Wolves speedway promoter makes 'realism' plea in New Year message
Wolves speedway promoter Chris Van Straaten says his enthusiasm to get the team back on track remains “undaunted” but says realism is required in the search for a new home.
Van Straaten described 2024 as having been a “most frustrating year” with Wolves unable to race after being forced out of their long-time Monmore Green base by the site’s owners, Entain.
The hunt for a new home is continuing with the Save Wolves Speedway petition having received more than 22,000 signatures.
But in a New Year message to supporters, Van Straaten again warned patience will be required if the club is to realise the ambition of building a multi-use motopark which could house speedway alongside other disciplines.
Van Straaten wrote: “Having investigated every suggested existing stadium within a 30-mile radius of Monmore, I have been unable to find one suitable to include speedway.
“This of course meant that the search for a site suitable to develop a speedway track became necessary, but with speedway currently at the smallest number of locations since the 1950s, it makes a much larger area necessary to incorporate other motor cycle disciplines, as to develop an area solely for staging speedway events is no longer financially viable.
“This takes time and patience and you may recall that Middlesbrough had no speedway following the closure of Cleveland Park for a decade, until the opportunity arose to install a speedway track at Redcar Motorsports complex - which was a project in which I was heavily involved.”
Van Straaten is speedway’s longest-serving promoter and has been involved at Wolves since 1986. The 73-year-old admitted the “withdrawal symptoms” of the team not being in action had been tough to handle.
Wolves, who had raced at Monmore since 1928, were told in April 2023 Entain no longer wanted to host speedway at the venue.
Just seven teams are scheduled to race in this year’s Premiership with Birmingham Brummies, who are themselves searching for a new base due to upcoming development at Perry Barr, the only West Midlands outfit.
Van Straaten continued: “After being involved every summer at Monmore since 1986, this past year has been a very difficult time personally finding the withdrawal symptoms hard to handle emotionally.
“To this end apart from one necessary visit to Redcar, I have deliberately kept away from speedway.
“However, my enthusiasm to find a new location for Wolverhampton Speedway is undaunted, but has however been tempered by realism.”
