Former Speedway GP winner Peter Kildemand can’t wait for a packed programme of racing in 2025 as he makes his first appearance on the Oxford track at the Ben Fund Bonanza on Sunday (6pm).
Kildemand joins Speedway GP stars Fredrik Lindgren, Max Fricke and Jason Doyle in the event, staged to support the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund – a British-based charity which aids stars of the sport temporarily or permanently sidelined by speedway injuries.
Also in action are Oxford’s former world No.3 Maciej Janowski, double FIM Speedway of Nations world champion Tom Brennan, former British champions Adam Ellis, Danny King and Charles Wright and double Australian champion Sam Masters. German international Erik Riss, former SGP2 star Jonas Knudsen, Tobiasz Musielak, Lewis Kerr, Justin Sedgmen and Ben Barker complete a stellar line-up.
The Ben Fund Bonanza will be Kildemand’s first appearance at Cowley since he ended his seven-year absence from British racing. As well as riding for Oxford Spires in the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership, he will compete for Berwick in the Cab Direct Championship.
Having found himself on the sidelines for his Polish Metalkas 2. Ekstraliga team Rzeszow last year, racing only for Fjelsted in Denmark, Kildemand had a very quiet 2024 season. He admits his return to the UK has significantly improved his schedule for 2025.
He said: “Before the Danish league starts, I think I will have more meetings than I had in the whole of 2024! I am looking forward to it.
“Over the last couple of years, I have not been racing enough. Last year I had some problems with my team spot in Poland. I did practice, but I really miss racing and having meetings. I think this is a good opportunity for me to come back to Britain and get some more meetings under my belt.
“I was with Rzeszow, but I never got into the team. They signed Nicki Pedersen pretty late, so they never used me. I never even raced one meeting. I only did the Danish league last year. That was about 14 meetings. I really need more.
“I raced the year before in Rzeszow and everything went well. We won the league and were promoted to the next one. Everything was set up and then I just didn’t have the races.
“That’s why I am coming back to Britain – to race. I will be racing more or less every week. Hopefully I can really start to enjoy it if I am racing a bit more. Last year was tough for me. When you have reached some kind of level, you really put a lot of pressure on yourself.
“It’s so hard to deliver when you are only racing once a week or once every second week. It doesn’t come naturally. I hope I can enjoy racing a bit more again. It comes more naturally when you are on the bike.”