First Stadium MXGP Race coming soon?!
Last Grand Prix weekends the rumor mill went crazy. This also applies to a possible MXGP championship round that would take place in a stadium. A remarkable step that would be made in a German stadium…
Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo wanted to say a few things about this whole idea. “The major brands that support the championship and the factory teams are open to the idea of organizing a Grand Prix in an indoor stadium. This is so that we can use the infrastructure that comes with such a modern stadium.” The Italian refers to the Italian Grand Prix in Maggiora to make it clear why this idea certainly deserves a chance. “Maggiora is a mythical place in the eyes of the fans, almost untouchable, but when it rains like it did this year, you get situations like we saw this year.” The Youthstream President refers to the fact that, among other things, the paddock was flooded, so mechanics and their equipment were standing in the water while they did their work. In addition, car parks were drowned countries from which it was difficult to get independently. “We cannot tap into a new audience and bring them to motocross and then expect them to stand around for several hours after the race and wait until they are pulled out of the mud.”
Organizing motocross competitions in and around modern facilities such as race circuits is not new. This trend started in the early 2000s with Belgian World Cup rounds in Spa-Francorchamps ('01-'02) and Zolder ('03-'04-'05-'06). After this many more followed with Donington, Franciacorta, Mallory Park, Losail,… and soon also Assen. The idea and the organizers have had varying degrees of success over the years.
The last 'European' attempt, two years ago at the Lausitzring, lacked atmosphere. This was partly due to the fact that the stands and therefore the audience were a long way away from the action. In addition, the unused stands in the background gave a desolate impression. However, Assen is a new opportunity for the idea and everyone is already looking forward to how the 16th round of the World Championship will unfold on the legendary MotoGP circuit. Luongo says the following about this: “We need places like Assen and Losail if we want to offer facilities linked to the right experiences.”
It is clear that there is still room to create a greater variety of courses. Yet it is also important that the history and core of the sport is preserved by appreciating and cherishing courses such as Maggiora, St Jean, Loket, Lommel and Uddevalla. The step to a (covered) stadium is a step in the dark, but also one with unprecedented possibilities. Possibly even a step towards the general sporting audience. It's an idea that has been slowly maturing in the paddock for years and may now be ready to be harvested. But what should the audience expect from this? “They will be short versions of the courses we already see. It won't be a supercross.” says Giuseppe Luongo, the Italian adds: “There is the potential to attract a huge number of people to motocross, but if it turns out that we have only managed to attract 10.000 people, then we may have to call it a failure.”
Original: Adam Wheeler – ontrackoffroad.com – Dutch version: Matthias Van Eeckhoven
Editorial Note: Germany has 3 indoor stadiums. The Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen and the Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt.
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