Five Speedway GP riders face an early-season test when they compete in the Peter Craven Memorial meeting at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium on Monday, March 16 (7pm).
Belle Vue heroes Brady Kurtz and Dan Bewley, take on 2017 Speedway GP world champion Jason Doyle, Fredrik Lindgren and former Aces favourite Max Fricke in the club’s prestigious season opener.
With the venue staging the ATPI FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Manchester double-header on June 5 and 6, it’s a great opportunity for all five to take some laps of the world-championship circuit.
They will be joined by former Speedway GP stars Chris Holder, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Peter Kildemand and Jan Kvech, plus double FIM Speedway of Nations world champion Tom Brennan, SON2 world champion Norick Blodorn, Zach Cook, Rasmus Jensen, Nicolai Klindt, Charles Wright and Tate Zischke.
Belle Vue CEO Mark Lemon can’t wait to see a strong field in action as Kurtz chases his third straight Peter Craven win, while Doyle goes for No.5 and Bewley hunts for his first victory since 2021.
He said: “The line-up for this meeting states once again that this is a premium event for British Speedway, and I’m very happy with the way it has come together.
“It has prestige written all over it and although people are looking for track time at this time of year, they’ve all got a competitive nature, and that really comes out in this event.
“We have a great racetrack with plenty of places for the riders to go racing, and this meeting does produce great racing year in, year out.
“Brady is going for three in a row, Doyley wants to make it five, Dan hasn’t won it since 2021, and there are a host of other riders who would love to win it and are capable of doing so.
“The track time before the opening league and cup fixtures is important of course, because you can practice all you like, but unless you’re turning a wheel in anger, you’re not really getting that competitive edge which you need at the start of the season.
“What I like about it is these boys spend the winter training and getting into their best physical shape, but when it comes to putting their helmets on and the green light comes on for them to do four laps, they end up blowing because they’ve not been using the muscles that they need to exert when racing a speedway bike!
“It’s challenging for some, but to hear that roar and the thunder is great for us all at the start of the season. There’s lots of excitement and anticipation, and it’s also a big meeting for the riders to win.”
PETER CRAVEN MEMORIAL TROPHY – FULL LINE-UP: Dan Bewley, Norick Blodorn, Tom Brennan, Zach Cook, Jason Doyle, Max Fricke, Chris Holder, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Rasmus Jensen, Peter Kildemand, Nicolai Klindt, Brady Kurtz, Jan Kvech, Fredrik Lindgren, Charles Wright, Tate Zischke.