MEETING PREVIEW: BJARNE PEDERSEN FINAL LAP

The quiet, unassuming, 'Daddy Cool' Dane, Bjarne Pedersen will take centre stage on Wednesday (30th March) when British Speedway has the opportunity to say it's farewell to the rider who first began racing in the UK in 2000 for Newcastle, before heading south to become a ten-term Pirate in 2002. 

Poole promoter Dan Ford, who as a schoolboy, remembers Bjarne signing for the club is calling for a large turnout to celebrate Bjarne's impressive career as speedway racing returns to Wimborne Road after its winter recess. "I think the best way we can mark Bjarne's loyalty to Poole is to have a full stadium to witness his final circuit of the track. He has been a wonderful servant to the club over the years and is such a great chap. I feel sure that we will see families of different generations all gathering to pay homage to Bjarne as his long career deserves."

Whilst the Pirates' second all-time highest point scorer will not himself be taking part in the meeting that features clubs sporting the title 'defending champions', Bjarne will undertake a demonstration farewell lap during the course of the evening which sees a Poole side race against a Peterborough side.

The Cambridgeshire club, for whom Pedersen rode last season were the Premiership title winners, and under the auspices of former Team GB manager Rob Lyons, arrive with largely the team they hope to defend their title with, but they will field Poole's 2022 number 7 Nathan Ablitt who covers for the Panthers' new addition for 2022, former Pirate Benjamin Basso. Peterborough had hoped to have Pedersen's fellow countryman Peter Kildemand representing them but he remains sidelined so Alfie Bowtell will step up for the Premiership side.

With Ablitt 'loaned' to the visiting side, the Pirates were planning to use Adam Ellis, but his recent signing for Birmingham means he is now unavailable and so they have called up local lad Kyle Newman who has served Poole across five seasons in his career to-date and for 2022 will be a member of British Speedway's newest side Oxford. 

As well as the 15-heat match challenge between the Pirates and Panthers, the farewell final lap from Bjarne himself there will also be some demonstration races featuring the GB Young Lions and also some laps on 'upright' machines. Advanced ticket purchases are available here with normal admission prices applying, although season tickets are NOT valid.

Teams: 
Poole - Steve Worrall, Ben Cook, Danny King, Kyle Newman, Richard Lawson, Drew Kemp, Zach Cook
Peterborough - Michael Palm Toft, Hans Andersen, Ulrich Ostergaard, Alfie Bowtell, Scott Nicholls, Jordan Palin, Nathan Ablitt