STARS SWOOP FOR LOCAL HERO LAMBERT

Great Britain racer Robert Lambert is determined to help King’s Lynn end 2023 on a high as he makes a blockbuster return to his boyhood club.

Lambert will see out the season at the Adrian Flux Arena after his Swedish side Smederna fell short of the Bauhaus Elitserien play-offs, leaving a sizeable gap in the Speedway GP star’s calendar.

The Norfolk ace will make his comeback on Monday at Belle Vue – the club he helped to SGB Premiership glory in 2022. He will then make his home return against the Aces next Thursday.

Lambert raced for King’s Lynn from 2014 until 2019 and made his British league debut with their National League side in 2013.

He comes into the team in place of 2021 Speedway GP world champion Artem Laguta as the club battles an injury crisis, which has left Nicolai Klindt and Thomas Jorgensen facing long-term stays on the sidelines.

While Lambert knows the Stars will fall short of the play-off places, he’s at least keen to make sure they end the season on a winning note.

He said: “I’ve seen the scores this season and I know King’s Lynn haven’t been having the best of years. But even though the play-offs aren’t in reach, it’s still a great opportunity for me to come in and give them a bit of a supporting boost towards the end of the season.

“The plan is to score lots of points, as I was doing the last time that I rode for them. I wouldn’t want to perform any other way. I want to do my best for my original club and the club I’ve raced with the most in the UK. If we can win some matches and re-light that spark in the team and the club, then that’s the job done.

“With Sweden finished and not getting to the play-offs over there, I literally landed back in Poland this week and was driving back, and Dale (Allitt) called me. All the circumstances came into line that I could come back and race and feel comfortable with the logistics as well.

“I’ve still got three GPs left which are very important ones, so I didn’t want to interfere with them and mess up my routine, so I made sure all the logistics worked out before I said 100 percent yes, and now I’m delighted to be here.”

Stars boss Dale Allitt is elated to have Lambert back on board after a four-year absence. He said: “We’ve always kept in touch with Robert as a club, and from earlier in the year it was always a case of logistics with his other leagues and the Grand Prix.

“But once an opening appeared in his calendar, it was a case of making contact with him and doing a deal – and now it’s a chance for our fans to see him race here for the first time since 2019, and it’s great to have him back.

“Robert is loved by everyone at King’s Lynn. He has done so much since his first meetings back in 2013 in the National League, and it has been a pleasure to watch his development into one of the best riders in the world.

“We have six matches remaining, a couple of them at home, and when you look at the teams we are facing, the prospect of Robert taking on Dan Bewley and Brady Kurtz (Belle Vue) and then Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov (Ipswich) around King’s Lynn is very much one to look forward to.”

Allitt insists there were no hard feelings as the club parted ways with Laguta. He said: “It’s quite amicable with Artem, and we thank him for his contribution. By his own admission he’s found the smaller tracks more difficult, and the option to bring back a King’s Lynn asset in Robert was one we couldn’t turn down.

“Artem came in with all the best intentions on his side and has been very professional to deal with, but we just felt at this time we had the opportunity to bring Robert in – and that, to me, was a no-brainer to give the fans something at the end of the season.

“I can’t shy away from the fact that this has been one of the most disastrous seasons we’ve suffered, but I’ve always said it’s the fans’ club, and I’d like to think they will come out in force to see Robert.

“On a personal level I’ve been looking forward to it ever since he left, and next Thursday should be a very special night.”