keepturningleft 588 Posted August 1, 2019 There is an excellent interview with Richard Clarke of Speedway Star in the current edition of Backtrack magazine which includes concerns about sales in line with the general decline of speedway. However I believe there may be a way of boosting interest. Given that speedway fans spend almost as much time watching tractors circling the track as they do actually watching racing, wouldn't it be an idea for Speedway Star to merge with one the tractor magazines? 'Speedway Star & Tractor Weekly'. It has a ring to it. This will bring added interest to the evening as Instead of whinging and complaining about the tractor breaks, fans would thumb through the mag and try and identify the tractor type and engage with fellow fans on the terrace. Backtrack magazine could also engage with this idea with vintage features on the tractors we fondly remember going round and round in the 70’s and 80’s. Naturally the mag would be renamed Backtractor. Just an idea. 1 6 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted August 1, 2019 4 hours ago, keepturningleft said: There is an excellent interview with Richard Clarke of Speedway Star in the current edition of Backtrack magazine which includes concerns about sales in line with the general decline of speedway. However I believe there may be a way of boosting interest. Given that speedway fans spend almost as much time watching tractors circling the track as they do actually watching racing, wouldn't it be an idea for Speedway Star to merge with one the tractor magazines? 'Speedway Star & Tractor Weekly'. It has a ring to it. This will bring added interest to the evening as Instead of whinging and complaining about the tractor breaks, fans would thumb through the mag and try and identify the tractor type and engage with fellow fans on the terrace. Backtrack magazine could also engage with this idea with vintage features on the tractors we fondly remember going round and round in the 70’s and 80’s. Naturally the mag would be renamed Backtractor. Just an idea. Excellent idea. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
foamfence 2,917 Posted August 1, 2019 4 hours ago, keepturningleft said: There is an excellent interview with Richard Clarke of Speedway Star in the current edition of Backtrack magazine which includes concerns about sales in line with the general decline of speedway. However I believe there may be a way of boosting interest. Given that speedway fans spend almost as much time watching tractors circling the track as they do actually watching racing, wouldn't it be an idea for Speedway Star to merge with one the tractor magazines? 'Speedway Star & Tractor Weekly'. It has a ring to it. This will bring added interest to the evening as Instead of whinging and complaining about the tractor breaks, fans would thumb through the mag and try and identify the tractor type and engage with fellow fans on the terrace. Backtrack magazine could also engage with this idea with vintage features on the tractors we fondly remember going round and round in the 70’s and 80’s. Naturally the mag would be renamed Backtractor. Just an idea. How about Shire horses pulling the grader, anything they drop could be left on the track to add interest. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RS50 359 Posted August 1, 2019 45 minutes ago, foamfence said: How about Shire horses pulling the grader, anything they drop could be left on the track to add interest. Hope the dirt deflectors work well if they do. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris116 755 Posted August 1, 2019 I hope Philip Rising doesn't see this thread, it could be bad for his health! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
00000 1,279 Posted August 1, 2019 Speedway Star and Tractor Weekly certainly has a ring to it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PHILIPRISING 7,298 Posted August 1, 2019 59 minutes ago, Chris116 said: I hope Philip Rising doesn't see this thread, it could be bad for his health! GONE for a lay down in a darken room ... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
foamfence 2,917 Posted August 1, 2019 6 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said: GONE for a lay down in a darken room ... Sure it isn't an upright? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFCB Wildcat 1,362 Posted August 1, 2019 It could work for me because many years ago I was a huge tractor enthusiast but then lost interest and gave it all up. It turned out to be beneficial though recently as I saved a lot of people when the room we were in filled with dense smoke. Lucky for them I was an ex tractor fan. 1 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigACE 91 Posted August 1, 2019 The magazine is brilliant as it is. I just hope it keeps going along with programmes forever. Getting the Star is part and parcel of my life. I get all angry if for any reason i have to wait until Friday to get mine. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted August 2, 2019 (edited) 20 hours ago, foamfence said: How about Shire horses pulling the grader, anything they drop could be left on the track to add interest. The detritus will hit the fans for sure. Edited August 2, 2019 by waytogo28 correction 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Midland Red 2,383 Posted August 2, 2019 I know someone who used to work at Massey Ferguson in Coventry - I’m sure he’d do an article for the new magazine Also, I have some photos of the Banner Lane factory which could be used 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 2, 2019 (edited) In the late 1950s-early 1960s several speedway magazines also covered stock car racing (ala short circuit car racing). Perhaps a resumption of that coverage could be of benefit to SPEEDWAY STAR? Edited August 2, 2019 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flitters 16 Posted August 2, 2019 I got into tractors by helping Glyn Taylor at Belle Vue with the track. I ended up with buying the Belle Vue Massey 35. There are plenty of tractor fans that would enjoy watching the tractors. My long suffering wife is now an extractor fan as I now have 5 tractors and a steam engine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
00000 1,279 Posted August 2, 2019 New idea: Speedway Star and Tractor Weekly incorporating Traction Engines Got to be a winner. Seriously, the Speedway Star, with no tractors, traction engines, gets better week by week. The editorial team are hitting their stride now. It's sharper, punchier, to the point, a super front cover every week...and again becoming a 'must read' print magazine. They understand the secret is to give your readers something you cannot read for free on the internet. Keep it up. It's the way forward. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites