THERE was hardly a dry eye in the stadium as Speedway returned to Weymouth last night - and it wasn't just because of the rain that arrived halfway through the evening.

More than 2,500 fans of all ages turned out at the newly-christened Wessex Rose Bowl to watch the racing - back in the resort after a gap of nearly 20 years.

They watched riders as young as 15 speed round the track on bikes that can accelerate from 0-60mph in under three seconds.

Brian White, 36, who is the new Weymouth Wildcats club chairman, has worked flat out for five weeks turning Weymouth football club's training ground into a track fit for national competition.

He nearly did not make it, and was only given final safety approval by the British Speedway Promoters' Association on August 11.

But with the help of a small group of volunteers - who helped lay 500 tonnes of shale on the track - his speedway dream became reality last night.

He said: "It's just fantastic - the people have flocked here tonight. I always said to myself as soon as I was able to bring speedway back to Weymouth I would do so, and it's finally happened."

Mr White, who lives in Dorchester Road, has watched the sport religiously from the age of four, and said it was a terrible feeling to see something he had followed all his life leave.

"I hope it is here next to the football club for many years to come," he said.

Although the stadium, grandstand and pit lane he helped to build may have been makeshift, the support that came was not.

Nev and Jane Logan from Longcroft Road, Weymouth, were watching with their 19-year-old niece Lorraine.

Mr Logan, 40, said: "It's lovely to have it back. When the team left all those years ago I didn't want to travel to see them. Now we can come here and enjoy it again."

Ian Lusher, 59, who now lives in Yeovil, used to tend the gates at Weymouth before the track was closed.

He was close to tears before the racing started and said: "I am feeling pretty overwhelmed at the moment to be honest - it is amazing to be back here after all these years."

The night's racing was won by the Wildcats skipper Justin Elkin, who triumphed in all five of his heats.

Neil Street, 73, managed Weymouth's speedway team when the track closed in 1984. He currently manages the Australian national team and travelled from Exeter to see the relaunch.

He said: "It is so pleasing coming back here - as you get older you get more emotional about these things. It's great for the town that someone has got it going again."

Weymouth's former team captian Martin Yeates, now in his 50s, who opened the new racing venue. said: "This is absolutely fantastic. I never dreamed that I would hear the sound of bikes again in Weymouth. I am so pleased for the people that put the work in."