Speedway

[highwayrider]

Not sure if this is the right section, but what is the deal with speedway racing in the UK? Looks like quite a small section of motorbike racing and probably quite hard to try or get involved in. Looks fun to watch and do!!

Anyone in the know?

[Tungtvann]

No idea how to get into it, but it's bigger than you may realise. They show it often on sky sports and it's big throughout Europe too.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Shaft]

Not hard to get into, but can end up costing you a fair bit (what motorsport doesn't though) and practicing is difficult, due to lack of available tracks.

You'll be getting in at National league level, which is essentially amateurs and they operate a squad system, so you might not get a ride at every meeting.

A lot of speedway riders start off in grasstrack, which is a similar, but slightly different technique.

It seems to be the money side that ends up putting people off.

Even in the National league you'll get paid per point scored, but unless you're scoring maximums every week, you'll barely cover your petrol costs for the van.

When you factor in the cost of buying and maintaining the machinery (which is all unique to the sport, so the tiny number of suppliers can charge almost whatever they want) it doesn't look financially viable, unless you've got good sponsors, a bottomless wallet, or total dedication to progress to higher levels.

I can't quite work out your location, but I'm guessing your nearest clubs are Coventry or Dudley, who are actually based at Monmore Green, Wolverhampton.

Coventry and Wolves also run in the Elite league, so you could go to meetings at both levels and judge for yourself what the difference is.

At one time, speedway was second only to football in terms of attendances, but it's fallen on harder times recently and is very much a minority sport,

Good fun though, I've been going for more than 40 years and I was at Eastbourne on Saturday for their match against Wolves.

Give it a go.

Forgot to add, there's a few places that do track days, where you pay some money and get to have a skid, with expert instruction and gear provided, so if you want to get a feel for it, that's the way forward.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035