2027 Speedway Grand Prix: Third permanent wildcard awarded – it goes to England

Following Maciej Janowski, the Wrocław rider is at least a minor surprise, given that with Bartosz Zmarzlik, Patryk Dudek and Kacper Woryna, there are already three Poles in the 2027 World Championship line-up, and following the expected nomination of the Australian Jack Holder, promoter Mayfield Sports Entertainment has announced the third of four permanent wildcards: as expected, it goes to the Englishman Dan Bewley.

The 27-year-old from Cumbria got off to a brilliant start to the 2026 season, remaining unbeaten in the heats at the GP opener in Landshut on 2 May and only losing to surprise winner Kacper Woryna in the final. A good two weeks later, on 20 May, the Englishman suffered a serious crash during a league race in Outrup, Denmark, in which he broke his thigh and sustained vertebral compression fractures in his back. Bewley missed the entire Grand Prix season, apart from the final two races in September in Vojens, Denmark, and Thorn, Poland, and consequently finished only 16th in the overall standings. His fifth-place finish in Thorn caught everyone’s attention and underlined that he is on his way back to the world’s elite.

“I’m grateful for the wildcard, and I’m now looking forward to the winter and to being back at 100 per cent next year,” said the 2025 bronze medallist. “It was lovely to return to Thorn and compete in the final Grand Prix, which went quite well. I just need time – it’s hard to enjoy the whole thing when you’re constantly in slight pain and trying to ignore it. I’m getting better from competition to competition, but in certain areas I’m still quite weak. That’s exactly where my pain lies – it’s the lack of strength. But it’s getting better.”

One permanent wildcard is still to be allocated: it is expected to go to Fredrik Lindgren from Sweden, who has also been out with a long-term injury.

Confirmed entrants for the 2027 Speedway Grand Prix: