They say good things come to those who wait, and that’s certainly the case for speedway fans across the region. After a 28-year absence and plenty of hard work, the hugely popular sport is now back on track and capturing the imagination of the Leicestershire public once again…

The Breedon Aggregates Leicester Lions have been racing at their purpose built Beaumont Park track since a glorious opening night back on April 2nd and despite an inconsistent start, as the new team continues to find it’s feet, the passion, hunger and desire for the Lions remains as strong as ever.

Soar Magazine Editor, Jon Reeves, spoke to three of the men determined to see the Lions roar again and help put Leicester back on the speedway map, as team captain Richard Hall, Club Ambassador and Lions legend, Ray Wilson and PR & Press Officer, Alan Jones, talked about the re-emergence of the Lions.

Jon Reeves: It’s been a 28-year wait but speedway is finally up and running in Leicester. How has it been so far?
Ray Wilson: We’ve waited so long and it’s brilliant, not just for speedway, but for Leicester in general as it’s always been regarded as a universal sport. Leicester’s been the home of speedway in years gone by and it’s just a natural thing that we have speedway in Leicester.

Richard Hall: We get a good crowd every week and there’s a buzz going around the place at the moment. I think the team needs to start winning a few more to keep the fans happy and keep them behind us.

Alan Jones: It’s been a huge success for Leicester Speedway. We never really knew what our crowd levels were going to be like so it was a step into the unknown. But, we’ve been really pleased. We had a full house on the opening evening and really good crowds for the other races and our crowds are well above the average of a Premier League club.

JR: And how have things gone on the track?
RH: It takes a while to gel as a team. We’ve all started off pretty rough really and we’ve had a few mechanical problems. I think once we all gel, get the connection going and solve the bike problems, we’ll take a lot of stopping. It’s a new track and we’re getting a different surface week in, week out, but once it settles down I think it’ll be perfect.

AJ: Results have been a little patchy. We’ve won our fair share but we’ve also lost league matches at home, which has hurt us a little bit. We picked up a win at Edinburgh where only one team in three years has won in the league and we’re starting to make our presence felt.

We’ve got a good team that wants to win and guys that want to ride for Leicester, which is important, and they’re starting to produce on the track as well. We’ve recently signed Mathieu Tresarrieu, a four-time French champion, and he’s added some solidarity.

RW: I think we’d all agree that the racing has been exciting. The results are to be expected. We need to settle in and you can’t build a team overnight. Given a couple of years and a bit of patience, I’m sure it will be a great success.

JR: Speedway fans in Leicester seem to have a huge passion for the sport…
RH: They’re really good fans. They get behind you 110 per cent and even when we’re not winning they are still behind us. When I got the phone call to come and ride for Leicester I didn’t know what to expect but it’s been good coming to a new club and doing well.

RW: It’s a great spectacle and family sport. There’s never any trouble at a speedway meeting. It’s generally a fast and exciting sport. The thrill of being in a speedway stadium is fantastic. It’s not like being at Donington when you just see a bit of the action, or one corner, you’re actually in an arena where you see all the action and it gets the old adrenaline flowing.

You get behind your local team, establish your favourite rider and that’s what energises the atmosphere, that and the smell of the Castrol R oil!

AJ: That hunger for speedway very much remains in Leicester. A lot of the old Lions fans have come back but we’ve also got a new element of people coming here, who haven’t seen the sport before.

We do discount family tickets so we get young families in through the gates because they’re our future. It’s an exciting sport, there are 15 races, 60 seconds per race and it’s great fun to watch. It’s a different sport and people are taking to it. If you’re curious, come down and have a look and you’ll be hooked.

A fantastic night out for people of all ages, watching the Leicester Lions at Beaumont Park excites, stimulates and satisfies those eager for the thrills and spills of competitive racing but it’s also drawing many new fans through the gates.

With riders prepared to put their bodies on the line, an electric atmosphere and the unique noise and smell of a speedway meeting, watching the Lions is a rip-roaring night out

After 28 years of frustration, hard work and dedication, speedway has returned to Leicester – as a sports fan, the least you can do is go and give it a try!

Grab a piece of the action…

2011 Admission Prices:

• Adults: £15
• Over 65’s: £13
• Children (aged 10-16): £5
• Children (under 10): FREE
• Family (2 adults & 2 children): £30

For more information on The Breedon Aggregates Leicester Lions visit the club’s official website www.leicester-speedway.com

Lions Past and Present

The Legend… Ray Wilson

In January, Leicester Lions legend Ray Wilson accepted an invitation from promoter David Hemsley to become an ambassador for Leicester Speedway.

Wilson was at Leicester for nine seasons and reached the very top of his career, leading his country to World Cup Final victory, becoming British Champion, Leicester’s all-time leading point scorer and claiming over 100 caps for his country.

Ray on becoming Club Ambassador…
“I’ve had a bit of involvement purely because I had such a good time with the Lions back in the 1970s and achieved so much. Speedway is in my blood. My father raced and I was introduced to speedway at a very young age. To see it back in the place I’ve grown up in is absolutely fantastic.

“I’ve also got a lot of experience and if I can give some support in any way through what I’ve learnt in the sport then I’m happy to pass it on to David Hemsley and Alan Jones. I want them to make a success of it and if I can help them achieve that then great. I don’t want to receive any kudos, I just want it to be right for the city and the sport, after they’ve worked so hard to get it back.”

His love for speedway…
“It’s just been my life. I achieved so much and had great pride in being England team captain for five years, representing my country at the highest level. My time in the sport was absolutely fantastic and hopefully the team can achieve all that again.”

The Captain… Richard Hall

Lions team captain, Richard Hall, has been in professional speedway since 2001, riding for a number of teams both in Britain and abroad. He is an Elite and Premier League Champion and has reached the British Individual Championship Final this season.

Richard on getting into speedway…
“I’ve always been a grass track racer, my mum and dad brought me up doing grass track racing and then the foot and mouth disease hit England in the 1990s and it had to stop. I was a racer and didn’t want to just sit around so I bought a speedway bike and never looked back.

“My mum and dad have been a big influence behind me and if it wasn’t for them I don’t think I’d still be riding. They’ve pushed me all the way. My dad comes and watches pretty much all of my races and mum comes when she can.”

Signing for the Lions…
“I live near Redcar and we commute for the races. I like it down here at Leicester. It’s a good setup and we’re doing pretty well. I’m in the best form I’ve ever been in and everything is clicking for me.”

His career highlights and ambitions…
“The biggest highlight of my career so far was winning the 2006 Elite League with Peterborough Panthers and qualifying for the World Championships. I recently finished third in the British Championship semi-final and beat the British Champion, Scott Nicholls. My future ambitions are to become World Champion, continue enjoying my racing and to try and earn some money.”