Promoter on track for return

The investment, costing around £200,000, has to be completed by the end of February in time for a press and promotion day on March 7 and in time for the first competitive meeting to be staged on March 14.

This is expected to be a memorial race to Alan Hunt who died in a track crash in South Africa in 1936.

He was probably the most famous rider from Birmingham and was affectionately known to race fans and friends as "Whacker" Hunt. The man behind the move is confident everything will be completed on time.

Mr Mole said: "We will shortly be applying for a licence. The stadium is there and the track, pits and associated work have already been approved by Birmingham City Council.

"Speedway at Perry Barr was staged from 1946 to 1961 until it closed. It reopened in 71 at the Greyhound Stadium redeveloped and closed in 1983 when a one-stop shopping centre was created.

"There were three seasons at Bordesley Green shared with stock car promotion but the licence expired and that closed in 1985. Speedway has not been held in Birmingham for 20 years and we are hoping to bring it back to its rightful home at Perry Barr.

"Traditionally this will mean a lot to speedway fans everywhere. There are many former Birmingham speedway fans who want to see it return."

Mr Mole is speedway promoter at Bell View in Manchester and Workington.

After Wolverhampton went into administration Mr Mole, together with current promoter Chris Van Straaten, managed to breathe new life into the speedway scene.

He started Monmore Green in Wolverhampton in 1986, tried to reopen Birmingham in 1988 but could not get agreement with the then owners, and also promoted the sport in Oxford, Stoke-on-Trent, Hull, Workington and one in Suffolk.

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