SpeedwayJoe

Exactly, as I have said before several times in this forum. Someone INDEPENDENT with a sports entertainment background needs to come in and take a good look at the sport and bring in some radical changes. What has speedway got to loose?

As I commented on Karlitos YouTube video: “This is a GOLDEN opportunity for British Speedway, something which the authorities need to take with both hands. Just don’t mess it up! Many cynics may say ‘oh it’s only in ITV 4’, but in order to make a journey, first you have to take the hardest step which is the first. Good luck to everyone involved.”

What is wrong with speedway? I’ll give you an example of the last meeting I attended. Bearing in mind I was converted to speedway from football 18 years ago. It took me over an hour to travel to my nearest track (I know that for many fans this would be a short journey) I got to the entrance, had to wait 20 minutes as there was one card machine. Into the stadium with very poor facilities. Bought my own chair to sit on some scaffolding. After every 4 heats, there was 15 minutes of track grading and watering with nothing to keep me entertained in the meantime. Within 2 laps of track grading there was already a blue line. Dust everywhere. Racing was poor, I have seen much better entertainment in the youth championships. This is nothing against the owners/promoters who are doing their best to keep speedway alive and I am forever grateful to them for doing their best. We need to create some sort of a buzz around speedway, make sure it is the place to go to. It is such a shame as I really used to love going to speedway. Speedway has not evolved at all to cater for the fans. How about introducing some more interactivity (I.e letting the fans ask questions during the meeting/ choosing which riders would be interviewed/voting for rider of the meeting). Or how about this for even bigger blue sky thinking: you take the top 3 scorers from each team and get the fans to decide which 2 from each team contest the final heat. People would say this would advantage the home team, but it would level itself out in the reverse leg. You could even do the same and have an extra heat where the fans choose who ride from the lowest 3 scorers from each team. I have said before, just get someone independent in to look at the sport, make some radical changes which we may not like. What have we got to loose? It saddens me that the sport is on it’s knees.

My hope was that this season the speedway authorities would bring in someone INDEPENDENT to go round the tracks, talk to riders, fans and officials to bring in some radical changes for next season. Speedway is unfortunately on its knees and needs a radical rethink. We may not like the plans, but some speedway is better than no speedway which is where I feel the sport is going.

Thank you 👍

I understand that Lydd speedway is going to be affiliated to NORA as well. I understand at the moment they are running practices. Are there any news of meetings which will take place as I would like to attend?

Another Speedway Shamble

When reading the list, I initially read “Ludvig Lindgren” (not Lundgren)!🔎

I don’t know what other people’s feelings are but for me unless something (quite possibly radical is done), then speedway as we know it will soon be lost altogether. The questions are numerous and the answers to those questions s extremely complex. It is clear that we all want speedway to continue as a team sport. I would like the BSPA (even though it will never happen) to bring in someone, an independent outsider with knowledge and experience of the sports and entertainment industry to come in, give a different perspective. Let them take a really good look at speedway this year by visiting tracks, talking to fans, riders, promotors and other stakeholders. We may not like what they have to say and their thinking may be radical, but what do we have to loose? We are on the cusp of loosing speedway at the moment. I know it is a massive gamble, but I feel it is worth taking the risk. What are others thoughts?

Probably a stupid question, but could the way of getting speedway to new foreign audiences be in the way of holding many events over the weekend? Flat track is popular in USA and Spain. Could we have both a speedway GP and flat track GP over a weekend along with other motorcycle events within the weekend? Almost turning it into an X-games style weekend?

Kings Lynn outclassed the Kent Eagles. Great to see Cooper Rushen at Iwade for the 3rd time this season, a class apart. Looking forward to following his career path, particularly when he steps up to the Championship and maybe even Premiership next year. Big shoutout to Karlito who took time to chat to me…a genuinely nice guy. If you haven’t checked out his YouTube channel, please find it below: https://www.youtube.com/@ItsKarlWest

Taken from Kent Eagles website: ”Kent Eagles: 1. Vinnie Foord, 2. Jacob Clouting, 3. Darryl Ritchings (Guest for Nathan Ablitt), 4. Luke Harris, 5. Ben Morley, 6. Nathan Hargrave, 7. Charlie Wood. King’s Lynn Young Stars: 1. Jody Scott, 2. Max Perry, 3. Cooper Rushen, 4. Ashton Vale, 5. Luke Harrison, 6. Kenzie Cossey (Guest for Callum Mitchell), 7. Jordy Loftus (Guest for Harrison Rogers). Admission Prices: Adults £13, Concessions £10 (60-years plus and blue badge with car – disabled parking, keep to the right and follow directions) Children free with a paying adult, up to the age of 16-years old Gates open at 10 am” Looking forward to this. Think it will be a tough one for the Eagles as the Young Stars have a very strong side.

I have many issues with r/r, but what annoys me is when managers purposely give a rider a rider replacement ride when they have ridden the heat before it or are due to ride the heat after. it just slows down the meeting.

Yesterday, I went to the Youth Championships round at Iwade on 20th July. What a brilliant meeting it was. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and only £5 to watch 31 heats of speedway (which, by the way took under 2.5 hours). Despite the weather, the meeting still went ahead. A big thank you to all those involved in the running of the event, but more importantly the young competitors and their families for providing a brilliant spectacle. I would encourage everyone who enjoys speedway to go and watch the youth championships and I hope it comes to Iwade (my nearest track) again next year.

You finally sentence really hit the nail on the head: ”The sport has to improve the product and get out into the wider market”. We need to look at the product and address this first before we can hope to get larger crowds. I have been into speedway for only 18 years. I was trying to name the tracks which have shut down in that time. Needless to say, I lost count which is a real sad indictment. I have said it before on this topic, but if we want professional speedway to continue, we need someone independent to come in and look at the sport. We may not like it, but speedway needs some out-of-the-box (and possibly radical) thinking in order for it to survive. What does speedway have to loose? Take the risk or see it being consigned to history like the Dodo.

Whatever happens, something radical must happen at the AGM. I would like someone independent to come in and look at the sport from a different perspective. We may not like it, but we need some outside-of-the-box thinking if we want speedway to survive and appeal to a new audience. It may be a risky move but at the moment, what does speedway have to loose?

I hadn’t realised this, but at Plough Lane, there is a museum (free to enter) by Wimbledon in Sporting History (https://wimbledoninsportinghistory.org/your-visit/) with some speedway memorabilia there. Clearly AFC Wimbledon, along with the statue unveiling are keen to keep its history alive. I hope that the possible return does happen and (if so), build upon its links with the football club to bring speedway to a new audience.

Dean, that is a very good idea in this YouTube age. However, is it possible that whilst these so called ‘influencers’ may get people into the speedway if they like the product, on the other hand, it could be even more damaging to the sport if they don’t. Mind you, I suppose it can’t get much worse, so it is worth the risk. Karlito is going a great job in YouTube and I really like his videos, but he cannot do it alone. Those who run speedway need to get him involved. I do believe that making the public more involved in the meeting by using apps which are used within the conferencing environment would help. These apps and websites would allow those attending to become more involved in the meeting, such as voting for rider of the night, polling the spectators, and getting the public to pose questions to the riders etc. It is possible particularly when there is a lull in racing. Speedway does need, I feel, to embrace the technology which is out there.

I agree with you 1valve, the London Stadium would be perfect. Stratford International is only 7mins away from St Pancras and Kings Cross stations by HS1. The Olympic park would make a great setting for a fan zone. Last year the London Stadium also held baseball as well as athletics where the lower tier had to be reconfigured, so it can be done.

I completely agree. If riders are going to the lengths like you mention and sacrificing safety, this needs to be addressed. I believe a few years ago (I maybe wrong), there was a test meeting at the Isle of Wight where riders were given a standardised engine. Could the FIM undertake a test event with a minimum weight introduced and possibly looking at adding ballast? Or even do some testing with riders? As a side note, I read in this weeks SS about a possible solution to fixing the air fence lifting problem by using water in the base. What do people think?

I shall watch the final over and over and over again

Final was the best race I have ever seen…wow

EDIT: 6th.

I had a thought on the issue whilst watching Karlitos video on YouTube today. It does seem farcical that the 10th place qualifier could win it. Why don’t we do the following format (I added it to Karlito’s comments section in the video): 1st and 2nd go straight to final. 3rd and 4th go into a semi final. Riders placed 5th-8th ride in a 'quarter final' where the top 2 progress into the semi-final. This seems much fairer to me and would reward those who do well in the qualifying heats. The worst the 1st place rider after qualification would finish would be 4th and the worst position the 3rd place rider after qualification could finish would be 8th. Any thoughts?

I’m exhausted just reading that list! It shows you how tough he is and it is amazing he is able to walk with the aid of a frame in the video given all he has been through - so inspiring.