BELLE Vue skipper Brady Kurtz has paid tribute to the all-round team effort which saw the ATPI Aces crowed champions in unforgettable scenes on Friday.
Kurtz cemented his status as a modern-day club legend by leading the side to a third league title in five years, this one sealed at the National Speedway Stadium with Grand Final victory over Sheffield.
It capped a memorable campaign in which the Aces topped the regular league table by 12 points and then went on to win all four of their play-off fixtures.
But there were setbacks along the way with several riders suffering injury niggles along with the hammer blow of losing fellow talisman Dan Bewley for the campaign after a crash in mid-May.
Boss Mark Lemon then pulled off a masterstroke by tempting former World Champion Jason Doyle back to the UK as Bewley’s replacement, and the Australian proved the ideal man for the job.
The title also came at a great time for the club’s long-serving main sponsors ATPI, who recently celebrated 50 years of business.
Kurtz said: “I think it’s been a massive effort from the whole club – from Lemo to the fans, the team, the volunteers, the track staff, everyone has put a massive effort in to get this over the line.
“I’m super happy to be a part of it with a good bunch of guys, and it’s been a great season for us, and nice to win a trophy in our own stadium.
“We definitely had a bit of luck that Doyley was available, and he walked on in and filled Dan’s shoes perfectly.
“He was unbelievable at the end of the year, he did just as good a job as Dan, and he was a major part of this trophy.”
Kurtz admits there was still pressure on the Aces heading into the play-offs, as history suggests the team topping the table do not always end up as champions.
He said: “It’s always tough when the play-offs come. You don’t really know what to expect, but fair play to the whole team because we really stuck together.
“We did the business against Ipswich home and away, and then at Sheffield was the big one for us and I’m super proud of the team’s efforts, the whole lot of them.
“Congratulations also to Sheffield for making the Final, that’s a credit for any club to get to the Grand Final and they fought their way in through the semis in the best of styles.”
The club will take the opportunity to formally recognise the achievements of 2026 with their presentation evening, The Maugers, on Saturday October 31 with full details to follow.