PRIMARY School whizzkid George Newman is following in dad David's tracks on the cycle speedway circuit.

Just a year after discarding his stabilisers, the five-year-old speed ace qualified for the national junior championships in fifth place after coming second in the south west regional competition.

George of Fieldfare Close, who goes to St Nicholas and St Lawrence School at Upwey, travelled to Birmingham at the weekend to race in front of the crowd of over 500 in the first of three national rounds and follows that with trips to Oxford and Ipswich in August and September.

"He has done brilliantly at Exeter, Poole, Southampton and Newport in Wales to get into the nationals, but we knew he would find the national finals a different ball game from the regional rounds," said his father, himself a cycle speedway rider with Poole in both the South West and Premier Leagues .

"He was competing against the best youngsters up to eight-years-old in the country and it was a real test for him," he added.

"He was bit daunted at first because he has never ridden in a stadium with a stand and in front of such a big crowd. But in the end he only missed out on the final by one point and now he can't wait for the next round."

George travels to Exeter each week to ride for the Devon club, who regularly have over 50 youngsters racing at their circuit, and his team have just become south west champions.

"He absolutely loves it. I think speed must be in his blood because as well as cycle speedway I have also had a go at Moto-X and my brother Keith used to ride proper speedway for Exeter.

"George is a great fan of Weymouth speedway and is already talking about getting a motor bike and riding Moto-X."

Cycle speedway once thrived in Weymouth and the resort boasted a World Champion in 1987 when Martyn Hepworth took the title.

The track at the Marsh closed down around 14 years ago - but Mr Newman is hopeful the resort might get a new one in the not-too-distant future.

"I have been in discussion with Denise Camp, the sports director at the Borough Council, and she has been fantastic," he said. "There is a possible site at the Weymouth Rugby Club in Monmouth Avenue and

it would be great if we can get it off the ground because it's a terrific sport."