CRADLEY Heathens Speedway legend Erik Gundersen is to make an emotional return to the Black Country from his Denmark home this summer.

Triple world champion Gundersen, who was voted the club’s best-ever rider in an online poll, will be at the Venue Conference and Banqueting Centre in Dudley on Friday, July 20.

The smiling Dane, who saw his career ended in a horror crash at Bradford back in 1989, made 450 appearances for the Heathens and scored almost 5,000 points along the way.

A special ‘Evening with Erik Gundersen’ has been arranged by Dudley Heathens and HSSC and organisers are expecting a sell-out audience.

Chairman Nigel Pearson said: “Erik is a true icon throughout the Black Country and throughout the world of speedway.

“I spoke to him last week to finalise things and he was buzzing about coming back to the area where he spent so much of his racing career.

“He can still speak with a bit of a Black Country accent and he can’t wait to come over and see everyone. It’s going to be a very emotional night because every Cradley supporter will want to be there.

“I would urge supporters to snap up tickets as quickly as possible because we are expecting the sold out signs to go up pretty quickly.

“Erik was not only a wonderful rider but he was also fantastic with supporters and after all this time he still holds a place in people’s hearts, particularly in the West Midlands.

“Jan O Pedersen came back to the area last July and Greg Hancock returned to Dudley in March and both were knocked out by the welcome they received. Erik can look forward to something similar.”

There will be a special VIP reception with Gundersen in the Ednam Suite at 7pm with tickets, restricted to 50, priced at £25 each. General admission tickets are available at £10 with the event starting at 8.30pm.

Tickets can be purchased at the club’s online shop at dudleyheathens.co or by sending a cheque payable to HSSC, 2 Caernarvon Way, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 2TR. For more details, contact HSSC on 07766 745681.

Heathens stage their opening home National League meeting of the season against King’s Lynn at Monmore Green next Tuesday.