Classic At Newport

[BigFatDave 258]

Tim Stone had the balls to stage the event every winter when nobody else was bothered about it. This meeting should be left at Newport every January in honour of the man who brought the event to the club in the first place in 1998 and held it every single year until his death.

Couldn't agree more.

[NWS 3]

Seems like more people want it to stay at Newport! It's only right though.

 

As if the BSPA will listen to a small number of, (as Wanna nicely put) Bitter supporters.

 

If your not happy with it being at Newport then don't bother going, if it's the 'fair' and 'right' thing to do that it to be passed around then surely the majority of supporters will agree and not turn up. Meaning the Mallets will lose too much money to keep running it and have no choice but to pass it on? Yet Newport keep getting bumper crowds for this meeting so it must be OK, OK?

[colincooke 0]

Seems like more people want it to stay at Newport! It's only right though.

 

As if the BSPA will listen to a small number of, (as Wanna nicely put) Bitter supporters.

 

If your not happy with it being at Newport then don't bother going, if it's the 'fair' and 'right' thing to do that it to be passed around then surely the majority of supporters will agree and not turn up. Meaning the Mallets will lose too much money to keep running it and have no choice but to pass it on? Yet Newport keep getting bumper crowds for this meeting so it must be OK, OK?

 

 

The one that is whining on about it never does go, 2009 apart of course.

They'd know that all that is said here is correct if they did would they not.

Edited January 7, 2010 by colincooke

[Pinny 2,536]

My question on when Sheffield last hosted the classic has still not been answered?

 

 

[uk_martin 1,606]

Sheffield ran the winter meeting before Newport. Why shouldn't they have it back?

Sheffield and Poole can happily manage without a mid winter meeting. One gets the impression that the NYC and the (post Grand Prix) Welsh Open are two key meetings that ensure tha financial stability of Newport. Take one of its key "earners" away from it and you could lose Newport from the sport. Don't think anyone would want that would they?

[lucifer sam 3,953]

My question on when Sheffield last hosted the classic has still not been answered?

 

Wasn't that a Boxing Day meeting or something - and was therefore the "December" meeting instead of the "January" meeting. Held in the mid 1990s I think - we were there.

 

All the best

Rob

[lucifer sam 3,953]

I am not advocating Poole running it. Just share it around clubs who do want to run it. There's no reason why it should be at Newport every year.

 

Steve, because the "New Year Classic" was the invention of the former Newport promoter and this meeting, along with the post-Cardiff Welsh Open, help to keep the track going.

 

All the best

Rob

 

[Mr Ore 204]

My question on when Sheffield last hosted the classic has still not been answered?

 

I'll try not to adopt the stereotypical pedant stance, expected of forum members, but will confirm that Sheffield did indeed stage a Christmas meeting, won by Kelvin Tatum, in the early 1990s. I know as I was there, although without digging out old programmes I don't have the actual date. I reckon either 1993 or 4 but don't quote me.

 

Ironically the powers that be refused to sanction a close season conventional speedway meeting so technically it is not the same. However it should be. Tim Lucking asks to stage a speedway meeting over the close season and is turned down. Several years later Tim Stone asks the same question and is approved. It could be argued therefore that Newport "borrowed" Sheffield's idea and therefore Owlerton should have been given the opportunity to run this meeting as it was initially the Tigers' promotion's idea.

 

Where the pedants will have a field day however is that whilst the meeting was run it was not called speedway. It also incorporated a mix of speedway riders and road racers riding moto cross machines and although raced on the full speedway track had two ramps which the bikes had to jump over to make it totally different to conventional speedway. Clearly speedway machines don't have the scope to incorporate jumps so that is why moto cross bikes were used. Although used to handling greater speed the road boys, and there were several top names of the time there, did not have the same ability to get on a full skid round the corners which is where Kelvin came good. I suppose the nearest, without the jumps, I have seen to this on a regular basis is the excellent sand track racing held at Mablethorpe (I should get something from them for such a plug).

 

So as Sheffield were the first to ask to stage a convetional out of season meeting (or was it Ellesmere Port?) maybe they should be given the opportunity to have it raced there as the sole remaining track to have actually proposed such a meeting. The Owlerton Mistletoe And Auld Lang Syne Never Held Before But Still Called A Classic meeting just trips off the tongue. Guaranteed to get a crowd bigger than a bumper one too.

[Pinny 2,536]

I don't think the argument that if Newport didn't have the New Year Classic or Welsh open, they were fold, holds much water personally. As I have said so many times, a successful team in Newport will bring the fans flocking back. Looks as if this years team could be alot better than previous years, so lets hope its the case.

 

Anyway, back on topic.

 

Sheffield hosted the event a good 4/5 years before Newport then. Something was obviously wrong as they wouldn't decline Sheffield hosting the event (who had, I presume, successfully held it already?) and then let Newport run it.

 

Maybe Tim Stone did take their idea then. But this was a few years after Sheffield had held there event. If Newport didn't host the event for 4/5 years, then any club obviously has a right to have it.

 

But Newport have consistently run the meeting since 1998 year on year, barring last year of course which was because of the death of our promoter.

 

Other clubs are allowed to host the meetings. Scunthorpe hosted theres in December and Kings Lynn were allowed to host one in February, but chose not to with the weather and lack of riders.

 

The New Year Classic in January should be left at Newport for as long as the promotion want in honour of Tim Stone. The man who brought this event to Newport in the first place and made such a success of it.

[tanya 0]

How many tracks would be able to have full access to the track weeks before the meeting to get it prepared. The Newport track preparation went on for weeks because of the weather situation. At least with Newport they have full access to the track whereas others would not? Would tracks that depend on renting the facilities still have the same access as Newport have?

[Dietbowers 522]

How many tracks would be able to have full access to the track weeks before the meeting to get it prepared. The Newport track preparation went on for weeks because of the weather situation. At least with Newport they have full access to the track whereas others would not? Would tracks that depend on renting the facilities still have the same access as Newport have?

It`s a good point Tanya.

But shouldn`t you be in work?

 

[tanya 0]

I'm snowed in the house and out of work, thats the problem when you work in a school

[steve gresham 0]

I'm snowed in the house and out of work, thats the problem when you work in a school

Lucky you Tanya

[BigFatDave 258]

I'm snowed in the house and out of work, thats the problem when you work in a school

Brings back memories of Newport in the Winter of 62, Tanya: digging out the driveway so Father could get to work (at BNS Pontypool) then digging it out again in the arvo so's he could get back in. Blanket over the car's engine, tarp over the bonnet and a Kero Lamp underneath so's the block wouldn't freeze. Mind you, 9 weeks off school 'cos the pipes all burst wasn't too bad!!

[JT 167]

As I mentioned on the Lakeside thread, Steve Boxall was hugely impressive in this meeting, fast, smooth and really gutsy. If he doesn't start with a team place, I'm sure many promoters will keep him in mind if riders in their starting line-ups underperform.

 

OK it was a meeting of little consequence to riders with team places, explains why Iversen wasn't as dominant as he should have been) but you could see some riders were giving it everything (including Chris Mills who started really well) and at least tried to overtake.

 

From a Wasps persepective it was nice to see that Brent Werner appears to have shaken off his off-track problems from 2009. He was the same as ever (fast out of the gate but like a road block when out front!) but at Newport that is an invaluable quality.

 

Anders Mellgren also showed a lot of promise and was really entertaining, completing a brilliant overtake in his last ride. It's hard to believe he is the same age as some of the Hornets on display last Sunday......

 

JT.

Edited January 7, 2010 by JT