OXFORD TRACK SUCCESS

OXFORD coach Peter Schroeck has described the first speedway activity at Cowley in nearly 15 years as a resounding success.

Riders took to the circuit for press and practice on Wednesday ahead of the club’s much-anticipated return to the sport this season, which will also see former World Champion Jason Crump take the reins as team manager.

Schroeck said: “The boys are really happy with the track. Our goals for practice were to find the right set-up for the bikes, get a feel for the environment and enjoy it.

“This is such an exciting time for speedway, the city of Oxford and its people. The transformation from ‘jungle’ to racetrack in the past few months is quite amazing.

“The riders feel privileged to be here – for some of them they’ve never stepped foot inside Oxford Stadium before, and others already have great memories.

“It shows in their attitude, they all enjoyed the track and felt like they made improvements every time they went out. We’re really pleased with progress.”