BRITISH SPEEDWAY MARCH 19, 2025

(SPEEDWAY 1)

BARKER IS BACK

BEN Fund Bonanza ever-present Ben Barker will be back in the line-up for the 2025 staging at Oxford on Sunday (March 23, 6pm).

Plymouth captain Barker rode in the inaugural event at Sheffield in 2009 and has not missed a subsequent running – and he says the fund-raising meeting will always be an important date on his calendar.
He said: “It’s no surprise, I don’t even need the invitation anymore. We’ll continue to do it until I call it a day. We’re still enjoying it so let’s keep it going!

“I didn’t really think when I did the first one in 2009 that I’d still be doing it in 2025 but it’s good, it’s an honour to be part of it.”
Meanwhile the line-up has been completed by Oxford Cheetahs newcomer Jonas Knudsen, who is added to a healthy home contingent in the meeting.

Spires riders Maciej Janowski, Peter Kildemand, Charles Wright and Erik Riss are joined by Knudsen and Sam Masters from the Cheetahs, with Dan Gilkes as reserve.
 
(SPEEDWAY 2)

REDCAR star Jason Edwards believes the Bears have their best chance in years of challenging for Cab Direct Championship silverware.
Edwards is back for a fourth season at the ECCO Arena having raised his average to nearly six-and-a-half last year, and in 2025 he backs up a powerful heat-leader trio of Charles Wright, Erik Riss and Danny King.

Said Edwards: “In my opinion, our top three are the strongest on British tracks. Quite a few of the other clubs have strong heat-leaders, but they don’t all have the experience levels that ours do on UK tracks.

“I genuinely think that if we are going to win a trophy, 2025 is our best opportunity to do so with the side we have put together.
“We had a team practice at Scunthorpe around a week ago which went really well. With Charles, Danny and Erik in the team, I can hopefully learn even more from them which should help me improve as a rider and increase my average.”
 
(FIXTURES)

SATURDAY MARCH 22:
RYAN DOUGLAS TESTIMONIAL: Leicester 4pm

SUNDAY MARCH 23:
BEN FUND BONANZA: Oxford 6pm