Sport
Speedway riders have the last word
Melbourne’s iconic Etihad Stadium is set to play host to one of the most thrilling and electric motor sports events, the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix.
The event at Etihad Stadium will be the largest indoor motor racing spectacle and will be something that will have to be seen to be believed.
Normally reserved for ball sports and major international concerts, Etihad Stadium’s playing surface will undergo an enormous transformation with a full size Speedway track built on the arena.
The world’s best Speedway riders will be competing at the venue on October 24. To find out more, Ticketmaster Blog spoke to four riders – Jason Doyle, Tai Woffinden, Troy Batchelor and Chris Holder – to let all the Speedway fans know what to expect when they get to Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
If you are a fan of fast-paced, high-octane entertainment, you have to see the Australian Speedway Grand Prix at Etihad Stadium! Click here to purchase tickets now.
Ticketmaster: What are you expecting from the Australian Grand Prix?
Chris Holder: I’d like to see a really big crowd there, given that we haven’t had an Aussie GP since 2002. We get a lot more exposure in Australia now with all the racing in Europe on TV. I hope we get lots of noise for the Aussie guys and a good result.
Tai Woffinden: A huge crowd and an awesome event!
Jason Doyle: A sell-out crowd would be ideal to show what Australian speedway is like. To ride in my home country in front of family and friends will be a massive honour. Hopefully I can do it and stay in the SGP series for many years to come.
Troy Batchelor: What I expect from every GP – to win.
Ticketmaster: How did you get into the sport of Speedway?
Troy Batchelor: I started racing dirt track at five years old. I was riding around in a field before I could even ride my push bike. My grandpa had a bit of land. My Dad bought me a bike. He was into bikes and used to race. He got me into that. I was interested in bikes then and that’s all I wanted to do.
I remember going to the Exhibition Ground – the Ekka – in Brisbane. They staged the Tapp series there in 1995 and 1996. I remember going there and seeing 10,000 people. The smell was unbelievable. I’d jump out of the car, hear the bikes warming up and I’d run up to the fence to see what was happening. It was crazy.
I kept racing dirt track and got my first speedway bike at 12. I went from there. I raced both for a bit, but I quit dirt track and concentrated on speedway. Here I am now.
Chris Holder: I got into it through family really. My Dad used to race a bit of Flat Track and did some speedway.
Jason Doyle: I got into it through my family. My Dad rode at the Sydney Showground and other Aussie tracks. I guess it was in the blood for me to go into speedway.
Ticketmaster: Was the sport prominent in your town?
Chris Holder: They do have a track in Appin actually. I think they’re trying to get it going again. I believe I rode the first ever 500cc bike around there and it wasn’t pretty! It’s just a small, tiny little track – maybe 220 metres. It has been gone for years, but they’re trying to get it going again and hopefully they do. Then I’ll have a track 2km from my house!
Tai Woffinden: Not that much but all the dads got together to build a new track at Pinjar Park – if it wasn’t for them there would be no speedway in Perth now!
Jason Doyle: I’ve raced at the Newcastle Showground before and there’s also the Kurri Kurri track just down the road where I won my first Aussie title in January.
Troy Batchelor: It’s hard to say. Speedway is an unheard-of thing unless you’re into motorsport. If you asked most kids at school what speedway was, they wouldn’t know. But there was plenty of it for me. I love it.
Ticketmaster: What music gets you fired up before big races?
Chris Holder: When I was younger, rock and roll – I was into some pretty heavy rock music. Now I’d say any songs that mean something to me. A lot of Eminem’s songs seem to tick in my head.
Tai Woffinden: Parkway drive.
Jason Doyle: Any really; I don’t have one band in particular. It’s just anything that makes you relaxed and gets you a little bit pumped up ready for the race.
Ticketmaster: Describe some key things that are vital to your race preparation?
Chris Holder: Good sleep and a happy family! I just like to be in a happy mood when I turn up. That’s probably the biggest thing. Everybody can normally tell that if I’m struggling, it’s more than just the speedway side of things.
Tai Woffinden: Everything – it’s a 1000 piece puzzle you need to have every piece to be the best.
Jason Doyle: Fitness – I’ve learnt over the years after being injured so many times that if I’m very fit, cardio-fit, I feel a lot better on the bike. I’ve also learnt over the years that you have to be a lot lighter than you need to be for any other sport. It’s tough that you’re always running at a gym and doing a lot of cardio, but that’s our sport.
Troy Batchelor: It’s about mind, body and focus. They are the three big ones.
Ticketmaster: If you weren’t a professional Speedway rider, what would you be doing?
Chris Holder: I was halfway through an apprenticeship as a motorbike mechanic when I moved to Europe. I’d possibly be at a bike shop doing that. My Dad works on a building site, so if I got sick of the bikes, I’d possibly be doing that somewhere.
Tai Woffinden: To be honest probably go on the rigs or the mines and live in Indo on my time off so I could surf every day.
Jason Doyle: I wasn’t good at school, so I’d say I’d be a tradie. If I didn’t ride motorbikes, I’d be a builder. Hopefully I could have got an apprenticeship doing that.
Troy Batchelor: To be honest, I’ve thought that question to myself hundreds and thousands of times. I still don’t know the answer. But I think I’d be doing some kind of wheeling and dealing. I’m always doing business on the side.
Ticketmaster: For International and interstate Speedway fans that haven’t visited to Australia or especially Melbourne prior to October’s big event, what would you recommend they do during their stay?
Troy Batchelor: If you’re going to Australia, you have to see the sights. You can go to any major town and if you don’t have fun, you’re in the wrong place. It’s an awesome country. I’m not just saying that. I have travelled the world and it’s still my favourite place.
Chris Holder: I know it’s a pretty big sporting city with the F1, AFL, cricket, V8 supercars and all that stuff. So I’d tell people to start off in Melbourne and follow the east coast as far as you can handle driving!
Tai Woffinden: Head to the beach, swim with the sharks, whack some kangaroo on the BBQ and crack a few Jack and Cokes. Sounds good to me!
Jason Doyle: If you’re visiting Victoria, you should go down the Great Ocean Road and just spend some time looking at the beaches and relaxing. If you ever get down to Newcastle, you should go into the Hunter Valley, the wine country and the beaches. It’s a nice place in the world and it’s also relaxing.
Ticketmaster: Thanks for joining us guys. Best of luck at the Australia GP!
The Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix is coming to Etihad Stadium on October 24. Click here to purchase tickets.
