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Edited Date/Time
8/1/2015 2:18am
World championship won't return to Australia next year.
Plans for the MXGP World Championship to return to Australia in 2016 have been shelved, with MX Nationals boss Kevin Williams confirming discussions are now instead taking place for 2017.
During a press conference at last year’s Motocross of Nations, Youthstream president Giuseppe Luongo hinted at a possible grand prix return to Australia for the first time since 2001, however those movements have now stalled.
Speculation was sparked once again earlier this month when the provisional 2016 calendar was released featuring three rounds TBA on the mammoth 19-event schedule. It is anticipated that such an event will require a $1.5-million to $2-million budget to run at GP standards, making government financial support critical for it to go ahead.
Williams is eyeing a realistic 2017 return and will meet with Youthstream at the US GP in September. At that event he will discuss the infrastructure of fly-away events with Luongo while gaining a direct insight to rounds outside of Europe.
“I have confirmation to meet with Giuseppe and his crew at Glen Helen, to look at the infrastructure they use at fly-away races and put together what the costings will be for Australia, with the view to see if we can raise the money and government support to have a round in 2017,” Williams told MotoOnline.com.au.
“I’d received a contract from the organisers to look at for 2016, but with a number of state governments changing and that type of thing, I wanted to go overseas and meet first-hand rather than through email correspondence. That will be the best way to get a proper understanding.”
Williams revealed that he has up to four venues in mind for the event if MXGP does return to Australia under his management – Appin, Broadford, Coolum and Murray Bridge – pending government funding and the logistical challenges of accommodating world championship fixtures.
“The three venues we work with at the moment that I believe have the current capacity to stage a GP would be Broadford, Coolum and Murray Bridge, plus Appin would also be one. Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland all have venues that are capable.
“So it’s just a matter of seeing what infrastructure we’d need to bring in, with respect to their mechanic and signal-zone area, the two-storey structure and all of those elements. That on its own, if it’s not negotiable, may knock Broadford out as a potential venue.”
Williams was heavily involved in Broadford’s historic pair of grand prix events during 2000 and 2001 as CEO of Motorcycling Victoria’s Major Events Unit at the time, which led to a boom of Australian talent on the world stage during that period. Currently Australia is represented by Todd Waters and Dean Ferris in the premier MXGP category.
Source: www.motoonline.com.au
Plans for the MXGP World Championship to return to Australia in 2016 have been shelved, with MX Nationals boss Kevin Williams confirming discussions are now instead taking place for 2017.
During a press conference at last year’s Motocross of Nations, Youthstream president Giuseppe Luongo hinted at a possible grand prix return to Australia for the first time since 2001, however those movements have now stalled.
Speculation was sparked once again earlier this month when the provisional 2016 calendar was released featuring three rounds TBA on the mammoth 19-event schedule. It is anticipated that such an event will require a $1.5-million to $2-million budget to run at GP standards, making government financial support critical for it to go ahead.
Williams is eyeing a realistic 2017 return and will meet with Youthstream at the US GP in September. At that event he will discuss the infrastructure of fly-away events with Luongo while gaining a direct insight to rounds outside of Europe.
“I have confirmation to meet with Giuseppe and his crew at Glen Helen, to look at the infrastructure they use at fly-away races and put together what the costings will be for Australia, with the view to see if we can raise the money and government support to have a round in 2017,” Williams told MotoOnline.com.au.
“I’d received a contract from the organisers to look at for 2016, but with a number of state governments changing and that type of thing, I wanted to go overseas and meet first-hand rather than through email correspondence. That will be the best way to get a proper understanding.”
Williams revealed that he has up to four venues in mind for the event if MXGP does return to Australia under his management – Appin, Broadford, Coolum and Murray Bridge – pending government funding and the logistical challenges of accommodating world championship fixtures.
“The three venues we work with at the moment that I believe have the current capacity to stage a GP would be Broadford, Coolum and Murray Bridge, plus Appin would also be one. Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland all have venues that are capable.
“So it’s just a matter of seeing what infrastructure we’d need to bring in, with respect to their mechanic and signal-zone area, the two-storey structure and all of those elements. That on its own, if it’s not negotiable, may knock Broadford out as a potential venue.”
Williams was heavily involved in Broadford’s historic pair of grand prix events during 2000 and 2001 as CEO of Motorcycling Victoria’s Major Events Unit at the time, which led to a boom of Australian talent on the world stage during that period. Currently Australia is represented by Todd Waters and Dean Ferris in the premier MXGP category.
Source: www.motoonline.com.au
Actually they could link the two tracks..
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The Broadford GPs (where Chad, Burner & Sharkie were discovered) were sooo badly advertised, NO ONE knew about them unless you were in the bike trade, raced or were heavily into mx.
Why not try to get them at Barrabool?
Imagine that in central Sydney!
Goanna tracks is too far away unfortunately.
Not in Vic either..... Too far from me. Haha
Cripes, I remember in the 80s / 90s when the track was continually under the threat of closure due to development - I'm amazed it's still in existence - Suburbia goes ever on, everybloodywhere....
But hell, to have an MXGP pretty much in what is the middle of the southern suburban sprawl of Sydney, could make for incredible attendances. Same, or even better if they could make a track at Eastern Creek - Corporate Hill could really be put to use, and to get a track almost slap bang in the middle of Sydney, would be a great thing for our sport as a whole. It's a complex that I doubt will ever 'go away', with it's zoning and the power line corridor it's in.
Establishing an MXGP right IN Sydney, with decent publicity, would give it a chance to be a Genuine money maker, in broad terms for the community / government (who, let's face it, are the only hope to get the 'Luongos Millions' required for it to happen), the promoter, and not be an enormous financial disaster, that would kick the shit out of the sport / motorcycling in general.
Eastern Creek would not even exist without the Road Race GP going there, decades ago. And, Phillip Island was little more than an ancient, overgrown track / cow paddock prior to the GP going there. Much of the funding / financial 'guarantees' for major events are provided by various government bodies, all around the world.
Luongos 'model' for his GPs, require a lot of money up front (and, I daresay MX Sports Nationals do as well, but with, I hope / assume, a hell of a lot less in terms of 'extortion tactics', shall we say, than Luongo / Youthstream, DC and Co have to make money, just like all of us).
I Do Not support Luongos in Any way (well, I have paid for streaming for many seasons.....), but I do support the World Championships. I'm no 'fan' of 'Kevvy', but he's need to make money from it, or, at the very least, not leave sponsors / backers, be they corporate, or government, with a loss.
Holding a 'Dirt Bike race' out in the sticks, will just result in it being a financial dud, and another decade, or a few decades between having a World Championship MX race in OZ. Something like the race being near slap bang in the geographic center of Sydney, at Eastern Creek / Sydney Motorsports Complex, I reckon, is the way to do it. They could make a Great track there, there's plenty of elevation, room, and high level facilities, and we might even get a permanent , city sited MX facility from it.
It's not my business and I'm not involved in it so I don't really care. I just found it surprising for a dirt bike race.
I guarantee the local Monterey government / council- whatever it is, with regards to Laguna Seca WSBK round had, as you blokes say, some "skin in the game". As in many ways, a major event, if successful, brings in money to a local community and further on.
An MXGP, properly promoted, in a Big city such as Sydney, could get many thousands of spectators, and a lot of coverage, and be a major success for many years. Just go to Google Maps and check out Sydney and Sydney Motorsports Complex / Eastern Creek Raceway, and then expand the map outwards to see it's position, and the extent of the Sydney Basin. Sydney's a bloody big place now. Near LA sized. Market it well, at an easy place to get to, with facilities, and you could get pretty bloody good crowds. The key, together with location, is good, full on event promotion - but wether 'Kevvy' is up to that??????
Put it out on the sticks, or even only 50 miles away, and you'd get buggerall there, and big losses / ripped off investors / backers. People need to grasp that holding a race at our 'normal' circuits, will not get people going to it. Hardcore MX enthusiasts, whilst we have more than most places, per capita, really don't amount to more than a few thousand in most big areas. You've got to get the average noodle interested.
Somewhere like Eastern Creek, which has the terrain to create a great track, could bring success to an MXGP. I get to a few Euro GPs each year, and the places are packed - something I think many US fans just willing ignore. I got to Villo's Escargot (which it was not), Maggiora, and Teutschenthal this year, and they had serious attendances. I got to the Dutch TT at Assen, and sure, there were far more spectators, but it didn't hold a candle to the MXGPs (for me). But then, I'm an old MXer ( well, Road Racer as well), and The Dirt is ingrained into my soul. Mind you, the near 2 weeks I spent at the IOM in between France and Italy were bloody incredible, but hell, that's Real Roads Racing!
Of course, 'Kevvy' might just find investors, private or gov, or a combination of them, hold a race out in the boonies, and make no money, for said investors. That, is what I'm scared of, that happening, and it really doing some damage to our sports reputation. Of course, the owners of EC / SMSC could say no / not interested/ or want far to much to have the event there.
I'm pessimistic, I doubt a MXGP will happen here. Luongos probably wants far to much money for 'his' series to get here.
Fact is in Australia the sport is still frowned upon by most people and councils so it will never happen at the level it should yet Thailand can pull it off .
Put simply in Sydney motocross sucks it big time , 1 track in the entire Sydney basin and nothing else within 3 hours worth pulling the boots on for .
If they built a good facilty at eastern creek it would generate enough money to pay for its own gp why the fuck is it so hard to see , a good track /tracks , in the heart of Sydney would pay for itself very quickly provided it was managed by the right people . Some of whom actually ride or have ridden a motocross bike . The other thing is they need to realize that it doesn't have to be finished before it starts earning , they can just have enough in place to make it usable and safe then build on it with the revenue it produces , it just needs good management . If you consider travel costs to ride anywhere else I think people would be prepared to pay a premium to ride close to home so they could charge more for social riding than anywhere else and it would still sell out . Then you could have events there up to national level to build on that.
Manjimup should be the first track mentioned.
I'm surprised how negative people are being about Appin. Might not be the best for the crowds etc but the dirt can be good and it has the elevation changes. Always considered it one of the better MX tracks in Aus.
Pit Row
Or as said perfectly Eastern Creek. Amazing if it happened and done right would change the face of Mx in Australia
Kev, konsky, whoever time to get started.
Let's petition Wsmsp...
We race at appin and its ok for a club level track but nothing to rave about and certainly nothing you would hold a GP on , I think GP and even national level riders need more than small doubles and a plethora of single jumps to be challenged
if your happy with the state of riding in Sydney hats off to you but I find it hard to find mojo with current track availability and know I`m far from alone
I could see a decent turn out to a MXGP round in Australia in the first year no matter where it is held, but by good turn out I would think 30,000 - 40,000 at most. I doubt a crowd that size would cover the costs if the figures on the Latvia deal were even close to being true.
But what happens after the first year? Can Australian MX that attracts 2000 people to a round apart from say somewhere like the final at Coolum that may see 4000-5000 spectators at most consistantly bring in a big crowd for a MXGP round year after year?
It could be done, but not just off the back of the MX race itself. The promoter who took on the job would need to look at what brings people to the F1 or even events like the Clipsal 500 here in South Australia.
Clipsal has a huge crowd each and ever year, a couple of hundred thousand of people over the course of the weekend. Yet a huge percentage of them don't give a shit about the racing. IT is more due to the party atmoshphere, the 3 nights of concerts included in the ticket price and everything else that is going on at the event.
Heck you are lucky to see more than 10-15% of the track from any one vantage point, yet people return year after year for the race.
To bring the MXGP to Aus it has to be more than just about the race, it needs to be a massive event that happens to have a world class dirt bike racing going on during the event!
I Personally hope someone ponies up the $ to get it over here, I will be there no matter what, even if it is just standing on the sidelines watching
Kembla hasn't been blue groove like it was 20 years ago in ages. Actually been maintained well and groomed pretty much weekly last couple of years.
Both Kembla and Nowra are open Fri - Mon each week and Nowra is open all school holidays too.
Every time I have been there for a national it has been full of deep long ruts, big wide open spaces for the crowd, the only downside I have ever found was waiting in line for food one year!
Not sure about parking though for spectators would be like with a huge crowd on hand.
Yes I know I am dreaming.
Meanwhile I will hold my breath for a Australian MXGP.
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