KURTZ EYES PETER CRAVEN TROPHY IN MANCHESTER

Speedway GP newcomer Brady Kurtz is determined to retain his Peter Craven Memorial crown as he bids to see off a stellar line-up in Manchester on Monday.

Kurtz topped the podium in the 2024 event, which is staged annually in honour of Britain’s two-time FIM Speedway world champion.

Last year’s FIM SGP Challenge winner faces off with Speedway GP rivals Jason Doyle, Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley, Max Fricke and Fredrik Lindgren, plus the likes of 2012 Speedway GP world champion Chris Holder, Emil Sayfutdinov, Maciej Janowski, Niels Kristian Iversen, Matej Zagar, Chris Harris and Jaimon Lidsey. 

The action concludes with a five-rider semi-final and a six-rider final, and Kurtz can’t wait to get his British season started at the National Speedway Stadium.

He said: “I love this club, and I love being here. It’s great to start the season with the Peter Craven Memorial. I was delighted to win it last year. It was definitely a meeting I wanted to tick off.  But obviously it would be cool to do it again. It’s a really good line-up.

“All the boys will be wanting to get some laps in and do a good job. But to pick up the win in the final would be the perfect way to start 2025.”

Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon is backing a stellar field to entertain. He said: “This will be an incredible start to the season. This field is world-class, and we can’t wait to see what they serve up on track. 

“To have so many world champions plus the five-rider semi and six-rider final and then fireworks to round it all off; it’s going to be a huge night. 

“Of course there is also serious business for all the boys. For the Belle Vue side, it’s important everyone gets some wins and gets race-sharp quickly. 

“We’ve got a massive home clash with Ipswich the following Monday at the National Speedway Stadium in the KO Cup. We definitely need to hit the ground running for that one because the Witches are a strong side.”

PETER CRAVEN MEMORIAL LINE-UP (IN DRAW ORDER): 1 Max Fricke, 2 Brady Kurtz, 3 Norick Blodorn, 4 Jaimon Lidsey, 5 Robert Lambert, 6 Emil Sayfutdinov, 7 Dan Bewley, 8, Maciej Janowski, 9 Zach Cook, 10 Matej Zagar, 11 Chris Harris, 12 Niels Kristian Iversen, 13 Tate Zischke, 14 Jason Doyle, 15 Freddie Lindgren, 16 Chris Holder. Reserves: 17 Jake Mulford, 18 Freddy Hodder.