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DACKARNA BAGS BEWLEY FOR 2023

Great Britain racer Dan Bewley has completed a big move to Swedish giants Dackarna for 2023. Bewley played a pivotal role for Smederna as they lifted the Bauhaus Elitserien championship this season. The double Speedway GP winner will now bid to bring his red-hot form to Malilla, where he joins forces with Wroclaw team mate Maciej Janowski on the FIM Swedish Speedway GP host circuit. Dackarna boss Mikael Teurnberg is delighted to have captured Bewley. He said: “Daniel has taken the speedway world by storm in recent seasons. This is evidenced not least by his progress in the GP series last season. “He had two victories (in Cardiff and Wroclaw) and a good chance for the bronze medal before the final competition. This says a lot about the season he had and what capacity he has. “Daniel is a rider that I have followed with great interest for a long time. I had the pleasure of meeting him back in 2018-2019 when Mark Courtney was with him as a mechanic. “Even then you could see that he was a great talent and now he has really blossomed. One of his strengths as a speedway rider is that he is incredibly fast out on the track. He has shown that not least in Qualifying Practice at the GP competitions, where he has been the fastest several times.” Bewley also teams up with Speedway GP first reserve Andzejs Lebedevs, Danish star Rasmus Jensen and Swedish duo Filip Hjelmland and Ludvig Lindgren. Teurnberg believes joining forces with Janowski at both his Polish and Swedish clubs will boost Dackarna. He added: “That is a big plus. In addition, Daniel and Rasmus have raced together for several seasons in Britain, so they know each other well. “Now we have put together our top four and it feels very good with Rasmus, Magic, Andzejs and Daniel. We also have two talented Swedish riders in Filip and Ludvig.” Elsewhere, Rospiggarna have retained the services of Swedish shooting star Victor Palovaara, who raced his way into the country’s FIM Speedway of Nations side last summer.

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DOYLE SPEARHEADS KROSNO SIDE AS PAWLICKI JOINS WROCLAW

Aussie icon Jason Doyle will lead newly-promoted Krosno’s charge into the PGE Ekstraliga after his move from Leszno was confirmed, while Polish racer Piotr Pawlicki makes a huge switch to Wroclaw. Doyle was strongly rumoured to have accepted an offer from the Wolves, despite Leszno expecting he would stay at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium. That deal was confirmed at Krosno’s team presentation event on Thursday night, where the Wolves also unveiled former world No.2 Krzysztof Kasprzak, who was tempted away from Grudziadz. Two of the club’s heroes from their 2022 promotion season follow them up – Speedway GP first reserve Andzejs Lebedevs and Czech charger Vaclav Milik. They will also be represented by 2022 SGP2 rider Mateusz Swidnicki, who makes the switch from Czestochowa as he is no longer eligible to race as a junior there. He can race as Krosno’s under-24 rider or under-23 No.8 alongside Ukrainian international Marko Levishyn, the youngster who famously beat triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik at FIM Speedway of Nations Semi-Final 1 in Vojens last summer. Krosno’s juniors include Denis Zielinski, Krzysztof Sadurski, Szymon Bandur, Milosz Grygolec, Patryk Nater and Kacper Szopa. Elsewhere, Wroclaw issued a big statement of intent in the PGE Ekstraliga title race after pulling off the signing of Polish ace Piotr Pawlicki from their near neighbours Leszno. Former FIM Latvian Speedway GP winner Pawlicki leaves his boyhood club to join forces with Wroclaw local hero Maciej Janowski, triple world champion Tai Woffinden and double Speedway GP winner Dan Bewley, while 2021 Speedway GP world champion Artem Laguta is expected to make a comeback as the ban on Russian riders holding Polish citizenship looks set to be lifted. Pawlicki hopes he can help Wroclaw regain the PGE Ekstraliga title they lifted in 2021. He told the club’s website: “This is a very exciting moment for me. After spending many years in Leszno, I decided to open a new chapter in my career right here in Wroclaw. “In speedway, we always want to fight for the highest sports goals. Betard Sparta Wroclaw achieved it a year ago. Now I’m here to help the club get back to the top of the Ekstraliga. “I believe that with such riders in the line-up and support from the stands, we will be able to do it. I am looking forward to the next season and today I invite everyone to the matches in 2023.”

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BRANDON DEMOLITION BID REJECTED AS COVENTRY FANS FIGHT ON

Plans to demolish former Speedway GP venue Brandon Stadium in Coventry have been rejected by Rugby Council. An army of Coventry Bees fans converged on the council offices on Wednesday night in a last-ditch plea to councillors to reject the proposal to turn the venue into a housing estate. The Bees were forced to leave their home at the end of the 2016 season, when stadium owners Brandon Estates closed the stadium with a view to developing the site, which has fallen into disrepair following a spate of trespass and criminal damage incidents. Despite the developer’s attempts to claim the stadium was no longer viable and that the sporting facilities would be replaced by a 3G football pitch, their planning bid was unanimously refused by councillors – despite a recommendation from the planning officer to approve it. Coventry legend and former Cardiff winner Chris Harris led the band of speedway supporters who attended the planning meeting, alongside fans of stock cars – the venue’s other main sport. Brandon staged the 2000 FIM British Speedway GP – famously won by British wild card Martin Dugard – the year before the event switched to Cardiff’s iconic Principality Stadium in 2001. Campaign Group spokesman Jeff Davies heralded the rejection of Brandon Estates’ planning bid, but admits the fight continues to preserve the venue and get the Bees back on track. He said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the verdict of the planning committee, and we’re very grateful to the elected councillors of Rugby Borough for making this unanimous decision. Six years of hard work has come to fruition, and we couldn’t be more pleased. “We can only take each step at a time, and so far, the developers have failed to get on to the local plan, they’ve failed with their original speculative application, and they’ve now failed with a second speculative application, this time at committee. “Whatever comes next, we will fight that too, and if it’s an appeal on behalf of the developers we will fight it with the same enthusiasm and vigour as we’ve done with this one. “In the light of this decision, though, we would urge the current owners to come forward and do the right thing, and talk to Warren Hunter about selling the stadium to him, for the sports to be able to come back to Brandon. “We want to see the stadium reinstated to its former glory. We have always argued that a sports pitch in no way compensates for the loss of the motorsport stadium, and we’re very grateful too for the support of Sport England, who also reiterated that point recently.”

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BEWLEY EXTENDS WROCLAW DEAL INTO 2024

Great Britain star Dan Bewley has been rewarded for his sensational 2023 season with an extended deal at Polish club Wroclaw. The Cumbrian already had an agreement in place for the 2023 season, but the Olympic Stadium outfit has now extended that into 2024 after a year which saw Bewley win back-to-back Speedway GPs in Cardiff and Wroclaw, before finishing a remarkable sixth in the FIM Speedway GP World Championship in his debut season. Bewley also won FIM Speedway of Nations silver with GB, coming within four laps of a second straight gold medal as the 2021 FIM SON world champions lost out to Australia in the Grand Final at Vojens. Bewley was part of the Wroclaw side that ended the club’s 15-year wait for a PGE Ekstraliga title in 2021. After another fine season at the Olympic Stadium, the club wasted no time in tying him down for longer. Club president Andrzej Rusko told the club’s official website: “I am very glad that Daniel already had no doubts that he would decide to stay with us for longer. “He feels very good in Wrocław, knows the surroundings and knows how our club works. He works great with his team mates, and our fans love him. “This season he showed his value for Betard Sparta. It was not the easiest time for us, and throughout the season, he delighted with his class, determination and great commitment. I really appreciate such young people, full of passion and enthusiasm.”

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BELLEGO BAGS VASTERVIK DEAL FOR 2023

French racer David Bellego is on his way to Vastervik for the 2023 season. The former FIM Speedway of Nations finalist makes the move from Indianerna, lining up alongside the likes of triple Speedway GP world champion Tai Woffinden, Bartosz Smektala, Mads Hansen, Jacob Thorssell and Anton Karlsson. Bellego admits his move to the coastal club has been a long time in the making. He told the club website: “I am really happy to get the chance to represent Västervik in 2023. Morgan was the first person to contact me about racing in Sweden. For various reasons, we did not come to an agreement, so I am very much looking forward to racing for the club next year. “Every time it’s time to race in Västervik, I’ve always had a good feeling as it’s a wonderful track that is always well prepared and invites good racing. “The team looks very interesting on paper; I’m really looking forward to next year’s challenges, and I will do everything I can to ensure that we compete for the medals.” Bellego won the 2021 Bauhaus Elitserien in Masarna colours, and Vastervik sporting director Morgan Andersson hopes the club can capitalise on the Frenchman’s Swedish experience. He said: “I have followed David over the last few years, and I know him to be a very capable rider who is professional in everything he does. “He has now completed a few seasons in Sweden and knows all the tracks in the league, so I believe and hope that we can get David up to the achievements he has had in the past, especially in 2021. “I am very happy David chose our concept and with his personality, he will fit perfectly into the group.” Elsewhere, Swedish SGP2 rider Gustav Grahn and his brother Jonatan both remain with Indianerna. And Polish SGP2 rider Mateusz Swidnicki has agreed terms with champions Smederna.

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DACKARNA BAGS BEWLEY FOR 2023

DOYLE SPEARHEADS KROSNO SIDE AS PAWLICKI JOINS WROCLAW

BRANDON DEMOLITION BID REJECTED AS COVENTRY FANS FIGHT ON

BEWLEY EXTENDS WROCLAW DEAL INTO 2024

BELLEGO BAGS VASTERVIK DEAL FOR 2023