite.  

 

I hope Chris Walker kicks his arse.    The best supebike rider ever Colin Edwards, is now in MotoGp so Rossi is not going to do a 'Schumacher' this year.  

Rickardsson will not win the speedway 'European championship' this year either.

Jim Blanchard

http;//www.motorcycle-racing-art.co.uk

 

F1 - racing crap but I love it for the technology, even if we're loosing two way telemetery.

 

Superbikes - racing has been closer than MotoGP but it may well be a pivotal time for both.

 

Rickardsson - You seem very sure of that. Who's your money on?

 

[21st century heathen 220]

Rickardsson - You seem very sure of that. Who's your money on?

I dont know. I just feel the pressure on Rickardson to win another title back to back, and also equel Maugers's six is going to be too much.

 

Perhaps. But if anyone can stay focussed and pull it off then Rickardsson can. I'll be betting on an outsider anyway cause the odds are crap on the top 3/4 riders.