DO you remember the days when stock cars would roar around the track of Blackburn Greyhound Stadium?

The stadium which was based on the site now occupied by the Tesco superstore off the Carl Fogarty Way used to hold major stock car events.

Blackburn’s Community History Library has recently been presented with a number of programmes from stock car races but the archive has very little in terms of photographs from those days, particularly of the enthusiasts who attended by greyhound and stock car racing.

Blackburn Greyhound Stadium was purpose built with work starting on the project in 1932 with the first meeting being held in March 1933.

The image we have of the stadium was taken by Adrian Lewis, former curator at Blackburn Museum, who photographed streets and buildings in the town that were scheduled for demolition.

The last greyhound meeting was held at the stadium in June 1984 before it was demolished with the Tesco superstore opening the following year.

Stock car racing had a cult following in the Seventies with Manchester’s Belle Vue stadium hosting major competitions. But alongside Blackburn, there was also stock car racing at the Seedhill track in Nelson which was also used for speedway.

Promoter Mike Parker was the man credited with bringing stock cars to Blackburn and was reputed to have spent around £30,000 to bring his dream to life. It is estimated the track required a mile of steel wire and seven tons of steel posts to construct the safety fencing.

Unlike many tracks, the one in Blackburn was finished in Tarmac which meant faster racing.

Initially it was envisaged the Blackburn track would replace Seedhill which was due to be demolished to make way for the M65 although the two tracks ran simultaneously until Nelson closed in 1979. The first meeting at Blackburn was in April 1978.