Weston – and The Scott
By TMX Archives on 21st Oct 10
This week editor JD takes a look at two completely different events that on a good year take place just a week apart.
WELL, many people said it wouldn't happen – the Weston Beach Race that is – that after the debacle, with the horror-crash that took place on the start straight last year, it wouldn't even be allowed to happen.
But of course it did last weekend, with David Knight as the runaway winner, and the Weston Beach Race is back on the calendar with a vengeance. Maybe not as brash and crazy and in your face as before, and with a much reduced field, although 500 solos is hardly a small entry whatever way you look at it...
Now, because for me, as it is for you, its a busy old world and I am constantly trying to be in three places at the same time. I can't personally comment on this year's Weston as much I as would like, simply because I wasn't there.
What I can say is, regardless of who is running the event, or even where it is, off-road sport in Britain NEEDS a Weston Beach Race. Regardless of what organisation we belong to or favour or what specialist press we belong to.
Sure, Weston is a great event for the riders and hundreds are glad to see it back in the calendar. But its real worth to the sport is surely the tens of thousands of spectators that the event draws.
That's tens of thousands of spectators who wouldn't normally go to an off-road motorcycle event.
Weston draws the great ‘General Public' like no other event in the off-road calendar. If only we could harness this show of people power every weekend. British Champs can draw crowds as low as a couple of thousand, even the British GP is lucky to see a genuine 15,000 (no, I don't believe the ‘official' fuigures that are banded around either! They always look like they've been multiplied by three).
But I think it is fair to say that Weston can draw a genuine 40,000 which is the largest off-road crowd that you are ever going to see in this country.
Now, Weston organiser, Gareth Hockey, doesn't walk round with his eyes closed and he of course has puzzled over the crowd phenomenon – and puzzled even harder as to how to capitalise on it. He naturally came up with the idea of running an MXGP on the beach at Weston. Which you may laugh-at when you first hear it. But if you think about it there's a lot going for the idea.
Loads of accommodation, a town set-up for dealing with large numbers of people. It also ticks all the Youthstream boxes and then some. Hard standing, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc,.
Of course the track needs specially building but so do many of the current MXGP venues. Do that at Mallory Park and what do you get, the usual 15,000 faithful turn-out and you lose a fortune. Do the same at Weston and who knows how big a crowd you could draw?
Will it ever happen? Probably not but never say never.
Weston proves that given the right circumstances the general public WILL come and watch motorcycles.
But it has to be on their terms. You have to take the sport to them and Weston is as close as you can get to that ideal...
Weston is a relatively modern phenomenon. The Scott Trial is a very old one – and one that holds the same, if not more, fascination these days than it did almost 100-years ago when it was instigated as a way of showing how tough the Scott motorcycle was.
So tomorrow, Saturday, the Dales surrounding Reeth in deepest Yorkshire will be packed to bursting with cars and vans and bikes and people eager and keen to watch young men and women pit themselves against the toughest one day trial in the world
It's an amazing event that takes place at one hell of a pace. Once the first man has left the start at 9am, with the rest of the 200 strong entry following at 20 second intervals the day is on with a vengeance and if you blink or pause you will lose track of the action.
Unlike Weston, which is populated by a crowd that's out to see thrills and spills the Scott Trial crowd is composed of enthusiasts who, individually and collectively, have a knowledge of their sport second to none. They are looking for skill yet acknowledge rides from riders right across the board. I keep pretty quiet at the Scott... most people there know a lot more than I do...
Looking forward to tomorrow's big day I think it is great that there is always the odd Scott motorcycle kicking around the event. They were years ahead of their time, being water-cooled, twin-cylinder two-strokes (fuel tank under the seat as well!) – all designed and built before the FIRST world war. Take a look at your 2011 two stroke trials motor.
Then take a look at a Scott. Doesn't look quite so state-of-the-art does it. Alfred Scott knew what he was doing 90-years ago – we've just been refining it a bit since then.
Then I ask myself, how could a company that designed and built such an advanced machine all those years ago POSSIBLY go bust?
But it did, just like 99% of the British motorcycle industry...