May 2005
Russ leaves Stansted bound for Spain to start marking out the site on May 25th, ready for the heavy earth moving equipment to move in and transform the scrubland to a level area for the race circuit and similar surrounds for building work etc.
Earlier in the month we both made the journey by road via the Plymouth to Santander ferry to take the first of our equipment and tools over to the site.

June 2005
Groundwork commences June 1st, with a 360° digger on tracks, 18t Bulldozer and 15t tipper trailer and tractor starting work at the site.
Within a week the main entrance is cut, access road to the pit area and our living area are cut and levelled.
Work has started to refurbish a nearby restaurant, the developers; an English property company are keen to link up with us as the two ventures will benefit from working together when both are up and running.
Our tractor arrives at a freight depot in Alicante and is collected and delivered to the site ready for use.
Run in’s with the Guardia Civil, Policia Local and Highways people threaten the progress of the project but our fantastic agent Peter De Roy and Architect Juan Garcia Parra sort the relevant problems and we press on.
June 30th sees the track site level and our ground workers begin cutting the first piece of track area from the apex of what will be turns 1 and 2 back to the start line area, including the required banking that we had planned.

July 2005
More problems as Russ, already driving 2 hours each way every day from his Dads villa to the site becomes quite seriously ill. This puts a strain on his input as the track cutting continues.
July 6th and exactly half of the track is now cut. This allows Russ to mirror mark the opposite end of the circuit to give us a symmetrical shape.
On one of my many visits to Spain we met up with the film crew that are to follow us through the project for a show called `Living in the Sun’ that follows new business’s opening up in Spain.
Groundwork continues in temperatures in excess of 100º day in day out, and on July 11th, six and a half weeks in WE HAVE A SPEEDWAY TRACK, albeit a base from which we will take over the work with our own equipment to create the finished circuit.
Two days later after some tidying and minor bits and pieces and the machinery leaves the site and we await the heavy roller that will compact the areas levelled including roads, parking areas, building areas and the circuit itself. Between 50 and 60,000 tons of earth have been moved to get us to this stage. Russ is informed that the lads that do the work were returning to Lithuania for their holidays and would not return until the end of August, some six weeks time!
Wednesday 20th and another bombshell is dropped. We are informed that the hole that was dug for us to use as a storage area for our track water cannot be used in the position it is. We were aware of a rule that forbids us to build anything within 50m of the motorway despite the land being ours, bought and paid for, ‘in case’ they EVER want to widen the motorway! This has not been a problem with our intended building being some 130m away but we did not envisage a hole in the ground full of water to be construed as a building!

August 2005
With almost all of Spain now on holiday for most of the month, Russ returns to England and we, along with 19 of our best friends begin the task of packing up all the bikes, spares, race wear and auxiliary equipment into our lorry for transportation to Huercal Overa. A fantastic weekend was had by all, including more filming for the show.
The 4th sees Russ along with co-drivers Steve Ribbons and Barry Pinnock leave Welwyn Garden City, bound for Newhaven where they will catch a ferry to Dieppe, then continue the drive across France to Spain. The trip doesn’t come without cost as possible disaster strikes crossing the Pyrenees Mountains when the trailer brakes caught fire and were in danger of taking the whole trailer and lorry with them. Fortunately, quick thinking and lady luck blowing a stiff breeze down the mountains avoided such an outcome and a few hours later the boys continued on.
Upon arrival at Huercal on Sunday 7th, Russ is to discover from Peter that the perimeter fencing supplier that, apparently wasn’t closing at all in August unlike 99% of all inland business’s, had closed until the 21st! Welcome to Spain.
Julie Tutton and son David arrive two days later eager to get stuck into some hard work only to find theirs and Russ’s intent scuppered by the incomplete groundwork and inability to obtain supplies to do work with.
The one plus from the week is the erection of the main gate, which offers some security for the lorry and its contents.
We purchase a JCB in England and have it shipped out to enable us to begin laying the track base and materials. This would go on to prove a costly, costly mistake in both time, effort and money and probably the biggest mistake we have made so far. The machine, although old, appeared to be in reasonable working order however, problem after problem has arisen making us think twice as to whether it is worth us taking the repairs any further, still not knowing if it will become usable.

September 2005
The anticipation of the arrival of the heavy roller is dashed when Russ is informed that the boys are not returning from their holiday for another two weeks. It will by that time have been nine weeks since the ground movement was completed and time is really for the first time starting to weigh heavy as the anticipated opening looms ever nearer.
Russ returns to England again, this time to collect a water tanker, the final piece of our machinery jigsaw. Unfortunately, the lorry that was offered to him for him to transport the tanker back to Spain is not available and we have to ship it via a freight forwarder in Thurrock.
Tuesday 20th and a small piece of history is created when the first speedway bike is rebuilt and fired up in readiness for the filming session two days later as their commitment with us nears its end.
Our friend, Dan Lowe and Russ spend the whole of the following day watering and tyre-packing the base of the track to try to obtain some kind of reasonable surface on which to take the bikes for the cameras. Our Guru, technical adviser and Russ’s second dad, Bob Coles, who we met at a meeting of the newly formed Speedway Amigos Europe, run in Spain by ex-rider Alan Brett and journalist John Chaplin took to the track with Russ on Thursday 22nd and history was really made. Two bikes circumnavigated the circuit several times, with impressive starts and a few broadsides thrown in to impress the on looking film crew.
Later that day, Russ was to visit the Almeria road race circuit in nearby Tabernas where he met track manager Diego Silvente, who offered his wholehearted support to our project with the offer of as much help as we need upon request.
The following day saw Russ and Dan drive four and a half hours to Fuengirola on the south coast for a live radio interview on Spectrum FM, Spain’s biggest English speaking radio station. This trip didn’t come without cost as Dan was to contract food poisoning that was to lay him low for a week and result in him returning to England to get sorted.
As we go to print, Dan has now returned to Spain along with father Mick to press on with the work in hand. The installation of the inside line kerb has begun and the first dirt has been laid on the base. Trunking has been channelled under the track which will eventually house the wiring for the referee’s box and preparation is being finalised for the construction of the pits base and changing/storage building.

October 2005
At last and after eleven weeks of waiting the heavy roller arrives to compact the top surface of the site. Even with the roller on site, the stress continues as its driver who was due to work Saturday and Monday fails to show on the former. Thankfully he turns up bright and early Sunday and with Russ soaking the ground the work commences. Good progress is made and by the end of Monday all is looking good. The driver evens assists Russ, Dan and new workmate Simon in moving the mobile home to it's permanent site in the south-east corner of the land. The attention now turns back to work on getting the inside kerb in place. Talks take place between us and the BBC production team who have continued filming our every move for their ‘Living in the Sun’ series. The request they put to us is that they really need a natural ending to our story and ask if we can stage a mock opening for the cameras. A date is set for October 29th putting real pressure on Russ and the team for the first time. The week leading up to the opening became a blur as the boys worked around the clock, kerbing, getting electrics in to work the starting gate and other lights and most importantly getting the dirt and shale down onto the track. The JCB continues to be a thorn in our side with continual problems. If its not overheating its problems with the hydraulics, and our attentions are rapidly turning to looking for another before we waste any more time and money. The morning of the twenty-ninth and friends and helpers start to arrive, all eager to play there part. We are overwhelmed by the arrival of ex-riders Split Waterman, Reg Fearman and Alan Brett along with our own personnal reporter and journalist/historian extraordinaire John Chaplin. Our first time riders, including Bob Coles’ son-in-law Mark and our co-worker Simon Brooker are kitted out while our imported experts, Sid ‘El Sid’ Higgins and Boston starlet Adam Lowe check over the bikes they have chosen to ride.
At last, at approximately 2pm a young lady of whom our local restaurant/entertainment venue is named after cuts the ribbon strung between the starting gate uprights and the Circuito de Santa Lucia goes “live”. For two hours the ‘experts’ get the feel of the track while the ‘novices’ get the feel of a speedway bike for the first time and the day is brought to a close with several starts and first bends with Bob, Adam, Sid and myself. Ungloriously Russ is the first rider ever to bite the dust as he is left with nowhere to go on one occasion and has to bail out to prevent a pile-up.
The crowd that turned out for us on this emotional occasion go home happy, having seen and heard speedway bikes raw for the first time proper, likewise the film crew who leave for the final time. Word is that the series starts in January 2006 but we await a definite date for our episode, this will be published upon its receipt.

November 2005
The month starts in the very worst possible way as an all time low takes over the camp. While out working on track we are robbed of all our power tools, toolboxes, pressure washers and other associated tools. Russ is within seconds of being able to try and stop the robbers as they make there escape speeding off towards the motorway. A report is filed with the Guardia Civil but we realize there is no hope of retrieving the stolen items. Filming over our attentions return to track work, however we are rocked by a stop order from the Town Hall as they have issues over our licences. Our architect informs us that they require a full project to be presented stating our intent but we were under complete assurance that this had been done so were at a loss as to what the problem could be. The project is created and lodged, and the following week we press on. Within a day heavy overnight rain seriously floods the track. Using the vacuum system on our new bowser we suck off 22,500 litres of water which we have to blow out elsewhere as our storage system is not yet ready. We await drying out to continue with the kerb and are hit again by yet another stop order, this time that if we don’t stop we will be stopped, end of!!!
Some serious questions and answers need to be sought. They do with the help of some very good friends and it turns out that we have been continually lied to by the architect and in fact nothing has been done at all. It is no small wonder that the Policia Local seemed so enraged! What a transformation from the highs of a fortnight ago to this, a now possibly fatal blow to our hopes and dreams. With the help of John Williams, the owner of the restaurant 500 metres from us we get a new team on the case. A solicitor, an new architect, a technical engineer and for me, a right hand man, Bart Toppets, and what a valuable jewel in the crown he will turn out to be. Numerous meetings take place to try to sort a solution to our problem, during which we manage to undertake a leaflet drop at the Andalucian Motocross Championships in nearby Albox, in the hope that some interest may be raised in what we are doing should we overcome the problems.
Spirits are raised at camp with the first visit of one of our very best friends, Peter Stockdale, who runs the Amatuer Broadsiders Club in England.
The month ends with Bart and Russ visiting the Diputacion of Andalucia (our regional government) in Almeria to speak to the Department of Sport and Tourism. The meeting is very positive and we receive assurances of interest and support once we are up and running. The minister they spoke to had actually seen speedway on Sky TV and commented on how spectacular it is and how good it would be for Spain. A meeting with the President is now sought and we currently await notification of a date for this.

December 2005
As we are still in a stop work situation Dan and Russ are limited as to what they can do. Behind the scenes work continues, collecting used car tyres that will eventually form a peripheral safety barrier a few metres behind the actual safety fence. An estimate of some 3,500 tyres will be needed to provide the complete barrier we desire. We receive fantastic news from back in England. Negotiations to purchase the complete safety fence from the recently evicted Wimbledon Speedway prove successful and plans begin to arrange the collection and delivery of it to Spain. A meeting with Almeria Race Circuit Director Diego Silvente dashes our hopes of a successful meeting with the Diputacion President. Relations between the two are nil and with elections looming in mid 2006 Diego believes our chances of even getting a meeting as minimal much to his regret. His support however is unwaivering and pledges his support in any way he can help. On December 22nd and at the third attempt, Russ, Bart and Jose Martinez (another friend who is trying to help us get sorted) finally get a meeting with the Mayor of Huercal Overa. The meeting was sought to inform him of what has happened to us, how the situation has come about and what we are trying to do to solve it. We anticipate a five minute in/out situation but this could not have been further from the truth. Firstly, he was disgusted at how we had been let down and deceived. Secondly, rang through to the architects office to tell them to clear the project a.s.a.p for forwarding to the Diputacion and thirdly, he gave us his assurance that he would do everything within his powers to get us working again as soon as possible, realizing how much the town could benefit from what we intend to do. This was just the tonic we needed and left the Town Hall a bit shellshocked ! Nonetheless, a positive way to end the year that started so promisingly back in March when we bought our land.
The rollercoaster journey that was 2005 has left us with some wonderful memories and many many new friends. We hope and prey that 2006 will be the year that all our blood, sweat and tears finally comes to fruition and the first trainees set there wheels out on track and the mammoth quest for Spains first World Champion begins.