Dan Bewley says horror crash ‘cost me two years’ ahead of Speedway GP in Gorzow – Power of Sport

Dan Bewley has revealed how a nasty crash in 2018 made him “a better rider in the long run” as he prepares to compete in round five of the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix in Gorzow, Poland.

Bewley, 24, broke his femur, shoulder and wrist following a crash while riding for Workington Comets.

He was left in a wheelchair for several months following the incident.

But he has recovered and last year made a memorable debut in Speedway Grand Prix, winning back-to-back races in Cardiff and Wroclaw, Poland.

“I had to focus on my technique because I was so scared to get back on the bike. It probably made me into a better rider in the long run.”

Bewley is yet to get on the podium this season but is eighth in the standings on 41 points, only 17 points behind second-placed Jack Holder.

Defending champion Bartosz Zmarzlik is on 70 points.

Looking back on his first Speedway Grand Prix season, Bewley said: “I learnt a lot but it was also feeling that I belong there.

“The biggest thing I learnt was I feel like I can ride fast enough but speed is not always everything.

“I think everybody has the ambition that they want to win but it’s one thing to say that and another thing to actually do it.

“That’s the goal to go for the top three and try to find a little bit extra.”

After this weekend’s race, the next stops on the circuit are Sweden and Latvia, before round eight in Cardiff.

Last year Bewley beat Zmarzlik to claim victory at the Principality Stadium.

“To get in the win in Cardiff was pretty special, it was a bit of a daydream,” he says.

“You could say it adds pressure and people maybe expect more from me now. I think you have to earn pressure and I think it’s a reward for your past success.

“If people expect me now to do better then so be it. I want to do better also. I enjoy it.

“I love riding any bikes. It’s just the adrenaline from it, pushing yourself, trying to go fast is a lot of fun.”