Where are the spectators gone??

Maddog · December 05, 2020, 12:37:43 PM

I was watching a thing on ITV4 about when Brits ruled the world in WSBK the other day. It was showing some of the Brands hatch WSBK round from the late 1990s. Brands was packed. They mentioned there were something like 120,000 spectators/fans there!!!!!

When did fans stop going to British events in such numbers and why? Has motorcycle racing lost its appeal for fans or has TV made it easier and cheaper to watch from home?

David W · December 05, 2020, 03:59:32 PM

To be fair those Brands Hatch numbers were way exaggerated and at that time the GP at Donington was struggling to get 20,000. It was peak WSB days with full factory support and lots of money being spent. Peak days of sportsbike ownership too I guess?

Maddog · December 05, 2020, 05:49:29 PM

I got into bikes a few years later so missed the wsb hype. I first got into bikes around 2002/03. Was it bigger than motogp in the late 90s then?

David W · December 05, 2020, 06:06:59 PM

Quote from: Maddog on December 05, 2020, 05:49:29 PMI got into bikes a few years later so missed the wsb hype. I first got into bikes around 2002/03. Was it bigger than motogp in the late 90s then?

In the UK, yes. Everywhere else didn't give a crap about it, just like now 😂

MOzZereLLa · December 06, 2020, 09:46:46 AM

WSB had prime time coverage on Sky Sports. Huewan and Ryder were a class double act. A Brit was all conquering, lots of other Brits on the grid and the series had huge promotion.

Maddog · December 08, 2020, 05:32:02 PM

Hopefully next year if covid has been sorted....the fans will turn out to races as they missed out this year!

MOzZereLLa · December 08, 2020, 07:30:04 PM

I went to Brands one of those years. I can truly believe there were 150,000 people there - it was heaving 😂

David W · December 09, 2020, 01:14:23 PM

I went to pretty much all the British WSB rounds from the very first one in 1988 at Donington, Giancarlo Fallappa & Raymond Roche Ducati's, Scott Russell on Muzzy Kawasaki, the Fogarty Brands Hatch era. Last one was a soaking wet Silverstone in about 2002!
They were good days.

Phil_8 · January 19, 2021, 01:33:52 PM

I think the quality of the racing had a lot to do with it too.

Loads of fairing bashing. It was very much like moto2/3

I now only check results of WSBK races as its generally 1st 2nd(6s behind) 3rd(another 4s beind) ect