SGP for Melbourne (Read 1,293 times)

[hmac]

Seen on the BSI site that they have signed a 5yr deal to run SGP at Etihad. Gonna be the final round of the year, starting next year.
Also gonna have a SGP qualifier there by the sounds of it.

[powerbuilt]

Here is a copy of media release:

The 2015 FIM Speedway World Champion will be crowned Down Under after BSI Speedway, rights holders of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) series, signed a five-year deal to stage the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix at Melbourne’s state-of-the-art Etihad Stadium.

The largest indoor motor racing spectacle in the Southern Hemisphere sees SGP action return to Australia on October 24, 2015; the first time it has featured Down Under for 13 years.

Tickets go on sale on Friday (October 10) at 9am Melbourne time*, and start at the bargain price of $49 AUD for adults and $24.50 AUD for children, giving Aussie fans a fantastic opportunity to see their golden generation of stars, featuring 2012 world champion and five-time Australian champion Chris Holder and compatriot Jason Doyle, live and up close.

With everything from FIM Speedway World Championship medals to 2016 FIM Speedway Grand Prix qualification places set to be decided at Etihad Stadium, BSI Speedway managing director Paul Bellamy is delighted to be bringing the series home to the country where speedway was born in the early 20th century.

He said: “Australia is one of the true superpowers of world speedway and it has been a long-term goal of ours to take the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series back Down Under.

“The SGP series has visited some fabulous venues across the globe and Etihad Stadium is up there with the very, very best of them.

“Melbourne lives and breathes motor sport and sport in general. We hope Melburnians, Victorians and fans from all over Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world embrace the event next year.

“Despite the retirement of triple world champion Jason Crump and record 10-time Aussie champ Leigh Adams in recent years, the production line of world-class Australian talent just keeps rolling.

“I’m sure the likes of Chris Holder and Jason Doyle, who has qualified for the 2015 series, will be absolutely elated to be racing in such a big meeting on home soil.

“Their fans spend most of the season getting up in the early hours of the morning to watch them in action live on the Speed channel. I hope they will enjoy the opportunity to support them at Etihad Stadium, and at a far more civilised hour!”

Etihad Stadium is situated in Melbourne’s CBD, surrounded by shops and restaurants and adjacent to Southern Cross Station – the city’s main transport hub.

As well as hosting some of the world’s top music artists, the venue stages everything from AFL (Aussie Rules) and cricket to soccer and darts.

Paul Sergeant, chief executive officer of Melbourne Stadiums Ltd, owners of Etihad Stadium, looks forward to bringing more world-class sport to a world-class venue.

He said: “Bringing FIM Speedway Grand Prix racing to Etihad Stadium has been on our agenda for some time and is a tremendous coup for Melbourne. We’re looking forward to an exciting five years of SGP action and are in no doubt it will become a hugely popular event.

“We’re proud to be staging and promoting the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix, which will be privately funded.

“The SGP series is spectacular. It’s in an easy-to-follow format with fast and exciting racing. Here at Etihad Stadium, air horns will be more than welcome, so the noise will be something special under our roof!

“With adult tickets starting at $49 AUD, this is a fantastic opportunity to see the best riders in the world live, without spending the thousands of dollars needed to travel to Europe.

“We’re also looking forward to working with Australian Speedway legends Jason Crump and Leigh Adams, who will serve as Australian SGP ambassadors. It’s an honour to have them on board and we hope the event will help the current crop of Aussie stars become legends in their own right.”

Tickets for the Australian SGP are available via www.ticketmaster.com.au from 9am Melbourne time on Friday (11pm Thursday UK time and midnight Thursday CET).

For further information with regards to Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium, visit: www.etihadstadium.com.au. For further information on the SGP series visit: www.speedwaygp.com.

*UK time: Thursday 9 October, 11pm; European time: Thursday 9 October, midnight.

[hmac]

after re-reading it, ...not a SGP qualifier as well, just meaning the fight for top 8 the following year etc.
Looks like they'll be on to a winner, knowing sports crazy Melbourne, they'll promote the hell out of it.

[Deleted]

Just a shame Aucklanders didn't do more keep it here. am sure Australia will do it proud

[Parrot]

I'm not sure how they think its going to be a success there. The last one they had in Australia was a flop with only a half full stadium.

[poolepirate]

Has anyone noticed there's no mention of Darcy Ward anywhere.
He has certainly been slammed for what I believe is a small indiscretion.

[hmac]

He naughty boy..must not mention his name lol. To be fair, they probably don't know his intentions for next year, and he's still under suspension. Saw a story that he might even be looking at ditching speedway in favour of MX. Hopefully it was just someone interviewing their typewriter.
As for the thing being a success, I reckon it will go real well. The last one they had (that bombed), was in Sydney. Very, very different than Melbourne, they turn out for just about anything, especially at Etihad. Hopefully will be there.

[knownotmuch]

Not too difficult for us NZers to pop across for it, plenty of reasonable air fares and meant to be a good transport system in Melbourne.
Would be a shame to see Darcy Ward exit Speedway, he is a real entertainer on the track with his somewhat insane style.

[Deleted]

Not sure how many will spend $500 for Vip box. what I have heard. might be fantastic stadium whether or not it'll be filled with fans and supporters be another story

[hmac]

Who needs a vip box. $49AU on sale now.

[Deleted]

You could say the same about when springs hosted it for 3 yrs lost loads money with only about 30,000 people in total. $500 buck tickets is going lot enpty seats

[hmac]

Is that really all they got over the 3 meetings? Guess thats what bad promoting brings. Predicting Melbourne will eat that in the 1st meeting.

[Parrot]

Looks like Darcy may be back for this one.

Thursday 26th February 2015, 14:23

On 17 August 2014, Mr Darcy Ward underwent an alcohol test at the round of the 2014 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship held in Daugavpils, Latvia. The test was positive for a level above the threshold specified in the FIM Anti-Doping Code (P.1 Alcohol).



On 28 August 2014, the FIM provisionally suspended Mr Ward pending the CDI’s decision adjudicating on the merits of the case. Since then, Mr Ward has been provisionally barred from participating in any competition. The case was referred to the CDI and Mr Lars Nilsson of Sweden was appointed by the Director of the International Commission of Judges (CJI) as CDI Single Judge to hear the case. On 19 September 2014, a Request made by the Rider on 3 September 2014 for the lifting of his provisional suspension was denied by the CDI.



Mr Ward was heard by the CDI during a Hearing held in a hotel situated near the headquarters of the FIM on 30 January 2015.



The CDI has now issued the operative part of its decision in advance of the reasons at the special request of Mr Ward. The CDI found that Mr Ward committed an anti-doping rule violation under the 2014 FIM Anti-Doping Code.



The CDI ruled that Mr Ward is sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of ten (10) months commencing on the date of the decision, 25 February 2015, and that the period of the provisional suspension already served by Mr Ward shall be credited against the period of the sanction.



Consequently, the period of ineligibility imposed on Mr Ward will end on 27 June 2015 at midnight.

Moreover, the CDI ruled that the results obtained by Mr Ward in all the Competitions in which he participated subsequent to the positive test, from 17 August 2014 until 27 August 2014, are cancelled, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any points and prizes.



An appeal against the decision of the CDI may be lodged by the parties before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne (Switzerland) within 21 days of the date of receipt of the full reasoned CDI decision.

[hmac]

At least he knows what's what now. Jeez they left him hangin for ages. Hopefully OZ will give him a wilcard for the GP.
Wondering whether his clubs can suss out deals to get him back once the suspension is up, being mid-season and all.

[jimmyj]

Oh well at least we can say we supported them for the 3 yrs ,like V8 super cars .Makes me laugh the amount of people who winge about these things and don't support them ,No wonder they go away .Mind you NZ has a very small population so we should be pleased with what we get //