Stoke Potter

Are the actual facts of what went on with Sandhu and the BSPA actually known and in the public domain? If so can anybody condense it down to a paragraph?

Thanks for the info, very interesting.

Assuming the events were actually proven and investigated, what were the punishments meted out by the sports' authorities?

Wouldn't it be true to say that the sport has been on a long slow decline since the Sunday People article in the 80's? And was that also the last time the sport got any significant, sustained mass-media coverage? The corruption high-lighted in the Sunday People may not have been the start of the sport's decline but it's probably fair to say it hastened the demise and is an event the sport has never really managed to recover from.

With ideas like that you stand no chance of the BSPA giving you a licence! ;-)

The answer to this question is the same as the answer to all similar questions, Why don't more people go? etc, etc. It's boring, most races are boring and processional. Tracks are not conducive to close racing and passing, incorrect size and shape and generally poorly prepared, so you're lucky if you get 3 decent races per meeting. Fix the tracks. Won't happen as it costs real money!

It was a genuine question. I don't know who's behind it.

Assuming a plot of land can be found who would be financing the stadium build?

You are absolutely spot-on mate.

Was it in the Severn Rd/Chittening Rd area then?

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it could still be a goer then.

Didn't somebody also have the intention relatively recently to put in a new Bristol track on some derelict industrial land near to some rail tracks? Whatever happened to that?

I'm glad you do because there's plenty on here who refuse to see reality and state there's nothing wrong with the basic product and they think it's the stupid public who are wrong because they don't turn out and watch.

Yes 7.30 - 9.30 seems pretty good, not really that late for the kids, particularly at weekends. My local track also has well known issues with sun breaks, amongst other things, but little is done to counteract any of the delays.

Yes, I'd go with that. If you pay for an evening's entertainment you don't want it rushed through in the fastest possible time. 2 hours for the meeting, including breaks seems reasonable to me. And surely if the meeting's full of excitement and talking points you want it to last as long as possible, within reason. All comes back to making the racing high quality more often instead of less often as it is now.

I agree with much of that. If the basic product was fine then you would get more than the few hundred that turn up at most clubs. Of course the presentation could be improved at most places but you've got to fix it at a fundamental level first.

More confirmation that the basic product is flawed and just does not appeal. Reason: Not enough excitement, i.e. passing and/or close racing. Fix the tracks!

No, its not rubbish, it's actually better than most in the country. But too many in the country are poor. And the authorities never do anything about it. You've never heard that joke before? You do surprise me.

Don't tell Tsunami or Ei Addio but its because it's only 285m and races only last 57 seconds! ;-) I recall my visit to Scunthorpe in the summer, 4-5 races in before we got one worthy of the name. Never happens though if you listen to some folk! As always in speedway it all comes down to money, track maintenance could easily be a full time job. It's like the old joke: How many corners on a speedway track? Answer: None, they've all been cut by successive generations of promoters.

Who else says that the tracks will be better after a few heats? The riders when interviewed for one. Yes even the worst track in the country will get a decent heat 1, heat 15 or any of them in between from time to time. I've been watching since the late 70's and seen plenty of tracks. I'm quite convinced that the stats would back me up (should they exist) that most heat1's at most tracks are processional. The shortest way is the fastest early on due to the way the tracks are prepared. The fact that you are even denying it is bizarre. Heat1's being processional is not down to small tracks, I've never claimed that. When is speedway at its best as a spectacle? Big fast tracks, multiple lines, wide open spaces, correctly banked, and the right shape. Tracks need to be more than big, as a stated previously.

It's not just Tatum saying it, it's a stock phrase. "It'll make some lines later". No, prepare it so it's got some lines from Heat 1! Cardiff is the perfect example, small, tight, generally poor racing even though it's the world's best riders. How many go for the atmosphere or a beer? It's a one off once a year, how many would go if it were on every fortnight? That's the problem it's boring too often. People want bar to bar, elbow to elbow stuff. It just doesn't happen. Was it Lakeside who did a free meeting and still only got 3000 or something to turn up? Joe Public think its boring, because much of the time it is. Customer is ALWAYS right!

I'd probably go with more 320 - 350 but anything over 300 is ok I'd say, everything else being equal.

I would say banking rather than camber but it's difficult to describe good banking on a forum, suffice to say a big wide track needs to be adequately banked. I don't disagree that you can get decent racing on smaller tracks but, as I think I've said on another thread, the best big track will always be better than the best small one. I'd agree with that too apart from the last bit. Giving them a period of years to comply softens the blow to some extent. Exactly and you still get people coming on here denying it! For a 15 heat match at most tracks, the track is probably at it's best for heats 8 -12.

It will improve the product and it's a stupid idea. Really! If you're being stubborn about it, then change the rules just for new tracks. So basically what you're saying is there is nothing wrong with the fundamentals? Seriously? Ok, in a couple of sentences tell me what the problem with the sport is?

Promoter say's fan has stupid idea! Now there's a novel thing!!! It's not standardisation, it's increasing minimum dimensions, lengths and widths, to make the tracks more conducive to close racing/overtaking. They don't all have to be the same. Speedway has fundamental flaws, the biggest of which is too many tracks that don't produce good racing. Fix them first.