Ray Stadia

Regarding your first post, if promoters/organisers/clubs tapped into grasstrack riders, I believe there would be sufficient. Also, many youngsters ride grasstrack, often sons and daughters of grasstrack riders and ex riders. It is a resource awfully and woefully overlooked. Grasstrack riders are crying out for 'track time' . I think the trouble, is the mindset. As someone else said, possibly yourself, there are 2 types of fans, those only interested in their team winning and those that enjoy the racing for what it is. Grasstrack fans and riders enjoy the racing. Speedway needs to attract those fans and I believe they are out there. Point 2, I personally think there have been very few promoters over the years who have made money out of the sport, John Berry, according to his book did, but I don't think it made him rich. Speedway promoters are enthusiasts and perhaps, egotists, but then, a lot of sports are like that. football clubs lose money, as do rugby clubs. But football and rugby seem to find benefactors who will bail them out. Why speedway doesn't, I'm not sure. Perhaps it's the demographic of the fans as a whole or simply the sheer lack of numbers. I agree it's not just the fault of the promoters, but someone has to carry the can! Foreign riders certainly hasn't helped with the costs and allowing machinery costs to runaway hasn't helped either. Why can't speedway or a type of speedway, switch to an amateur model, similar to the way grasstrack, moto X, trials is run? There are riders in all three disciplines who do make a living, but the cream only. The rest, just enjoy a Sunday ride in the summer!

All too late I'm afraid. Sweep the decks and start again! Re-open High Beech!

It seems that many of the current promoters, with the exception of the Isle of Wight, just want to carry on with the same formula. It would appear they are not interested in getting round a table with marketing people, supporters of the sport, riders etc. There seems to be a 'my way or the highway' attitude. I think change could only happen in one of 2 ways, 1. new tracks open with a new formula and not called speedway, but it is still 4 riders going round a track. So you start, effectively with a brand new sport. 2. assuming the new sport is successful, the existing set-ups 'jump ship' to the new sport. The new sport would have to be amateur, certainly at the beginning and will probably have to be 'a track in a field', as the chances of a new stadium in a town, with that kind of land at a premium and all the other problems associated with the building of an inner or indeed an outer town stadium, won't happen. The biggest thing killing the sport, is the costs. I doubt current riders would accept a pay cut. Stadium owners are not likely to be sympathetic to reductions in rents. For the sport to survive, in my opinion, it has to ditch the 'glitz and glamour' mentality, that every rider is a superstar, needs multiple bikes, a sign written van etc etc, we need to get back to a rider, with a passion for the sport, not a passion for what the rider will earn, but a passion for riding a speedway bike. Those riders are out there, they are competing in grasstrack, paying to enter, driving long distances, all out of their own pockets. What is more, they are 'starved' of enough meetings to attend. They would, I'm sure, love the chance to also ride a speedway type sport, but without all the 'cloak-and-dagger' the riders get with speedway.

So, what would be your solution HA?

I agree. I think once speedway gets it's model/formula right, it can go back to meetings in the best spring/summer/autumn months, every week!

I know how you feel, but I do believe speedway or the model can be reinvented. At the end of the day, basically, we enjoy watching 4 riders, on 500 cc single pot 4 stroke engines, going round a shale oval track, over 4 laps, with the whiff of Castrol R in the air.

What would be your solution?

I think this is one of the problems with speedway, clinging onto team racing, is what is killing speedway as a sport. You could have several individual meetings, spit the country into zones or centres (similar to grasstrack) and every now and then, create a team from the riders within the centre/zone/district, whatever you want to call it, to race against other teams, in a team meeting. Once again, similar to grasstrack's inter-centre meetings. This will create more variety for the supporters. Pay the riders? No, pay them prize money based on gate takings.

Maybe speedway could try and register itself as a charity?

In my opinion, attracting new fans isn't going to happen with the way the sport is currently set-up. Those that run and compete in the sport, in this country, obviously believe the sport is bigger than what it actually is. For the circle to be squared for speedway, the first stage has to be reducing costs for everyone involved, including the fans. Unless that happens, and happens quickly, more tracks will close and more riders will turn away or will not enter the sport. I think the Isle of Wight's ideas could be the salvation of 4 bikes going round a shale oval track.

It wasn't very clear. The Rye House version was very easy to navigate. It felt as though it was a precursor to a full blown object/accept, but maybe it's not.

I've sent something to Erica Buchannan, but it all seemed a bit weird. I had to sign up to be able to leave my objection and the nearest description of who I am is 'neighbour'. Which does make me wonder if only people in the area will be 'listened' to?

But....the so called progress, hasn't translated into more fans and more tracks.

My first grass bike was a BSA Gold Star 350 cc (B32)! Running on methanol.

If there was a switch to battery, surely you would get the explosive instant power, similar to a current methanol burning engine, but you wouldn't get the braking effect from an electric motor, but maybe that can be overcome. On the other hand, 4 bikes going round without the distinctive noise and, although reducing these days, due to riders using synthetic oil, the smell, will be the final nail!

I believe methanol was the chosen fuel, due to the additional power you get from methanol and the use of high compression pistons. When you take the head off a speedway engine, there is virtually no carbon deposits on the piston, the head or valves. And the ports are clean. Methanol used to be more expensive to buy, but I think it might be the same as petrol or even a bit cheaper now. As for the environment, it wouldn't surprise me if methanol is cleaner. It's used in power boat racing and speedway engines (2 valve Jawas and JAPs) used in pre 65 scrambles, they can and many do, use methanol.

Sent my objection, together with my comments.

Definitely another thought/angle?

Not many could sustain a loss of 84k, without some kind of quid pro quoi! i.e. another business which is tied in with the same set up, that makes a profit and allows the loss to be offset against profits.

I think John Louis started late in speedway, after a switch from scrambles/moto X, but soon picked it up!

Looking at the Metro online today, they have a headline 'Speedway spectator, 57, killed by shrapnel after driver crashed into wall', but of course it's in America and relates to one of their car race meetings. Probably won't help our version of 'Speedway'!

I think the thing is, speedway teams have this person who runs the show, who is called 'the promoter'. The title sounds like he is the man/woman who holds the purse strings, is cash rich, is an expert in marketing and media marketing and an expert organiser. The reality, is the promoter is a speedway enthusiast, probably has a business to run, so has limited time, makes no money from the sport, probably loses money, but hey, he/she is an enthusiast. Perhaps the name promoter should be scrapped. The name promoter is normally given to someone who is organising a one off event, such as a pop/rock concert, who would likely be cash rich, as he/she will be running a promotion company. Team manager is probably a more accurate title.

Doesn't cost money to who? The fans, the riders or the promoters? To put on a decent presentation and to promote the sport properly will definitely cost money, a lot of money which isn't in the sport, maybe never was, probably not for many many years. For speedway (or for 4 riders going round an oval shale track to survive), in my opinion, it needs to go back to grass roots and build from the bottom. The sport needs more tracks and more homegrown riders. The sport needs to be far cheaper for everyone, the riders the fans and the promoters/organisers. It needs to be an amateur sport, similar to grass track. More tracks will probably mean 'tracks in a field', but does that matter? If a rider wants to ride, they will ride for free or even pay to ride, as grass track riders do. The sport needs to get back to everyone loving the sport, i.e. the riders, organisers and the fans. At the moment, everyone is gathered around the patients bed watching the patient slowly die and everyone feeling depressed. However, there are a minority who feel all is well and are ignoring the fact, the emperor is wearing no clothes!

There have been tracks over the years, who have operated during the week and successfully. What holds back many of us, from travelling outside our local areas, is the diabolical traffic congestion we have to contend with in this country. Of course, that also affects the riders and especially those who want to work and ride. It's a bit late now, as so many tracks have gone, but over the years, people have said the teams should be put in leagues based on where the track is located, i.e. Northern League, Eastern League etc, but for reasons best known to others, it never happened. For speedway to survive, there needs to be a complete overhaul, but 'limping on' seems to be the way it is presently.

I don't think so, that flies in the face of the very point I and others on here are suggesting!