Steve Shovlar

Although not there in person I always take an interest in the attendance. The main straight top tier is always empty. There were about three rows with peple in and that's the norm. But the upper tier was much busier than in previous years. Right around from the second bend along the back straight and into the third forth bend there were people. I have a photo of a couple of years ago and on the third/forth bend there was hardly anyone. Last night it was busy. Seems to me that people are more spread out leaving spaces elsewhere, like behind the starting gate bottom tier. On TV last night the crowd looked up on previous years due to people right up to the rafters on the back straight and bends. And also, and this should be taken into account, it does no favours for BSI to publish bigger crowds than they are getting. The VAT and tax man will want money compariable to the size of the crowd. BSI would have a lot of difficult explaining to do when they publish official figures of 44,150.

I watched both on TV. Thought last nights GP was the best so far this year, and that was before the final. Had no idea what the result was as I was out until 10 pm and recorded it on Sky+. Gutted I wasn't there this year. This afternoon I settled down to watch the F1 GP and was bored about 10 minutes after the race started. I waited for something to happen. And waited and waited. Dire race IMO. I have never said speedway could compete with F1. It can't and never will. If speedway had 1% of the money generated by F1 the future woould be very rosey indeed. But for sheer excitement, tension and thrills, speedway won easily out of the two events this weekend. Of course next year it could be completely different and it could be follow the leader at cardiff while the British F1 GP is a thriller.

I am and it's dire.

There is racing on the two days previous to the F1 event. There are other formulas which are not covered on TV which race the same weekend as F1. I was never comparing F1 crowds with Speedway. We could never compete in a million years. But for sheer excitement for the two events, the speedway last night won hands down. Or do you think this afternoons F1 GP was better?

There's no flaw in the thread. With both GPs now having taken place for thrills and action the Speedway GP won by the proverbial mile. The British F1 GP today was dire entertainment. And that's from someone who watches F1.

Your post <removed>. Mod Note: Quit the personal abuse please, you obviously know it is against the rules when you were quick enough to report the previous post

Seriously, the shopping Channel would have been more interesting. Webber stuck to the inside at the start and Vettel went on the grass because he couldn't pass. From then on Webber was never troubled. Hamilton stayed in second and that was that. There was a few over takes at the back and in midfield where faster cars went past slower ones. Hard;ly set the pulses racing, did it. Utterly dull from the start to the finish, unless seeing a guy in a very fast car who spend millions a year passing a car run on a small budget rocks your boat. F1 does have some good GPs. But todays was dire. And no match to last nights speedway GP.

Whilst there's an obvious attraction to F1, ( people drive cars and like to think of themselves as some superstar hamilton) in truth many F1 races are extremely dull. Todays was a prime example. Nothing happened in th whole meeting to get the pulses going. ( unless a pit stop does it for you or a shreded tyre) Speedway can't and never will compete with the money, sponsorship and facilites that F1 has. It's all doen to coumn inches in the press or the hours on TV. This leads to companies willing to spend hundreds of thousands to have their name in very small letters on the side of Hamiltons race suit. For a year. Or tens of millions to have their name on the wing of the car. In comparison Julies Petshop or Bere Regis Pallets can the whole arm of a speedway rider for a new tyre every meeting. Yes we are speedway fans so are biased, buut show a neutral last nights speedway meeting and then let them watch this afternoons F1 GP and 9 out of the 10 would chose the speedway in all its excitement over the borefest this afternoon. And I do watch the F1 most weekends and am not anti F1 at all.

I watched it all the way through. Absolutely nothing happened of any interest whatsoever. Nothing. Follow the leader from the start to the finish. But whatever floats you boat I guess.

One might be run with hundreds of millions, the other on two packets of crisps and a Bacon roll, but comparing both sporting events that took place this weekend, there is only one winner. The Speedway GP was a far superior sporting event. Loads of action right to the final bend. The F1 GP was boring all the way with absolutely nothing happening of any interest whatsoever. If this had been a boxing match the ref would have called a halt after round one. Yet tomorrows press will have page after page of reports on the F1 GP, with speedway coverage being probably a square inch in one of the columns up the side of the page. Speedway has no press and very little chance of gettng much further. The BBC will not even mention it and will cover a golf tournament in Abu Dabai rather than mention over 40,000 fans were pcked into Cardiff for the second biggest sporting event in the UK this weekend. Why 110,000 paid upwards of £200 a ticket to watch some cars whizz past at 200mpg and then have to go home or look on the internet to see who has won beggars belief. But media coverage generates interest and the F1 GP has lot of it. Giving freebies to reporters will always help. Envious of the F1 coverage? I sure am. But the Britsh Speedway GP is slowly getting there. The crowd was the biggest yet, the Fanzone very good addition. Not sure the media could completely ignore it if it got to the stage whee it sold out weeks in advance. Long way to go for that to happen and we would need a British challanger. And there isn't one even on the horizon. Still, we all know that the Speedway GP was the far superior product this weekend and doubt there is a single F1 fan who would disagree.

Official crowd figure released as 44,150. First one I missed buut wathing it on TV it certainly looks the biggest crowd with the top tier much busier than previous British GP's.

He passed riders every single time he missed the gate. A shame Gollob went out as he would have made the final a hell of a battle with Holder. In the end holder deserved his first GP win.He was leading when Crump fell, on his own. Crump should never have been allowed back into that heat which ended with Holder finishing third. Noddy is one of the new young riders who along with Emil with revitalise the GP series. Out with the old and in with the youngsters who have no fear.

I have just got in and watched it. Fantastic GP and loads of great racing, with a couple of spats to bring it to fever pitch. Will easily be the best GP in the UK this weekend buut will only get 1% of the bore fest at Silverstone tomorrow afternoon. Well done to Noddy. Totally deserved. Bad luck on Gollob as well, buut he will hopefully bounceback to take the crown this year. Looking forward to Wednesday to welcome Holder home with his trophy!

Sorry to disappoint Bryn but I have a wedding to film today. Took the booking well before the GP date was announced. Gutted I am not going to be there today but business has to come first.

Sorrry to say my book signing has been cancelled. Very funny TT. Gutted I won't be at Cardiff tomorrow as its the first British GP I have missed for 15 years.

Went along tonight and there were a few very good races. But the crowd, if you can call it that was abysmal. 2-300 at best.

Way to go Leon Madsen! Third tonight and on his way. Proves that he is a talent and deserves his spot in the GP Challenge.

Looks like Davey watt will be riding at Cardiff after Pepe stepped down. Pirates fans have Noddy, Watty and Zorro to cheer on this time around!

No of course but I doubt an armchair fan who is considering going for the first time would know that.

Tonight couldn't have been a better advert for the sport for those at home thinking about buying a ticket for Cardiff. A great GP tonight though the nasty crashes soured it somewhat. If that meeting tonight doesn't add a couple of thousand to Cardiff nothing will. Gutted I won't be there as the first I will have missed.

Magnus seems OK thank god. EDIT. LATEST IS NODDY IS OK.

Bjerre hit the same patch as Noddy and went from first to last. Artur being his first race didn't have much of an idea of it and bang, carnage. A great GP ruined by bad smashes and injury.

Holder, then Bjerre, the King Artur hit the same bad patch. Again nasty nasty nasty. Awaiting the usual suspects saying Artur is an accident waiting to happen blah blah blah...

Well said. I am gutted for Noddy. he was doing so well in his first season but I am sure the GP directors will give him one of the wild cards along with Emil. Both have brough fresh air to the GP series as the old guard start to fade away. Very unlucky crash where he picked up some nasty drive. I thought for a split second he had got away from it but Hancock had really no chance of avoiding him. Get well soon Noddy.

You said what I thought but just couldn't be arsed to reply to such a crass comment.