Speedway: David Bellego set to ride for Sheffield Tigers in 2023, confirms club

The Flying Frenchman first raced for the club during their second tier days in 2015 where he scored 151+22 points from 21 appearances. He also reminded everyone of his liking for the Owlerton circuit in 2019 as he won Sheffield’s 90th Anniversary Celebration fixture.

Bellego scored 10 qualifying points on that occasion before speeding ahead of his rivals to beat Ryan Douglas, Danny King and Rory Schlein in the Steel City Championship Final.

Since then, he’s continued to progress on the continent and also raced in this year’s Speedway European Championship Series. And Tru Plant Tigers co-promoter Damien Bates has told how club chiefs have been keeping a close eye on him over the past couple of seasons.

“We’ve actually been looking at David for a while now,” Bates said. “He’s a rider who’s always impressed me whenever he’s been to Sheffield and he’s a top quality rider in my opinion. I feel he could make a massive difference to Sheffield next year and I think it’s a cracking signing for the team.”

Bellego, who won the top-flight title with Swindon in 2017, is the first added name to the Sheffield teamsheet with Jack Holder and Tobiasz Musielak already confirmed returnees from this year’s runners-up septet.

Tigers will be hoping to improve on a 2022 season which saw them top the league table before finishing runners-up in the play-offs, as well as winning the Premiership league cup.