Norfolk speedway star Robert Lambert is world champion

The 28-year-old achieved his dream on his home Polish track of Torun on Saturday, defeating defending champion Bartosz Zmarzlik and Brady Kurtz in a three-way battle for title glory.

Lambert - from Foulsham near Dereham - has won three of the last six GPs and been runner-up in the other three to mount an incredible charge towards gold.

And he had to hold his nerve in the deciding race on Saturday which featured both of his rivals, with Lambert sealing the deal in style.

Lambert first rode for King’s Lynn Young Stars in 2013 before stepping up to the top flight a year later. Despite focusing mainly on continental racing since Covid, Lambert did return to Stars colours for a brief but memorable spell late in the 2023 season.

Now the Norfolk ace has become Great Britain’s ninth world champion.

Lambert said: “It’s still sinking in, and it probably won’t sink in for a couple of days. I’m super happy. I never expected or planned to do what happened in the second half of the season.

“It kind of happened naturally and when it happens like that, it’s meant to be. It took hard work to get here, but when things are rolling, they’re rolling.

“I’m super happy with how I kept my composure and was able to push through, and I’m super proud of myself that I kept hold of my emotions and took it race by race.

“Even when we had the top three guys in the world in the Final, and it all came down to that, I was able to pull it off.”

Saturday’s GP in Torun also had a successful result for current PSH Environmental Stars number one Max Fricke, who did enough to secure a best-ever seventh place overall.

Having edged out Kacper Woryna by two points, Fricke took the last crucial automatic qualifying place for 2027 and does not have to sweat over his continued inclusion in the series.

Elsewhere, King's Lynn captain Chris Harris won the third and final round of the FIM Long Track World Championship at Marmande, which saw him to climb to third place in the overall standings at the end of the series.

And to complete a successful day all round on the continent, Lynn's Cooper Rushen was part of the GB team which secured bronze in the European Under-19 Pairs at Pocking. Rushen scored eight points as GB tied with hosts Germany for third place behind Poland and Denmark, with Will Cairns then beating Patrick Hyjek in a run-off for the medal.