Where Is British Speedway Going.

[Mr. Clemens 646]

Reading a book called 'Never Had It So Good' A History of Britain From Suez to the Beatles

Dominic Sandbrook Abacus Books

 

A Passage on Page 130

 

Speedway was a popular spectator sport, second only to football; it attracted 6 million observers annually and boasted a track in almost every large town. In cities like Birmingham and Coventry, where the motorcycles were actually manufactured, there was tremendous interest in the thrilling speed and excitement of speedway races.

 

The book is a good read in general.

[cowboy cookie returns? 748]

There are many ideas being put about, regarding what's wrong with speedway. We all know it isn't a quick fix, but we must begin by questioning why people who are still actually attending meetings... are on this website, asking what's wrong with speedway?

 

Many things come to my mind. I know people change over the years, some things don't seem as important as they were back in the day, and speedway is like that to me. But I still have a great fondness for the sport, just that I cannot be bothered worrying about something, frustrated when things are changed in the sport that are out of my control, and therefore I have gradually (and unwittingly) distanced myself somewhat from it.

 

I suppose it's a bit like a family member with, say... a drug problem, an alcohol issue. You spend so much time trying to watch out for them, hoping they will eventually come round to your way of thinking and stop being a god damn pain in the rear, that you eventually become less caring as time goes on and they get worse. They will carry on doing what they do; you are just helping them out of guilt or habit. Best thing, is to cut away and stop using wasted energy and time on something you cannot control and it is a pointless issue.

 

I often think, the introduction of the GPs have taken the sport into the realms of Formula One racing, where it's the individual that is king and team racing secondary? Me, personally, I get the impression that league speedway has suffered by the introduction of the GPs, as it has with the needless use of riders racing for so many different clubs, and in so many countries.

 

I read Phil Collins’ piece in the Star last week, and it is hard to believe he actually walked away from the sport in the mid-80s... because he was finding it more and more difficult to pass, his strong point. I recall there was talk about speedway getting by, using less and less dirt on tracks, and fans wanted dirt on circuits increased, allowing the chance of better racing.

 

At the time, a quarter of a century on, I still remember how frustrated I was when promoters decided to ignore fans' call for better racing, more dirt, and instead chose to ditch the tried and tested 13 heat format and go to 15 heats, thinking a little polish of the format would bring better racing, more overtaking and halt the army of fans drifting away…

 

Unfortunately, Phil Collins was one of the first to see the light, heading off to other climbs. Sadly, many terrace folk followed in his tyre-treads and, a bit like the tracks he left, terraces have become bare.

Well written & spot on.

[mc1874 56]

I think a lot of people harp back to the good old days. Maybe we will never get back there but hey I still think if we could new folk in they would enjoy it

[ch958 2,396]

"I read Phil Collins’ piece in the Star last week, and it is hard to believe he actually walked away from the sport in the mid-80s... because he was finding it more and more difficult to pass, his strong point. I recall there was talk about speedway getting by, using less and less dirt on tracks, and fans wanted dirt on circuits increased, allowing the chance of better racing."

 

watched the gp at the weekend for about 15 mins - racing rubbish - no overtaking - two idiots shouting over nothing -same old names - turned it off

and believe me i was an obsessive fan at one time - imagine how the casual fans feel

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

Modern laydown bikes don't handle deep dirt very well, so I have been told on several occasions by riders and ex riders alike..... And the silencers make them even worse.., add in to the mix super light flywheels, slipper pistons and the engines just die in the dirt.......

Edited June 2, 2014 by Shale Searcher

[tyretrax 2,254]

Modern laydown bikes don't handle deep dirt very well, so I have been told on several occasions by riders and ex riders alike..... And the silencers make them even worse.., add in to the mix super light flywheels, slipper pistons and the engines just die in the dirt.......

So to make speedway easier we do away with why we go to speedway........... ENTERTAINMENT

[Vince 9,459]

So what if they don't handle deep dirt so well, if they can use the modern day tracks in much the same way older bikes used deep tracks what does it matter? It's easy to think that it was deep tracks that gave good racing but the truth is that it's always been pot luck whether you saw a great meeting or not, the only difference is that the rose tinted glass brigade have now got more places to complain about how much better it was in the 'old days'

 

The old days being whenever you started going to Speedway with the enthusiasm of a newcomer. When I first went in the 60's I was often told how much better it was in the 50's, my son never saw a meeting until the 90's and was treated to any number of people telling him how much better it was in the 80's, for some who complain the 'good old days' are actually the 00's. Try looking at Speedway without the bias and it's still a fantastic sport with good races and bad like any motorsport. It's easier to talk it down though.

 

Forget uprights, black leathers, 2 valve engines, rolling into corners, one day world finals (where the best rider often didn't win) and so on, those days are gone. Accept modern Speedway where the lads are giving 100% every corner and they are riding closer than ever, overtaking just as much and just fractionally faster than they were a few years ago and it's brilliant at it's best and still a bloody good sport even when it's not a great meeting.

[The White Knight 9,039]

Modern laydown bikes don't handle deep dirt very well, so I have been told on several occasions by riders and ex riders alike..... And the silencers make them even worse.., add in to the mix super light flywheels, slipper pistons and the engines just die in the dirt.......

Which taken altogether with all the stupid Rule changes, make me sometimes question whether the Sport we are watching today is the same one as years ago. The answer to me anyway is that it isn't. It is just a version of what we used to watch. A poorer version at that.

[ch958 2,396]

So what if they don't handle deep dirt so well, if they can use the modern day tracks in much the same way older bikes used deep tracks what does it matter? It's easy to think that it was deep tracks that gave good racing but the truth is that it's always been pot luck whether you saw a great meeting or not, the only difference is that the rose tinted glass brigade have now got more places to complain about how much better it was in the 'old days'

 

The old days being whenever you started going to Speedway with the enthusiasm of a newcomer. When I first went in the 60's I was often told how much better it was in the 50's, my son never saw a meeting until the 90's and was treated to any number of people telling him how much better it was in the 80's, for some who complain the 'good old days' are actually the 00's. Try looking at Speedway without the bias and it's still a fantastic sport with good races and bad like any motorsport. It's easier to talk it down though.

 

Forget uprights, black leathers, 2 valve engines, rolling into corners, one day world finals (where the best rider often didn't win) and so on, those days are gone. Accept modern Speedway where the lads are giving 100% every corner and they are riding closer than ever, overtaking just as much and just fractionally faster than they were a few years ago and it's brilliant at it's best and still a bloody good sport even when it's not a great meeting.

 

 

it is a syndrome that people, especially older people, look back with rose coloured specs

 

however its more than that - crowds are falling - nobody - absolutely nobody can be making any money apart from maybe a dozen top riders

 

a complete rethink is needed - its not F1 - fans don't care about the bikes just the racing, the riders and the teams

 

make the bikes cheaper to buy and run - i don't care how but it must be possible - slow the thing down a bit - use the dirt more

[weatherwatcher 664]

There is very little in the way of exitement in the GP's or the EL. There is far to much dick follow the leader racing, and this is from the way the tracks are laid these days and the drop down bikes. Yes when the tracks where deeper and we had the old upright bikes the racing was much ceaner. The tracks are so hard and slick now, you could race 4 double deckers around the tracks if they fit and get the same sort of results.

You hardly see any sort of team racing with 2 riders from a side working together at the front close together trying thier hardest to keep the other 2 lads from getting past. All that folks seem to want nowadys is lots of overtaking.

Give me some hard fort racing anyday.

You can see it in most of the EL league and even in pairs racing which is very far and few these days, 1 rider goes out from the gate to be around 5 or 6 bike lengths in from his team mate is in second place with a couple of riders behind him usually a couple of bikes back, but if these 2 riders are close to him, then he has no team mate to help him out because he his miles infront and only thinking of the money and the glory of winning the heat.

So yes the old way was the best with teams being teams not idividual riders, who now ride for so many teams , I doubt even if they know which team is actually the team they should really ride for.

[wealdstone 3,454]

Which taken altogether with all the stupid Rule changes, make me sometimes question whether the Sport we are watching today is the same one as years ago. The answer to me anyway is that it isn't. It is just a version of what we used to watch. A poorer version at that.

It is a million miles from that which we used to watch. Moreover the Mafia drive and have driven anybody who dares to aspire to the inner sanctum or has any ambition or vision out of the sport.

[The White Knight 9,039]

It is a million miles from that which we used to watch. Moreover the Mafia drive and have driven anybody who dares to aspire to the inner sanctum or has any ambition or vision out of the sport.

It's difficult to argue with that.

[pandorum 1,259]

It's likely that speedway in the UK is not going anywhere sadly as it arrived years ago at a place called 'nowhere' and seems to want to stay there until it finally croaks on it's own hubris.

 

As TWK asks the sport is indeed light years away from the fun sport I got into as a kid.

And as wealdstone says anyone with an ounce of vision is ignored or hounded until they just give up.

UK speedway the Lemming of the sporting world.

[macinter 158]

We can discuss all day as to what is wrong with speedway but it is a fact that the average fan wants to see his team win by as big a margin as possible, as does his promoter. Which is why we have tracks prepared how the home team want them prepared. Which generally means crap racing with little passing and also means that any newcomer to the sport is not going to come back. Some generalities there I know but, generally speaking, correct.

[ch958 2,396]

We can discuss all day as to what is wrong with speedway but it is a fact that the average fan wants to see his team win by as big a margin as possible, as does his promoter. Which is why we have tracks prepared how the home team want them prepared. Which generally means crap racing with little passing and also means that any newcomer to the sport is not going to come back. Some generalities there I know but, generally speaking, correct.

 

does the average fan really think like this? if so we're f**ked