ROBERT Lambert admitted his grandad who started his career was “looking down on him proudly” after he landed the Sports Insure British Championship title.
The King’s Lynn man lived up to his moniker with a flawless performance, producing a 15-point maximum in the qualifying heats before winning an epic final at Belle Vue last night.
Lambo had to withstand the fierce thrusts of Dan Bewley in a frantic final but rode a strong race to win the national title aged just 20.
It came just 72 hours after he won a silver medal for helping Great Britain to runner-up in the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations in Poland on Saturday night.
Lambert admitted: “It’s very emotional for me that my grandad Edward couldn’t see this. When I reflect on that, I did this for him. But he’s up there watching me I’m 100 per cent sure. He’s going to be definitely proud of me.
“I’ve given him back something for all he did for me.
“There’s no time to celebrate, we are kicking on to Stansted now. Few hours sleep and then Sweden. We just keep rolling and racing.”
Now Lambert has got his sights on another big night at the British Grand Prix in Cardiff as a wild card next month.
He added: “It’s awesome you can only dream of it. I’m so proud and happy to achieve this at my age.
“I think I deserve it, I’ve had a good start to the season. I’m really pleased what I’ve done tonight.
“The Speedway of Nations, I’ve taken a lot out of that, a great deal of experience and knowledge that I didn’t have before.
“To race on the world stage and then come back here and to win the British Final is a big achievement.
“Now we have to kick on to Cardiff as British Grand Prix wildcard. Obviously I’m going to be gunning for the big boys there.”
Lambert was a cut above on another glorious showcase of British speedway on the racy, pacy Manchester circuit.
The headline act early into the affair was the return of broken leg victim Steve Worrall who bravely mixed it, picking up three points, but not surprisingly a lack of match fitness curtailed his meeting after three rides.
But there was no stopping Lambert. Time and again he sliced through the field, picking off three-times champ Chris Harris in Heat 12 and then seven-times champ Scott Nicholls a race later.
Defending title holder Craig Cook wasn’t giving up without a fight. His pass of Nicholls on the line in Heat 19 to go straight to the final had the huge Manchester crowd on its feet.
Another home star Dan Bewley also gathered momentum as the night progressed. After a slow start, his final two race wins from the back booked his semi-final spot.
The semi was a brutal battle. Nicholls was once again picked off by Bewley and then surprise packet Jason Garrity who had been impressive all night in his usual swashbuckling, heartstopping self.
But the final was all about the young Brit guns. Lambert and Bewley slugged it out for two laps, Lambert on the outside resisting Bewley’s bursts from the inside in a nerve-shredding encounter.
Lambo prevailed while defending champ Cook had delivered a solid show for bronze this time around.
However it was Lambert’s night as he roared clear for an impeccable sixth win. His mum and dad hugged him in emotional scenes at the pit gate - while his grandad Edward no doubt watched from above.
03/04/19 1930 Birmingham v Wolverhampton (David Mason Farewell)
03/04/19 1930 20th Anniversary Meeting, Somerset
04/04/19 1930 Belle Vue v Peterborough (PSC) 04/04/19 1930 Ipswich v King's Lynn (PSC) 05/04/19 1930 Scunthorpe v Leicester (CS)
05/04/19 1930 Redcar v Sheffield (CS)
06/04/19 1900 Berwick v Newcastle (CS)
06/04/19 1930 Leicester v Scunthorpe (CS) 06/04/19 1930 Eastbourne v Birmingham (CS)
07/04/19 1830 Newcastle v Berwick (CS)
07/04/19 1600 Sheffield v Redcar (CS)
LATEST RESULTS...
The 2018 season is now over.
The new season begins in MARCH 2019.
MONDAY OCTOBER 29:
CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD FINAL, 2nd leg Workington 52 (Mason Campton 12+1) Lakeside 38 (Nick Morris 12+1) Workington won 98-82 on aggregate.
CHAMPIONSHIP Workington 18 (Rasmus Jensen 6) Lakeside 6 (Adam Ellis 2, Nick Morris 2) Abandoned after 4 heats - frozen track - result will not stand.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 28:
CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL 2nd leg Workington 61 – Nicolai Klindt 15 Lakeside 29 – Adam Ellis 9 Workington win 95-73 on aggregate and are league champions
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE Buxton 38 – Tom Woolley 13 Eastbourne 52 – Georgie Wood 13+1 National League points: Buxton 0 Eastbourne 4
Stoke 41 – Max Clegg 18 Eastbourne 49 – Tom Brennan 11 National League points: Stoke 0 Eastbourne 4
SATURDAY OCTOBER 27:
CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL 1st leg Lakeside 44 – Nick Morris 12 Workington 34 – Mason Campton 9 Abandoned after Heat 13 (rain/track conditions) – Result stands
FRIDAY OCTOBER 26:
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE Eastbourne v Mildenhall - OFF
THURSDAY OCTOBER 25:
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP FINAL, 2nd leg
Workington 62 (Rasmus Jensen 16+1)
Scunthorpe 28 (Jake Allen 10)
Workington win 98-82 on aggregate
NATIONAL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL, 2nd leg
Mildenhall 46 (Drew Kemp 13)
Eastbourne 44 (Georgie Wood 11+1)
Eastbourne win 98-81 on aggregate
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F, 2nd leg Lakeside 56 (Ben Morley 12+1) Peterborough 34 (Emil Grondal 8+1) Lakeside win 102-78 on aggregate.