BELLE VUE CEO Mark Lemon has hailed the star-studded Peter Craven Memorial as “unmissable”.
It’s just a week before the ATPI Aces season at the National Speedway Stadium will open with an individual glitzy event on March 17 (7pm start).
There are an array of World Champions including Jason Doyle, Chris Holder, Emil Sayfutdinov, Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley, Maciej Janowski, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Max Fricke, Freddie Lindgren and Jaimon Lidsey.
Australian champion, new Grand Prix rider and Belle Vue captain Brady Kurtz will also be out to defend his title along with five-times GP winner Matej Zagar plus all the 2025 defending ROWE Motor Oil Premiership champions ATPI Aces side will be on show.
Lemon said: “It’s going to be the perfect way to start the season.
“First and foremost it’s always very important to pay tribute to the great man and Manchester legend. Peter Craven is such a valuable and cherished part of the history of this club. This field is a fitting tribute to a great superstar.
“The line-up rivals any Grand Prix in my mind, it is going to be one of the elite meetings of the year. It’s unmissable.
“The National Speedway Stadium will host the British Final, two Grand Prix events this season as well, we have the four more prestigious meetings.
“We are very proud as a club to be presenting these premier occasions.
“But to kick off with so many big names arriving on March 17 is very exciting. To have three of the world’s top four riders and so many World Champions, it really is something very special.
“On top of that when you get five and six-rider semi and finals, it makes it a unique occasion.
“We wanted to start the season with a bang on and off track, there will be fireworks as well, we know that’s something the fans love.”
ATPI Aces captain and defending Peter Craven Memorial champion Brady Kurtz is keen to get back on track.
He said: “The Craven’s always cool. I was pretty set last year on wanting to win.
“That was a meeting that I had on the list that I really always wanted to win and it was cool to actually get that done and kick the season off well.
“I think it’s nice that I’ve already done the racing in Australia and it was successful because it hadn’t been for a lot of years.
“It’s nice turning up to the season feeling like I’m already in good form and hopefully I can hit the ground running in the UK at the Craven.”
World No.2 Robert Lambert returns to Manchester for the first time since winning gold for Great Britain at the Speedway of Nations in July.
It will be a rare appearance to see the top Brit on UK shale this season.
He added: “I’m looking forward to the fact that one of my first meetings of the season will be at the National Speedway Stadium.
“The Peter Craven is a good meeting and I want to do well in it. It’s unique with the five-rider semi and the six-rider final.”
The full Belle Vue team for 2025 will be on track and Lemon also believes it’s the perfect chance for the ATPI Aces to have a stern workout before the team season starts the following week.
He added: “It’s a really tough meeting for the boys to start with. It’s an acid test in some ways. But we’ve got a tough meeting the following Monday at home to Ipswich in the KO Cup.
“Our recent record in the competition isn’t great, in stark contrast with the Premiership.
“The Peter Craven will give our boys a chance to get sharp and dialled in very quickly.”
Lemon also admits that the build-up to the first-ever Manchester Grand Prix events on June 13 and 14 will begin within days.
He added: “I know fans are keen to find out when tickets go on sale, this will happen shortly. There will be an official launch and we are excited to get going.”
*Peter Craven Memorial line-up: Brady Kurtz, Dan Bewley, Jaimon Lidsey, Zach Cook, Norick Blodorn, Tate Zischke, Emil Sayfutdinov, Jason Doyle, Chris Holder, Max Fricke, Freddie Lindgren, Robert Lambert, Chris Harris, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Maciej Janowski, Matej Zagar.