PASSIONATE Peterborough owner Keith Chapman has set himself a target of making the Showground one of the best tracks in the world.
Chapman, who took over the up for sale city club in January, will turn the clock back a decade when he took control of track work there for the World Cup.
And he says Premiership racers will relish the prospect of full throttle racing in what promises to be an exciting season for the Crendon Panthers.
“The Australians and Poles were coming up to me that night at the World Cup saying it was the best they had known Peterborough,” said Chapman.
“I went in and smoothed it over, there were potholes in certain parts and that needed sorting out because when you had guys like Jason Crump and Tomasz Gollob coming into town you had to give them the best stage to perform on.
“Peterborough can be up there with the very best tracks in the world. When you look back at footage of the World Cup there and other meetings down the years you can see how fast and exciting the place can be.
“That’s what I want it to be like in the Premiership. I want the riders, from both Peterborough and the away team, to come along and enjoy riding on it.
“I want them to come and put on a great show for the fans and I’ll be doing all I can to make that happen. We just need a small break in the weather, once I can start on it then it won’t take long.
“It just needs some work with all the new shale and the grader and harrows and then I feel confident we will have a track as good as anywhere at Peterborough.
“People who know me know how much passion and desire I have to create the best surface possible. At King’s Lynn last year I was in at 6am on a race day working on it and nothing changes where that’s concerned for this year.”
Panthers host their press and practice day at the Showground on Wednesday March 27.
And they open their season against Belle Vue – which means a swift reunion with the Aces for Panthers new boys Craig Cook and Rohan Tungate – on April 1 in the Premiership Supporters Cup.