West Cumbrian Dan Bewley has successfully defended his Sports Insure British Final crown as the Belle Vue star emerged on top at the National Speedway Stadium.
Bewley and his rivals defied adverse weather during the day to put on a spectacular show in tough conditions, and a storming first lap in the Final from the outside took him to back-to-back titles.
Runners-up spot went to Steve Worrall, a former Aces rider who was second for the second time in his career, and this time it was enough to book the Wild Card spot for the British Grand Prix at Cardiff.
And third place was a return to the rostrum for Ben Barker for the first time since 2014 in a welcome boost for Cab Direct Championship side Plymouth, whilst ex-Workington rider Richard Lawson, another Cumbrian, just missed out on the top three after coming to grief in the Final.
Bewley said: “It’s a thrill to be British Champion again. It’s been a tough night and a pretty sketchy track at times with all the rain, but we battled hard all night.
“Coming into the Final, anything can happen. I knew whoever got to that dirt first would be away. I just wanted to get there as soon as I could and put some yards on the other boys.”
Meanwhile the Nigel Pearson Award, decided by a supporters’ vote for the most entertaining rider, went to Chris Harris who went out of the meeting in the semi-final, as he took 40% of the vote with another ex-Comet Simon Lambert second on 29 per cent.
Steve Worrall was actually signed by Workington Comets to be their number one for the 2019 season before the plug was pulled and the Derwent Park club didn’t run.
He admitted second place in the Sports Insure British Final and the Wild Card spot for the forthcoming British Grand Prix was a massive achievement.
The Wolverhampton and Poole star will now test himself against the sport’s elite at the Principality Stadium on September 2 after a strong showing in Manchester in which he was bettered only by Bewley in the Final.
Worrall said: “I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet to be honest! It’s a massive achievement for me to be British No.2, and to be going to Cardiff as well is amazing.
“I was a track reserve in 2016 but I didn’t get a go back then. I am looking forward to it, this has been a great night and my family will get to enjoy Cardiff with me too.”
There should have been six ex-Workington riders involved last night but Craig Cook, a former British champion, had pulled out earlier.
Kyle Howarth finished with five points – two seconds, a third and an exclusion following a fall; Richard Lawson, who was fourth in the final, had scored 12 with a win and three seconds; Charles Wright managed eight, missing out because of a fall and exclusion in his last race after a win, two seconds and a third.
Lambert also scored eight from two wins, two third and a last.
