Mixy230

Jeremy (I think I agree with your post!) Several things come to mind as a long time Speedway fan (But not anal enough to read up and take in all of the rules legalities of team Speedway) Overcomplicated rules (My other half prefers Speedway over Stock Cars but always asks me what is going on?!) Why do the rules need to be so complicated? (Overcomplicated) Why does Speedway need to be Aloof with a certain amount of inbuilt snobbery (Harsh I know) The reason I say this is Sat night we walked the pits, spoke to several drivers/teams/mechanics/ engine builders, which in my opinion is part of the attraction........ (In Speedway it appears they keep the common masses away from the "Stars") Build long term consistent teams (3 years +?) So we can build a following a fan base - not just mercenary short term riders Build some hype / grudge matches / riders grudges (Even if its a little staged!) It needs Drama and excitement! One of the BIGGEST talking points from Sat night was a "Payback" for a previous incident. (Whether it was deliberate/ whether it was a racing incident) Who knows who cares but the fans are talking about it! PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT STILL WHEN THEY GET HOME, WHEN THEY GO TO WORK! That makes a difference! I could go on! When I win £24million on Lottery I have a Stcok Car / Speedway track in my mind ready to be built! lol Great subject but please do not keep burying heads in sand ! Or Speedway will die M So what does that tell you? Would Cardiff be packed if it was on Twice a week?

Maybe...................................................... One meeting on at a time spread around the country............ But it appears many travelling fans Friday 3rd Skegness 6.30.pm Saturday 4th Coventry 6.30.pm Monday 6th Belle Vue 3.30.pm

£19 to get in Loads of top cars 3 formula racing Most cars cost more than a Speedway bike (Ministox £3k/£4k for a new motor - Rebels £3.5k to £5k for a car - F1 Stox £££££££££lots + trailers transporters etc ) Top amateurs who race for little return but for the love of what they do Sponsored in some part, mainly out of there own pocket or own business Big crowds (because people like the product) People moan about admission price, price of food etc all as normal!!!! But we must ask ourselves why the crowd flock into this and not Speedway?!?!? (Speedway would be elated to get this type of crowd numbers) It runs on Saturday night? more racing? more action? more atmosphere? better product? value for money? I do not know what the answer is? but Speedway will seem a little flat after watching last night (and I like Speedway!) Answers on a Postcard to BSPA

Dislikes: Darcy Ward threads (bored with them now untill something happens) Dislikes: Rain Offs Likes GP,s and Playoffs (Sorry)

People do race without being paid even after buying / building a car ! lol (Somebody is going to tell me now the car was sponsored and he got attendance money!) ggggrrrr M

Just watched the GP again! A brilliant GP! IT HAD IT ALL Great racing Tension Excitement Great noisy crowd Great track Dodgy decisions Arguments x3 worthy medalists

Great GP all action all trying 100% Well done to Greg H, kk, Nicki & Tai professional at the end great job 100% Nicki robbed in my opinion in front and lent on by KK who came off worst! Wrong call ref!

Well done anyway, hope next year is a better gp one for you!

Riders ride for MONEY and major trophies and ego! Just Mercenary professionals in the main (Thats not a problem as long as we remember that) If people want to donate for a trophy it should be for amateurs or juniors, they race for practice, fun and maybe with the chance to turn semi pro! Give them the incentive

So where is the track likely to be ?

And Speedway is credible? riders riding in 2 Leagues in 1 country, riding for leagues in 3 or 4 countries, jokers, playing with points, inconsistant refs/tracks, wild cards etc etc etc But we must remember, that without the crowds Speedway will close down! With the crowds (money coming in) maybe riders could ride for less teams (As they could improve their pay) Clubs/teams/speedway needs revenue! big revenue to make it worthwhile. Without changes it will slowly dwindle even more! Lets face it its struggling/ tracks folding because its not (Value for money, modern, exciting, kept up to date, no major factory support "Honda, Yamaha etc) 95% of the population if shown a Speedway bike would think its from 1960s/70s/80s (500cc single air cooled) And I like Speedway!!!!!!!!!!!! M

Does it need to be a credible sport? Monster Trucks? Massive in many ways!? Freestyle Moto x Jumping??! Drifting?! Wrestling?! None credible sports but get pretty big crowds (Fill giant arenas in some countries) It needs to be more modern and entertaining

A biiger crowd improves the "meeting" better atmosphere, noise, spirit and excitement. The best races being watched by 100 people are never as exciting! If they are watched by 3000 people they are soooooo much better, the shouts, ooooooohs and aaaaars etc Not enough spectators Not enough local competing teams to create "Local Derbies" "Grudge Matches" etc (I know every match against Poole is a grudge match! lol) More hassle, rivalry, feuds to build the tension (Even if it is false! for show) The announcer should build it, hype it, more nicknames good and bad! (Matching music, sarcastic music, mickey taking, sympathy, excitement all built up with suitable music)

In bigger sports (Football, athletics, rugby, cycling etc) Professional set ups have advisers who brief and look after the "teams""players" So there is NO excuse. I fear that Speedway is a few 100 individuals who who have little or no knowlege in what "medicine" may have something on the banned list. (No excuse I know) Perhaps they should have mandatory FIM conferences where ALL licence holders are given briefings/lessons/lists/data on drugs, medicines, dodgy drinks, herbal remedies etc (Education) Then there would be NO excuse of (Did not know!) eg Charge £100 a head 50 at a time etc M (Am going for a Lemsip now they seem to wake me up!)

As other tracks are closed limited due to restrictions I think it will have a chance (But a slim one) I hope it works for motorsport in general! Anglesey & Llandow! wow cold and misty! even in the summer.

All places of work "should" consider drink and drug testing! The complications of managing it appear to be the main stumbling block.

Just a thought We only need x4 riders to make up a GB team! In reality we only have 1 that we think is good enough! The other 3 were the best of the rest. We only have 1 good enough rider!!!!!!!! How many riders could Poland have used? Denmark have used? Australia for that matter (Tho I do not think they have that much depth) Sweden? Mind you its not just Speedway, look at the England Football team at the WORLD CUP, the best we had not good enough. The only way Tai got so good is that he came back to UK and lived thought like an Ausie driven, motivated worked hard!

Unless a rider is very lucky financially (parents or sponsors) they have to pay for it themselves. Most sports are, amateur.........All or mostly paid for by working a job, maybe the odd freebie sponsored semi pro.........Earns some start money or prize money,the odd freebie, but has to work full time pro.........Earns a living, maybe needs the odd out of season job or works part time in season (minimum wage for county cricketers 20k at age 20) top earning pro..........Earns enough or a lot!!! In the UK it must be easier to ride EL/PL and make enough money to be full time pro. Nobody will fund them! BSPA etc! J

I understand why people say we should "blood" the young riders and throw them in the team. But why should thet get into an international team? If they are the best we have put them in, if the best we have are all 39 years old put them in!

mb But the riders have to want it bad and put themselves out. Ausies come here miles from home, lodge, work at it. Poles come here and work hard (In all jobs not just speedway) Andy Priaulx (Hillclimb Champion) Won Hillclimb Chamionship and wanted to move on (Get Better) Moved from Guernsey and lived in a caravan in a car park at Silverstone (For best part of 2 years) to work earn money and get practice and chase teams for a drive?!!? Now 4 times touring car champion. Or he could have stayed as a hillclimber (Big fish in a small pond) They have to put themselves out and go get it! Even years ago as most Speedway riders were Grasstrackers they used to travel to France, Germany, Belgium, Czech etc (Contacts and experience gaining)

So why havent the up and coming GB riders got European bookings? Bad advice? Lazyness? Easy money riding EL & PL? General lethargy, lack of ambition? Scared of not winning races? Cost? Surely if they want to progress to the top they MUST put themselves about! Learn get international experience on different tracks in different countries. Or if they want to stay as a BIG FISH in a little pond stay racing in the EL/PL! IF YOU WANT TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL STAR YOU MUST PRACTICE AND BUILD SKILL INTERNATIONALLY M

If people do noy go the Team will close!

Its a competion! You put your best out! Not about age at all! If your the best we have got you should be in. Otherwise we end up with an Italian type squad or C Cook at the GP! (Just out of their depth) If and when they are the best we can offer they will be in!

Its a hard risky sport! You can exclude from a race (Which if you like is a "1 race ban") I think NP haters do jump on the bandwagon as he does play up to be the villain. (Cameras on him, sponsors getting exposure etc) They all make mistakes (I would have excluded Holder in the big race to win the World Championship) ooooh was it against NP?!?! In my opinion the most and only way they could manage it is ( Elite League x3 exclusions then miss a race "lose money" so 3 exclusions costs them a race / points) ( Prem League x3 exclusions then miss a race "lose money" so 3 exclusions costs them a race / points) ( World Championship x3 exclusions then miss a race "lose money" so 3 exclusions costs them a race / points)

I thought no way/ out of depth etc Then I thought he could get better or get worse (Kennett style) So happy he has grown as an individual without losing speed grit etc Dedication!!!!! Mental preparation!!!!! Well done Tai