Ipswich Tru7 Group Witches top gun Tom Brennan bids to send the Manchester crowd wild as he lines up in the ATPI FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Manchester on Friday and Saturday.
Brennan races his first Speedway GPs since 2024, when he scored four points as FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff wild card at the Principality Stadium.
Normally the Manchester wild card is decided at the British Championship Final. But with the 2026 event set for August 15, the 24-year-old was nominated to take part in Britain’s biggest speedway event.
It’s an opportunity he’s ready to take with both hands as he eyes the top-10 finish needed to fight for a spot in the final via the last-chance qualifiers.
Brennan said: “It was honestly something I didn’t expect with us not having the British Final. But at the same time, I feel I deserve my spot. I am happy. I am ready. It should be really good.
“I would love to make an LCQ. The ultimate aim is to try and get into the LCQ. I’ll probably sleep well if I can do that.
“In terms of expectations and pressure, we’re going into it with an open mind. I’ve had a bit of an off-and-on start to the year. It’s a really cool chance to show and remind people that I can be at that top level. I just want to mix it up and have some good racing. I want to see the British fans go as crazy as they can.”
Brennan endured a difficult winter after suffering a fractured left tibia and fibula during practice for an event in California. But the 2025 Rowe Motor Oil Premiership title winner was determined to fight back in the best shape possible for Witches’ opening matches.
He said: “If I am honest, the beginning of the season was a little bit of a struggle with different things – trying to get back on the bike and get ready. I hadn’t really done much until February or March. I was kind of sat on the sofa.
“Since then, it has been head-on hard work. Everybody works so hard behind the scenes, me included. We are fit; we are ready, and there are definitely no excuses.”
Brennan joins Robert Lambert in flying the British flag in Manchester. But Brennan is gutted he won’t get the chance to compete with former GB teammate Dan Bewley, who is sidelined due to injury.
“It’s such a shame about Dan,” Brennan said. “I think he was massively on target for a top-three finish. He was probably riding the best we had ever seen.
“It such a shame that’s he’s missing, especially the British GP – he is always a really good character there. He’s definitely a home favourite.
“For me to step in and try and fill in is probably a bit of a challenge, but I would like to give the fans someone to support and back. Robert Lambert will be very good as always. If I can do my job, have some fun and create some good racing, I would be more than happy.”