Australian speedway rising star Beau Bailey has capped an impressive first FIM Speedway Grand Prix 2 (SGP2) campaign by finishing fifth in the Under-21 World Championship. Bailey, still a month shy of his 17th birthday, produced a determined performance in the third and final round at Vojens, Denmark last Friday finishing sixth on the night and collecting 11 championship points. The result took Bailey's season tally to 34 points, securing fifth place overall in the world championship. It was an impressive achievement for Bailey in his first full-time international speedway season. Bailey entered the final round equal fourth in the championship on 23 points, alongside William Drejer and Slater Lightcap, with just one point separating him from third place. He made a solid start at Vojens, finishing third in his opening heat before recording second-place finishes in heats eight, 12 and 16. He then finished fourth in Heat 20 to progress to the Last Chance Qualifier. Bailey finished second in the qualifier, narrowly missing out on a place in the championship final but doing enough to finish sixth for the round. Drejer's fifth-place finish in Denmark saw him move one point ahead of Bailey in the final standings, while Bailey finished four points clear of Lightcap and just four points behind bronze medallist Jakub Przyjemski. The final result caps a breakthrough international season for Bailey. His campaign began strongly at Malilla, Sweden, where he won Heat 11 and finished second in Heats 2 and 17. He ultimately finished eighth in the opening round, earning nine championship points. Bailey took another significant step forward in round 2 Lodz, Poland, producing the second-highest points total in the heats before progressing directly to the championship final. He finished fourth in the round, a result that propelled him into contention for a world championship podium heading into the decider. While a podium was just out of reach for this world championship we know Bailey has plenty more international and Australian speedway ahead of him.
