SHEFFIELD hero Simon Stead won the Premier League Riders' Championship for a second time on an unforgettable night at Owlerton.
The Window Centre Tigers' skipper successfully regained the prestigious crown he won in 2014 after a tense Grand Final tussle with Sam Masters.
It was an incredible achievement for Stead after he missed the majority of the 2015 campaign through injury - and he was in jubilant mood after coming out on top against a star-studded field.
"I'm obviously delighted," said Stead. "It was an extremely tough meeting as I always knew it would be, so to win it is an amazing feeling.
"I knew I'd need to be at my very best in that calibre of field, and it was just as tough as I was expecting.
"I don't remember much about the final to be honest, it's a bit of a blur! Sam (Masters) made a jet-propelled start but there were plenty of options chasing from behind and I just waited until I thought I could make it stick.
"I managed to get ahead, and in some ways it was easier from behind. You felt quite vulnerable at the front but I managed to hold on and get the win."
Stead bagged 13 points from the qualifying heats to advance straight to the final alongside Richard Lawson.
They were joined in the decisive race by Masters and former Tigers' racer David Bellego after they prevailed over Danny King and Jack Holder in the semi-final.
Bellego saw off Lawson for third to join Stead and Masters on the rostrum after a fiercely-contested meeting.
Sheffield man Kyle Howarth also put in a battling performance, scoring a creditable eight points but missing out on a semi-final spot.
The Window Centre Tigers will be back in action at Rye House on Tuesday before hosting Scunthorpe on Wednesday (7.30).
SCORERS: Simon Stead 13, Richard Lawson 13, David Bellego 12, Jack Holder 11, Sam Masters 11, Danny King 11, Kyle Howarth 8, Josh Grajczonek 8, Kevin Doolan 6, Steve Worrall 5, Craig Cook 5, Josh Auty 5, Ricky Wells 5, Aaron Summers 4, Ulrich Ostergaard 3, Claus Vissing 1.
