Speedway fans flock to the region as new track opens

The red tape went up as the Redcar Bears took on the Sheffield Tigers for the opening fixture at Teesside's newest track.

With a 3,500-capacity, fans from across the country gathered at the venue.

It is traditional for fans from across the UK to attend the opening of a new speedway track.

The venue, at the South Tees Motorsports Park, in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, has been created in four months from a former quad bike practice area.

The Redcar Bears are competing in the Premier League this season and are led by former world champion Gary Havelock and managed by his father, Brian.

Promoter Gareth Rogers said: "We have achieved it, but we have also had a lot of very keen volunteers, unpaid, from former fans on Teesside. There have been lots of people helping out.

"From a personal point of view, I am very satisfied. I was one of the first people to stand on that track before it was built."

Gary Havelock said: "I am very excited, and have been since it was all announced. Everywhere I go people have been stopping me - it has been a really amazing response."

Teesside has a rich speedway history. The town's Cleveland Park Stadium opened in 1928 and more than 15,000 people regularly packed the venue to watch the action. The track closed in 1996 and the land was sold for re-development.

Officials have called the speedway team the Redcar Bears - a throwback to the halcyon days when the team to beat were the Middlesbrough Bears.

Redcar and Cleveland Development Agency, which operates the park, has agreed a ten-year lease with leading speedway promoter Chris Van Straaten.

The promoter, who is also behind the Wolverhampton speedway team, in the West Midlands, has also promised to set up a speedway training school, including four days of free training for the community.

* Last night's meeting, which attracted about 2,500 fans, was delayed as people queued to get in to the ground.