LATEST NEWS: Fun in the sun as stock car racing makes long-awaited return to Bradford

BRADFORD and Odsal Stadium are just hours away from the eagerly anticipated return of stock car racing for the first time since 1997.

Almost half a year of hard work will come to fruition this evening when vehicles take to the new Odsal shale track and fans watch them battle it out.

The green flag will come down at 6pm for the The Stan Woods National Banger Celebration and mark the official reopening of Odsal Stadium

It was last used by the Bradford Bulls in 2019, before they left for Dewsbury.

A dream of more than 23 years has all been made possible by promotion company, Startrax.

The firm - which runs stock car racing events at other venues - is headed by Steve Rees, the man in charge when the much-loved sport was last at the famous bowl.

His vision was to transform Odsal back into a stock car racing venue and work on achieving that began back in January.

A new shale track has been installed around the playing field, the stadium has been spruced up and 2,000 tickets made available for the opener - limited due to the pandemic rules - sold out back in March.

While the engines will begin roaring at 6pm, the pit gate opened at 2pm and the spectator car park opened around an hour ago, at 2.30pm.

The turnstiles will begin spinning at 4pm, with a grand parade at 5.30pm, just before the racing officially begins.

Fans will be able to get their hands on a special collectable souvenir programme from the Odsal entrance gates.

Startrax said on its Facebook page yesterday afternoon: "Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

"In around 27 hours the first event in 23 years will get underway.

"To say that nerves are fraught or stomach's churning would be an understatement - even sheer terrified dread.

"If over, after 137 days of what has been a difficult build, at the last hurdle even the weather turned - Danny, Ian and Frank and team are working hard in installing the belting for the pitch protection - a huge job as it is for the first time, not helped by conditions, particularly yesterday - back-breaking work but, on schedule to be completed by tonight allowing our top track man to work his magic tomorrow with a dry day forecast.

"I think, in hindsight, it would have been better waiting to open when we had some normality, managing what we have to manage is a 'first time' for our team also but hopefully together we can make it happen.

"Like the rest of the team, we are ready to 'drop'.

"It is brand new as an operation so we don't have all the answers to questions, we will learn week by week as we get more familiar with the surroundings and operation.

"Thank you."