A FAMILY passionate about stock car racing is hoping to reignite the region's love of the sport.

Graeme Robson grew up with the adrenaline-fuelled sport in the 1980s and has passed his passion for it onto his children, Molly, 16 and Henry 12.

Along with his wife, Tracey, the family, of Staindrop, County Durham, travel around the world to attend meetings.

As Molly is now 16, she has retired from the Mini Stock racing scene and will progress onto the senior version with BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars later this year.

Her younger brother, Henry, has just won his first stock cars championship after being crowned Northampton Champion last weekend.

The Staindrop Academy school pupil was taken to his first meeting at just three months old and started racing last August and has his sights set on the American racing scene.

The Year 8 pupil is enjoying his first full season in the sport, which is available to children aged 11 to 16.

However, Mr Robson, said the family were now hoping to gage people's enthusiasm for the sport following its heyday in the region in the 80s and 90s.

"I have not raced locally since the track at Aycliffe closed in 1989 and although there's one at Barford, it does not run the Formula 1s that we race," Mr Robson, 39, said. "There's been a local lad from Bishop just come in but there's not a lot in this area because of a lack of tracks."

If enough interest was shown, Mr Robson said they could explore opening a new track near Darlington.

"We have earmarked a site at Darlington and have full backing of the landowners but we need to gain an interest for it before we go ahead," he added.

"There's a lot of friends involved to get it off the ground but we are not looking to raise funds; we are looking to identify a need for it.

"When Aycliffe had a track there was a massive following as well as one in Hartlepool which shut in 1996.

"There's been a generation gap where there's been no Formula 1s or Mini Stocks in the area."

Mr Robson, who fabricates and erects farm buildings for a living, said his father started going to watch meetings in Aycliffe in the 1960s and competed in later life when he passed on his passion for the sport down to his son.

"It's a fantastic sport and great for the family," Mr Robson added.

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said no formal planning application had been received.

  • Mr Robson said anyone who wanted to share their views can contact him on 07711590289.