THE date is Sunday, March 18. The venue is Sheffield’s Owlerton Stadium. The occasion is Shane Parker’s Farwell meeting.

And now the Australian has completed a star-studded field.

Shane is bringing down the curtain on a 22-year racing career in Britain and has a rider line-up fit for the occasion.

Latest recruits to the cause are Danish Grand Prix star Kenneth Bjerre, his fellow countryman and new Workington capture Rene Bach, Peterborough-based Swede Linus Sundstrom, German Kevin Wolbert, who has joined Elite League King’s Lynn for 2012, and top Glasgow star Joe Screen.

“I rate Kenneth as a World Championship contender in years to come to be honest,” says Shane.

“He’s shown touches of his class, he’s been up on the rostrum in the GPs, so he’s a quality act, and I’m very happy to be able to announce him for my meeting.”

Shane has had recent experience of racing against the other four, one of the reasons why he chose them.

“I think more than anything that the reason I picked those guys is that over the last seasons of my racing, I has some really good races against them.

“I’m talking close, fair and good racing. I rate all of them and that’s why I asked if they would ride in my meeting.
And he revealed how he and Screenie go back rather a long way!

“I remember battling with Screenie for the World Under-21 Final in 1991, we were both tipped as favourites for that,” Shane recalls. “Screenie had gone out and had a nightmare, and I ended up having a nightmare and neither of us won it that year!

“We’ve grown up as rivals over the years but one thing I can say for sure is the friendship me and Screenie have formed is probably unbreakable.”

The complete line-up for Shane’s big day is World Champion Greg Hancock, Maciej Janowski, Chris Holder, Peter Karlsson, Darcy Ward, Davey Watt, Freddie Lindgren, Scott Nicholls, Tai Woffinden, Rory Schlein, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Kenneth Bjerre, Rene Bach, Joe Screen, Linus Sundstrom and Kevin Wolbert.

Gates open at 3.45 pm for a 5 pm start, 20 heats in traditional World Final format, with an ‘after party’ in the Third Bend Bar.