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

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, near Middlesbrough.

Officers and representatives from SponSport Limited had a 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.

Councillor Vera Moody, the council's cabinet member for economic development, said: "This meeting was the culmination of a number of conversations we have had in recent months and we are 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.

"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.