2017 Grand Prix Venues

[RPNY 608]

With regards to the Polish community, it's a selling point which they love over here. 3 polish riders in the series being used to sell it would certainly help.I see it with local boxing shows all the time. Plenty or Irish/Polish/Latino fighters that are unknown come over here then sell the place out because it is something to bring the community together.

 

With regards to 'the other 48 states I was being facetious of course but it would be nice if they looked somewhere outside of the LA area is the point I'm trying to make.

[OveFundinFan 4,142]

Alaska for world championship ice racing maybe. Its not very far off Russia is it.

 

Where did Barry Briggs take his troupe - was it Houston?

Edited September 13, 2016 by OveFundinFan

[5 FURROW 97]

Pay enough and you're in ....

Well put your money where your mouth is then you could run a GP as you like then you may get it right

[Humphrey Appleby 13,955]

Well put your money where your mouth is then you could run a GP as you like then you may get it right

Why would any sane person want to pay a third party to stage an event where they assume all the financial risk? It's not like a McDonalds franchise which is (or at least was) a licence to print money.

Plenty or Irish/Polish/Latino fighters that are unknown come over here then sell the place out because it is something to bring the community together.

Different sports.

 

Speedway doesn't bring the Polish community together in the UK, so why would it in a country where the sport is virtually unknown? Presumably much of the Polish community in the US is also several generations removed from Poland now.

 

Pick any Polish person at random in the street and ask them what they know about speedway. I've met precisely two outside of speedway circles, which demonstrates the relative standing of speedway in Poland. Don't forget that womens' basketball is even more interesting than a speedway GP..

Edited September 13, 2016 by Humphrey Appleby

[RPNY 608]

You're missing the point it's merely ONE selling point. Yes it's two different sports but the way of attracting fans is still the same. Living here I saw how Heavyweight fighter Tomas Adamek became a big attraction in this area, mainly because he is Polish and despite "the Polish community in the US is also several generations removed from Poland now." as you say.

Also as I mentioned earlier, Supercoss isn't exactly a hugely followed sport here but once a year they attract a big crowd. I just personally believe that with the right promotion it could be a success. There are 20.2 million people in the Greater NY area..

 

With regards to your thoughts on Speedway within Poland, it sells out 3 GPs every year (one in the National Stadium) and the play offs at Torun just sold out in 24 hours. I'm sure Women's Basketball doesn't compete with that,

[iris123 20,986]

With regards to the Polish community, it's a selling point which they love over here. 3 polish riders in the series being used to sell it would certainly help.I see it with local boxing shows all the time. Plenty or Irish/Polish/Latino fighters that are unknown come over here then sell the place out because it is something to bring the community together.

 

 

Have you any names of these polish unknowns? and what sort of venue capacity are you talking about?I find it a bit hard t believe that a polish unknown would be topping the bill in the US and is the reason for the venue being sold out.I know Irish are popular and of course some American boxers do try and cash in on their irish heritage.Mickey Ward and Gerry Cooney for instance

 

Would this sell out crowd be a decent one for a GP?

Edited September 13, 2016 by iris123

[Humphrey Appleby 13,955]

With regards to your thoughts on Speedway within Poland, it sells out 3 GPs every year (one in the National Stadium) and the play offs at Torun just sold out in 24 hours. I'm sure Women's Basketball doesn't compete with that,

Polish GPs don't always sell out, and women's basketball was given as the reason why one of the Polish GPs was poorly attended by one of the SGP's associates.

 

Polish speedway does get some good attendances, but like Rugby League, its popularity seems to be confined to particular areas and doesn't seem to have nationwide appeal, let alone with the layman. You have a hard job finding anyone from Warsaw and a number of other major cities who knows anything about the sport, so the odds on expat second or third plus generations being interested seem remote to me.

 

I think you need to be putting GPs where there's the best chance for existing fans to turn-up.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Humphrey Appleby

[RPNY 608]

Tomas Adamek as I said above regularly sold out the Prudential Center in Newark & when Artur Szpilka fought Deontay Wilder for the Heavyweight title last year in Brooklyn it was 3/4 Polish fans. (and rather amusing as it was so boisterous you were only allowed to buy 1 beer per person and then they stopped serving before the main event!) They are 2 off the top of my head.
The Undercards of fights in NYC are always filled with local guys that are from one of the 'minority communities'

 

Look I'm not saying I have a golden full proof plan. Just saying there has to be opportunities out there to expand the series to new audiences. I'm just going by examples I've witnessed first hand. Is that a bad thing?

Edited September 13, 2016 by RPNYC

[iris123 20,986]

Tomas Adamek as I said above regularly sold out the Prudential Center in Newark & when Artur Szpilka fought Deontay Wilder for the Heavyweight title last year in Brooklyn it was 3/4 Polish fans. (and rather amusing as it was so boisterous you were only allowed to buy 1 beer per person and then they stopped serving before the main event!) They are 2 off the top of my head.

The Undercards of fights in NYC are always filled with local guys that are from one of the 'minority communities'

 

Look I'm not saying I have a golden full proof plan. Just saying there has to be opportunities out there to expand the series to new audiences. I'm just going by examples I've witnessed first hand. Is that a bad thing?

But by the time Adamek fought in Newark he was already a 2 time world champ and having his 37th fight.Hardly an unknown and like you mention Szpilka was fighting for a world title.Not really the unknowns you said in your earlier post

 

Speedway really lacks those ethnic minorities that you mention anyway apart from Poles.No Irish or Italian or German or Latinos in the series to sell tickets

Edited September 13, 2016 by iris123

[Humphrey Appleby 13,955]

Look I'm not saying I have a golden full proof plan. Just saying there has to be opportunities out there to expand the series to new audiences. I'm just going by examples I've witnessed first hand. Is that a bad thing?

It's fun to chew the fat over these things, but I'd think it's quite likely that IMG/BSI have explored a number of options for holding a GP in the US. That it's never happened in 17 seasons suggests that neither BSI or local promoters see it as being financially viable.

 

I'm also not sure why the sport should be chasing audiences in new territories. It's generally dying on its a**e in the places where it's ridden now, so efforts really need to be going into improving existing audiences before embarking on excursions elsewhere.

[RPNY 608]

iris123 -But by the time Adamek fought in Newark he was already a 2 time world champ and having his 37th fight.Hardly an unknown and like you mention Szpilka was fighting for a world title.Not really the unknowns you said in your earlier post

Speedway really lacks those ethnic minorities that you mention anyway apart from Poles.No Irish or Italian or German or Latinos in the series to sell tickets

 

They were not widely know to the locals who eventually came to see the fight, they were sold to them is the point I am trying to make. As could Polish riders coming to a ONE OFF WORLD TITLE event. Anyway I'm clearly wrong and we shouldn't bother trying for a GP anywhere else outside the current markets.

It's fun to chew the fat over these things, but I'd think it's quite likely that IMG/BSI have explored a number of options for holding a GP in the US. That it's never happened in 17 seasons suggests that neither BSI or local promoters see it as being financially viable.

I'm also not sure why the sport should be chasing audiences in new territories. It's generally dying on its a**e in the places where it's ridden now, so efforts really need to be going into improving existing audiences before embarking on excursions elsewhere.

Well that was my original point was that they dont seem to have tried much on holding a GP on anywhere other than LA. But as you say good to chew the fat get differing opinions

Edited September 13, 2016 by RPNYC

[iris123 20,986]

 

 

They were not widely know to the locals who eventually came to see the fight, they were sold to them is the point I am trying to make. As could Polish riders coming to a ONE OFF WORLD TITLE event. Anyway I'm clearly wrong and we shouldn't bother trying for a GP anywhere else outside the current markets.

 

They would surely have got a report or two here for winning a world title.I mean even the polish speedway team got a report

 

http://dziennikzwiazkowy.com/sport/dps-na-zuzlu-siodmy-w-historii-triumf-polakow/

 

It isn't that you are wrong for suggesting it.The problem is you have to market it to at least the Poles.For that you have to really be sure you have at least 1 polish rider fighting for the title.Poles are very patriotic and it wouldn't be much good to have a GP where the top riders are Australian,Swedish or a Brit and the best Pole is 5th or 6th...A lot different to marketing a 2 time world champ or someone who is actually fighting for a world title...You first have to get someone who wants to take the risk anyway

 

There was actually a small polish immigrant run speedway in the mid-west or chicago area.Couldn't have been very successful and possibly died a death as i haven't heard about it for a decade or so.......?

Edited September 13, 2016 by iris123

[RPNY 608]

Yes, my point exactly!

 

To your second point, yes it would be easier if there were Poles fighting for the world title but with probably 4 young Poles in the series from next season, at least two that speak perfect English and have the major energy drinks sponsors backing them, it could be a good opportunity. Anyway again as I said the Polish thing is just one example. I still say good promotion alone could make a GP work in that area. It's works with Supercross where there are no local riders or Poles/Latinos etc to help sell it.

Edited September 13, 2016 by RPNYC

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

Alaska for world championship ice racing maybe. Its not very far off Russia is it.

 

Where did Barry Briggs take his troupe - was it Houston?

YES, to the Astrodome twice. Was there as team manager of the Rest of the World Team which faced the USA.

[iris123 20,986]

 

 

There was actually a small polish immigrant run speedway in the mid-west or chicago area.Couldn't have been very successful and possibly died a death as i haven't heard about it for a decade or so.......?

Just done a search on this and it was at Valparaiso,Indiana back in 2007

 

Some Polish expats got together and persuaded the promoter to put on a team meeting between the Hoosier Hot Rockets including Wesley Oskiewicz(resident of Chicago) the son of former Grudziadz rider Wieslaw Oskiewicz against the Chicago Red Scorpions including Artur Taraszka.Now this wasn't a success as i guess the speedway hungry Poles didn't flock to support it.But interesting all the same

 

There was also another Polish born rider living in Chicago,who never really made much of an impact as far as i know,Lukas Michalski

Edited September 14, 2016 by iris123