£22 for tickets to a test weekend, i'm sure it used to be free at Brands and you could literally ride into the circuit and park up by the cafe at the top of paddock hill?... Bennetts BSB R&G Official Test @ Donington Park April 2024 (donington-park.co.uk) (I also had it in my mind that it was the opening weekend of the season coming up, doh and doh again!!)
Once Bennetts realised there was an income stream to be had from enthusiasts who were interested in testing, tickets miraculously started appearing. Opening race weekend is April 20th and 21st, only 2 Superbike races (both 20 laps, both on Sunday) and a limited support program, SuperSport/GP2, Talentless Cup and BMWs. Andy
We went to round one at Soullesstone last year, never ever again will I grace the soil of sikverstone, it’s an absolute crap spectator venue. I realise it’s not there this year, but Spain instead? Another step in Jonathan Palmer lining his own pocket, round one of the British championship not even here.
At least a couple of hundred spectators around the Donington GP circuit when I arrived to collect our 2024 passes and more arrived/arriving as I left about 45 minutes later. There was a commentary over the tannoy system, Garage 39 restaurant was open and I saw a couple of burger vans. Seemed to be popular. Andy
No disrespect at all to Leon but a 40 year old leading the way (on a bmw!) isn’t a great advert for bsb imho. Such a stale looking grid too.
I wasn’t down to marshal this weekend so would have had to organise a ticket and I had jobs to do so we can get a ride out tomorrow. Andy
Not sure why the pessimism before the racing has started. If Stuart Higgs has got his levelling correct, it’s going to be a close season in Superbike and SuperSport/GP2. Andy
I went for a few hours, most riders said they weren't pushing it as it was so windy, many had 2 bikes, last years and the new one, a lot only went out on last years in the first session. Was a bit blowy riding home.
I don’t know I guess I’m just desperate for some new blood and dare I say winning the championship acting as some kind of stepping stone for bigger things for a young British rider (and not just a try and put yourself in the shop window type ride a la Ray and mckenzie). Right now I can’t see any gp or wsb teams looking at bsb thinking we need to sign him for next year. Which is surely what it should at least be aiming at. Otherwise it all just feels a bit meh. And again no disrespect to leon who’s obviously still fast as fk.
Problem is made worse now with less money about, talent isn't enough on it's own, you need a lot of your own (parents, personal sponsor) cash to back up the talent, I believe that's why Rory Skinner lost his Moto2 ride, the other rider turned up with loads of backing. But I agree, it should be a feeder to a good seat somewhere, not just riding round at the back.
Okay, let’s explore where the current WSBK riders have come from. Toprak was Red Bull Rookies and European Superstock; apart from an outing in 125cc Worlds, Sam Lowes came from BSB; Rea came from BSB and WSP; Alvaro Spanish 125cc into Worlds 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP; Danilo Italian Superstock, FIM Superstock and MotoGP; Bulega Italian 125cc and 250cc, CIV then Moto3, Moto2 and WSP; Rinaldi European Superstock, CIV and Moto3; Gerloff WERA, AMA, Moto America and MotoGP; Van der Mark is a bit of an odd one with the one race in MotoGP, one race in Moto3 but started in European Superstock. The theme for me is few riders seem to have come up from a National Superbike or Superstock series. British riders start too late and don’t race in Europe, I concede that there are 1 or 2 exceptions to that but we live on an island, physically and mentally. Andy
Yeh a much easier route into wsb but i think we all agree its not the premier class and we want to see british riders in moto gp ultimately. I guess M Lav and his boys are our last remaining hope for the forseeable.
I’ve just posted about this in the Liberty thread actually, so I’ll paraphrase here. I don’t think it’s a liberty problem or a MotoGP problem. It’s simply that in Spain, 9-10 year old kids are finishing school at 3, and getting to the circuits whether it’s kart or places like catagena and going 2-4 hours riding several times a week, the access they have is just phenomenal compared to the UK. I was out in Spain a few years ago and there was a 9yr old lad on track with us on a 50cc metre kit type thing, other than not really being comfortable on track with a 9yr old, he was quick! and he was there 2-3 times a week
No disrespect to Michael Laverty and his (team) efforts to bring UK riders on to the world stage but there isn’t the financial sponsorship or the talent pool. @Phill748 experience is similar to mine, Spanish kids from the age of 5, riding bikes at every opportunity. The circuit at Cartagena has tarmac areas specifically set aside for them and none of this “I’ve fallen off and I’m going to cry” just pick the bike up and get back out there. You can see where MM got his early discipline. Andy
Soullesstone. How apt for what is the worst overpriced and overrated venue for motorcycle racing spectators. It was an airfield, so it's flat and featureless. Ideal for aviation, crap for spectator sports (unless you are sat in a corporate box or an uncomfortable grandstand sat well back from the track. I wish Brands Hatch could get its act together and bring itself up to MotoGP standards. It's a naturally better option from a viewing standpoint and its topography (not unlike Portimao) with its crests and troughs and the infamous Druids, Paddock Hill Bend and Dingle Dell. I remember watching the Transatlantic series there many many years ago and it was so much more engaging to watch regardless of where you stood.
They’d have been better running MotoGP at Rockingham than silverstone! (From a spectator perspective!)
