cjhill Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Read in Motorsport News this morning that Arena Essex could be sold to developers to promote leisure activities in the area. All fixtures in 07 will go ahead but fixtures in 2008-9 are currently on hold. This would be a real shame! Our beloved short ovals are graudally dissappearing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knobby Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Only 2 More seasons are at least guaranteed the PRI newsletter said, Compulsory order or some crap!, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick M48 Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 I'm sure it's inevitable that Arena will close in the near future as the land is now worth so much money. Sure will be a shame though, now if I could just win the lottery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calum Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 2008 fixtures are going ahead, there not sure about there future after that it says in newsletter from P.R.I, but being the goverment who want the land cause lets be honest they don't care if 100's love going and watching bangers there.... will be a shame to see it go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveW329 Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 To be honest i think arena has been lucky to stay open as long as it has since chick sold the land for part of lakeside it was only time before this would happen,But im also told that the are a few money issues at arena aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjhill Posted March 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 There has been so many short ovals close yet the worrying thing is no more are opening. There has been talk over the future of Wimbledon stadium as well, if we lose both Arena and Wimbledon that will be a sure sign that stock car racing in the UK is dying. The likes of Spedeworth and Incarace need to promote the racing more i think to get more people through the gates. the trouble is these days people would prefer to sit at home and vegetate in front of their TV's watching X-Factor and come dancing etc than actually to venture out. My Dad was always out, nearly every day of the week he'd be out watching Stock car racing. Wednesdays - Arlington, Thursdays - Aldershot, Fridays - White City or Walthamstow, Saturdays - Wimbledon, Sundays - Ipswich or Hednesford. Every time he said the stadiums were packed and the atmoshpere was great. He even said there had been time at Wimbledon where the capacity was maxed out and they had to turn people away at the gate. My fear is that gradually we are going to start losing these venues one-by-one until there is nowhere to race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikard Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 I hope Arena doesn't close I only started going there last season! Next they will be trying to close UK Dirt to sell the Bandwidth we use to online property developers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
braderz516 Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 as long as whe av are beloved online racing were ok (but y essex thats where the firecracker is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick M48 Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 It looks like Arena's days are definately numbered, the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation is a government agency that has the power to obtain the land with or without the owners permission via a Compulsory Purchase Order, if it was a football stadium I bet they wouldn't issue a CPO as there would be uproar. Why do we, the short oval racing comunity always get treated like this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pazza Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Hmmm... I think we need one of those petitions to the Mr Blair Its true though: us stock car fans are not represented and before we know it, all tracks will be gone Why cant the governement put up more tracks in places like old quarries? (I think like standlake ) coz there nobody is disturbed and land is cheap lets fight our corner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swerve Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 It would not surprise me if there are some petitions to sign down at the track in the near future Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcrew Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Why cant the governement put up more tracks in places like old quarries? (I think like standlake ) coz there nobody is disturbed and land is cheap When Newton Abbot was closed, someone opened a small grass track on the edge of one of the claypits at Kingsteignton. That ran for a few weeks before the locals ( for locals read retired gentlefolk from bl##dy miles away) complained and the racing was stopped. Christ knows how anyone could have complained about the noise as the complete area was wooded in and the track was partly sunken, so any noise wouldve been well muffled. Typical of yet another a well used entertainment amenaty(sp) being closed ( Newton Abbot track) and the local council doing their upmost to stop any further racing takin place elsewhere. Oh and of course Teignbridge council offered all the youngsters that where interested in oval racing something else to do instead.......NOT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 (edited) Racing, at whatever track, can be endangered if 'locals' complain about noise. These 'locals', are usually crabbit old people who simply want to spoil the racers' fun. This could mean that the council stop a track coming to the area altogether, which isn't really fair. The way I see it is..if it was an actual business, which would benefit the local council in some way, they would make damn sure that it started/stayed open, regardless of complaints. But, as soon as some old woman moans about noise from a track, at 7pm, its in jepardy (sp?), or it looks this way to me. Edited March 22, 2007 by erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 it wont be good if arena closes, super track from what ive heard and i dnt think a petition will do anything tbh especially those online ones cus i doubt they even get looked at by government Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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