Why is Speedway so far behind Formula 1?

[cowboy cookie returns? 747]

BSI did try don't they taking the GPs to Norway, Australia,New Zealand possibly even Finland? This country's all have some form of speedway competition already there so no matter how small at least some sort of cure support. I remember Prince Albert of Monaco being present at one of the early Cardiff GPs with a veiw of taking one to Monaco. Nothing ever happened to that idea.

Not sure they failed but have maybe shown the limitations of speedways appeal. Can't sell out Cardiff and can't financially support rounds in the mentioned countries. 

Lets see how the new promotion gets on.

[Bruiser 120]

You cannot compare the two…every motorsport is a mile behind Formula 1 in terms of money, sponsorship, fans and media exposure..in fact most sports full stop are way behind it whether people on here actually like it or not

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

3 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

BSI did try don't they taking the GPs to Norway, Australia,New Zealand possibly even Finland? This country's all have some form of speedway competition already there so no matter how small at least some sort of cure support. I remember Prince Albert of Monaco being present at one of the early Cardiff GPs with a veiw of taking one to Monaco. Nothing ever happened to that idea.

Well speedway really only has a sizeable following in about 3 or 4 countries, but the BSI didn't really seem to do much in the way of the promotion in the smaller markets. Only seemed to be interested in getting the staging fees from the local promoters and leaving it all to them, or where they promoted it themselves to fulfil some sort of contractual obligation, to do it as cheaply as possible. 

With Monaco, I'd imagine they were under the impression they could wrangle a sizeable staging fee out of the local organisers, but the Grimaldis didn't get where they are by giving their money away. Especially not on a sport with the sort of demographic that speedway has. 

There probably was some sort of reasonable attempt in the earlier years to take the SGP to better venues as well as extend the appeal to a wider range of countries, but I think in the end they realised they weren't going to grow it and largely decided to run things at a relatively modest level without pushing the boat out too much. 

3 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Lets see how the new promotion gets on.

Think a new promotion is long overdue and it'll be interesting to see whether they take things further than ING/BSI. 

[Ray Stadia 1,071]

4 hours ago, Bruiser said:

You cannot compare the two…every motorsport is a mile behind Formula 1 in terms of money, sponsorship, fans and media exposure..in fact most sports full stop are way behind it whether people on here actually like it or not

Apart from Moto GP perhaps. That has to be close to F1. 

[chunky 6,102]

The problem is that speedway fans EXPECT everyone to love it the same way we do - yet they constantly come on here posting how crappy it is!

Speedway is my favourite sport. It always has been, and while it is very different to the sport I grew up with, it still is my favourite sport. I am not like most speedway fans though; I don't come on here bitching about others who like F1, football, tennis etc. I like F1, and I like football, but like speedway, they are very different sports to the ones I watched as a kid. That doesn't make them boring, and it certainly doesn't make me an idiot for liking them. Look at most of the speedway meetings we watch, and we think to ourselves (and often post it on the BSF), "What a load of crap"!

I showed a friend of mine Chris' Harris' winning ride at Cardiff - and he just turned round to me, and said, "Is that supposed to be exciting"? Does that make him stupid or inferior? Of course not. Like when he goes mental over American football, yet it does absolutely nothing for me.

Not everybody likes the same things - or appreciates the same things. Look at music. I get sick of people telling me that, "All classical music sounds the same". Really, you think a baroque organ piece sounds like a 20th century flute concerto? I am a huge Tom Waits fan, as I love the emotions he puts me through. Most people though, just don't get him, and are like, "He's crap..."

I don't expect EVERYBODY to like speedway, but it surprises me that there aren't more. As has been said on here many times, speedway just isn't "cool' for most people. You could have speedway on terrestrial TV every night of the week, at prime time, and most would turn it straight off. Sad thing is, it could be the best speedway we've ever seen, but if they don't "get it", it does absolutely bugger all.

I know that British promoters rarely "promote", but quite honestly, what good would it do? If they could even afford it... As I've said before, everyone thinks they KNOW the answer, but the reality is that they DON'T. There are many reasons why speedway doesn't have the following it used to, but many of the reasons have nothing to do with the sport itself. We can't control everything, and we certainly can't control the way people think...

Edited December 14, 2021 by chunky

[FAST GATER 853]

3 hours ago, chunky said:

The problem is that speedway fans EXPECT everyone to love it the same way we do - yet they constantly come on here posting how crappy it is!

Speedway is my favourite sport. It always has been, and while it is very different to the sport I grew up with, it still is my favourite sport. I am not like most speedway fans though; I don't come on here bitching about others who like F1, football, tennis etc. I like F1, and I like football, but like speedway, they are very different sports to the ones I watched as a kid. That doesn't make them boring, and it certainly doesn't make me an idiot for liking them. Look at most of the speedway meetings we watch, and we think to ourselves (and often post it on the BSF), "What a load of crap"!

I showed a friend of mine Chris' Harris' winning ride at Cardiff - and he just turned round to me, and said, "Is that supposed to be exciting"? Does that make him stupid or inferior? Of course not. Like when he goes mental over American football, yet it does absolutely nothing for me.

Not everybody likes the same things - or appreciates the same things. Look at music. I get sick of people telling me that, "All classical music sounds the same". Really, you think a baroque organ piece sounds like a 20th century flute concerto? I am a huge Tom Waits fan, as I love the emotions he puts me through. Most people though, just don't get him, and are like, "He's crap..."

I don't expect EVERYBODY to like speedway, but it surprises me that there aren't more. As has been said on here many times, speedway just isn't "cool' for most people. You could have speedway on terrestrial TV every night of the week, at prime time, and most would turn it straight off. Sad thing is, it could be the best speedway we've ever seen, but if they don't "get it", it does absolutely bugger all.

I know that British promoters rarely "promote", but quite honestly, what good would it do? If they could even afford it... As I've said before, everyone thinks they KNOW the answer, but the reality is that they DON'T. There are many reasons why speedway doesn't have the following it used to, but many of the reasons have nothing to do with the sport itself. We can't control everything, and we certainly can't control the way people think...

Excellent post

I would watch speedway in the "pouring rain in the middle of a field " every night of the week but there are the majority who would not give it the time of day sat in a corporate box munching filet steak and best bubbly.  

[mikebv 10,292]

I think fundamentally UK Speedways issue is the return it gets on its "huge" outlay...

Well over a million next season will be spent collectively on circa 200 meetings in the top two leagues that, sadly, have very little meaning other than providing a salary for the riders...

That's an an enormous of amount of money shelled out to get so little cut through and recognition for their sport by the promoters..

Yet they continue doing the same thing year on year....

I would suggest less (but meaningful) meetings, with the same outlay but as "prize money" would attract a much larger overall following for the sport, given each meeting could be marketed as a stand alone event, with clear quality control of riders, presentation standards, fan engagement etc....

Theres too much of a "any speedway is better than no speedway" view, which then leads to its contrived operating model, and a dumbing down of standards, which ultimately will restrict fan interest and growth of the sport...

 

 

[jenga 2,998]

speedway , it is what it is .  a part time ,£10 pound sport trying to be a professional one , 

[Technik 491]

If you can go to your local track to watch speedway each week or when you think it will be a better event you can choose.

F1 comes to your country once a year weather its a good race or as dull as ditch water you will pay the entry fee to watch.

[BangerBoy 47]

On 12/12/2021 at 7:39 PM, KeirStarmerFan said:

How is our great sport a million miles from F1. I watched today's classic race and it is so much more exciting than speedway.

The BSI have failed speedway.

Classic race what was you watching?

 

[Teromaafan 586]

On 12/12/2021 at 7:39 PM, KeirStarmerFan said:

How is our great sport a million miles from F1. I watched today's classic race and it is so much more exciting than speedway.

The BSI have failed speedway.

So F1 is more exciting than speedway? You are are having a laugh. The most boring speedway race you will ever see lasts one minute. A ‘thrilling’ F1 race lasts how long with how much overtaking? F1 is all about technology and sponsorship. F1 is totally reliant on sponsorship and race day attendance revenue is an insignificant drop in the ocean. Unless speedway can adopt an aggressive marketing approach it will remain a minority sport. So F1 and speedway are motor sports. How many F1 followers actually know what speedway is, never mind having an interest or not?

 

[f-s-p 832]

On 12/14/2021 at 1:20 AM, Humphrey Appleby said:

Think a new promotion is long overdue and it'll be interesting to see whether they take things further than ING/BSI. 

How can they? IMO the only thing that is better than it was in 2000 is Ekstraliga, which can be argued is now as a good of a product as SGP. Overdue or not, no comments.

Everything else regarding our sport has... Well, you should know. 

[moxey63 1,785]

 

Speedway is so far behind F1 because it has tried to be the same.

It has gone from a team sport to just a bunch of individuals pretending to represent a team.

Edited December 16, 2021 by moxey63

[jenga 2,998]

how many time do you get to see a F1 race in the UK. just once ! followers of F1 save up for the one off meeting in their country and go because they can say , i was  in the crowd in 19 o blonk . 

if they ran F1 , say twice a month , the crowds would fall off big style . 

speedway every weel , almost ! 

two wheels are better than four anytime . 

ask Guy Martin what he thinks of F1 ...........

[BangerBoy 47]

5 hours ago, moxey63 said:

 

Speedway is so far behind F1 because it has tried to be the same.

It has gone from a team sport to just a bunch of individuals pretending to represent a team.

Hear Hear