HAINES, Joseph (Joe) Keir
DATE OF BIRTH: 4 September 1991, Bolton, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Cleveland; (2007) Scunthorpe; (2008) Workington, Boston; (2009) Rye House, Wolverhampton.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-15 Champion: 2006.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe]; Conference Trophy winner: 2007 [Scunthorpe]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2008 [Workington]; Young Shield winner: 2008 [Workington].
ADDITIONAL INFO: As well as lining-up for Rye House in 2009, Haines also filled the position as Wolverhampton's No. 8 rider. Regrettably, the Bolton-born rider sustained a broken hand in the World Under-21 Championship qualifying round at his home track, Hoddesdon, on 17 May 2009. The accident occurred in heat three, when Germany's Kai Huckenbeck lost control in front of him on the third/fourth bend, leaving Haines to feel the effects of a nasty coming together with the safety fence. The Rockets continued to operate the rider replacement facility in his absence, whilst Wolverhampton replaced him in the No. 8 slot with Jesper Kristiansen in June. Rye House received great news at the end of July, when Haines declared himself fit to return on 8 August. This followed the removal of his neck brace some weeks previously and subsequent physiotherapy, which had led to some successful practice laps in Poland.

HALL, Richard James
DATE OF BIRTH: 23 August 1984, Northallerton, North Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Newcastle; (2002) Newcastle, Newcastle II; (2003) Sheffield II, Coventry, Boston; (2004) Sheffield, Sheffield II, Boston; (2005) Sheffield, Eastbourne; (2006-07) Peterborough; (2008) Scunthorpe; (2009) Sheffield.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2006 [Peterborough]; Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hall worked his way through the British League system, before gaining a full-time berth in the top-flight with Peterborough in 2006. And what a season it was for the Panthers, as they finished at the top of the final league table, albeit on race-points difference, ahead of Reading, both sides having attained 64 points from their forty matches. Fittingly, it was the Panthers and the then nicknamed Bulldogs who both battled through to the Play-Off Grand Final, Peterborough getting there by virtue of defeating Coventry 52-40 at the East of England Showground on 25 September. The first leg of the final took place seven days later at Reading on 2 October, when the Bulldogs were only able to claim a hard-fought 49-47 success. The Panthers clearly started the second leg at their pacy home circuit as favourites, but Reading fought like tigers to lead 41-31 after heat twelve. Just when it looked as if the Berkshire side were heading for the League Championship, Hans Andersen took victory in a tactical ride and, with Hall in third place, the resultant 7-2 reduced the Bulldogs' advantage to 43-38. Ryan Sullivan and Hall then combined for a 5-1, setting up an overwhelmingly tense last-heat decider as Reading clung desperately to a 44-43 lead. It wasn't to be for the Bulldogs, however, as Sullivan and Andersen joined forces for a 5-1 over Greg Hancock, giving the Panthers the narrowest of aggregate successes by 95 points to 94. The Yorkshireman remained with Peterborough for a second term, but he suffered with injury and eventually lost his team spot, before moving back into the Premier League with Scunthorpe in 2008. However, he re-aggravated an ankle injury in his fourth heat of the World Long-track Qualifier at Artigues de Lussac on 17 May, when he made a mistake and fell exiting the first bend. Thankfully, he wasn't out of action for long and went on to post a solid 7-point average for the Scorpions. Having re-joined Sheffield in 2009, Hall sustained a broken scaphoid during the Tigers' home league fixture versus Edinburgh on 17 September. This injury occurred in heat seven of the meeting, when he crashed into team-mate Scott Smith.

HALSEY, Daniel John
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 September 1988, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005-07) Rye House II; (2008) Rye House II, Rye House; (2009) Rye House II, Birmingham.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Halsey joined Birmingham on loan in April 2009, following the Brummies' decision to release Marek Mroz. However, in mid-May, a further team re-shuffle saw Halsey replaced in the Birmingham line-up by Manuel Hauzinger.

HAMPEL, Jaroslaw (Jarek)
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 April 1982, Lodz, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000-03) Ipswich; (2008-09) Ipswich.
MAJOR HONOURS: World Under-21 Champion: 2003; World Cup Champion: 2005, 2007, 2009.
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Hampel received a 28-day from the SCB after missing a double-header for Ipswich on 25 September 2008. The reason for the rider's absence was because his Polish side, Leszno, had a re-arranged Play-Off fixture at Czestochowa on the same day, although, as it turned out, that meeting fell foul to inclement weather for a second time; (2) The Polish ace returned to the UK for a second consecutive season in 2009, having spent several years away from the Elite League before resuming with his only British club, Ipswich, in 2008. Since his first stint with the Witches, which ended in 2003, Hampel's career has blossomed - both in his homeland and on the Grand Prix stage, where he has established himself as an out-and-out superstar. The Lodz-born rider lost his GP place for the 2008 series after he missed some of the 2007 rounds through injury; his loss was the Witches' gain, though, as it paved the way for his return to Foxhall Heath; (3) Ipswich were rocked at the end of June 2009, when it was revealed that the Pole had decided to drop the Elite League from his busy racing schedule. However, the club moved quickly to sign Scott Nicholls on loan from Coventry for the remainder of the campaign as a direct replacement; (4) On 19 July 2009, Hampel's brilliant 18-point tally took him and Poland to a third Speedway World Cup success since 2005 in a gripping final at Leszno.

HANSEN, Kenneth Kruse
DATE OF BIRTH: 19 October 1987, Herlev, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Workington, Wolverhampton; (2008) Wolverhampton; (2009) Peterborough.
RIDER LINKS: Brother-in-law of Lars Munkedal (born: 3 March 1967, Copenhagen, Denmark).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Hansen started his British career with Workington in the Premier League in 2007, but an early-season injury saw his team place taken by Carl Stonehewer, when the Comets' legend made a dramatic return to the sport. Wolverhampton subsequently moved quickly to snap up the youngster who, despite enduring an injury-plagued campaign, kept bouncing back to register some impressive hauls; (2) After being released in a team change at Wolverhampton during the 2008 season, Hansen agreed a deal to join Birmingham. However, the move was vetoed when he informed the club that he would miss his scheduled debut due to a fixture in his Danish homeland for Slangerup; (3) Having not been recalled by Wolverhampton, Hansen initially joined Peterborough on a short-term loan deal in April 2009 as a straight replacement for Rene Bach, who had to return to Denmark to complete his studies. However, his stint with the Panthers was subsequently extended to the rest of the season at the end of that month; (4) In July, Hansen was forced to take a break from action with Peterborough after he contracted what was believed to be the first case of swine flu amongst those riders competing in British speedway.

HARRIS, Christopher (Chris) Calvin
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 November 1982, Truro, Cornwall.
BRITISH CAREER: (1998) St Austell; (1999-2000) Exeter; (2001) Trelawny; (2002-03) Trelawny, Peterborough; (2004-09) Coventry.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Champion: 2007, 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005, 2007 [both Coventry]; Elite Shield winner: 2006 [Coventry]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2006, 2007 [both Coventry]; Craven Shield winner: 2007, 2008 [both Coventry]; Pairs Championship winner: 2008 [Coventry].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHT: British GP Champion: 2007.
ADDITIONAL INFO: ‘Bomber' returns for his sixth full season with Coventry in 2009, and his second as captain of the club. He is definitely one of the most exciting speedsters in the sport and has played an integral part in the Bees' recent run of honours. He finished second to team-mate Scott Nicholls in the 2005 British Championship Final, before reaching the top step of the podium in 2007 at Wolverhampton and, of course, he replicated that success this term at Poole on 20 May.

HARRISON, Russell (Rusty) Wade
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 October 1981, Elizebeth, Nr. Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.  
BRITISH CAREER: (2000) Glasgow; (2001-04) Workington; (2005) Edinburgh, Belle Vue; (2006) Edinburgh, Workington; (2007) Stoke; (2008) King's Lynn; (2009) Glasgow, Birmingham.
MAJOR HONOURS: Australian Under-16 Champion: 1995, 1997; Australian Under-21 Champion: 2001; South Australia State Champion: 2003.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2004, 2006 [both Workington]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005 [Belle Vue].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Harrison quit the sport in September 2007 after a bad run of mechanical problems and a loss of form, but had a change of heart and returned to competitive action for King's Lynn in 2008, following a pre-season injury suffered by Trevor Harding. The Aussie was subsequently forced to retire after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in September that year, however - after seeking the necessary medical assurances, together with some training - he agreed a deal to again return to his first British club, Glasgow, in June 2009, when he replaced Robin Törnqvist in the Tigers' line-up. The South Australian's return to the Scottish side was to be short-lived, though, as he was released in mid-July and his team spot filled by William Lawson. He wasn't idle for long, however, since at the end of the same month, he was snapped-up by Birmingham to replace the released Robert Ksiezak.

HART, Jerran
DATE OF BIRTH: 19 January 1991, Ipswich, Suffolk.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Sittingbourne; (2008) Newport, Sittingbourne, Newcastle; (2009) Scunthorpe, Bournemouth, Ipswich.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-18 Champion: 2009. CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Bournemouth]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Bournemouth].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Newport were forced to close down after promoter Tim Stone's death on 26 April 2008. Only the side's Premier Trophy and Knock-Out Cup matches were permitted to count in the riders' records and Hart subsequently re-located to Newcastle. The Suffolk racer linked with Scunthorpe (at PL level) and Bournemouth (in the NL) in 2009, whilst also filling the No. 8 role with Elite League Ipswich. The pinnacle of his career occurred at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 25 September, when he took victory in the British Under-18 Championship. He went on to complete the campaign with a real-time average of over 9.5 points per match and played a full part as the Buccaneers firstly won the Knock-Out Cup and followed it up by also taking the League Championship.

HAUZINGER, Manuel
DATE OF BIRTH: 3 December 1982, Vienna, Austria.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Isle of Wight; (2006) Newcastle; (2007) Birmingham; (2008) Berwick, Swindon; (2009) Birmingham.
MAJOR HONOURS: Austrian Champion: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; Austrian/Croatian Champion: 2004; Argentine Champion: 2007.
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Hauzinger joined Berwick just prior to the start of the 2008 campaign, but broke his collarbone in practice in Austria on 13 March and missed their opening meetings. He subsequently made his debut in a Premier Trophy match at Edinburgh on 21 March, but took only one ride, pulling out of the race on the second bend of the opening lap. He was replaced shortly afterwards in the Bandits' declared line-up by Henning Bager. The Austrian later linked with Swindon as a replacement for Theo Pijper in June, but his time with the Robins was plagued by injury and he didn't appear for the club again after 8 August; (2) Team changes at Birmingham in May 2009 saw Hauzinger return to the club he had previously represented in 2007. His second stint with the Brummies ended abruptly on 8 July, however, when it was announced that he had left the club with immediate effect, following a poor run of form. Within the rules, Birmingham were permitted to operate the rider replacement facility for 14 days, whilst they sourced a suitable alternative. The Austrian's team spot was eventually filled when the Brummies recalled Lee Smart from his loan spell at Stoke.

HAVELOCK, Robert Gary
DATE OF BIRTH: 4 November 1968, Eaglescliffe, Yarm, Cleveland.
BRITISH CAREER: (1985) Middlesbrough, King's Lynn, Wolverhampton; (1986) Middlesbrough, Bradford; (1987-88) Bradford; (1990-97) Bradford; (1998) Eastbourne, Poole; (1999-2002) Poole; (2003-04) Peterborough; (2005) Arena-Essex; (2006-09) Redcar.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Under-21 Champion: 1986; European Junior Champion: 1987; British Champion: 1991, 1992; Overseas Champion: 1992; World Champion: 1992; Premier League Riders' Champion: 1995.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 1985 [Middlesbrough]; Gold Cup winner: 1990 [Bradford]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 [all Bradford]; BSPA Cup winner: 1991 [Bradford]; Premiership winner: 1994 [Bradford]; League Championship winner: 1997 [Bradford]; Craven Shield winner: 2001 [Poole]; Young Shield winner: 2007 [Redcar].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Brian Havelock (born: 9 May 1942, Yarm, Cleveland).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Havelock was always likely to take up a career in speedway, since his father, Brian, was a leading rider during the 1970s and early 1980s, appearing for a number of Second Division/National League teams in the north of England. Gary, in fact, had his first motorbike at the age of just three and progressed on to the junior grass-track scene five years later. Then, aged fourteen he started attending speedway training schools, where he was a star pupil, always listening and willing to put good advice into practice. By the time 1985 came along, he was more than ready to stake a claim for a place in his local team, Middlesbrough, and duly made his official debut on 28 March. Once in the Tigers' line-up he went from strength-to-strength to post an impressive 7-point average. Opportunities also came his way in top-flight racing with King's Lynn and Wolverhampton, and the young ‘Havvy' was quite rightly described as one of the finds of the season. He moved up to the role of a heat-leader with Middlesbrough in 1986, lending tremendous support at the top-end to Martin Dixon and Mark Courtney. He was to show eye-catching form in the British League as well with Bradford and it was only natural that the West Yorkshire outfit would want Havelock on a full-time basis in 1987. Having signed for the Dukes, he was to remain loyal to the club until the end of the 1997 campaign, when they regrettably closed their doors to speedway after winning the inaugural Elite League Championship. During that time, he did miss the entire 1989 season, having been banned by the Speedway Control Board after testing positive for cannabis at the previous season's British League Riders' Championship, held at Belle Vue on 9 October. It has to be said that although he was aged only twenty at the time of the ban, he took his punishment like a man and returned in 1990 an even better rider. He was to become an international regular for England, but there was one particular performance that really made his name and this occurred at the Olympic Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland, on 29 August 1992. The occasion was the World Final and Havelock took his bow in the sport's premier event and what a debut it was too! He showed grit and determination to take the title with a 14-point tally, losing only to Pole Slawomir Drabik in a re-run eighth heat. Due to heavy rainfall, track conditions were poor and Havvy also injured an ankle in the original running of heat eight; but if these caused problems to him no-one would have known, as he powered his way to the crown. His long association with Bradford was rewarded with a testimonial meeting on 8 June 1997, when a large Odsal attendance witnessed him lead his side, the North, to a 50-40 win over the South. With the riders subsequently made available for transfer by promoters Bobby and Allan Ham, it was something of a surprise when Havelock linked with Eastbourne in 1998. Unfortunately, not through any lack of trying, he found it difficult to get to grips with the Arlington raceway and, in a late-season switch, he joined Poole, where he replaced an off-form Lars Gunnestad. To a degree, he was taking a chance with the move, since he could not have had good memories of the Wimborne Road circuit. This dated back to 3 July 1996 when, riding for England against Australia in a Test match, he had suffered serious back injuries in a track accident and was out of action for the remainder of the season. Anyway, nobody need have worried as he kick-started his season with a flourish and was a must for a team spot the following year. In 1999, Matt Ford and Mike Golding became co-promoters at Poole alongside Pete Ansell, and an enthusiastic Havelock showcased vintage form and inspirational leadership, as the Pirates finished second in the Elite League. Such was his on-track sparkle again during 2001 that he managed to rejuvenate an international career which had been on hold for sometime. This occurred when Pirates' boss and national team manager Neil Middleditch brought him back into the fold for Great Britain in matches against Australia and Denmark, prior to making him captain for the Speedway World Cup tournament in Poland. The 2002 campaign was to be his last with Poole and his season ended prematurely when he sustained a broken arm in a home match versus King's Lynn on 26 August. A move to Peterborough followed in 2003 and, after spending a second term with the Panthers, he saw out his top-flight career with a single year at Arena-Essex. With a new track opening at Redcar in 2006, Havelock was unable to resist the temptation to go back to his roots, as the re-formed Bears entered the Premier League. The hugely popular Redcar skipper had his 2007 campaign disrupted by two spells on the injured list. Somewhat bizarrely, the second of these was a wrist injury, which he sustained when he was competing in an all-star soccer competition. It was well-documented that the Bears were mired in financial uncertainty during 2008 and matters reached a head following a home league match versus Scunthorpe on 3 July, when it was announced that the club had made the shock decision to release Havelock - their No. 1 rider, captain and talismanic leader - for economic reasons. This came after then promoter Glyn Taylor had put forward proposals for an adjusted pay structure, which the former World Champion couldn't accept. However, in the Bears' very next match at Workington on 5 July, the axed Havelock was back in his familiar position at the head of the side. The rider's father, who was also Redcar's team manager, had called an emergency SOS (Save Our Skipper) meeting at a hotel the evening before the trip to Derwent Park, at which a consortium was formed. The upshot of this enabled Havelock to ride under Mr. Taylor's new terms, with any shortfall in his income made up by its members. In 2009, the Eaglescliffe-born speedster sustained injuries to his back and right leg when he and Ryan Fisher tangled in an aborted heat fifteen during Redcar's televised league fixture against Edinburgh at the South Tees Motorsports Park on 24 August. Regrettably, this necessitated a spell in the James Cook University Hospital for the veteran rider who had turned forty the previous November. It transpired that he had damaged four vertebrae in his lower back, which understandably caused considerable pain. With the injuries requiring time to heal properly, the Bears eventually drafted in Slovenian racer Maks Gregoric at the end of September to replace Havelock for the latter section of the campaign.

HAWKINS, Ritchie Mark
DATE OF BIRTH: 9 November 1983, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000) Sheffield II; (2001) Swindon, Sheffield II; (2002) Swindon, Swindon II; (2003) Swindon, Swindon II, Peterborough; (2004) Mildenhall, Berwick; (2005) Somerset, Peterborough; (2006) Workington, Swindon; (2007) Somerset, Poole; (2009) Sheffield, Scunthorpe.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-21 Champion: 2004.
CLUB HONOURS: Conference Trophy winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; League Championship winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2005 [Somerset].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Kevin Hawkins (born: 21 July 1954, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Hawkins represented Young Britain when they toured Down Under in 2001/02, however, he was injured in the sixth Test match against Young Australia at Shepparton, Victoria on 26 January. Unfortunately, in a first bend fall in heat fourteen, he suffered a shoulder injury that was to plague him upon his return to the UK. After struggling for form with Swindon he was rested for a spell, only to injure a leg shortly after returning - in heat twelve of a league match versus Arena-Essex on 20 June - when he spun and fell on the second bend. Regrettably, Hawkins then took a hefty fall in a curtailed league encounter at Hull six days later, when he looped at the start of heat two, and subsequently endured another spell out of action; (2) The Peterborough-born rider took a knock to the ankle when he fell during heat twelve of Swindon's league match against Newcastle at the Abbey Stadium on 19 June 2003. This meant a short spell of recuperation, before he took another knock after clashing with Somerset's Mark Lemon in heat eight of a league match at Swindon on 3 July. Worse was to come two weeks later on 17 July, though, when, in the opening race of a PL match at home to Exeter, he sustained head and neck injuries after a heavy tumble barely 50 metres after leaving the starting gate. He did return to action in September, but shortly afterwards announced his temporary retirement from the sport in protest at a ruling that precluded him from riding in a Conference-level challenge match for Swindon Sprockets at Weymouth; (3) The British rider was proving to be a real favourite with Workington in 2006, until a tangle with Glasgow's Danny Bird at Derwent Park on 15 July left him with a badly bruised brain and the remainder of the campaign on the sidelines. (4) After representing Somerset in 2007, Hawkins had agreed to remain with the Rebels in 2008, but he received multiple injuries in January while appearing in an indoor meeting in Kiel, Germany. He was eventually replaced in the Rebels' starting line-up by Brent Werner; (5) Having missed the entire 2008 season whilst in recuperation, Hawkins returned to action with Sheffield in 2009. However, he was in the wars again on 16 May, when he suffered a badly dislocated and broken wrist in a Premier Trophy meeting at Berwick, which was ultimately aborted after heat eleven due to the time curfew at Shielfield Park. The accident happened in heat ten, when he looked to have clipped the back wheel of Bandits' guest Michal Rajkowski and, as a result, crashed spectacularly on the apex of the first corner. The Tigers initially utilized the rider replacement facility in his absence, before introducing Hugh Skidmore to the side in June. Having recovered from his broken wrist, Hawkins subsequently linked with Scunthorpe in July, when Adam Allott was released from the Scorpions' line-up.

HEATH, Trevor Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 21 March 1989, Cuckfield, West Sussex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Sheffield II; (2005-06) Mildenhall; (2009) Rye House II.
RIDER LINKS: Cousin of Sam Heath (born: 16 December 1989).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having not ridden in the Conference League since representing Mildenhall in 2006, Heath returned to British speedway's third tier in June 2009, when a team re-declaration saw him replace Michael Bovis in Rye House's National League outfit. He lost his place in the side towards the end of August, however, when Dan Blake was recalled.

HENRY, Christian
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 February 1981, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000) Edinburgh, Ashfield; (2001-02) Edinburgh; (2003) Glasgow; (2005-08) Newcastle; (2009) King's Lynn.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Regrettably, Henry crashed heavily and sustained a broken arm in three places, whilst representing King's Lynn in a Premier Trophy fixture at Birmingham on 3 May 2009. He was subsequently replaced in the Stars side by Linus Eklöf.

HERNE, Jay Brett
DATE OF BIRTH: 22 September 1984, Campbell Town, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Weymouth; (2008) Weymouth, Birmingham; (2009) Bournemouth, Somerset, Birmingham.
TEAM HONOURS: Four-Team winner: 2008 [Weymouth]; League Championship winner: 2008 [Weymouth], 2009 [Bournemouth]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Bournemouth].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Phil Herne (born: 27 March 1955, Ballina, New South Wales, Australia). Brother of Lee Herne (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Herne shared a ‘doubling-up' role with Brendan Johnson at Somerset in 2009, but assumed a full-time position in the side in June, when the club elected to run with a straight 1-7. However, towards the end of that month, Somerset announced that, with great regret, they had decided to release the Australian. This was due to a congested fixture list through competing in two leagues - which led to him not being available for a number of the Rebels' meetings - and it was acknowledged that the situation was not of the rider's making. Herne's place in the side was subsequently taken by Nick Simmons. Meanwhile, having enjoyed a stint with Birmingham the season before, the Aussie linked again with the Brummies for a second spell early in July, when he took the place of James Cockle. Highlighting a fine season of progress for the Sydney-born rider, he took victory in the prestigious National League Bronze Helmet at Weymouth on 24 July. On 15 October, the Aussie's efforts helped Bournemouth cement an aggregate victory over Buxton in the Knock-Out Cup final and, during the match, he completed an unbeaten sequence of 36 rides at Wimborne Road, before visiting rider Craig Cook brought his astonishing run to an end. That took him into the record books as he eclipsed Tony Lewis, who was undefeated by an opponent in 35 rides at the track (1961-62). The only rider who had previously almost reached the landmark established by Lewis was Martin Yeates, who went 34 races unbeaten (1985). The Aussie went on to help the Buccaneers complete a glorious double, as they defeated Plymouth in the Play-Off Final to win the League Championship.

HILL, Thomas (Tom) Matthew
DATE OF BIRTH: 16 September 1986, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003) Peterborough II, Wolverhampton II; (2004) Buxton, Newport II, Weymouth; (2006) Weymouth; (2009) Isle of Wight.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hill linked with the Isle of Wight in May 2009, as a replacement for Scott Meakins in the No. 8 position. Shortly afterwards, on 13 June, he sustained a broken knuckle on his right hand in a crash at King's Lynn in a National League encounter. The accident occurred when he and team-mate Ben Hopwood seemed set for a 5-1, only for Hill's steed to pick up a huge amount of unwanted drive and send him careering into the Norfolk Arena safety fence. The Sheffield-born rider was subsequently promoted to a slot in the side's declared 1-7 in July, when he replaced Andy Braithwaite.

HIRST, Jack Lewis
DATE OF BIRTH: 22 August 1993, Middleton, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Scunthorpe II.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hirst was replaced by James Sarjeant as Scunthorpe Saints' official No. 8 rider at the start of May 2009.

HODGSON, Daniel(Danny) Lee
DATE OF BIRTH: 21 January 1982, Bradford, West Yorkshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (1998) Buxton; (1999) King's Lynn II; (2000) Buxton, Hull; (2001) Sheffield, Newport II, Somerset; (2003) Carmarthen; (2004) King's Lynn II; (2006-09) Buxton.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hodgson sustained a broken arm when he crashed in heat eight of Buxton's away Conference Trophy match against Boston on 11 May 2008. The Bradford-born rider returned to the Buxton squad in May 2009, replacing the injured Jason Garrity, however, team changes at the club in July saw him lose his team spot to Ben Taylor. A further amendment at the end of the same month saw Hodgson return in the No. 8 berth in place of the previously mentioned Garrity.

HOLDER, Christopher (Chris) Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 September 1987, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006-07) Isle of Wight; (2008-09) Poole.
MAJOR HONOURS: Australian Under-21 Champion: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; New South Wales State Champion: 2006, 2007, 2008; Western Australia State Champion: 2008; Australian Champion: 2008; New South Wales Under-21 State Champion: 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2007 [Isle of Wight]; Pairs Championship winner: 2007 [Isle of Wight], 2009 [Poole]; League Championship winner: 2008 [Poole].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of James Holder (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Australian sensation - who rides with pace, aggression and flair - enjoyed a fabulous 2008 domestic campaign with Poole and scooped league titles in Britain, Sweden and Poland.  Holder has finished second - behind Russian sensation Emil Sayfutdinov - in the World Under-21 Championship for two successive seasons (in 2007 and 2008) and is widely tipped for permanent Grand Prix spot in the coming years. He has achieved plenty in his short career, including representing his country in international competition and collecting an individual victory in the 2008 Australian Championship. Holder also shares a fierce rivalry with Troy Batchelor and the two talented compatriots are renowned for their spirited on-track duels. In May 2009, the Sydney-born rider bizarrely sustained a broken collarbone in a moto-cross accident, meaning an unexpected spell on the sidelines. After his return from injury, Holder combined with Hans Andersen to win the Elite League Pairs Championship for Poole at Eastbourne's Arlington Stadium on 8 August - the triumph adding to his previous success at PL level with Jason Bunyan for the Isle of Wight in 2007. As the Pirates entered the last phase of the campaign, the Aussie was happy to sit out some end-of-season challenge matches, as the promotion looked at different riders with a view to the following term. Holder also confirmed that he fully intended to be back at Wimborne Road in 2010.

HOLDER, James Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 May 1986, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Isle of Wight; (2009) Newport.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Chris Holder (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The elder of the Holder brothers was named as Eastbourne's No. 8 rider in 2009 but, prior to making any appearances for the Eagles, he was replaced in the role by Chris Schramm in May.

HOPWOOD, Ben James
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 March 1991, Salford, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Mildenhall II, Stoke II; (2007) Oxford II; (2008) Plymouth, Scunthorpe II; (2009) Isle of Wight.

HOUGAARD, Patrick Hald
DATE OF BIRTH: 23 May 1989, Fredericia, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Reading; (2008-09) Belle Vue.
MAJOR HONOUR: Danish Under-21 Champion: 2009.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hougaard is exciting youngster, who is tipped to excel on the world stage in future years.  After appearing briefly for Reading at the tail-end of 2007 - having been brought to the Berkshire club by then co-promoter Malcolm Holloway - he subsequently joined Belle Vue mid-way through the 2008 season after completing his school studies in his Danish homeland. He has made a very good impression during his short time in British speedway thus far and is expected to be challenging for a top five spot in the Belle Vue line-up this year.  At 6' 2" in height, the Dane rides with a unique style that is certainly spectacular to watch. Underlining his immense talent, he won the 2009 Danish Under-21 title after dominating the final at the Glumso Speedway Centre on 16 August.

HOWARTH, Kyle
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 February 1994, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Scunthorpe II.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Howarth is a former youth grass-track and moto-cross rider who, it is said, reluctantly first gave speedway a try in July 2008. He began entering the amateur meetings at Scunthorpe and his best result was a second place finish behind James Sarjeant in the Youth 500 class on 20 September. He subsequently participated at the same level in the Winter Championships at the venue and, emphasizing his quick development, he claimed first place overall. Howarth made his official debut at National League level for Scunthorpe Saints on 13 April this year, when he hit the ground running to tally an immensely impressive 13+2 points from the No. 7 berth in a home fixture versus Weymouth. The youngster took victory in the final round of the British Under-15 Championship at the Northside track in Workington on 19 September, but had to settle for the runner-up spot overall, behind fellow Scunthorpe rider Ashley Morris. To further underline his great potential, six days later on 25 September, Howarth finished as runner-up to Jerran Hart in the British Under-18 Championship at Scunthorpe's Eddie Wright Raceway.

HOWE, David Peter
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 March 1982, Leicester, Leicestershire.
BRITISH CAREER: (1997) Peterborough II; (1998) Peterborough, Norfolk; (1999-2001) Peterborough; (2002-05) Wolverhampton; (2006) Oxford; (2007-08) Wolverhampton; (2009) Scunthorpe.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1997 [Peterborough II], 1998 [Peterborough], 1999 [Peterborough], 2002 [Wolverhampton]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1999, 2001 [both Peterborough]; Craven Shield winner: 1999 [Peterborough].
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-21 Champion: 2000.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Howe sustained a badly gashed foot during the annual indoor ice meeting at Telford on 24 February 2008. Representing England in the afternoon event, his injury occurred when he clashed with the Rest of the World's Martin Smolinski at the end of the first lap of heat twelve. Aside from a year at Oxford in 2006, the Leicester-born rider had spent six seasons with Wolverhampton, but elected to drop into the Premier League with Scunthorpe in 2009. He enjoyed a fine campaign with the Scorpions, too, but suffered a broken ankle on 16 October, as the side entertained Rye House in the Young Shield semi-final. Howe picked up the knock in heat ten when, having jetted from the gate, there was contact with visiting rider Joe Haines, which resulted in him clattering into the air safety barrier. The rider was in attendance for the Kenny Smith Memorial meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 23 October, after which he committed himself to the Scorpions for 2010 and also stated that he would be happy to spend at least another ten years with the go-ahead club.

HUGHES, Kyle Richard
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 June 1989, Bath, Somerset.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Mildenhall; (2005) Oxford II; (2006) Boston; (2007) Oxford II; (2008) Plymouth, Sheffield; (2009) Plymouth.
CLUB HONOURS: Conference Trophy winner: 2004 [Mildenhall], 2008 [Plymouth]; League Championship winner: 2004 [Mildenhall], 2005 [Oxford II]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Plymouth]; National Trophy winner: 2009 [Plymouth].
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Chippenham-based youngster was drafted into the Newport side as a ‘doubling-up' rider - along with Kyle Newman - as a replacement for Tony Atkin in June 2009. However, before actually appearing in a match for the Welsh outfit, further changes saw Hughes replaced in the ‘doubling-up' role by Shelby Rutherford at the beginning of the following month. Having won trophies with Mildenhall and Oxford earlier in his career, the youngster added to a couple of previous successes with Plymouth in 2009, when he helped the Devils secure the National Trophy.

HURRY, Paul William George
DATE OF BIRTH: 9 April 1975, Canterbury, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (1991) Arena-Essex; (1992-93) Peterborough; (1994-95) Arena-Essex; (1996) London; (1997) King's Lynn; (1998-99) Oxford; (2000) Eastbourne; (2001-02) Wolverhampton; (2003) Ipswich; (2004-06) Arena-Essex; (2007) Lakeside; (2009) Poole, Swindon.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-21 Champion: 1994.
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Hurry was appointed youth development officer at Lakeside in 2008, having been ruled out of riding by an ongoing injury to his right arm, which he initially suffered in a speedway accident at Belle Vue on 1 September 2003. The injured arm had been operated on every winter since the original accident, yet hadn't healed properly. He underwent another operation at the Royal Free Hospital in London on 19 March 2008, when he was looked after by Doctor Dave Goodyer, an expert in bones that don't heal; (2) Hurry's testimonial meeting was held at Lakeside on 18 July 2008, when Peter Karlsson took victory in an individual event; (3) The Canterbury-born rider made a return to domestic racing in April 2009, when he joined Poole as a replacement for the injured Kyle Legault in a 28-day loan agreement. A team re-shuffle towards the end of May subsequently saw Hurry replaced in the Pirates' declared line-up - initially by Mark Baseby and then Karol Baran. However, when Krzysztof Stojanowski decided to step down from the Swindon team in June, the Robins' management were quick to sign Hurry as his replacement.

HURST, Samuel (Sam) Melvin
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 April 1989, Southampton, Hampshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Newport II, King's Lynn II; (2005) Newport II; (2006) Newport, Newport II; (2007) Weymouth; (2009) Newport II.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The rider was involved in controversy following a heat three clash with Luke Priest, whilst representing Newport Hornets in a Knock-Out Cup encounter versus Bournemouth at Queensway Meadows on 26 April 2009. Priest was adjudged to have ridden into the home rider and was disqualified from the re-run, however, having returned to where the accident occurred, the visiting rider was allegedly punched by Hurst. After the riders had returned to the pits, a mass free-for-all broke out and the Southampton-born rider was handed a £300 fine and also excluded from the remainder of the meeting by referee Dave Watters.