POCKET rocket Dan Bewley is taking nothing for granted ahead of tonight’s British Under 21 Final at Berwick (7pm).
The Cumbrian kid has lit up British racing this season with a string of sizzling displays for Belle Vue in the Premiership and his local club Workington at Championship level.
Now he lines up in the prestigious national championship looking to claim the title which King’s Lynn’s Robert Lambert will defend at Shielfield Park.
Said Bewley: “Anything can happen in these meetings, anyone can win it on the night and you certainly can’t take anything for granted.
“Robert and me are probably the favourites but I’m not looking into that too much.
“The last time I was at Berwick I think I only dropped a couple of points so I’m pleased it’s being staged there.
“It was going to be at Birmingham but I’ve been to Berwick a couple of times now so I think it suits me more.”
Bewley raised the roof at Belle Vue when he beat former World No.2 Krzysztof Kasprzak around the National Speedway Stadium last week.
And yet he’s sensationally revealed how he didn’t even want to do the race!
He said: “It was a good moment . I initially didn’t want to be in the final race, I’d settled for a paid 12 maximum from four rides.
“But Mark (Lemon) and Max (Fricke) told me it wasn’t a real maximum unless I did Heat 15. When I dropped the clutch I thought I’d blown it, I got an awful start, was last and thought that was it.
“However, I managed to reel him in and get good momentum but I was still a fair way back with a lap to go.
“It was a good feeling because Krzysztof is one of my favourite all-time riders so to get that win was extra special.
“Ever since about 2014 when I watched Krzysztof win a race by passing someone on the line I’ve loved him ever since, so it meant a lot to me.
“But thanks to Lemo and Max for talking me into it, it gave me that opportunity for that moment which I wasn’t expecting.”
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL LINE-UP:
1 Zach Wajtknecht (Swindon/Lakeside), 2 Kyle Bickley (Workington/Belle Vue), 3 Josh Bailey (Mildenhall), 4 Taylor Hampshire (Kent), 5 Robert Lambert (King’s Lynn), 6 Jason Edwards (Eastbourne), 7 Alfie Bowtell (Lakeside) 8 Max Clegg (Rye House/Stoke), 9 Nathan Greaves (Wolverhampton), 10 Jack Smith (Sheffield/Belle Vue), 11 Drew Kemp (Mildenhall), 12 Connor Mountain (Ipswich/Coventry), 13 Luke Ruddick (Coventry), 14 Joe Lawlor (Belle Vue), 15 Jack Thomas (Glasgow/Kent), 16 Dan Bewley (Belle Vue/Workington). Reserve: Leon Flint (Birmingham).
(SPEEDWAY 1)
RORY Schlein’s second successive home maximum fired Wolverhampton to the top of the Premiership with a 49-41 win over King’s Lynn.
Schlein reeled off five straight wins against his former club in a meeting where the Stars were left to rue a poor start after conceding 5-1s in the opening two races.
Jacob Thorssell backed up his skipper with 11 points for the hosts whilst King’s Lynn captain Robert Lambert led their fightback with 14+1.
An advantage from Heat 15 would have seen them grab a league point, but Schlein’s win over Lambert and Niels-Kristian Iversen prevented that outcome.
Schlein said: “It was not our best performance as a team and hardly up there with what we did in the first two home meetings but we showed character, dug in and got the result we needed.
“We are only going to get better with more laps, we will get faster and hopefully put more points on the board.
“The main thing was getting three points and sending away King’s Lynn with nothing and that was what we did.”
Stars boss Dale Allitt said: “We started abysmally in the first two heats and then fought back well but there was always that feeling we would not have enough.
“It was damn close and that was what was so frustrating. One more point and we would have gone home with something for our efforts.
“We put on a good show and when you look at the early-season results, no one has got close to Wolves round here and we did. There were a lot of plus points, it was just so disappointing having got so close.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
BELLE Vue were taken to a last-heat decider by battling Somerset before prevailing 47-43 at the National Speedway Stadium.
World Champion Jason Doyle won Heat 15 but the Rebels had to settle for one league point as home duo Max Fricke and Craig Cook kept Jack Holder at bay.
Doyle had conceded a 5-1 in Heat 1 but then dropped only one point from his remaining five rides to finish on 15, whilst Holder added 11 as the visitors fought back from an early 10-2 deficit.
Reserve Dan Bewley was again an integral part of the Belle Vue win as he took four race victories to pile up 14+2, whilst Cook collected 9+3.
Cook said: “It was a tremendous boost for us to start so strongly in only the first two heats. We had Somerset right where we wanted them and it really set the tone for the rest of the night.
“But they’re a resilient team who were quite prepared for a fight and they certainly gave us one. They hit us as hard as we hit them. It was such a spectacle of racing between both teams.
“They didn’t make it easy but we knew we were up against some powerful riders and, despite a few mechanical gremlins, we pulled together and got the win which was a massive achievement.”
Somerset boss Garry May said: “I guess I can be satisfied with that although I thought we might have had claimed the draw in the end, as I fancied our chances with Doyley and Jack both going so well.
“It was good speedway and unfortunately Jack couldn't quite work his way through. That said, he had a really good meeting for us and it is great to see him in that form.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
LEICESTER produced a strong all-round team display to see off Rye House 53-37 at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena on Monday.
The Lions had lost out at home to Swindon last week but responded to defeat the Rockets although they trailed to a Heat 2 5-1 and only led by two points at the halfway stage.
But the hosts pulled clear with Kenenth Bjerre (12+1) and exciting Pole Krystian Pieszczek (11+1) leading their scoring – whilst Scott Nicholls picked up 12+1 for the Rockets, but No.1 Chris Harris was scoreless from four rides.
Leicester boss Simon Stead said: “I’m really happy with that. I did say last week that losing that meeting wasn’t going to define us, it was about how we responded, and the lads have settled in now.
“Kenneth is on his own bikes and we saw a brilliant performance from him tonight, and Todd (Kurtz) has also put in a good performance.
“If you look through the team sheet, it’s got to be positive. Rye House kept it tight early on, but we responded and we finished really, really well.”
Rockets manager Peter Schroeck said: “It was a tough night for us in the end after we began so well. I thought that we deserved to get something out of the meeting, and I was disappointed overall that we didn’t pick up a match point.
“Bomber had a complete nightmare of a match, but not for want of trying. He was making changes throughout, but nothing was happening for him. He needs to re-group and get back on it, and fortunately, next Monday is another day.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
ROBERT Lambert defends his British Under-21 Championship in the Final at Berwick tonight (Tuesday).
Lambert, who has started the season in terrific form with Premiership club King’s Lynn, will be favourite going into the meeting whilst fellow seed Dan Bewley has also impressed so far in 2018.
They are joined by the qualifiers from the two semi-finals, headed by Eastbourne winner Zach Watjknecht whilst Jack Thomas won at Birmingham.
Home hopes rest with Luke Ruddick, who is racing in the National League with Coventry, whilst fellow Borders’ racer Leon Flint (Birmingham) is reserve.
(SPEEDWAY 5)
KING’S Lynn and Newcastle racer Lewis Rose is to take time out of the sport after a troubled start to the season.
The Stars have already moved to sign Michael Palm Toft as his replacement, whilst the Diamonds are assessing their options to replace Rose at Championship level.
King’s Lynn boss Dale Allitt said: “We were very disappointed when we received the call from Lewis but naturally we were also very understanding.
“He hasn’t had the easiest of times over the past year or so and he made it clear that he needs to take some time away from racing.
“We feel we’ve made a good solid signing in Michael Palm Toft. He’s ridden for the Stars in a couple of seasons previously and he made a good impression when we brought him in for the second half of last year.”
Newcastle manager George English added: “Our quest for a new rider to fill his place has already started and we hope to be in a position in the not too distant future to let fans know who will be coming into the Diamonds' side.”
(SPEEDWAY 6)
THE Isle of Wight have made a team change with Shaun Tedham coming in to replace Jamie Sealey.
Former Stoke rider Tedham will make his debut when the Warriors host Mildenhall on Thursday, whilst Sealey will assume the Warriors’ No.8 role and continue in the Southern Development League.
Manager Jackie Vatcher said: “It’s safe to say that after our initial win things haven’t gone to plan and the Warriors management, along with the riders, will do all in their power to return the team to winning ways.
“We aren’t pressing the panic button but after four matches we are conscious that we have lost twice at home we need to do something.
“As a result, we are delighted to welcome Shaun to the team. I know that the Warriors management are extremely grateful for Jamie’s work with the club and we will do all that we can to help him improve so that he is once again knocking on the door of the team.”
(FIXTURES)
TUESDAY MAY 1:
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: Berwick 7pm
WEDNESDAY MAY 2:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Swindon 7.30,
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Somerset v Poole 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Plymouth 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 3:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield v Peterborough 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Ipswich v Lakeside 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD: Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30
NATIONAL TROPHY: Isle of Wight v Mildenhall 7pm
Results Monday April 30, 2018
PREMIERSHIP
Belle Vue 47 (Dan Bewley 14+2)
Somerset 43 (Jason Doyle 15)
Premiership points: Belle Vue 3 Somerset 1
Leicester 53 (Kenneth Bjerre 12+1)
Rye House 37 (Scott Nicholls 12+1)
Premiership points: Leicester 3 Rye House 0
Wolverhampton 49 (Rory Schlein 15)
King’s Lynn 41 (Robert Lambert 14+1)
Premiership points: Wolverhampton 3 King’s Lynn 0
EASTER CUP
Kent v Birmingham - OFF
Re-staging date: Monday July 23
