LAMBERT'S LAST STAND FOR YOUNG LIONS

Great Britain racer Dan Bewley says the Young Lions must make the most of Robert Lambert’s last shot at FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship glory in Manchester tonight.

The duo line up for their country against Poland, Denmark and Australia with Bewley and Lambert joined by Sheffield shooting star Drew Kemp, Glasgow and Belle Vue Colts racer Kyle Bickley and reserve Leon Flint.

Defending champions Poland start the night as red-hot favourites with a team featuring World Under-21 champion Bartosz Smektala, 2017 junior champion Maksym Drabik and this year’s World Under-21 joint series leader Dominik Kubera.

The Danes also have no shortage of international experience as they track the likes of Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations international Frederik Jakobsen and Patrick Hansen. And the Aussies are led by Belle Vue Aces prospect Jaimon Lidsey – a back-to-back national junior champion.

The Young Lions won bronze at Danish track Slangerup last year without Lambert, who was racing in a Speedway European Championship round. So they will be keen to capitalise on having him in their ranks before he becomes ineligible for under-21 competition next year.

Bewley said: “We won’t get a rider that strong for a few more years probably. There are some new ones coming through now, but this could be our best chance for a couple more years now. Hopefully, I can only do my best and we’ll see what happens.

“We did well last year in Denmark. But we didn’t have Rob. He couldn’t do it, which was a bit of a shame. Maybe having Rob will make the difference and we can pull off some kind of result this time.”

Bewley is well known for his high-riding heroics around the National Speedway Stadium.

Effort is never in short supply when the sport’s top youngsters battle it out, and Bewley knows the Manchester track will reward his Young Lions if they take the fight to their rivals.

“It’s not very often you see a rider throw the kitchen sink at it and not get any points,” Bewley said. “If we want it, we’ll get it.”

Bewley isn’t expecting to enjoy too much home advantage. He said: “Belle Vue is a pretty good track to go to for anyone. I don’t think home advantage matters as much as it does at some other tracks. But if there’s any advantage we can have, we’ll take it.”

MANCHESTER LINE-UP:

Great Britain: Robert Lambert (captain), Dan Bewley, Drew Kemp, Kyle Bickley, Leon Flint. Team Manager: Neil Vatcher.

Australia: Jaimon Lidsey (captain), Jordan Stewart, Matthew Gilmore, Kye Thomson, Zach Cook. Team Manager: Mark Lemon.

Denmark: Frederik Jacobsen (captain), Patrick Hansen, Mads Hansen, Jonas Jeppesen, Tim Sorensen. Team Manager: Henrik Moller.

Poland: Maksym Drabik, Dominik Kubera (captain), Wiktor Lampart, Bartosz Smektala, Michal Gruchalski. Team Manager: Rafal Dobrucki.

Photo: Taylor Lanning