Oxford speedway is on the brink of closure, writes ROBERT PEASLEY.

Talks have broken down between stadium owners, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA), and speedway promoter Allen Trump regarding a lease for next season - and it looks like stock cars could be set to replace speedway at the stadium.

Cheetahs will lose their provisional place in the Premier League, which was being held open by the sport's authorities until tomorrow.

And with the GRA demanding a yearly rent of £56,000, there seems no chance of Conference League racing - which provides just 16 meetings a season - being staged either.

It means that unless there is a major change from one of the parties, this is likely to be the end of Oxford Speedway at the stadium.

It is the second major crisis that has hit the club in just over six months.

At the end of May, Colin Horton pulled the plug on Elite League racing, and the speedway closed its doors for ten days until Trump resurrected the Cheetahs in the Conference League.

The main sticking points between Trump and his landlords, apart from the rent hike, were the GRA's refusal to agree more than a one-year deal and a lack of flexibility regarding alternative race nights.

A very frustrated Trump, pictured right, said: "The GRA's attitude of near non-communication and brinkmanship prevented any form of negotiation.

"Apart from an insistence on doubling the rent to £56,000 per season, I had no meaningful response from them at all.

"I have found the GRA's landlord and tenant attitude depressingly unique in my business experience, despite the fact I paid the outstanding rent arrears when I took over in June.

"I requested a three-year deal to enable me to create a solid sponsorship base at the club, but the GRA refused to offer more than a one-year deal."

Trump's request to the GRA to have an alternative race night set aside for the speedway also fell on deaf ears.

He added: "There was a regular conflict with the go-kart operator last season whenever we had a change of date.

"Bearing in mind the increased number of meetings that Premier League racing would bring, I needed certainty that an alternative night would be available.

"My financial proposals for Oxford would have met both the GRA's financial requirements and the long-term future of Oxford Cheetahs.

" But unfortunately the GRA were fixated on doubling the rental figure to the exclusion of anything else."

No-one from the GRA was available for comment.