THE eagerly anticipated return of stock car racing to one of its fabled homes has been pushed back, but a promoter for the sport is still feeling optimistic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation on Monday to tell the public how the Government would ease Covid-19 restrictions in the coming months,

The roadmap out of the country's third lockdown has provoked a variety of reactions from education officials, businesses and the world of sports.

One particular firm that has been impacted adversely is stock car racing promoters, Startrax.

The team has been working hard since the start of this year to transform Odsal Stadium - former home of the Bradford Bulls - in preparation for the return of the sport to Bradford for the first time in just over 23 years.

The aim was to officially relaunch stock car racing at the famous bowl on April 3 - for The BriSCA F1 Stock Cars event.

Around 2,000 tickets were sold for that - with the numbers limited due to the potential impact of the pandemic.

But that event - and several others - have had to be postponed entirely with the announcement that crowds will return to sports venues from no earlier than May 17.

Steve Rees, who runs Startrax and was in charge when the last vehicles raced at Odsal back in 1997, reacted to the news with "bitter disappointment" and said it had come at "such a crucial time" commercially.

But he outlines the primary concern has to be keeping people safe.

He said: "The consequences for many have been devastating - and for the good of all, yesterday's (Monday) announcement from my perspective was not unexpected.

"Frustrating, yes, however I think it makes sense and does provide more clarity as to where we are going and how we can plan with more confidence and there are 'upsides'."

The development works would have had to got underway at the start of the year anyway, if the venue was to be ready for any form of stock car racing in 2021.

Mr Rees said: "We considered the options of postponement and delaying the project until there was perhaps more commercial confidence, but offset that against the real possibility that delay could see either it not happening at all - and to get so near and so far would let so many people down - or a delay would at best mean the earliest it reopened may well have been 2022.

"Therefore, we progressed fully-minded of the implications commercially, which we must manage."

It is now looking like a return to action will come on the weekend of May 22, according to Mr Rees.

The rebuilding of a track suitable for stock car racing, around the Odsal pitch, was well on progress for the April 3 start and Mr Rees believes the postponement of events will mean the team can "get the track to perfection".

The promoter is also taking optimism from the fact capacity levels may be raised to 4,000, rather than the 2,000 maximum he had anticipated and planned for.