Dan Bewley Wins the Golden Helmet

Chalk up another big win for Monster Energy’s speedway Dan Bewley. The 23-year-old Brit, who’d already won two FIM Speedway GPs this summer and the British Speedway Championships, was victorious over the weekend at the Czech Republic’s long-running speedway event at the Svitkov Stadium speedway oval in Pardubice.

With the winning effort at what’s dubbed “The world’s oldest speedway race,” ahead of former event champion Vaclav Milik, Bewley was awarded quite possibly the coolest trophy in motorsports, the highly prestigious and sought-after Czech Golden Helmet.

“The hardest part was going to the final, so everything was possible there,” said Bewley. “I had a good start, and then I just needed to keep the leading position until the finish line, which I managed to do.”

Adding to Bewley’s incredible story was that, in the 74-year history of the event that’s been held since 1964 in Pardubice, this was the Brit’s first-time racing Svitkov.

“The simple fact of being there at this traditional and important race is something extraordinary,” added Bewley, regarding his debut at Pardubice – Svitkov, quite literally one of the most heralded titles for everyone who’s thrown a leg over a speedway bike. “And I am very happy to have succeeded in writing its history.”

As for the format at Svitkov’s speedway stadium, 24 racers were divided into four groups of six riders for the wide oval at Svitkov Stadium. Three heats, per group of six, were run to decide who would move on (as opposed to the usual four racers, per heat, in FIM Speedway GP). The three top racers from each group (12 total) would qualify for the quarterfinal stage of the race, plus 12 seeded racers – again divided into four groups of six racers.

Bewley, based on his top-five standing in FIM Speedway GP and British Championship this summer, was one of the seeded racers that did not have to compete in the qualifiers. Getting a pass to the quarterfinals, Bewley won his group by ten points, ahead of Rasmus Jensen. Bewley would score nine points in the semifinals, putting him in 2nd behind Kevin Wolbert (ten points). And in the finals, Bewley would show the speed that has him among the elite speedway racers in the world, adding the Golden Helmet to his fast-expanding trophy case.