Eddie Wright Raceway is Track Of The Year

SCUNTHORPE’S Eddie Wright Raceway was awarded the prestigious Track-Of-The-Year award at the British Speedway AGM over the weekend.

Visiting SCB referees decide the winner of the award. It is the third time in five years that Scunthorpe have won the Premier League award, following previous triumphs in 2010 and 2012.

The Eddie Wright Raceway, once dubbed by Sky Sports presenter Kelvin Tatum as the ‘Bydgoszcz of England’ – after the highly-rated track in Poland – came in ahead of Edinburgh and Somerset.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “After the amount of effort put into preparing the track this year, it would have been disappointing to have come anywhere but first.

“We had a good winter, and it enabled us to get the track exactly how we wanted it. We had a motorway blade going around for several days. We also put down some new material – and it just made it amazing. There was so much grip from inside to outside, and it meant there were so many different racing lines.”

There were several classic meetings at Scunthorpe in 2014, with matters only decided on the final bend of the final race.

Those who say speedway is all from the gate should have witnessed the race where both Josh Auty and Ryan Douglas both missed the start… and still took a 5-1. Or the last-to-first Heat 15 burst from David Howe.

Godfrey added: “A lot of effort goes in each and every week to preparing the track. To have a good circuit is a big selling point to visiting supporters, as they know they are almost guaranteed top entertainment, so I am relieved more than anything to get the award.

“I put myself under pressure to get a good race track, and the award is a reflection on the track staff and all the hard work they put in. It is something for them, to be the best track in the country.

“It’s also nice to win, because we had some tough competition. Edinburgh & Somerset are well prepared tracks, so it means something to be placed ahead of them.”