SWINDON Robins skipper Jason Doyle knows he will still have to overcome the odds in his quest to become speedway world champion despite rising to second in the standings last weekend.

Doyle’s runners-up finish at the Swedish Grand Prix a week ago saw him move level on points with reigning champion Tai Woffinden, with only American veteran Greg Hancock – the Australian’s conqueror in Malilla – now ahead of him.

The 30-year-old is still something of a newcomer to the Speedway GP series and is only in his second year amongst the sport’s elite, having finished fifth during his debut campaign in 2015.

With his two chief rivals able to boast a wealth more experience - as well as five world titles between them - Doyle knows he is the underdog but is determined to give everything he has got over the final five meetings of the series.

“Five years ago, if someone said I’d be joint-second in the world, I would have laughed it off. It has a long road and many people don’t know what has happened,” Doyle told speedwaygp.com.

“But I’ve had a lot of good people around me for the last few years and there is still a lot of time to go in speedway for me.

“Becoming world champion is going to be a difficult task, but I am really enjoying my speedway at the moment.

“I was never the favourite to be world champion, or even in the top three. I had a good season in the Grand Prix last year and finished fifth.

“I was over the moon with that. But this year, everything is working at the moment.

“It’s such a small gap between second and third through to seventh. It’s going to be a very difficult year, but I’m still enjoying it.

“Like I said when I first started the season, I wanted to get into the top eight. I always want to be in the GPs. Deep down, you always want to be in the top three. Everything is alright at the moment, but there’s still a long way to go.”

The Speedway Grand Prix series continues next Saturday at the Polish GP in Gorzow.