KYLE Howarth believes Swindon Robins’ plans for a new stadium factor into an exciting time for British speedway.

Manchester’s Belle Vue Aces are set to move into the new National Speedway Stadium in 2016, which will become only the second speedway-specific stadium in the Elite League, the other being Leicester.

The new stadium at Blunsdon will not be speedway-specific, but will boast excellent facilities geared towards television, leading Robins boss Alun Rossiter to talk up the prospect of Swindon hosting international meetings and possibly even Grand Prix.

Both developments have Howarth believing it is an exciting time to be in both the Robins team and the British Elite League.

“It’s looking good at the minute,” he told the Advertiser. “With Belle Vue getting a new stadium, I think it will give the sport a bit of a boost.

“With Swindon getting a new stadium as well I think it will be really good for speedway and Swindon itself, especially if you can get a few big meetings there. It could help boost British speedway up again.

“To ride in front of a good crowd and everything it’s a big buzz and it gives you butterflies in the stomach.

“Getting a new stadium sounds good. When Leicester’s got built there was a lot of talk around Leicester and you see with Belle Vue, there’s a lot of hype around there now.”

“It would be very good when Swindon get something going for the people there. If you can get some big meetings there it could draw in some big crowds.”

For Howarth, a Great Britain under 21 international with ambitions to ride for the full team, the idea of riding at international-standard stadium is exciting, but for now his thoughts are firmly in the present.

“The prospect of riding at somewhere that could host international meets is only a bonus, but I don’t want to look too far ahead,” he added.

“Riding with the Robins now I’m happy. We had a bit of a practice on Thursday with a few of the boys, it’s exciting.”

“We just take one year at a time, this year is our focus at the minute, but hopefully we’ll look at the stadium closer to the time, when it’s being built and when it’s ready.”