MARCH PREVIEW: LET’S GO RACING!

THE 2025 British Speedway season roars into action later this month with four very special events scheduled to open proceedings, prior to the start of team competition.

King’s Lynn’s Niels-Kristian Iversen and Leicester’s Ryan Douglas are both rewarded for their services to the sport with Testimonial meetings on March 16 and March 22 respectively, with Iversen’s event being the first of the year in the UK.

All roads then lead to Belle Vue on March 17 for the prestigious Peter Craven Memorial, whilst the following weekend sees the annual fund-raising Ben Fund Bonanza at Oxford on March 23, with the events all attracting strong line-ups.

Clubs in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership stage their press days this month, starting with Belle Vue on March 12, with all involved in the league’s own Media Day on March 23, and six of the seven then go into team competition on Monday March 24 in the quarter finals of the KO Cup.

With holders Sheffield having a bye to the semis, the draw features a big clash between Belle Vue and Ipswich; a Midlands derby involving Birmingham and Leicester; whilst new King’s Lynn signings Chris Harris and Ashton Boughen have an immediate reunion with their 2024 club Oxford.

The second legs of those ties (at Ipswich, Leicester and Oxford) take place on Thursday March 27, before King’s Lynn host Belle Vue in the opening league fixture of the season on Monday March 31.

The new National Development Trophy also gets underway on March 31 with Birmingham Bulls hosting Leicester Fox Cubs.

Racing for Cab Direct Championship clubs begins in April, although several will make their first public appearances at press days this month.

And the build-up is on to the Big Weekend to open their season with the Championship Pairs and Championship League Riders’ Championship taking place on successive days (April 5 and 6) at Workington and Scunthorpe respectively.

MARCH FIXTURES…

SUNDAY MARCH 16:
NIELS-KRISTIAN IVERSEN TESTIMONIAL: King’s Lynn 3pm

MONDAY MARCH 17:
PETER CRAVEN MEMORIAL: Belle Vue 7.30

SATURDAY MARCH 22:
RYAN DOUGLAS TESTIMONIAL: Leicester 4pm

SUNDAY MARCH 23:
BEN FUND BONANZA: Oxford 6pm

MONDAY MARCH 24:
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, Birmingham v Leicester 7.30, King’s Lynn v Oxford 7.30

THURSDAY MARCH 27:
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Ipswich v Belle Vue 7.30, Leicester v Birmingham 7.30, Oxford v King’s Lynn 7.30

MONDAY MARCH 31:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TROPHY: Birmingham v Leicester 7.30