CYCLE SPEEDWAY is set for a major expansion in Coventry following talks of building a new facility in Longford Park amid the sport’s most popular period in the city for over four decades.
The news follows the trail-blazing success of the Coventry club at Hearsall Common since their revival five years ago, and bosses are hoping four teams can operating in the city in the coming years.
Currently, there are two clubs running in the city – Coventry and Brandon – however should plans for a new site in Longford Park be approved, an additional team would be added to the cycle speedway map.
The pedal powered sport is at its highest water mark for 40 years in the city following the successful staging of last year’s third and final Ashes Test Match between Great Britain and Australia, which attracted a four-figure crowd.
Should plans go ahead for a new track to be built in Longford Park, members of the Coventry Cycle Speedway club plan to stage clubnight sessions on Wednesday evenings while major national and international racing would take place at weekends.
Friends of Longford Park (FLP) have opened discussions with Coventry Cycle Speedway and a site meeting will be held soon.
It is envisaged that if a new track comes to fruition, Coventry bosses will keep Hearsall Common open for local league and regional racing – setting the scene for up to four clubs to be operating in Coventry – a number not seen since the national boom of the sport in the 1950s.
A Coventry club spokesman Andy Drewett said: “The prospect of having up to four tracks in Coventry will revive memories of the golden age of the sport just after the war.
“Every district of Coventry, and indeed all over the country, had a Cycle Speedway team and tracks sprung up everywhere.”
The sport, which used to be one of the most popular in Britain with thousands of tracks nationwide, has received an added boost in the last decade following the support of British Cycling – who govern the sport.
As track land was developed for housing, cycle speedway lost its touch – however members of the Coventry club are hopeful that a booming revival is on the cards.
Mr Drewett added: “We are very hopeful that ongoing talks will lead to the establishment of new facilities for our thriving sport in Coventry.
“In the meantime, we continue to recruit new riders, and volunteers, at both Hearsall Common and Brandon.”
Visit www.coventrycyclespeedway.co.uk for more information.