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Speedway Grand Prix

GB had their first winner of a GP in Prague tonight for 6 years - a young guy in his first GP season called Tai Woffinden.
He is now just 1 point behing the overall leader - Emil Sayfutidinov from Russia.
Next GP is in 2 weeks for the GB round at Millenium Satdium in Cardiff, for which i have tickets.Anyone who has never been to one, it is one incredible night - such noise i have never experienced at any other sporting event on the planet.Highly,highly recommended.
Anyone know why Sky are not covering the GP's this year?

Comments

  • Woffy, Woffy, Woffy - The next British rider to become World Champ. He has been top class.

    Seen a World Champs at Wembley, but never been to the Millenium. Looks a blinding atmosphere though. When Bomber Harris won the Grand Prix a couple of years back it was brilliant.
  • I know Tai quite well, really nice lad and struggled massively with his dad dying but has really hit top form this season! I can see him becoming English No. 1 for quite a while now.
  • Never been to Speedway. Big Motorsport fan - go to Silverstone for the GP every year so should give it a go. You mention the noise - surely not as loud as 22 F1 cars blasting past? Either way I love the noise - makes it for me. Where is the closest speedway team to me in west Surrey?
  • Never been to Speedway. Big Motorsport fan - go to Silverstone for the GP every year so should give it a go. You mention the noise - surely not as loud as 22 F1 cars blasting past? Either way I love the noise - makes it for me. Where is the closest speedway team to me in west Surrey?

    Damo,

    Its a different noise, just a non-stop sound of bike engines and air-horns , with the roof shut ! Its incredible.I went to Silverstone last year for GP, and that was quite an experience too.
    I would expect that the closest team for you is Poole -a quick hack down the M3 - there arent any teams West of London other than Swindon that i know of. If you get the chance, try to get to Cardiff for June1 - else watch it on Eurosport.
  • Used to love going to watch speedway. The smell, the dirt spraying up was great fun as a kid. Lost touch the last couple of years but saw Tai the other week reach the final of the polish GP, so could tell he looked like he would win soon
  • I've only been to the speedway once at Rye House. It's a great night out. I don't profess to know much about it but will definitely be going again.

    I'm not 100% certain but I think the night that I went, Tai was riding for Rye House (possibly as a guest, can't quite remember) and I remember my mate telling me he was going to be very very good.
  • GB had their first winner of a GP in Prague tonight for 6 years - a young guy in his first GP season called Tai Woffinden.
    He is now just 1 point behing the overall leader - Emil Sayfutidinov from Russia.
    Next GP is in 2 weeks for the GB round at Millenium Satdium in Cardiff, for which i have tickets.Anyone who has never been to one, it is one incredible night - such noise i have never experienced at any other sporting event on the planet.Highly,highly recommended.
    Anyone know why Sky are not covering the GP's this year?

    I go to the Lakeside Hammers every week, am also going to Cardiff.

    Sky dropped the GPs for several reasons, the contract with BSI ended, and the viewing figures were awful - other than Cardiff, you'd be surprised at how poor they were, WWE got more viewers on some GPs.

    The Elite League contract is up at the end of this season, and it's not looking great for a renewal, which is worrying.

    If you can, get yourself to your local tracks, the clubs need the support & the riders risk their lives everytime they jump on the bikes - remember, 500cc engines & no brakes!



  • Never been to Speedway. Big Motorsport fan - go to Silverstone for the GP every year so should give it a go. You mention the noise - surely not as loud as 22 F1 cars blasting past? Either way I love the noise - makes it for me. Where is the closest speedway team to me in west Surrey?

    Damo, visit www.speedwaygb.co its the official BSPA site so all teams are listed - from West Surrey its probably Swindon, Poole etc - there is talk of a new site at Aldermaston in Hampshire which will be good for any fans of Reading, Oxford etc as those tracks are now closed.
  • GB had their first winner of a GP in Prague tonight for 6 years - a young guy in his first GP season called Tai Woffinden.
    He is now just 1 point behing the overall leader - Emil Sayfutidinov from Russia.
    Next GP is in 2 weeks for the GB round at Millenium Satdium in Cardiff, for which i have tickets.Anyone who has never been to one, it is one incredible night - such noise i have never experienced at any other sporting event on the planet.Highly,highly recommended.
    Anyone know why Sky are not covering the GP's this year?

    I go to the Lakeside Hammers every week, am also going to Cardiff.

    Sky dropped the GPs for several reasons, the contract with BSI ended, and the viewing figures were awful - other than Cardiff, you'd be surprised at how poor they were, WWE got more viewers on some GPs.

    The Elite League contract is up at the end of this season, and it's not looking great for a renewal, which is worrying.

    If you can, get yourself to your local tracks, the clubs need the support & the riders risk their lives everytime they jump on the bikes - remember, 500cc engines & no brakes!



    And going sideways !
  • When I was a lad there were speedway teams all over the place ! I used to go and watch Canterbury Crusaders. Whatever happened to teams like Wimbledon, Hackney etc?
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  • sralan said:

    When I was a lad there were speedway teams all over the place ! I used to go and watch Canterbury Crusaders. Whatever happened to teams like Wimbledon, Hackney etc?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Defunct_British_speedway_teams

    remember watching Crayford Kestrels although the stadium's still there (greyhound now).

  • sralan said:

    When I was a lad there were speedway teams all over the place ! I used to go and watch Canterbury Crusaders. Whatever happened to teams like Wimbledon, Hackney etc?

    All closed down, I used to go to Hackney as a kid, they closed in 1991 & reopened as the London Lions in 1996 for one season - the old Waterden Road site is now part of the Olympic Park & the BT building (media centre) is built on the site of Hackney Stadium.

    Wimbledon Dons closed in 91, moved to Eastbourne! They returned in 2005 but shut down soon afterwards, land rents/prices are too expensive in London.

  • Macronate said:

    sralan said:

    When I was a lad there were speedway teams all over the place ! I used to go and watch Canterbury Crusaders. Whatever happened to teams like Wimbledon, Hackney etc?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Defunct_British_speedway_teams

    remember watching Crayford Kestrels although the stadium's still there (greyhound now).

    Yep, still hold onto a hope that the Kestrels will return to Crayford but I doubt it, as its a residential area, the curfew would be pretty strict owing to the noise.

    Kent Kings opened this season, they race at Sittingbourne Dogs & despite the fact that the stadium is built within an industrial site, they have an 8:30pm curfew with a 6:30pm start on a Monday night, making it virtually impossible for workers to get there unless they are in the immediate area.

  • Sittingbourne Speedway Club operate from a track near Iwade, just before the Isle of Sheppey Crossing. They offer training courses.
    http:/sittingbourne-speedway.co.uk/index.html
  • Sorry link won't work!
  • What a shame - Tai Woffinden taken to hospital with suspected broken collar bone whilst riding in the British Grand Prix at Cardiff. He was leading the World Championship at the time too. Live on Eurosport at the moment.
  • Woffenden riding with a broken collar-bone, has won his last 3 races and is into the final of the Polish Grand Prix final... Unbelievable.
  • Third place for Woofy, but what a heroic performance. That took some bottle. Still second place in the championship race.
  • Well done to Tai who has tonight become World Speedway Champion for 2013. He suffered a broken collar bone earlier in the season but carried on and had another accident two weeks ago and still carried on as long as he could. Tonight he claimed his prize. Congratulations.
  • Yeah, fantastic effort. Broke his collar bone for the second time in the last Grand Prix only two weeks ago. Last British Champion was 13 years ago, Mark Loram? Think we have also had Peter Collins, Michael Lee & Gary Havelock in the years I've been watching.

    Also used to watch Crayford Kestrels in the late 70s, Laurie Etheridge was the top rider. They moved across the river to become Arena Essex & eventually Lakeside Hammers.
    I regularly get to the Olympic Site for Basketball and chuckle about how difficult it was to get to Waterden Road to see the Hackney Hawks. 108 through the tunnel, then either a walk up Carpenters Road through the railway arches, or the free bus from Stratford Station. There's about six different ways to get there now. The speedway/dog stadium was where the Hockey Arena was built. There's a new road going right through that area now.


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  • Woffy doing well in the Prague Gp tonight so far - wow, you might not like Speedway too much - but wow, watch it for those Czech girls !
    Eurosport Ch 411 on SKy
  • Just caught up with the Czech Grand Prix. Classy ride in the final by Woffinden to win it. Reminded me of Peter Collins in 76.

    RIP Malcolm Simmons.
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