Rew wins FIM Oceania speedway thriller and books SGP qualifying spot

Australian Keynan Rew came up trumps in a gripping 2026 CBS Bins FIM Oceania Speedway Championship at Gillman (SA) on January 11, defeating compatriots Rohan Tungate and Jaimon Lidsey in the final and booking himself a spot in this year’s Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) qualification process.

It was the first major win in the local senior ranks for the 22-year-old Queenslander, who will now battle for a spot in the 2027 SGP series alongside Jack Holder and Lidsey, who earnt their spots via the 2026 Australian Speedway Championship which concluded at Gillman on January 9. The 2026 SGP qualifying process begins in late May.

In a slick field of Aussie and international stars at the Speedway Riders Association of South Australia-promoted event, the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship was an extraordinarily tight contest from start to finish, keeping the healthy Adelaide crowd on the edge of its seats.

Ten out of the 16 riders won at least one heat, with Rew’s top score of 13pts earning him a ticket straight into the final – while a ‘deep dive’ countback saw Luke Becker join him after the American finished on equal points (12) with Tungate, Lidsey and Ben Cook.

Tungate and Lidsey then won their semis – Tungate over Cook, seven-time British champion Scott Nicholls and Justin Sedgmen, while Lidsey edged out Mitchell McDiarmid, Luke Harrison and Leon Flint – to set up a spicy final.

Unfortunately for Becker, he self-destructed on lap one of the final and crashed out unhurt, leaving only the three Aussies to contest the re-run.

Tungate again got the initial jump, but a sizzling move around the outside by Rew saw him move into the lead by the end of lap one. The crafty Tungate tried to manufacture a return serve – and with an SGP qualifying spot on the line, it was always coming – but Rew held his nerve to claim victory. Lidsey flashed across the line in third.