ch958 2,395 Posted July 9, 2023 got to start somewhere Truthy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
truthsayer 234 Posted July 9, 2023 2 minutes ago, ch958 said: got to start somewhere Truthy Speedway has to rip pretty much everything up and start again though. There are a lot of really great ideas shared on this forum, the problem is that it's just too far gone. Speedway is in survival model and the promotors all have different agendas. If you started with a clean sheet of part you'd do it so differently, with many of these great ideas. All we're doing though is rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship. Venues, local rider development and reducing costs are all core to developing a 'new' speedway. They need to go hand in hand and a half assed attempt at one thing won't touch the sides. Then you have the quality of the product and promotion, which are all huge aspects in themselves. It also won't happen without investment, and won't happen overnight. Speedway has no money and little time. A five-year plan is of no use to a promotor who is praying to get through the next five days. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted July 9, 2023 2 hours ago, Bald Bloke said: I believe after around 30 races, the bikes of today are "serviced", which means an engine strip, tolerances measured and re build with new parts where needed. There's a great vid out there, showing what it entails. I'll try and find it. Here it is. Very interesting imho. And well worth a watch.. Fascinating stuff...just goes to demonstrate what's involved today and questions whether it's sustainable under the current climate? 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sings4Speedway 3,247 Posted July 10, 2023 14 hours ago, truthsayer said: I would see no reason why a motor couldn't do 120 races between rebuilds. A system where a tuner/prep company tenders for a contract to supply all riders in official races would be the way forward. All engines identical, to the tendered spec, tested, sealed and allocated at random. Motors leased by the riders and swapped when the service level is met. Rider can adjust gearing, fuelling and ignition, but nothing internal. It's a formula used by other sports and reduces costs and increases fairness. It would be my strategy if I was starting a speedway league today, but it's the least of the problems faced by British speedway at this time. As part of a five year plan though, it would be integral. Im sure i recall those innovative people over on IOW running a stock engine meeting a season or two ago (Jawa's?) where engines were drawn on lots a fitted to the machines that day. Yes there were inevitable teething problems like requiring a different front pipe and the condition of coils supplied with each engine varied but the concept was sound. Would certainly need a strong amount of time to prepare though as it would require a fair of engines to cater for just the UK and the GTR debacle showed the investment needed and timescales required. On the other side the final season with current engines would be quite hilarious as riders would stop getting them serviced knowing they will be redundant and worthless at the end of the season and run them all on until they blow up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
secsy1 213 Posted July 10, 2023 Arguing about 4 valves and engine rebuilds is so far from what is wrong. Constantly debating an irrelevance is pointless. Apart from immediate discussions on restructuring for 2024, anything else is a waste of time. Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Peterborough and Kings Lynn are but a few who are on the rack and potentially more. Only a handful of tracks are presently sustainable, but they also need to change and adapt to what the paying fans want to keep them coming. The restructuring in 1964 paved the way for a successful season in 1965 and onto its dizzy heights. 2023 will be a defining year for restructure of every aspect of what we call speedway in the UK. It must start now by every promoter accepting the catastrophic way it is so poorly run and accept responsibility for the decline. Forget about 3 tiers in the UK and all promoters get together with people who care and can help and sort it out NOW. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Byker Biker 472 Posted July 10, 2023 On 7/9/2023 at 6:12 AM, ch958 said: funny - just what this debate needs I like you're comment, the original post gives the powers that be complete licence to ignore anything constructive on any of these pages. As a collective the BSF are no better than the BSPL consequently neither can respect each other's opinions - shame 'cos there are some good suggestions from time to time that are ripped to shreds by other posters before any logic is applied or consideration can be given. All in my humble opinion of course. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
truthsayer 234 Posted July 10, 2023 15 minutes ago, secsy1 said: Only a handful of tracks are presently sustainable, but they also need to change and adapt to what the paying fans want to keep them coming. There are not enough paying fans, this is a major part of the problem. The point you are referring to is they need to find a formula which attracts new fans as well as keeping the old ones. Engine rebuilds is a relevant point though, as cost cutting (without reducing quality) is something which needs to be looked at because costs need cutting and income needs increasing. But if speedway wants to rely on paying fans to keep it afloat then it needs to grow the audience, not simply retain it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,278 Posted July 11, 2023 On Circa 80 to 90 riders, well over a million quid will be paid out this year.. Maybe even two million given the level of rider now over here.. Yet hardly a penny spent on advertising and marketing the sport collectively... The GP riders and Emil and Artem do put "bums on seats", however, that can be a short term novelty value, rather than generating "repeat visits".. The vast majority of riders over here wouldnt attract much of a "floating follower" to attend the night that they are in town.. And the superstars have little "external fanfare" generated by the promotions the nights that they are in attendance.. Sadly. No point bringing someone expensive over when the vast majority of the local populace have never even heard of you, never mind him... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted July 11, 2023 9 minutes ago, mikebv said: On Circa 80 to 90 riders, well over a million quid will be paid out this year.. Maybe even two million given the level of rider now over here.. Yet hardly a penny spent on advertising and marketing the sport collectively... The GP riders and Emil and Artem do put "bums on seats", however, that can be a short term novelty value, rather than generating "repeat visits".. The vast majority of riders over here wouldnt attract much of a "floating follower" to attend the night that they are in town.. And the superstars have little "external fanfare" generated by the promotions the nights that they are in attendance.. Sadly. No point bringing someone expensive over when the vast majority of the local populace have never even heard of you, never mind him... I remember being all excited during my first year of speedway knowing that the reigning World Champion Ole Olsen would be riding that evening at Cowley. I recall getting off the bus from a day at school and couldn't get round to the stadium quickly enough. I obviously got to hear/read of his appearance beforehand. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
midlandred 206 Posted July 11, 2023 1 hour ago, steve roberts said: I remember being all excited during my first year of speedway knowing that the reigning World Champion Ole Olsen would be riding that evening at Cowley. I recall getting off the bus from a day at school and couldn't get round to the stadium quickly enough. I obviously got to hear/read of his appearance beforehand. Televising speedway meetings has eliminated the chance of having such anticipation of a live appearance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Derrickn 56 Posted July 12, 2023 On 7/9/2023 at 7:43 AM, truthsayer said: FWIW I agree with you. There's no need for such expensive equipment if it was standardised. It would save costs and possibly even improve the show. But four-valve engines aren't the cause. Progress is. If rules stated 'two valves only' then we'd still be riding just as highly-tuned and expensive engines - the only difference is that they would have two-valves rather than four. People want a competitive edge and will spend to do so, and will push the rules as far as they can. A standard engine, two-valves or four, is in theory the solution but the sport couldn't afford it as a rule change. Someone would need to buy them. Current journeymen would probably quit because of the investment. Current equipment would become obsolete and worthless and the cost to police it would likely be prohibitive. Although, in theory, it would save money the investment needed would be beyond most stakeholders currently involved in the sport. Maybe the grass/longtrackers would be interested in the engines that become available,the rolling chassis should still be usable for speedway. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sings4Speedway 3,247 Posted July 12, 2023 1 hour ago, Derrickn said: Maybe the grass/longtrackers would be interested in the engines that become available,the rolling chassis should still be usable for speedway. Maybe all internal combustion engines will be banned from public roads in the next two years and you are forced to buy electric....don't worry though because you could still sell your car to a handful of banger racers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,986 Posted July 12, 2023 Personally i thought they passed through turmoil about a decade ago and after speeding through crisis have put the foot down to get to oblivion before the 2030 deadline Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,706 Posted July 12, 2023 36 minutes ago, iris123 said: Personally i thought they passed through turmoil about a decade ago and after speeding through crisis have put the foot down to get to oblivion before the 2030 deadline Yes looks like British Speedway will achieve carbin neutral staus by 2030 by virtue of not existing 3 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toady 231 Posted July 12, 2023 Reading all this doom and gloom reminds me of how we felt on hearing the news that Swindon would not be running in 2020/21 and subsequently never. We had been watching the Robins since the demise of the cheetahs and followed them everywhere. Team sometimes good sometimes bad,they achieved a couple of titles in that period but then came 2019 they started with a reasonable team but nothing special then midway made a couple of changes that transformed that team and we continued to follow them and sometimes would question whether we should travel to kings lynn, Peterborough or Ipswich again but always came to the conclusion that we should as you never know the future. What a team that was Doyley,batch,Adam,rasser,Toby,ellis,Claus. Speedway out of the top draw at home on the new Abbey circuit and away wherever they went. Fortunately for us Oxford came back to cushion the blow so we were lucky The main reason for most of the failures is loss of stadia out of most promotors hands What I am trying to say Enjoy what you’ve got now as it could be gone in a flash. Support your Team now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
