Speedway GP: Britain's Dan Bewley grabs first win of the season in Malilla after stunning overtake in final

Updated 15/07/2023 at 21:25 GMT

Britain's Dan Bewley grabbed his first Speedway GP win of the season in Malilla, Sweden after a stunning overtake in a crash-affected final. Bewley hadn't even made a final yet this campaign but he made the most of his place among the last four riders to storm to victory on a restart, after a crash that saw Freddie Lindgren and Martin Vaculik come together.

'What a night for Dan Bewley!' - Watch Brit secure memorable victory in Malilla

Dan Bewley clinched his first win of the season at a dramatic Round 6 of the Speedway GP in Malilla, Sweden.

Sitting second in the final as the last lap began, Bewley pulled off a magnificent overtake out of nowhere, shooting down the inside line and taking the lead off Martin Vaculik.

And he held onto the lead to take a memorable triumph, in a final that also saw a heavy crash between Freddie Lindgren and Vaculik that resulted in the former not competing in the restart.

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"It's crazy to be here," Bewley said to Eurosport post-race.

"There's something special about this win; I felt so good when I won last year, but it's been a s*** week and what an end to it.

'We've had a tough night, we've been working hard and we were struggling. We just threw some things in the dark.

'There's something special about this win' - Bewley reflects on Speedway GP victory in Malilla

"You have to change some things sometimes and we changed suit, we changed goggles, we changed all kinds. And here we are, it's unbelievable."

In the first semi-final, the Brit capitalised when Jack Holder fell to the back of the field after a slightly too aggressive move, progressing to the final for the first time in 2023.

Bewley makes final in Malilla after fine display in semis

The first running of the showpiece finale came to a premature end though when home hero Lindgren misjudged a move on Vaculik, causing a crash and the Swede being excluded from the restart, with the good news being that he was able to walk away from the incident.

Only three riders therefore returned to the start and Vaculik, who had dominated the early heats, shot into the lead. The Slovak looked odds-on for the win, but, having worked the outside line for the better part of the race, Bewley dived down tight on the inside and squeezed in front, holding on all the way to the line.

Patryk Dudek returned to some form in Malilla and completed the top three.

It was a different story for his compatriot Bartosz Zmarzlik though as the championship leader uncharacteristically missed out on the final after a crash in Heat 3.

'Wow, dramatic stuff' - Zmarzlik crashes out of Heat 3 in Malilla

However, with Holder also not making the cut and Lindgren ranked last in the final, the damage was limited and Zmarzlik continues to top the standings with a healthy 20-point advantage.

While it was celebrations for Bewley, his fellow Brits had a frustrating evening in Sweden.

Robert Lambert looked well in contention to progress but eventually just fell short. Things would not fall into place either for Tai Woffinden who, despite a win in Heat 8, couldn't challenge at the sharp end.

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Stream every round of the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix season live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com

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