What will 2026 UK speedway bring?

[bellevueace]

2 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

As I see it these are the options 1 mildenhall 2 Buxton 3 Isle of Wight 4 Northampton 5 iwade 6 one big league, all have there problems/costs/downsides, mildenhall track fence issues and can’t get scb licence for track, Buxton basic and needs lights and some other work done but is cheap rent, iow everything is perfect with stadium but ferry’s and crowd levels out of Summer season are a problem, Northampton is excess of £100,000 with no gaurentee of a fan base, iwade very very basic but do get very good crowds, 1 big league imo the best option but seemingly not a view shared with the famous 5

Whats your take on the Eastbourne situation Dean? The stadium is owned by a speedway family unless the Dugards have sold it and by all accounts it could be ready to race on, it just seemed odd that a stadium that could reintroduce speedway and was run by a family steeped in the sport just sat there, if speedway cant get back into a stadium like this with the speedway connection i would think new venues would be really difficult.

[IainB]

2 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Carmarthen back in the day we run a night meeting with the lights borrowed from the roadworks on the A365 over the valleys, they worked ok

It was okay but they had to get the races completed before the sequence went back to red again at which point the race was stopped 🚦😜😂

[poole keith]

Re Eastbourne i don't know, but isn't the situation just a simple no bob no speedway?

[poole keith]

Re Eastbourne i don't know, but isn't the situation just a simple no bob no speedway?

[IainB]

6 minutes ago, poole keith said:

Re Eastbourne i don't know, but isn't the situation just a simple no bob no speedway?

So who is the successor to Doris Stokes and Derek Acorah and how do we get them involved. They'd be more use than Harry Redknapp!

... Doris Stokes, one for the kids there 😂

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

59 minutes ago, bellevueace said:

Whats your take on the Eastbourne situation Dean? The stadium is owned by a speedway family unless the Dugards have sold it and by all accounts it could be ready to race on, it just seemed odd that a stadium that could reintroduce speedway and was run by a family steeped in the sport just sat there, if speedway cant get back into a stadium like this with the speedway connection i would think new venues would be really difficult.

I think there is clearly some sort of family fued going on in the background which I think was going on before Eastbourne closed and then the ian Jordon closed it owing them money and that was the final nail in the coffin as far as the family was concerned, it’s a shame but family issues run deeper than business sometimes. M D on here knows more than me about it 

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

50 minutes ago, IainB said:

It was okay but they had to get the races completed before the sequence went back to red again at which point the race was stopped 🚦😜😂

It confused the hell out of me I’m colourblind 😂

[mikebv]

2 hours ago, IainB said:

It was okay but they had to get the races completed before the sequence went back to red again at which point the race was stopped 🚦😜😂

In Carmarthen they used to dance around those traffic lights every Saturday night, thinking it was a disco...😄

[M.D]

2 hours ago, bellevueace said:

Whats your take on the Eastbourne situation Dean? The stadium is owned by a speedway family unless the Dugards have sold it and by all accounts it could be ready to race on, it just seemed odd that a stadium that could reintroduce speedway and was run by a family steeped in the sport just sat there, if speedway cant get back into a stadium like this with the speedway connection i would think new venues would be really difficult.

The stadium is still operating for cars, the track is still there but would need a fair bit of work by now.

Would take a fair bit of investment now to get tractors, starting gate, air fence and every other thing to run a meeting.

As I have said before, and we have tried, The Dugard's won't run speedway at the venue.

[norbold]

Perhaps we could speak to the Epping Forest Visitor Centre and get them to reinstate High Beech for this new renaissance of speedway. At least the outline of the track is still there! 

[stevehone]

1 hour ago, M.D said:

The stadium is still operating for cars, the track is still there but would need a fair bit of work by now.

Would take a fair bit of investment now to get tractors, starting gate, air fence and every other thing to run a meeting.

As I have said before, and we have tried, The Dugard's won't run speedway at the venue.

i think Eric is the stumbling block

[old bob at herne bay]

19 hours ago, TB1 said:

At what point will the PL put out a begging bowl to the CL though? As the promoters still have a business to run?

MMMmm ... but all making a loss or barely scraping even if what we believe what we are told ?  With no TV sponsorship must make the viability of running in 2026  questioable ? 

They do it of the love of the sport. 

 

[old bob at herne bay]

MMMmm ... but all making a loss or barely scraping even if we believe what we are told ?  With no TV sponsorship must make the viability of running in 2026  questioable ? 

They do it for the love of the sport. 

[arnieg]

1 hour ago, norbold said:

Perhaps we could speak to the Epping Forest Visitor Centre and get them to reinstate High Beech for this new renaissance of speedway. At least the outline of the track is still there! 

Time for that rematch against California (track still visible but a bit moist), seeking to revenge that 1936 defeat

[InTheDeepStuff]

6 hours ago, noaksey said:

The venue I'd heard mentioned would require some serious upgrades in respect of the safety equipment. i wasn't referring to Buxton 

 

Would that be a Odsal?  Know Godfrey looked at it and it would seemingly pass for UK league racing (wouldn’t be FIM approved though like pre 1997) providing the metal work for the exec box structure gets the required safety install.

Would get a war of the roses derby and a white rose derby and good Road connections to M62/M1 

[YeOldPitGate]

28 minutes ago, InTheDeepStuff said:

Would that be a Odsal?  Know Godfrey looked at it and it would seemingly pass for UK league racing (wouldn’t be FIM approved though like pre 1997) providing the metal work for the exec box structure gets the required safety install.

Would get a war of the roses derby and a white rose derby and good Road connections to M62/M1 

Great track but it was bad enough spotting fans at Brum last year can you imagine what 700-800 turning up in a place that can hold 40 thou would look like.

Edited 4 hours ago by YeOldPitGate

[M.D]

1 hour ago, stevehone said:

i think Eric is the stumbling block

More Paul Dugard who is a director of the stadium and represents Margaret, Bobs widow who owns the stadium along with Eric.

Edited 3 hours ago by M.D

[Marky_Mark]

7 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

As I see it these are the options 1 mildenhall 2 Buxton 3 Isle of Wight 4 Northampton 5 iwade 6 one big league, all have there problems/costs/downsides, mildenhall track fence issues and can’t get scb licence for track, Buxton basic and needs lights and some other work done but is cheap rent, iow everything is perfect with stadium but ferry’s and crowd levels out of Summer season are a problem, Northampton is excess of £100,000 with no gaurentee of a fan base, iwade very very basic but do get very good crowds, 1 big league imo the best option but seemingly not a view shared with the famous 5

Bradford has a track ready for use?

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

5 minutes ago, Marky_Mark said:

Bradford has a track ready for use?

Yes it is but I believe it’s too expensive for league racing and it’s now owned by the rugby again 

[M.D]

2 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Yes it is but I believe it’s too expensive for league racing and it’s now owned by the rugby again 

Also has that structure on bends 3 and 4 now