GB HAVE WINNING MENTALITY

GREAT Britain co-boss Simon Stead says the mentality has changed as the national team celebrates its second World Championship gold in the space of three years.

Stead and Oliver Allen oversaw GB’s victory in the FIM Speedway of Nations at Belle Vue on Saturday, adding to their gold at the same venue in 2021 along with silvers in 2022 and last year in the Speedway World Cup.

Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley were the on-track heroes in Manchester, with reserve Tom Brennan playing his part in the pits, and Stead admits it’s a great time to be involved.

He said: “Going into every competition we go into now, we go in to win. No longer as a nation do we think a medal is a good achievement,

“We are striving to be better than that, and I think with the progress that’s been made and the riders at our disposal, that comes with its own pressures.

“People can now expect something from us, and I think the fact that we’re delivering that at the highest level is testament to the lads that we’ve got riding for us, and the backroom team.

“Any time that we get together now is good time spent. The memories that we’ve made together over the course of the last few years will live strong, but we live for the moment and we’re striving for gold every time we’re out.

“Tonight is testament to a lot of hard work that goes on from a lot of people – the lads, their mechanics and teams, their engine tuners, and Rob (Painter) and Vicky (Blackwell) of course who have put so much time and effort into making GB Speedway a success.”

Photo credit: IAN CHARLES