Jan O Pedersen makes his comeback

Cradley speedway great Jan O Pedersen is making a comeback – at the age of 48.

Pedersen will be riding in Britain for the first time in nearly 20 years as a side attraction to the Dudley Golden Hammer individual meeting on Tuesday July 26.

The Dane, one of the most spectacular riders in Heathens history, will tackle old Wolves foe Sam Ermolenko in a series of match races at Monmore Green.

But Pedersen, who quit the sport in 1992 after suffering severe back injuries in a crash in Denmark, is looking further ahead – and is serious about his return to action.

The veteran has taken out a British racing licence through the Auto Cycle Union, the nation's governing body for motorcycle sport, and has been practising in Poland.

And Pedersen can't wait to get back on track in front of the Heathens fans.

He said: "It will be a fantastic night. I'm so looking forward to it. I've missed the enjoyment of racing.

"The way I dealt with not being able to ride back then was to keep away from speedway.

"But a lot of things have happened in my life in the last 15 to 20 years, especially the last five.

"I went to a pain clinic in Denmark and learned a lot about my injury which I didn't know beforehand.

"The other thing is that I have had some ups and downs, but I met my wife in December 2009 and we got married eight months later.

"My Julia, we kind of knew each other as children but I hadn't seen her since she was 13. We didn't meet for 30 years.

"But then we met and apparently - and she's saying it is OK for me to say this - she always had a crush on me.

"That is one thing I have never really had in my life, a proper, settled-down relationship. It's done me good.

"We will work on being happy and what that means is that I will be racing. I will do the best I can, that's my personality.

"The way I rode was 100 per cent, and that's how I will race."

Fired by domestic bliss and armed with a better medical bulletin on his back, Pedersen contacted the Danish authorities about renewing his licence.

He was told to take a two-part test for beginners, involving speedway knowledge and a riding demonstration.

The examination was not unfamiliar to the man who won the 1991 world championship with a 15-point maximum as he had passed it in his early teens, in 1976.

He said: "I was a little bit upset. I said 'You can't be serious.'

"I did the first part but then they banned me from going on the track."

With the Danish authorities stalling, former American rider Shawn Moran contacted ACU official Graham Brodie and Pedersen is now the proud owner of a British licence.

He said: "Denmark didn't want me – thank God England did.

Pedersen is thoroughly Anglicised anyway – at least as far as the Cradley part of England goes, having spent all his British career with the club, apart from one season on loan at Sheffield.

He said: "I'm a Black Country Dane. People who know me well in Denmark say I'm more English than Danish.

"I took to the Cradley area so well. They are proud people – they didn't have much but loved their speedway. That is why my heart belongs to that area.

"I hope the council can find a piece of land so we can get back to having our team – at our own place."

By Tim Hamblin