NATIONAL team manager Neil Middleditch believes Tai Woffinden’s scintillating form on the world stage is providing a timely boost for British speedway.

The Wolverhampton wonder continued his remarkable rise by rocketing to second in the standings with a sensational victory in the Czech Grand Prix on Saturday.

Woffinden, fresh from claiming the British title and scoring 14 points as a Pirates guest last week, produced an electrifying display to take top honours in Prague.

The Scunthorpe-born racer became the country’s first SGP winner in nearly six years – following Chris Harris’s Millennium Stadium triumph in June 2007.

There has been much discussion over the standard of the Elite League and the quality of British riders currently on the circuit.

But Middleditch is hoping Woffinden’s exploits will capture the imagination – particularly with the British Grand Prix set to take place in Cardiff on June 1.

Team Great Britain and Pirates boss Middleditch told the Daily Echo: “Tai was absolutely outstanding. He was so sharp from the start and he has certainly stepped up his game this year and he is focused. He didn’t just win races on Saturday night – he was winning by half a straight.

“For Cardiff, it should certainly bring a few more thousand people to watch. The quality of the racing in the GP this year has been second to none. Cardiff is, traditionally, the blue riband event and with Tai, a Brit, up there at the top, it is extra reason to attend.”

Middleditch added: “Hopefully, the sport will get some positive press coverage – maybe from the nationals as well.

“I hope they will sit up and take notice and see that Tai is certainly a force to be reckoned with in world speedway.”

While Pirates captain Chris Holder failed to reach the semi-finals with seven points, Poole asset Krzysztof Kasprzak claimed second place behind Woffinden, with broken-arm victim Nicki Pedersen brilliantly bagging a bronze. Emil Sayfutdinov got 17 points – despite being excluded from the final after touching the tapes.

Czech Republic Grand Prix top-eight scores: 1 Woffinden 19, 2 Kasprzak 12, 3 Pedersen 11, 4 Sayfutdinov 17, 5 Lindgren 11, 6 Zagar 10, 7 Jonsson 9, 8 Hampel 8.

Grand Prix overall top-eight: 1 Sayfutdinov 55, 2 Woffinden 54, 3 Hampel 46, 4 Pedersen 45, 5 Gollob 43, 6 Holder 40, 7 Zagar 38, 8 Hancock 34.