Alternative/ Pirate League

[Vince 9,458]

Could get awkward when cusp NL/PL riders have a clash. Or if PL promoters agree not to use riders riding in the alternative NL. Might work for "professional" NL riders but wont work for riders on the way up as I see it.

 

I can imagine that the BSPA might bring in a 'gentlemans agreement' not to use riders from a non affiliated league. However like most such agreements they make it wouldn't be too long before somebody desperately needed a rider or a really promising rider came through the new set up and a reason was found to use them. There might be a spell where young riders find it difficult to make the break through but it wouldn't be very long before the supply of new riders dried up for the higher level clubs.

 

I'm not suggesting that this is the way forward for the sport but just wondering if it might happen given the rumour that the requirement for air fences will see tracks closing.

[greyhoundp 990]

It is well known that many Tracks lost money last season, in fact probably only a handful made any money. This season may be slightly better, but Speedway as a product has to change its face to bring in NEW supporters, Guest riders, Double points, which may be all very well for SKY have to go out of the window. Supporters come to watch there Team and the RACING product. The costs Have to be reduced, and the scrapping of paid bonus points, was only scratching at the surface.

 

If we have a breakaway league spectators will soon become accustomed to the standard of racing, as they have always done, riders will find ways to make it pay, i read somewhere (dont know if its true) Steve Worrall had to take a job to help make ends meet. Thats the way it used to be, and theres no reason it wouldnt work that way again. What it really needs is lower cost, and more reliable machinery, thats where the biggest saving will/could be made, and some of that in turn could be passed on to spectators. Then when a rider progresses it would be up to him to judge if its affordable for him to progress to a fully proffesional rider with the higher costs it brings with it, really only riders who have the ability to ride in the GP series should be affected by all of this, your average rider who will only ever be good enough for league racing should be able to earn a reasonable amount from a breakaway league.

For spectators seeing there OWN riders in there Team is what most come to see, i had little interest in watching speedway, when Cradley Heathens closed due to having NO Track. Yes i glanced at results of teams and certain riders, read forums, and took part on them, but other than that, nothing really could attract me to watching Wolves or Coventry, i think in all the time we didnt run i watched 2 meetings at Wolverhampton, and 2 at Birmingham. The average supporter will go to watch HIS/HER Team no matter what the standard of racing provided it gives them competitive racing with there OWN riders in that Team. The overall management of the League in my opinion will need to have people on board who have NO vested interest in a particular Team, or if that is impossible to provide, then it needs to be made up of say five people who change annually, so that no particular Member/Promoter, has more than his say, which may favour his Team to the detriment of the Sport as a whole. The rules/guideliness need to be laid down to begin with, and this committee needs to run and organise the Sport within those rules/guidelines, should something palpably fail to be working, then ALL the promoters alongside the management committee should have a EGM meeting to find a way forward.

 

Back to a breakaway League, I hope it can happen, and i hope it does happen, because it may well be the saving of Speedway in the UK.

[Guest]

I can imagine that the BSPA might bring in a 'gentlemans agreement' not to use riders from a non affiliated league. However like most such agreements they make it wouldn't be too long before somebody desperately needed a rider or a really promising rider came through the new set up and a reason was found to use them. There might be a spell where young riders find it difficult to make the break through but it wouldn't be very long before the supply of new riders dried up for the higher level clubs.

 

I'm not suggesting that this is the way forward for the sport but just wondering if it might happen given the rumour that the requirement for air fences will see tracks closing.

 

What happens if 'elf & safety' rule in favour of air fences as well? Only needs a jobsworth somewhere to hear about them, you know how these things develop...

Edited August 20, 2013 by Guest

[macinter 158]

It is well known that many Tracks lost money last season, in fact probably only a handful made any money. This season may be slightly better,

 

I have heard from what I believe to be a reliable source that every Elite league track is currently running at a loss.

[mikebv 10,273]

Many speedway riders used to have a 'day job' and then 'earned a months money in one night of speedway' as was often quoted by the

riders themselves..

 

IF speedway could go 'back to the future' and get somewhere in between where we were then and where we are now then it would surely move forwards...

 

Cutting costs is without doubt the biggest challenge, reduce those and rider salaries can then also be reduced, with the

'golden ticket' then of being able to lower admission fees which 'should' increase attendances overall...

 

Maybe a 'new level' of speedway could just start that ball rolling?

Edited August 20, 2013 by mikebv

[The White Knight 9,039]

Many speedway riders used to have a 'day job' and then 'earned a months money in one night of speedway' as was often quoted by the

riders themselves..

 

IF speedway could go 'back to the future' and get somewhere in between where we were then and where we are now then it would surely move forwards...

 

Cutting costs is without doubt the biggest challenge, reduce those and rider salaries can then also be reduced, with the

'golden ticket' then of being able to lower admission fees which 'should' increase attendances overall...

 

Maybe a 'new level' of speedway could just start that ball rolling?

 

Good idea - with upright 2-Valve Engines. It would certainly reduce COSTS and probably injuries as well. :approve:

[Vince 9,458]

Good idea - with upright 2-Valve Engines. It would certainly reduce COSTS and probably injuries as well. :approve:

 

If you bought in a rule tomorrow stating that everybody had to use 2 valve uprights and ignored the redundant equipment and need for a completely new set up for every rider it still wouldn't save a penny. Speedway is an expensive sport but that's because of a combination of things and little to do with the basic engines.

 

Compared to years ago travelling is far more expensive.

 

The job market has changed significantly so it is harder to find a job that fits in with Speedway commitments, the chances of having an employer who is a Speedway fan so willing to allow time off for the sport has more or less disappeared. Plenty of riders hold down a job as well, many need to in order to subsidise their Speedway.

 

The standard of equipment expected by promotions, fans and riders has increased greatly. We often see comments on here about how great it was that riders turned up with a bike on a rack on the back of their car. See how fans react these days when a rider turns up with scruffy equipment or even worse if mechanical problems cost their team a win and you'll realise those days are long gone. Just read through any team thread and you are likely to come across somebody saying that rider a would be ok but he has really slow bikes and needs to invest in his equipment!

 

That's just rider costs, when it comes to stadiums and tracks H&S, utility bills, cost of transporting track materials, medical cover and a never ending list of other essentials that are getting ever more expensive all take their toll.

 

Cost cutting isn't as easy as it might seem. I would suggest a standardisation of carburrettors, ignitions and clutches along with a rev limiter to increase reliability to cut equipment costs for riders. The saving from that in terms of reduced admission would probably be pennies rather than pounds. In reality the operating costs of Speedway are probably already pretty near the bone.

[Long Eye 278]

Good idea - with upright 2-Valve Engines. It would certainly reduce COSTS and probably injuries as well. :approve:

 

Please explain in detail how and why this statement would be true.

[ch958 2,395]

Please explain in detail how and why this statement would be true.

 

please explain in detail why this statement wouldn't be true

[Guest]

Pirate League? Get real! It just isn't going to happen.

[Long Eye 278]

please explain in detail why this statement wouldn't be true

 

OK a brief reply.Just because an engine is mounted with the cylinder vertical and only has a 2 valve head does not make it cheaper to run. 2 heavy valves are more difficult to control than smaller lightweight ones thus valve bounce occurs more easily resulting in engine damage. Bikes with engines mounted horizontally were developed as they handle better than upright ones so better handling generally results in a safer bike to ride. Lots of equipment instantly made obsolete would mean that riders wouldn't have anything to sell to enable them to invest in the new bikes. The JRM 2 valve ice racing engine costs almost the same as the 4 valve engine to buy.

[ch958 2,395]

OK a brief reply.Just because an engine is mounted with the cylinder vertical and only has a 2 valve head does not make it cheaper to run. 2 heavy valves are more difficult to control than smaller lightweight ones thus valve bounce occurs more easily resulting in engine damage. Bikes with engines mounted horizontally were developed as they handle better than upright ones so better handling generally results in a safer bike to ride. Lots of equipment instantly made obsolete would mean that riders wouldn't have anything to sell to enable them to invest in the new bikes. The JRM 2 valve ice racing engine costs almost the same as the 4 valve engine to buy.

 

fair comment - you seem to know something about the machinery - many fans don't and don't care. With this in mind can you suggest where machinery cost savings could be made?

[Long Eye 278]

fair comment - you seem to know something about the machinery - many fans don't and don't care. With this in mind can you suggest where machinery cost savings could be made?

 

Make sure the guy doing the engines is not out to fleece you. There is some charlatans out there.

[SCB 0]

Make sure the guy doing the engines is not out to fleece you. There is some charlatans out there.

What about changing tyres? Its all about getting traction right? So surely if you changed the tyres in some way it was having a biggest effect than anything done to the engine? Or am I talking rubbish?

 

I can only base it on my car but I had a set of M3 alloys and high end tyres and the back end really struggled to break lose despite the fact the tyres failed an MOT. I put on a set of standard wheels (so narrower) with low end (budget) tyres that were legal and the back end was moving around when I put my foot down. Made me realise the difference a tyre can make, would have been no good making the engine in my car faster as the wheels were sliding around.

[Vince 9,458]

Pirate League? Get real! It just isn't going to happen.

Probably not but that very likely means the sport is going to lose some tracks. I'm not so certain as you they will just accept that.