THE world's number two speedway rider, Sweden’s Freddie Lindgren, will be adding his considerable presence to the line-up for the Ben Fund Bonanza at Workington on Saturday, March 16.

It will be his second successive appearance in the event and his fourth in total. At last year's event in King’s Lynn he scored 12 points but just missed out on making the final.

“I am happy to be doing the meeting again," he said. "I remember last year some good racing and I wasn’t gating too well so I had to do a bit of overtaking."

Lindgren adds to an already very strong line-up for the Ben Fund Bonanza, and alongside local favourite and SGP star Dan Bewley, this could turn out to be the strongest line-up ever seen in Workington.

Of Workington's new track, Lindgren said: "It will be the first time I’ve raced there obviously. I believe I did race there at their old track but that was a very long time ago!

“The Ben Fund is a very good cause of course, it has helped a lot of riders and I hope it will be around to continue to help for a long time.

"The Ben Fund helped me in 2017 when I broke my neck and I was in a pretty bad state then. They were very generous with me.”

Lindgren was runner-up in last year’s World title chase, his best finishing position yet after two previous third places. So that may be his main focus over the coming summer though he has important work to do in Poland.

“This year I will be riding for Lublin in Poland. We are the champions of Poland and will be doing everything to retain the title."

The Ben Fund - Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund - offers support and assistance to speedway riders who have been seriously injured, forced into long-term sickness from their work, or whose lives have been devastated as a result of accidents whilst racing for British-based teams.