PLANS are being drawn up to bring speedway racing roaring back to Weymouth.

Enthusiasts have approached Weymouth Football Club about building a track round their training pitch near the Wessex Stadium.

Local promoter Brian White had to abandon plans for a track on Portland when it was discovered the area was a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

But he has now approached West Dorset planners about the idea for a Weymouth Warriors team track and has been told to submit a scheme.

If he succeeds it will end a 16-year speedway drought in the town. The last meeting at the Stadium was on November 2, 1985 when Weymouth lost to Wimbledon.

Mr White said today: "It is very exciting. There is still a big fan base here and we now have a fantastic opportunity to bring speedway racing back to Weymouth.

"After some inquiries it occurred to me that the training pitch at the Wessex Stadium might be able to take a speedway track.

"I approached Weymouth Football Club about the idea and they came back and contacted me to say it was a great idea. They welcomed me with open arms. What I am doing now is holding talks with West Dorset District Council. Planners have been approached about the idea of a speedway track and they have no initial objection.

"We have been advised to go ahead and produce a full plan for a basic speedway track which can then be submitted to the council for consideration.

"Meanwhile Weymouth Football Club has offered me a five-year lease of the training pitch land with the indication that, if a new football stadium is built for Weymouth within the next five years, then any speedway track would be incorporated within that round the outside of the football pitch.

"What I want speedway fans to do now is to get behind the idea for a new Weymouth Warriors speedway team and support us on our weyportwarriors.co.uk website which contains an e-mail direct to me for more information."

Terras chairman Terry Bennett said: "I can today confirm that the football club has been approached by local promoter Brian White about the possibility of siting a speedway track on the training pitch area at the Wessex Stadium.

"As a board, it is our duty to look at anything that would be of benefit to both the club and the community at large and so certainly we will be giving the matter our full consideration.

"But we don't want to get bogged down in discussing something that just isn't feasible, so I've advised Mr White that he should now talk to officers at West Dorset District Council to make sure there is a realistic chance of them giving permission for such a venture in the first place.

"Once this is done and the council agree to speedway racing at the Wessex Stadium site in principle, then I and my fellow board members will be more than willing to sit down and discuss the matter further."

The town's old speedway team, Weymouth Wildcats, rode at a track which was demolished to make way for the Terras' new stadium in 1987.