Jason Doyle will step away from the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series in 2027 — but the 2017 world champion insists this is far from a retirement.
Doyle, 40, confirmed during interviews at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium on September 14 that he will not compete in next season’s FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) series, bringing the curtain down on 12 consecutive seasons at the sport’s elite level.
However, the Newcastle-born racer has made it clear he isn’t closing the door on SGP entirely, leaving the possibility of a future return or wild card appearances firmly on the table.
Still among the world’s best
Doyle currently sits ninth in the SGP standings on 66 points ahead of Saturday’s final round in Poland, where he will match Australian legend Leigh Adams on 115 SGP appearances — joint 10th on the series’ all-time appearance charts.
“There is still a lot left in me, as you saw at Ipswich. I’m racing hard and still feeling good on a bike. It’s not that I am retiring at all. I still have plenty of years left in me,” Doyle said.
“I just need to be happy again, and that comes from winning races. I want to be riding as much as I can in Britain, Sweden, Poland and Denmark when I can. I’ll still be racing the top boys. I can still beat them, so it’s not like I am getting smoked all the time.”
Doyle acknowledged the rising talent in the field but remains open to a return should circumstances allow.
“You have Brady (Kurtz) and the other young boys who are flying at the moment, and if I can bring myself back to making finals, then I will want to be back in the GP. But when I am battling for the LCQs in every GP, it’s not really enjoyable for me, so I need to take a step back.
“If I had the opportunity to have any wild cards, I would take them with both hands. I am not retiring, and I just want people to be aware that I have had a really great time in the GPs. I have given it 100 per cent.”
A career that will live in racing folklore
Doyle’s journey to the top of world speedway is one of the sport’s great stories. After making his SGP debut relatively late at 29 in 2015, he went on to win seven rounds, and his 2017 season cemented his legacy forever.
Defying a broken foot, the sport’s man of steel won the 2017 SGP series, sealing the title with an unforgettable victory in Melbourne.
His trophy cabinet is stacked with achievements:
- 2017 Speedway GP Individual World Champion
- 2022 & 2025 FIM Speedway of Nations World Champion with Australia
- 2026 FIM Speedway World Cup Champion – becoming the sport’s first and only modern-day grand slam world champion with victory in Warsaw on August 29
- Seven SGP round victories
Injuries have been cruel at times — most notably in 2016, when he crashed out of the penultimate round in Torun while on course for gold. But his resilience and determination have defined a career.
What’s next for Doyle?
While stepping back from the full SGP grind, Doyle is planning another busy league season in 2027 and has hinted he may explore the Speedway European Championship (SEC) — where the European champion is guaranteed a spot in the following season’s Speedway GP.
“I think I might try the SEC next year. I have a British passport, so I might do the British Final and see how we go. It’s possible – I can still do that,” he said.
“I would love to ride the SEC and give that a go.”
With his dry sense of humour and knack for the occasional bombshell, Doyle may well find his way back to the sport’s biggest stage sooner than expected.
Motorcycling Australia CEO Peter Doyle pays tribute:
“Jason Doyle is one of the toughest competitors this sport has ever seen. What he achieved in 2017, winning the Individual World Championship on a broken foot, tells you everything about his character.
“To win seven SGP rounds, the Speedway World Cup, two Speedway of Nations titles and become the first modern-day grand slam world champion is an incredible legacy. On behalf of Motorcycling Australia, I want to thank Jason for everything he has given to our sport and to Australian speedway fans.
“This isn’t goodbye, it’s simply a new chapter. We’re excited to see what Jason does next, and we know he’ll continue to be a fierce competitor wherever he races. We’d love to see him back in Speedway GP one day, and we’ll be cheering him on every step of the way.”
One last dance in Torun
For now, Doyle’s focus is on signing off 12 straight seasons in SGP in style this Saturday.
“I want to go out with a bang in Torun, make the final, get on to the rostrum and show that I am still capable of winning GPs,” he said.
Australian speedway fans will be watching closely — and whatever comes next for Jason Doyle, his place among the sport’s greats is already secured.