THE roar of the speedway track could be making a long-awaited return to Teesside.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is in talks with promoters to bring the sport back to a new track on the South Tees Motorsports Park at South Bank.

Officers and representatives from SponSport Ltd had a four-hour meeting at the venue to discuss the viability of the scheme, which could see action by next March.

The promoters have outlined their ambitions to submit an application to the British Speedway Promoters' Association by October and run a team in speedway's Premier League.

The council's member for economic development, Coun Vera Moody, said: "This meeting was the culmination of a number of conversations we have had in recent months and we're delighted that SponSport is ready to submit a formal application.

"We have an under-used asset at South Tees. We have the longest kart track in the country and a very successful quad business and bringing in speedway is part of a plan to maximise the use of a terrific multi-activity motorsports base on Teesside."

The race season would run from March to October and, in an echo from the sport's old days at Middlesbrough's Cleveland Park Stadium, race nights would be Thursdays, with a 26-meeting calendar.

Early indications are that there would be room for 1,500 spectators, though the exact location of the track on the park's 40-acre site has yet to be determined.

The next stage is for the promoters to come back to the council with a completed business plan, including impact assessments on the environment, traffic and noise.

SponSport director Gareth Rogers, who has had a 40-year association with the sport, visited the park with leading speedway promoter Chris Van Straaten, boss of Wolverhampton, who operate in the sport's top division.

They have been working with the council since February and Mr Rogers plans to manage the club on a day-to-day basis.

He said: "We are progressing. It's been encouraging but there is still a lot of work to do and I hope local speedway fans will bear that in mind.

"I have done all the groundwork and Chris came up to meet people for the first time this week."