Img - Future Grand Prix Locations

[Meowmix 0]

GP's held at Hackney weren't all that. Vojens track prepared for the danes by the danes, apart from the 1994 WF I've never seen a good meeting there, and I take it you've never been to Pocking!

 

Man made tracks aren't ideal, but I think more could be done with them. Olsen has a tunnel vision view on how tracks should be prepared - look at how he's screwed the track at the Marketa and the Polish tracks for instance.

 

He needs to have less input into the track prep and let the people who prepare tracks weekly at clubs around Europe do their thing. That goes for the man made tracks too.

[Kevin Meynell 2]

I've been suckered in again..

 

Well, it would be a boring forum otherwise.

 

Cardiff compared to Hackney, Parken compared to Vojens, Gelsenkirchen compared to Pocking isn't progress.

 

Bydgoszcz compared with Katowice, Målilla and Eskilstuna compared with Ullevi, Lonigo compared with errr.. Lonigo.

[Subedei 0]

Man made tracks aren't ideal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

In the absence of a geographical feature called a "speedway track" we must assume that all such things are man made.

Anyway, as usual, the Meynell has made some excellent points. The GPs have shrunk to a 16 rider line-up and in 2007 the winner of the GP might not necessarily score the most points from that GP. Indeed, it's theoretically possible for a rider to win each and every single GP and still not be world champion. Unlikely, granted, but possible. And that's progress?

BSI - IMG now, I guess - are having to fork over £100,000 to the winner of the German GP in a desperate bid to drum up interest and stop it flopping.

IMG have bought in haste and may be left to repent at their leisure.

[Meowmix 0]

In the absence of a geographical feature called a "speedway track" we must assume that all such things are man made. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Some people can be so pedantic!

 

BSI - IMG now, I guess - are having to fork over £100,000 to the winner of the German GP

 

It's around £50k actually - drop in the ocean for IMG.

[fatface 2,586]

Agree with some of the points above. I do not think the GPs are absolutely perfect, far from it. The points system for 2007 is very silly indeed. Temporary tracks have been hit or miss (as have some full-time tracks).

 

We can all nit-pick and make the GPs look very, very good or very, very bad depending on the evidence you select (and some people are very selective indeed). But I think if you look at the whole picture, the GPs are heading in the right direction.

 

Some great venues (some not so good, but our last few World Final venues and the early GP ones were all poor), good presentation at the events and excellent TV coverage. It's expanded and evolved, this year we should have a great finale no matter what and in future years we have a truly global company behind the sport to take it on again. Good no?

Edited April 18, 2007 by falcace

[manchesterpaul 447]

Who in their right mind supports a team full of Poles/Swedes/Danes/Americans etc who have no allegience whatsoever to their side.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The Premier League football clubs, along with other sports, seem to do well with sell-out matches. Look how many times Arsenal and Chelsea have fielded sides without a single englishman in them. The majority of the players on the field are not english.

 

Incidentally, i think we often tend to judge all sports, by the attendances in England of our national sport of football.

 

I've often thought what's the big deal about five figure attendances at polish speedway or three or four thousand at other european meetings. However, football crowds can be stunningly low outside of Germany, Italy, Spain and France. In such situations speedway can compare favourably against them.

Edited April 18, 2007 by manchesterpaul

[manchesterpaul 447]

Returning to the topics title, i'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Middle East. I don''t mean Baghdad or Beriut.

 

If i remember rightly, just before the Oil Crisis, there was an attempt to promote speedway in the Gulf countries. I'm pretty sure it had it's spectacular moments and looked very promising. Only for the Oil Crisis to rear it's head and put a stop to the efforts. I've often wondered why nobody has tried to promote there since.

[fatface 2,586]

touched upon here manchesterpaul...

 

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/ind...showtopic=31936

 

Adding to that, a GP in Doha would be do-able. But I think Dubai would be a better bet. Lots of ex-pats with plenty of disposable income who love a good event. Things like the Dubai Desert Classic Golf and Dubai Rugby Sevens are big hits, SGP could be too. Fairly certain they have suitable stadiums, but not 100% sure....

[Grachan 7,365]

I did see the 'Far East' mentioned too in Speedway Star, which I suppose could mean places like China (Hong Kong?) or Japan. I'm sure there would be a massive market in these places if it was promoted well.

[Bavarian 769]

Singapore and/or Malaysia

[Kevin Meynell 2]

Adding to that, a GP in Doha would be do-able.  But I think Dubai would be a better bet.

 

Maybe a Middle East would be worth a punt if a suitable mug, errr... I mean promoter could be found to take the gamble. However, I suspect such a GP would be little more than a shoe-in as a televised round as the local population is notoriously disinterested in watching sport live, probably because it's too damn hot. Furthermore, I doubt the extreme heat would be conducive to the sport unless an indoor stadium could be found. The dust is bad enough on Good Fridays at Oxford, so goodness knows what it would be like in Dubai!

 

Lots of ex-pats with plenty of disposable income who love a good event.  Things like the Dubai Desert Classic Golf and Dubai Rugby Sevens are big hits, SGP could be too.

 

But why would expats be interested in speedway anymore than they are when they're living in London or wherever? Rugby and golf are supported because they have wider interest back home.

 

I think I'd try expanding in the Asia-Pacific region first.

[Kevin Meynell 2]

It's expanded and evolved

 

I'm not just saying this because I'm disinterested in the SGP, but I genuinely think expanding beyond 6-8 rounds devalues the product. Having supposedly the top 16 riders in the world meeting a handful of times at major venues, would create more interest than having 4 or 5 poorly-attended events tacked-on for the sake of it.

[spiegal 294]

A lot of you are missing the whole point regarding the GP series.

 

It has nothing to do with racing,points,performances...it is all down to TV which= advertising which is far far more what the GP is all about.

 

again the whole point about China/Russia/far East is the tobacco revenues.

 

these places have little or no restrction on such promotion, and as you may be aware the Tobacco companies are teeming cash and with nothing tp spend it on.

 

Look at what IMG will bring, huge corporate advertising to outlets which simply need sports to promote their goods.

 

Buxton/Swindon/Kings Lynn etc they ain't worried about

[spanner47 336]

Top rider do not make a great meeting, just ask anyone who witnessed the Plymouth v USA Dream Team meeting lst week.  Passing in every race, plenty of incident and a very enjoyable evening except for the injury to Adam.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I witnessed the plymouth v usa meeting on friday, plenty of incident, yes, but most of that was down to poor riders on a tiddly track. On sunday i witnessed gniezno v gdansk, now thats what you call passing in most races, plenty of incident, and a very enjoyable afternoon. On top of that, witnessed by a massive crowd, creating a wonderful atmosphere. Now thats real speedway!!

[fatface 2,586]

Maybe a Middle East would be worth a punt if a suitable mug, errr... I mean promoter could be found to take the gamble. However, I suspect such a GP would be little more than a shoe-in as a televised round as the local population is notoriously disinterested in watching sport live, probably because it's too damn hot. Furthermore, I doubt the extreme heat would be conducive to the sport unless an indoor stadium could be found. The dust is bad enough on Good Fridays at Oxford, so goodness knows what it would be like in Dubai!

But why would expats be interested in speedway anymore than they are when they're living in London or wherever? Rugby and golf are supported because they have wider interest back home.

 

I think I'd try expanding in the Asia-Pacific region first.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Without wishing to get bogged down in a debate about whether a Middle East GP would work or not, I'll take the bait and pitch in. I've just returned from working for six months in the region and I'll say two things about the possibility.

 

Financial loss or not. Doesn't matter a jot to them. Snooker, Tennis, Golf, Superbikes, Rugby. They'll take the lot. All they want is a little recognition and profile for their part of the world. Money is no object.

 

Crowds. Bizarre though it is that they host big events, the natives don't respond that well. It's a cultural thing. It is ex-pats that go to these events. I found myself attending big golf, tennis, superbikes and a rave when I was there. Would I have gone to these in the UK? No. Why then over there? Because these type of events are relatively few and far between. They are where ex-pats go for something a little more familiar to home. Western (for want of a better word) events are big social occasions. Some mates of mine even went to a Bryan Adams concert, something they would never do at home (apologies to fans of the Canadian crooner )

 

But I'd say Dubai is a better bet than Doha or Bahrain, just because there's more ex-pats there. As for the weather, apparently July/August are unbearable, but the rest of the year is do-able.

Edited April 18, 2007 by falcace