Evans fulfilling his American dream

American speedway could yet make a return to the glory days of the 1980s – if a Wolves fan has his way.

Steve Evans, a 10-year hardcore supporter who attended virtually every home match and most of the aways, emigrated to the States in 1998.

Now he runs a burgeoning empire of three Californian tracks, has helped set up a thriving junior programme – and is hoping to encourage a new wave of young chargers to try their luck in Britain over the next few years.

Evans, 37, runs two non-profit centres in the Los Angeles area that specialise in personal counselling, drug education and the like. But away from the day job he organises speedway at the Victorville, Perris and Ridgecrest circuits.

It all came about from his spectating days in California. "In 2003 the father of one of our promising junior riders, who was at the time 14-years-old, was picking my brains for information about the British scene because basically I'm the only Englishman in the pits!" he said.

"Between us we hatched the idea of what is called the Dream Team, a tour of young promising American riders.

"Basically we come over for a two or three-week trip and take in racing at the lowest level in England, what's called National League now," added Evans, on a flying visit to Britain to help organise Billy Hamill's farewell meeting at Wolverhampton last Sunday.

"This gives some of these prospects a chance to see how much they need to improve to make it professionally and also see if they really want to come over here and live the different lifestyle and climate."

Chris Kerr, who was the star of the first tour, is now embarking on his fourth season in Britain and, to Evans' pride, is one of Wolves' double-up reserve riders for the campaign.

"When we did the Dream Team we had a lot of practice events because the tracks in America are much smaller," said Evans.

"From doing about three or four of those practice events we learned the ropes of what it takes to put on speedway."

Back in the 80s and 90s heyday, racing in California was five nights a week. But the tracks fell victim to a fate Cradley Heathens fans would recognise instantly.

"With the growth in the LA property market a lot of the tracks that were getting old – like Cradley Heath, they were prime targets to be bought up," said Evans.

"So we were down to one track and because there was one track the TV wasn't too interested, sponsors weren't too interested and it really became an amateur sport."

Attempts to keep the flame lit foundered as a succession of promoters lost money.

"I went in and took a different approach," he added. "I didn't promise people I would pay them what I couldn't pay them. I just took an honest to God grassroots approach. It's really built from there.

"Now that we have more tracks – we have five in southern California and two in northern California – it's just a case of repeating the successful formula from the 1980s.

"The younger riders will come back, the sponsors will come back and we can pay these guys what we think they're worth."

With 17-year-old Ricky Wells campaigning this season in the Elite League with Coventry, Evans has an example he can use to encourage the young hopefuls.

"The thing that we push with the younger riders is that the ultimate goal is British league, the Grand Prix. That's ultimately what got me involved. It was to help elevate the sport and elevate the kids because I didn't want to let American speedway die.

"Right now we have a junior programme better than at any time since I've lived there. But we probably need to increase the number by five times to get anything like the flood that we had."

While Evans' promotional duties currently include talking with sponsors, advertising the events, confirming the riders and compiling the programme he's keen to bring other people through the promoting system.

So if in, say, five years' time a flood of young riders hits Britain would he regard his job as done and return to these shores?

"Probably the only thing I think that could make me give up the California lifestyle, which I like a lot, would be the chance to promote a track in Britain," he said.