Martin Dugard wants to start bringing the kids through at Eastbourne Eagles.

Which is just one reason why the club will put in a new junior track this season.

Eagles have revealed plans for a circuit of about 200m which will be built on land currently used for overspill car parking at Arlington Stadium.

They will start work when the ground is dry enough, which is likely to be in May, and hope to have the circuit up and running within eight weeks.

Dugard would love to see the circuit produce senior riders of the future.

But he also sees it as a way of bringing youngsters, their friends and parents back to the club.

It is part of an overall revamp for the club after they dropped out of the Elite League.

Dugard has taken over as chairman of Eastbourne in the National League, British speedway's semi-professional third tier.

Eagles will track several youngsters in what is effectively the development league of British speedway.

But Dugard wants to take it further than that and attract potential future Eagles to get on two wheels at a young age.

He said: "People talk about Arlington as the stock car stadium.

"We want to use the stadium and put it back on the map for people to come and ride or watch motorbikes.

"Kids in the Hailsham area, right next to the stadium, have pit bikes and they sometimes run them at places they are not allowed to.

"If we can tap into that market, they can come here and use the track.

"We would like to run ride-and-slide sessions and we could stage flat track meetings.

"We are hoping this could be a big turn around for the club."

Young riders emerging from the junior track will get a chance to race on the main circuit after senior meetings.

This is nothing new - although the so-called second halves were allowed to lapse for a while.

The big difference now is the change of senior race time from 7.30pm on a Saturday to 3.30pm on a Sunday.

That means the kids will get their go in late afternoon rather than maybe 10.30pm or later.

Dugard said: "We will run second halves. We will run on Sunday afternoons so we will have no problem with time.

"We will run our 15-heat programme then a six-heat second half, including the juniors on their 150cc bikes, 250s and possibly 500s as well.

"We've got to go back to basics and include kids here so that, as they progress, we can put them in the team.

"Realistically they are going to be the basis of the future of speedway here.

"But we need to make sure we encourage people to be here.

"We will run sessions for youngsters to get them interested, to progress through the ranks and hopefully bring their friends and parents with them."

The track staged a pit bike competition on Sunday, won by former Eagles star and GP wild card Edward Kennett.

That could be a sign of things to come.

Dugard wants more a club feel at Arlington and has vowed to be hands-on to achieve that.

He said: "On racedays I'll be here in the morning to do the track, I will then help at the turnstiles and then I'll be back in the pits to help the guys.

"Then I'll help with the second half, I'll help put the track back and then go home.

"They will be busy days but we've only got a year to get this right - and we WILL get it right."