Three more for the big day
Latest News Wednesday 18th March 2026, 9:30am
Added to the lineup for the Ben Fund Bonanza at Glasgow on 28th March (6pm) are former British Champion Adam Ellis, Berwick signing Victor Palovaara and the returning Dan Gilkes. It has also been agreed that the meeting will be streamed live by the British Speedway Network for the fourth consecutive year. Organisers have been very grateful for the contribution which BSN make.
For Ellis it looks like being one of a small number of UK meetings, but he is a great believer in doing the Bonanza, his third successive appearance. "It's great what they do to help riders, I've personally been helped by them a few times unfortunately in the last couple of seasons. You never really want to be using them but they are always there whenever you need them. I'm always willing to do the meeting especially with it being at Glasgow at the start of the season.
"It's a good opportunity to race on the track there, somewhere we don't normally go to. I think the last time I was there was probably the test match between Team GB and Poland, 2023. It's changed a lot over the last few years and it's somewhere I always like going to. I'm looking forward to it, hopefully the weather can be good, we can get a good turnout and raise a bit of money for the Ben Fund.
"This year I will be racing for Gniezno in Poland, Rospiggarna in Sweden and Fjelsted in Denmark. I think that will be all, other than the Ben Fund and the British Final I'm probably not going to be over in UK much. So the Ben Fund will be a good chance to catch up with a few people."
Swede Palovaara had a season of two halves last year, in sensational form early on with later outings affected by quite a severe illness.
The Swede certainly is happy to ride in the Bonanza. "It's a good thing because it helps riders. I'm lucky that I've never had to ask for any help from the fund but what I've seen and heard from other years in British Speedway it's helped a lot of riders. Everyone should contribute what they can, I think other countries and leagues should have something like this.
"Glasgow is a fun race track, it's one of those you can feel fast but then the next thing you know someone passes on the inside and then someone passes on the outside! A good race track, one of the best in Britain.
"I struggled a lot with the illness. I felt I wasn't good when I was at number one but summing up the season I think the problem was more the sickness. It put me on a downward spiral and I couldn't really get back again. I probably should have been out for another couple of weeks but it's hard when your heart tells you one thing and your head tells you another. Maybe I've learnt something from it and if it happened again I'd know a little bit more what to do.
"I think I can regain form at Berwick, it's a track that has been challenging for me before I'm pretty sure I can adapt and learn to ride it better. If I can make starts as I know I can I think it can be a good track for me.
"I might have the chance to ride Premiership but it's hard when I have Swedish league to ride on Thursday as well. When I signed for Oxford last season it was at the same time roughly as I got sick. I was maybe racing too much at a time when I should have been resting.
Not for the first time, unlucky Dan Gilkes made a strong start to the season in 2025 with his clubs Leicester and Oxford, including one paid maximum and a 10-point return in a British semi-final. A crash at Poole while riding for Oxford brought the season to a halt though happily he returns doubling up in 2026.
"As soon as I'd crashed and as soon as Steph and Paul were aware of my injury when Jamie Courtney called them, they were straight on the phone to find anything they could help with – MRI scans, physio sessions. I'd spoken to Steph before I knew if I needed the surgery or not, I told her it was a possibility that I'd need it and would like it done sooner rather than later.
"Otherwise there was a possibility I'd miss not only the end of last season but also the start of 2026.They were fully on board and as soon as I'd got a price and a date they were fully supportive and helped my family and myself to be able to afford it. Without that support I would not have been able to get it done so quick. Sports injuries are not a priority for the NHS which I understand, but for me, my job, I needed to have it done. Without their support I'd quite possibly still be on a waiting list.
"I had no hesitation signing for Poole even though my crash was there, and I'm looking forward to it. I had a couple of different options but I felt that when I spoke to Matt, it was the right time and the right club for me to go there."
Bonanza lineup so far: Chris Harris, Peter Kildemand, Tom Brennan, Kyle Howarth, Justin Sedgmen, Nick Morris, Tate Zischke, Danny King, Dan Thompson, Adam Ellis, Victor Palovaara, Dan Gilkes.
