What would bring YOU to watch a race meeting?

[shoutout]

Hang on by fingernails Spyda, I admire your glass full attitude.[/QUOTE]

He is not alone

[Str8 Jacket]

He is not alone[/QUOTE]

No he's not, thank God!!!

[crazy man]

wonder if things would work better with the TAP. maybe the riding would get payed to race who knows...thinking if horse racing did not have them l think it would be dead

[jellywrestler]

What, I'm not allowed !!!!everyones entitled to their own opinion....
I've said before that I have no interest in Championships here. You are in favour and that's cool . Pump away in the rose tinted glasses! you don't have to go far to see I'm not alone.
Yes I've been following racing a long time and I can tell, as many others can, that Nationals has always been for a select few who want to race for a title that to them means they were the winner in that race in that year. I just never saw any value in it sorry. More often than not Nth riders wouldn't bother to go Sth and vise versa. You are the winner of those that turned up only.
Sundays NZGP played on TV3 was average at best and if twelve bikes were there, 6 or 7 were in the race, well two really. i've tried to watch gp's with enthusiasm but mostly they leave me relatively bored as there's sweet FA passing there, they may be 'the best' but it's not great dicing, moto 2 and moto 3 however.
Sorry it's been going downhill since probably the 90s, Fact ! Shit I loved Wanganui, started there in 1970, thru Marlboro to early 80s. Went back on my return to NZ in 1999 and saw the drop off. Now 12 yrs on its worse again. I accept it, it's dying.
Another point, our best, Andrew Stroud,he's what 41/42 ? would never happen years ago.ever heard of guy called Joey Dunlop, won his last TT at 47 years old Who can even beat him now (the Aussie No 5) ? It's spiralling down, talent, Depth and interest.

I spend good money to travel to GPs and I get what I pay for, the bestsee previous comment does your set of rose coloured spectacles come with your ticket, like i said motogp is mostly a procession ! While I'm there in May/June i'll get me some of those glasses but hey I doubt they'll work for me.

Hang on by fingernails Spyda, I admire your glass full attitude.

You may think I've got a glass full attitude but I too see that it's not the days of old but it's still what we have in front of us and I'm going to enjoy as much as I can while it's still here. Last season there were two races where 2/1000ths of second separted first and second and a number of real close races, there's still action out there just like the old days on the track
there's no magic bullet to re invent it all, short of millions of bucks in prizemoney and advertising.
Sport as a rule are now businesses the Americas cup showed us that after all who the fuck of the population even knew the first thing about yachting till it was forced onto us by the media like the V8's, i can't see what the fuss is all about, certainly looks like expensive form of stockcar racing to me not the skill of open wheelers for sure but it's what's promoted by the people with the bucks, it's not the 'moto gp' of the cars either, why is that? why aren't the formula one or whatever the fastest out there getting the blue riband treatment here????

Drifting too, too me there's a skill but if you've seen one you've seen em all and the crowd goes nuts over a skid into the dirt or barrier, that just tells me the crowd has little perception of what skills are involved in actually racing a motor vehicle they're just there cause it's trendy to do so.
Do your self a favour one day and go to a nationals and sit back and enjoy what's there for the sake of it, you may not get a t shirt and cap and poster and laminated ticket but you'll get some Kiwis doing the best that they can fucking do in our country and enjoying it while they can.

[Deano]

"ever heard of guy called Joey Dunlop, won his last TT at 47 years old"

There's also Biaggi and Checa, winning into their 40's.

[RobGassit]

I'd like to watch Kerry and Robert mud wrestle..

[CHOPPA]

It should be free for spectators to come watch

[Str8 Jacket]

I'd like to watch Kerry and Robert mud wrestle..

Duuude, seriously, WTF?!?!?!

[roogazza]

When I used to play "A' level squash in Australia, I used to go see people like the "Khans" (even Susan Devoy) !!!
Do you get the trend ? I want to see the BEST. World Champions if possible.

We'll agree to disagree.

[RobGassit]

Duuude, seriously, WTF?!?!?!

Just getting the thread back on track. Obviously you do you own suspension so would have little interest in the outcome..

[Deano]

Apart from the weather I struggle to see the difference to a Vic club day in winter.

If you think the level of competition at Club level compares to the Nationals you're way out of touch mate.

[jellywrestler]

It should be free for spectators to come watch

problem is if it's free then people get the perception that it's not worth anything to watch therefore it's not worth actually going...

[jellywrestler]

When I used to play "A' level squash in Australia, I used to go see people like the "Khans" (even Susan Devoy)

didn't ehy live at number 43? or was that the Kumars?

[sidecar bob]

Anyway, Apart from titties, beer & Dukic & Taylor mud wrestling, what do we need to do to get spectators to race meetings?
We need to get & let people ride like they are able to & want to again, rather than supress their showmanship & skills with tough penalties.
There is a T shirt with the phrase "who put the H in Whanganui?" printed on it. The H in the phrase is Robert Holdens number board on some old GS1000 or the like, with the bike standing up at 45 degrees on the Cemetary Circiut.
We have gone from that, to banning wheelies & supressing what makes bike racing fun to watch & so the show deteriorates.
I remember Glenn Williams (1st one) & Rob Holden wheelieing the full lenght of the Pukie front straight, trying to out do each other in 87, that made racing great. I dont remember who won, but nobody got in the shit for it & nobody died, well not from that anyway.
It made me want to be around bike racing thats for sure!!
Bring back the showmen & the spectators will follow.
Maybe we need a $200 bonus for each of, best wheelie, best stoppie, best motard type slide on the most inapropriate bike (cheques in the mail for that one Jay) Etc etc.
I should be clear that this is not a dig at any or every steward. They are operating under instruction, but clearly those instructions have changed over the years, as some of the stewards are still the same ones & frankly, are without exception, good bastards.

[Motu]

problem is if it's free then people get the perception that it's not worth anything to watch therefore it's not worth actually going...

Have you got statistics to back that up ? You could actually try it - advertise a free race meeting and see how many turn up, then the next meeting charge full price....and then compare the numbers. I bet I know what meeting will get the biggest attendance.

At our dirt track on Waiheke Island there was no charge for spectators, but an entry fee for competitors. No shortage of spectators...and so no shortage of up and coming racers.

Oh, that would never work, we'll just ignore that suggestion.