DOYLE’S PLAYING IT SAFE

JASON DOYLE is almost ready to forget about last year’s world title heartache.

The Swindon skipper’s third place in the Stockholm Grand Prix in Sweden on Saturday means he only needs 21 points from the last two rounds to clinch the crown.

But Doyle is refusing to get too carried away and is still haunted by what happened 12 months ago when he was a similar position.

Back then he led by nine points with only two GPs to go.

But a crash in his first ride of the penultimate round saw him taken to hospital with a collapsed lung and serious internal injuries.

The 32-year-old Aussie is now only 10 rides away from his first world title and said: “Who would have thought it? I’m over the moon. It was really great.

“I had a lot of pressure on me and I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. I knew this one was going to be vital to the championship.

Hard

“To get 18 points was great. I know I didn’t do well in the final, but it’s all about points at the moment with two rounds to go.”

His nearest challenger, Poland’s Patryk Dudek, is not giving up yet, saying: “I just have to go to the next round and try to do better. It was a hard night and not one that I will want to remember much.”

Former Belle Vue No.1 Matej Zagar, 34, was the other big winner in Stockholm.

The Slovenian completed back-toback GP wins to climb into the top eight and on course to automatically qualify for the series next year.

The next round is at Torun, Poland, on October 7 with the series ending in Melbourne three weeks later. BELLE VUE’S brilliant young prospect Dan Bewley yesterday won the National League Riders’ Championship at Leicester with a 15-point maximum. Buxton’s Matt Williamson was second on 13.