KEITH Chapman says he is desperate to get British Speedway back on the right track after being appointed new Chairman of the BSPA.The King’s Lynn chief has spoken passionately for a number of years about his views on the sport in the UK.

Now he is at the helm of British speedway’s main governing body, Chapman is eager to help homegrown riders develop and is confident his ideas can have a positive influence on the sport.Said Chapman: “We are realistic and realise that nothing is going to change overnight and that it will take a bit of time.

“We’ve got a five-year plan and I’m confident we can get to where we want to be within that time scale.“It’s ok saying the right things and doing plenty of talking, but it’s now down to me and the rest of the team to knuckle down, get things moving and make sure things happen.“It will be a bit more difficult in this my first season because the way the format of the conferences went, I didn’t actually get into the chair until a few hours before the final AGM.“So there’s a few things that came out this year that I would have done differently but I suppose it givesme a full season to keep my eye on all things good or bad and start putting things in motion to move the sport forward from 2017 onwards.“One of our ultimate aims is to focus on the development of British riders.

“We’ve seen bits of progress over the last couple of seasons with the introduction of the British rider draft system in the Elite League and now the Premier League.“There’s also been a few steps made in terms of making racing more affordable for the younger British riders in particular.

“I think that’s something we need to continue working on to encourage more people to take up the sport and to make sure the costs are as low as possible for our homegrown riders.“As well as cost for the riders we need to look at a few safety issues for all competitors as well as looking at the entertainment and financial value for the supporters.“There’s going to be a lot to take in over the course of next year but I’m really looking forward to the challenge and it’s absolutely going to be one big group effort.“One thing I can guarantee everyone is that I won’t be shy with any of my suggestions.

“I’ll be very forthright with what I think and how I think we can move things forward but I really am excited for what lies ahead. “It’s an immense honour to be Chairman of the British Speedway Promoters’ Association and right I now I’m so happy.”