British racer Dan Bewley kicked off his FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain â Cardiff weekend in style, securing victory in Friday's sprint race. Now, he's set his sights on conquering the Principality Stadium in front of a passionate home crowd on Saturday night.
Bewley, who triumphed in the 20th-anniversary 2022 Cardiff event, completed a remarkable double by winning his second sprint race of the season. This adds to his victory in the inaugural Friday sprint at the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland â Warsaw on May 10.
This year, Speedway GP has introduced sprint races, offering riders the chance to earn extra Speedway GP World Championship points, at the two major stadium events in Cardiff and Warsaw. Bewley's victory in Cardiff earned him four Speedway GP World Championship points, adding to the four he secured in Warsaw.
The Cumbrian racer is currently ninth in the Speedway GP World Championship on 53 points, 13 points shy of the top-six spot required to qualify for the 2025 series. With a potential 20 points up for grabs in Saturday's Cardiff race, Bewley hopes to harness the energy of the home crowd to replicate his 2022 Principality Stadium magic.
"It was great to sweep the sprint races and get those two points, and eight championship points," said Bewley. "It can definitely help me in the championship, but there are still 100 points up for grabs this season. We have five more rounds, and I need to keep pushing."
Bewley, a three-time Speedway GP winner, is still waiting for his first final appearance of 2024 and is hoping to achieve it in Cardiff. "Thereâs never a bad time to have a good night!" he said. "I've had a few good meetings, but it has been a little bit up and down. I just want to keep progressing and show what I can do."
"If you can have a good meeting and hear that Cardiff crowd at the end of the night when you finish, there is nothing cooler," he added.
Bewley was part of Great Britain's FIM Speedway of Nations World Championship-winning team in Manchester on July 13 alongside fellow Speedway GP rider Robert Lambert and Cardiff wild card Tom Brennan.
Lambert heads to the Welsh capital in top form after a series of impressive performances for Polish club Torun and Swedish side Vastervik. He is currently fifth in the World Championship on 72 points and chasing his first Speedway GP victory.
"It has been going pretty well," said Lambert. "I have scored a few maximums here and there and been feeling great and enjoying my racing. Winning the SON must have helped somewhere along the line and given me a bit of confidence. Itâs always nice to win a gold medal. You can never feel bad about that. That was great and things are flowing at the moment."
"Itâs an open field on Saturday and we are all out there to try and grab that top spot," he continued. "We will definitely be giving it everything we can to do that. Hopefully I will push that little bit more than anyone else. In time that win is going to happen for sure. If I put too much emphasis on it, then it will never happen. When it happens, it happens. I have been consistent throughout the season, and I am in a great position in the standings. I have not been doing too badly, even if I havenât won yet."
Brennan, the double FIM SON world champion, makes his first Speedway GP appearance over five or more rides after serving as a track reserve in the 2022 Cardiff round. He is determined to make the most of this opportunity, having finished third in the British Championship Final.
"First of all, this is a huge experience for me," said Brennan. "I just want to be a huge sponge this weekend and absorb as much as I can. I am really excited to be here. It feels good to be here this time â I feel like I deserve to have my spot, and I have earned it. I am ready."
"I was looking back to 2022 when I did the reserve role. I remember I took that so seriously," he added. "I built a new bike and did all this crazy stuff. It kind of took away from the event. With that experience from last time, I am trying to approach it in a different way, try and be a bit more laid back and enjoy myself somewhat. But weâre ready and really looking forward to the experience."
Joining Bewley in the sprint race was Leon Madsen, the 2019 FIM British Speedway GP winner. Madsen, who is currently eighth in the standings, is eager to build on his three championship points earned in the sprint race.
"I would have liked to swap positions with Dan," said Madsen. "I was watching him and thinking, âOh, itâs the same result as Warsaw.â But itâs still okay. Those three points could be vital at the end of the season, so I am quite happy about them."
"I got closer to Dominik [Kubera] and am now level on points with him," he continued. "Thatâs good. Hopefully by the end of the year I can finish in that top six position, which automatically gives you a spot in Speedway GP next year. If I finish there, I think I can be happy about my season after what I have gone through this year."
Czech international Jan Kvech secured third place in the sprint race. Kvech, who finished fourth in the 2022 FIM SGP2 of Great Britain, is aiming for his first SGP semi-final appearance.
"I feel very good," said Kvech. "I was here two years ago and that was also good. I felt very good on the bike. I am very pleased with third position in the sprint race. This is a big experience for me â to be in Speedway GP."
"The last SGP in Gorzow was not bad. I was very close to the semi-final," he added. "I havenât been in the semi-final so far this season, but when you get there, it is a lottery. I hope I can get there. When I ride in Speedway GP, I always want to be in the semi-final. I hope this weekend I will be there."
The 2023 Cardiff winner Martin Vaculik also reached the sprint race, finishing in fourth place. Vaculik is aware that his 2023 victory will not give him an advantage in Saturday's race.
"Last year was a great one for me in Cardiff and I had one of the best memories in my life, winning the GP in Cardiff," said Vaculik. "But this is a completely new year. Itâs a new day for me. We have tried our setups and what we think will be good for Saturday."
"We could see in the sprint race that I need to work on my gating because I think gating will be the key to success on Saturday," he continued. "It always is, but especially on tracks like Cardiff. Itâs even more important on one-day tracks. Thatâs where our focus will go."
Tickets for the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain â Cardiff, starting at £20, are available online via Ticketmaster until racing begins at 5pm on Saturday.