The British Season Opens Tonight!

NEWS Saturday 12th March 2016, 2:30pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

At King’s Lynn this evening the 2016 British Speedway season starts with the annual Ben Fund Bonanza, this year a 20-rider 20-heat individual event.

Unusually there isn’t any direct Edinburgh interest. Sam Masters was in the Swindon event last season, and Craig Cook was the winner at Leicester in 2014 just prior to leading us into the two most successful seasons of our existence.

Craig rides once again, and he is one of the ‘seeded’ riders along with Krzysztof Kasprzak, Chris Harris and World no. 5 Jason Doyle. What this means on the special format is that these four meet each other slightly more frequently than the others.

In the usual manner nowadays, a semi-final and final will decide the winner of what is the eighth Ben Fund Bonanza, and there will be six heats for under-age riders.

Notably Ben Barker has ridden in all seven events since it started at Sheffield in 2009, and both Harris and King will be competing for the fifth time.

Robert Lambert will be worth watching, and amongst riders coming back from injury, everyone will be hoping for a successful and trouble-free night for Simon Stead, Rory Schlein and Lewis Kerr.

It’s one meeting where all riders deserve thanks and support and where the important thing is the funds raised to support injured riders.

Ben Fund Bonanza lineup: Chris Harris, Jason Doyle, Josh Auty, Robert Lambert, Lewis Kerr, Bjarne Pedersen, Richie Worrall, Steve Worrall, Ulrich Ostergaard, Josh Bates, Nikolai Klindt, Rory Schlein, Ben Barker, Simon Stead, Mads Korneliussen, Krzysztof Kasprzak, Craig Cook, Danny King, Kevin Doolan, Emil Grondal. Reserve Ryan Douglas.