GARRITY, Jason
DATE OF BIRTH: 9 November 1993, Manchester, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009-10) Buxton.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-15 Champion: 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: National Trophy winner: 2010 [Buxton]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2010 [Buxton]; League Championship winner: 2010 [Buxton].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The 2008 British Under-15 Champion was initially named in the Buxton side for 2009, but was replaced in the declared line-up by Danny Hodgson at the start of May, having sustained a hand injury prior to officially turning a wheel for the club. This occurred when he was setting his bike up for a practice spin, only to mangle two fingers on his right hand when he checked the tension of his chain.

After a period of recuperation, the talented Manchester-born youngster – who possesses an eye-catching, on-the-gas style – returned to the Buxton squad in the No. 8 berth in July, replacing Scott Whittington. His place with the Hitmen didn’t last long, though, and at the end of the same month, he was replaced in the position by Danny Hodgson. After a lengthy period in abeyance, the highly-rated youngster was eventually recalled by the Peak District outfit in the No. 8 position in May 2010. And, at the tail-end of the same month, he moved into the main body of the side in place of James McBain.

Garrity gave notice of his talent with some scintillating performances, including a haul of 14+1 points in a home match versus the Isle of Wight in the National Trophy on 8 August. But he went even better in a league visit to Scunthorpe on the 30th of the month, when he hit a whopping 17+3 points from a seven-ride schedule; his only dropped point – in what otherwise would have been a paid 21-point maximum – occurred in heat nine when Saints’ Steve Worrall took the flag ahead of Buxton’s Adam Allott, with Garrity in third spot.

Garrity was hurt after losing control and crashing with Greg Blair in heat eleven of the Ozchem Top Gun Championship at Sheffield on 16 September. However, he soon returned to action and was to play a full part in what was quite simply the Hitmen’s most successful term in their 16-year history, as they firstly sealed victory in the National Trophy. As the season came to a wonderful climax, he notched a vital score of 19+1 points in the home leg of the Knock-Out Cup final versus King’s Lynn on 24 October, before the Hitmen sealed an aggregate victory three days later in Norfolk.    

Then, on the last official day of the season – 31 October – Buxton defeated Newport 56-35 in a one-legged Play-Off final on their own track after the scheduled first leg in South Wales had been washed out two days beforehand. His contribution on the day was 9+1 points, as he concluded a wonderful campaign with an impressive average in excess of 7 points a match to his name.

GATHERCOLE, Cory James
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 December 1986, Irymple, Victoria, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007-08) Isle of Wight, Swindon; (2009-10) Somerset, Swindon.
MAJOR HONOURS: Western Australia State Champion: 2007; Victoria State Champion: 2007; New South Wales Under-21 State Champion: 2007.
CLUB HONOUR: Four-Team Championship winner: 2007 [Isle of Wight].
RIDER LINKS: Second cousin of Leigh Adams (born: 28 April 1971, Mildura, Victoria, Australia).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.69 (PL), 3.85 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Although the Aussie is a second cousin of the mighty Leigh Adams, he is very much an upcoming rider in his own right, having taken his first skids as a junior at Mildura, Australia, in November 1999. After winning the Victoria State Junior Championship in 2001 and the Australian Junior Pairs Championship with Mark Jones the following year, he moved on to 500cc equipment when he turned 16-years-of-age on 2 December 2002.

After continuing to hone his skills, Gathercole first appeared in the UK in 2006, when he visited on a holiday and rode briefly for the Swindon Sprockets. And he had clearly learnt a lot from his illustrious relative, as his riding style bore an uncanny resemblance to that of the imperious Sultan of Slide. Down Under, during our winter, Gathercole had a bit of a ball, firstly winning the Western Australia State Championship at Pinjar Park on 18 November, and then taking victory in the Australian Championship qualifier at Gillman on 30 December.

Gathercole was subsequently handed a British speedway berth by the Isle of Wight and he showed plenty of promise in his inaugural season. Despite suffering more falls than he would have wished, he certainly did enough to impress at the big, fast, full-throttle Smallbrook raceway. Indeed, he remained ever-present for the Islanders, appearing in all forty-four of their official matches to accrue 257 points and a solid 6.36 average. And, on 1 July, he replaced Tommy Allen as Swindon's No. 8 rider, eventually making his debut for the Robins at Wolverhampton in a league match on 20 August.

He then spent a second season with the Isle of Wight, whilst also again filling a role in Swindon's back-up department. However, his 2008 campaign was disrupted by a hand injury in the middle part of the term but, prior to the set-back, Gathercole had been performing well at both Premier and Elite League level. A move to Somerset followed in 2009 and he was again identified on the Robins' books in a ‘doubling-up' capacity - alongside American Ryan Fisher - until a change in July saw him replaced in the role by fellow Aussie Mark Lemon, with Gathercole instead moving into the No. 8 berth in place of a third speedster from Down Under, namely Richard Sweetman. In November, Swindon revealed that Gathercole's name was the first on their team-sheet in a ‘doubling-up' capacity for 2010 and, towards the tail-end of the month, Somerset were delighted to announce that he would represent them for a second successive season on loan from the Robins.

The amiable Aussie sustained an injury in heat six of the Rebels' league fixture at Berwick on 29 May. The race was re-started after the Bandits' Adrian Rymel had gone through the tapes. In the re-run, Lee Complin and Gathercole contested the early exchanges, with the home rider just getting the better run to edge ahead. The Victorian was all over his opponent, however, as he gradually worked a position for an overtaking manoeuvre. And, as lap three closed, he cut-back inside from high up on the pits banking but, as he got up the inside of Complin, the Cowling-born rider appeared to lock-up, leaving Gathercole nowhere to go. As a result, he crashed into the back of the Berwick speedster, taking a hard fall and dislocating a shoulder in the process. This inevitably led to a short spell out of action.

GLANZ, Nicki Jens
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 January 1990, Swindon, Wiltshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Newport II; (2007-08) Plymouth; (2010) Plymouth.
CLUB HONOUR: Pairs Championship winner: 2010 [Plymouth].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Peter Glanz (born: 3 May 1962, Fredericia, Denmark).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 9.70 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The son of former Danish rider Peter Glanz first appeared in the UK for Newport Mavericks in 2006, making sixteen appearances and scoring 73 points for a 4.21 average. He linked with Plymouth the following term and showed great promise in only his second season of British racing, netting a hatful of double-figure tallies on his way to an impressive 8.27 figure. He was again identified with the Devils in 2008 and, due to the various injuries sustained by Reading’s reserve duo of Jamie Smith and Danny Warwick, the Berkshire club also called upon the services of Glanz as cover on numerous occasions during the year.

In fact, he went on to make a total of twenty-one appearances in the Racers’ colours but, as he was never officially declared in their line-up, these all ended-up under the ‘guest’ column. But, he was to suffer a knock himself when Reading entertained Somerset in an aborted Premier League encounter at Smallmead Stadium on 10 August. This occurred in heat two, when he fell awkwardly on the first corner and received a complicated shoulder injury that would take time to heal. He didn’t ride again that season and subsequently sat out 2009 in its entirety.

However, he hit the comeback trail in 2010, when he appeared at Plymouth’s St Boniface Arena for Somerset Giants in a challenge match versus the Devils on 2 July and, as if he’d never been away, he romped to a five-ride, 15-point maximum and broke the track record. Following that, on 21 July, the Devon club announced the re-signing of Glanz to fill the No. 1 berth in a dramatic move to boost their attempt on reaching the National League Play-Offs. In order to accommodate his 9.70 green-sheet average, this meant that both Paul Starke and Lee Smethills had to drop out of Plymouth’s declared team.

On 7 August, Glanz helped repay the faith shown in him by promoter Mike Bowden by joining forces with Mark Simmonds to win the National League Pairs Championship at Newport. The Devils’ boss had applied to join the Premier League in 2011 and, with that in mind, it was revealed in September that he had signed the Swindon-born rider on a full contract from his parent club, Newport.

GOUGH, David John
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 January 1986, Newport, Gwent, South Wales.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Newport II; (2002) Carmarthen; (2003) Carmarthen, Newport II; (2008-10) Plymouth.
CLUB HONOURS: Conference Trophy winner: 2008 [Plymouth]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Plymouth]; National Trophy winner: 2009 [Plymouth].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Graig Gough (born: 24 November 1981, Newport, Gwent, South Wales).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.81 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having initially ridden at Conference level for Newport in 2001, Gough appeared lost to the sport after the 2003 campaign. However, he returned late in the 2008 season, when he was identified with Plymouth. Remaining with the Devils for the start of the 2009 term, he was a valued team member until he sustained a broken collarbone in a heat fourteen spill during a National Trophy encounter with Weymouth at St Boniface Arena on 11 September.

He subsequently returned to action for the side on 10 October, when they entertained the USA Dream Team in a challenge match. Gough's input helped Plymouth secure top spot in the National Trophy, as the Devils added to their Conference Trophy and Knock-Out Cup successes of the previous term. In total, he made twenty-nine official appearances for the club, which yielded 117 points and a 4.39 real-time average.

The Welshman was initially without a team in 2010, but was again called-up by Plymouth in May to fill the No. 8 position in their squad. And, the following month, he slight re-shuffle of the pack saw him move into the side's 1-7, with Ben Reade reverting to the No. 8 slot. Regrettably, Gough's season came to a premature end on 3 September, when he sustained two broken bones in his foot after a fall in heat seven of the Devils' home meeting versus Newport in the National Trophy.

GRAJCZONEK, Joshua (Josh) Lee
DATE OF BIRTH: 5 February 1990, Kirwan, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Glasgow; (2009-10) Glasgow, Belle Vue.
MAJOR HONOUR: Queensland State Champion: 2009.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.28 (PL), 3.14 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The highly-rated Aussie linked with Glasgow for his first taste of British speedway in 2008 and produced a number of eye-catching performances for the Tigers. Remaining with the Scottish side the following year, he also assumed the role of Belle Vue’s No. 8 rider. He was to lose the position in a mid-June change when he was replaced by fellow countryman Kevin Doolan. However, upon the conclusion of Doolan’s permitted period in the position, Grajczonek was happy to resume in the capacity with the Aces. Shortly after the season’s end, the Queenslander agreed to continue with Glasgow for a third term in 2010. Then, in early February, Belle Vue revealed that they had agreed a deal for Grajczonek to remain in place as their official No. 8.

GRAVERSEN, Jan
DATE OF BIRTH: 10 April 1987, Sallingsund, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Mildenhall; (2009) King's Lynn; (2010) Redcar, Stoke, Scunthorpe.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2009 [King’s Lynn]; Premier Trophy winner: 2009 [King’s Lynn]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [King’s Lynn].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.69 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Graversen made an immediate impact in British speedway when he appeared in the Shareholders' Junior Trophy at Mildenhall on 14 October 2007 and came mightily close to the track record in his very first outing. That sealed him a team spot with the Fen Tigers in 2008 but, in a troubled campaign, the team went on to become the first in British speedway history to ‘flatline' - losing all thirty league fixtures that they contested. To his credit, Graversen plugged away throughout and made more appearances than anyone else to finish with a real-time average of 4.51.

Mildenhall were, of course, taken over by the King's Lynn promotion towards the end of that difficult season and it was only natural that they would take the talented Dane to Saddlebow Road as one of their reserves for the start of the 2009 campaign. Graversen was to enjoy a superb year with the Stars, increasing his average to close on 6 points per match and he was also one of five riders - the others being Darcy Ward, Emiliano Sanchez, Chris Schramm and Linus Eklöf - who completed a glorious treble with the side, winning the League Championship, Premier Trophy and Knock-Out Cup.

Such were the averages that he couldn't be accommodated within the King's Lynn side for 2010; however, in December, the Dane was named as the final part of the team-building jigsaw at Redcar, where he re-acquainted with fellow ex-Star Emiliano Sanchez. But, following a leg break sustained by Maks Gregoric in May and the subsequent signing of Henning Bager, Graversen had to be released to keep the Bears within the points limit. He was replaced in their line-up by Gary Irving.

Such is the nature of speedway, though, that as one door closes another one opens, and the Sallingsund-born rider was signed by Stoke in early June amid a shake-up that also saw fellow countryman Claus Vissing link with the Potteries outfit. The duo replaced broken ankle-victim Adam Roynon and the absent Klaus Jakobsen. But, Graversen was on the move again in August, when Stoke released him after swooping to sign Ben Wilson. However, the Dane immediately relocated to Scunthorpe, replacing Steve Worrall and Gary Irving, who had previously shared a reserve berth.

GREGORIČ, Maks
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 August 1985, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009-10) Redcar.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Gregorič was drafted into the Redcar team at the end of September 2009, following the back injury sustained by Gary Havelock. The Slovenian has represented his country in the Speedway World Cup since 2006 and also appeared in the Polish Second Division for Kolejarz Rawicz. He was the latest in a line of riders from his country to venture to the UK, following in the tyre-tracks of Matej Ferjan, Matej Žagarr, Jernej Kolenko and Aleksander Čonda.

He made an immediate impact with the Bears, too, netting a classy 8+1 points in his debut against Scunthorpe in the Young Shield quarter-final at the South Tees Motorsports Park on 1 October, before roaring to a 12-point haul in the return leg a day later. Having made such an impressive start to his British career, Gregorič was named as the first rider on the Bears’ 2010 team-sheet in early November.

But his campaign got off to a painful start as he crashed four times during Redcar’s home and away challenge matches versus Workington on 18 and 20 March, respectively. Thankfully, no bones were broken, but the rider was left in considerable pain and also with a paucity of equipment. He quickly got back in the point-scoring groove, though, highlighted by a spirited 8+2 tally in his first-ever trip to Stoke on 27 March, when his efforts helped the Bears to a 54-42 success in the Premier Trophy.

However, his season came to a sudden and painful end in a league match at Workington on 8 May when, in heat ten, he hit the first turn safety fence at high speed and sustained a broken left femur. Gregorič was subsequently replaced in the Redcar line-up by Henning Bager. The Slovenian had made just eight official appearances for the Bears to yield 37 points and a 5.45 average.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 1 – 8th on Slovakia’s list; 132nd on SWC all-time list
Points: 1 – 8th on Slovakia’s list; 146th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

GRIEVES, James Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 September 1974, Paisley, Scotland.
BRITISH CAREER: (1991-95) Glasgow; (1996-97) Wolverhampton; (1998) Wolverhampton, Berwick; (1999) Edinburgh; (2000-02) Glasgow; (2003-04) Glasgow, Wolverhampton; (2005) Newcastle, Wolverhampton; (2006) Newcastle; (2007) Redcar, Wolverhampton; (2008) Redcar; (2009) Glasgow; (2010) Glasgow, Redcar.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1993 [Glasgow], 1994 [Glasgow], 1996 [Wolverhampton]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1993 [Glasgow], 1994 [Glasgow], 1996 [Wolverhampton], 1999 [Edinburgh]; Premiership winner: 1997 [Wolverhampton]; Young Shield winner: 2007 [Redcar].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.34 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Grieves – whose lengthy career in the saddle has been littered with many team trophies – surprisingly didn’t start riding until he was fifteen years-of-age. His first skids occurred under the watchful eye of Olle Nygren at one of the Swede’s renowned training schools at King’s Lynn. Grieves’ father, also named James, was a fan of the Glasgow and he knew Colin Caffrey and Kenny McKinna, both of whom had served the Tigers during their racing careers. As such, the duo built a 125cc machine for the youngster to practice on. He eventually moved up to a full size machine and rode in the second-half of meetings at Glasgow’s then home of Shawfield Stadium.

Grieves went on to make the odd appearances for the Tigers in 1991 and 1992, before stepping into the side on a full-time basis in 1993 – a year when he played a key part in the side’s League Championship and Knock-Out Cup double by carding an average in excess of 6 points per match.

He posted a similar figure the following season, when Glasgow remarkably replicated their double success with a power-packed team that also included the likes of Robert Nagy, Nigel Crabtree, David Walsh and Mick Powell. He remained with the Tigers until a move to Wolverhampton in 1996, when his Midas touch saw another league a cup double come his way.

The Scotsman stayed with Wolves for two full terms, before a team re-shuffle in July 1998 saw him displaced by Jesper B. Jensen (now Monberg). That left Grieves without a track for a month or so, but he was eventually signed by Premier League Berwick in August as a replacement for injured club skipper Scott Lamb. A move to Edinburgh followed in 1999 and he put together a fine campaign to attain a real-time average of 9.16 – a figure that easily nestled him within the top twenty riders at PL level.

After such a good season he was expected to remain with the Monarchs in 2000, but Glasgow made him an offer he couldn’t refuse and he headed back to the west and the Tigers’ new home at Ashfield, which they had moved into the previous year. His first term back with the ‘Stripes’ culminated in his testimonial meeting at the venue on 28 October, when the Grieves Select defeated Wolverhampton 52-38.

The Paisley-born rider enjoyed a further four seasons with Glasgow and also assisted Wolverhampton in the latter two (2003 and 2004) in the No. 8 berth. Regrettably, his ‘04 campaign ended prematurely when he sustained back injuries in a crash during his first outing at Newcastle’s Brough Park on 30 August.

After deciding not to continue with the Tigers, a change of scenery ironically took him to Newcastle in 2005, and he again represented top-flight Wolverhampton, as and when required. Grieves resisted approaches from several clubs to spend a second year with the Diamonds, however, he then moved on to their arch rivals, Redcar, in 2007 – a season when once more he was a valuable squad member with the Wolves.

The Scot spent another term on Cleveland in 2008, but the year was mired in financial uncertainty and, coupled with family life in Paisley, this probably played a major part in his decision to once again return to Glasgow for his nineteenth season in the sport. A superb victory in the prestigious Ashfield Classic on 28 September also played a part in making his mind up, the circuit being his favourite racing strip in the UK.

Grieves is a tenacious performer on most tracks, however, one which he has been known not to have a penchant for is Sheffield, although on more than one occasion he has shown that he can mix it with the best of them at the Owlerton bowl; he notched 13 points for Redcar there in a league fixture on 17 May 2007, before tallying 10 for the Bears in the corresponding match on 10 July 2008 and, on 30 April 2009, he scored 11+2 points as Glasgow posted a shock 48-47 success in a Premier Trophy encounter.

When not riding or preparing his machinery, Grieves is a bus mechanic for Glasgow co-promoter Stewart Dickson’s company. The Scotsman didn’t ride again after 20 September 2009, but signed-off with a 15-point maximum in a home league match versus Birmingham. Had had been feeling the effects of a neck injury sustained at Edinburgh, which he had attempted to ride through. It also transpired that he had had a painful kidney stone to content with.

Although the setbacks curtailed his racing for the year, he was able to continue with his day job. Having finished inside the Premier League’s top ten courtesy of a real-time average of a shade under 9 points per match, Grieves put pen to paper as the first name on Glasgow’s team-sheet for the 2010 campaign in late October.

Having again featured amongst the big hitters in British speedway’s second tier, the Scot’s season was derailed on 6 June, when the Tigers entertained Scunthorpe in a league encounter. The initial running of heat nine saw Grieves and the Scorpions’ Simon Lambert come down on the first turn and he was informed by the track doctor that he had sustained a broken foot.

The club’s management wasted little time in making the big signing of Joe Screen to replace him. In the meantime, the injury turned out not to be as bad as first thought and the Scotsman quickly recuperated from his knock and, just ten days afterwards, Redcar confirmed his acquisition – for a second spell – as a replacement for Henning Bager.

Regrettably, Grieves sustained two broken fingers in a crash during a league match at Edinburgh in his Bears’ debut on 18 June and that was to be the start of what seemed like a stream of knocks, as well as endless mechanical problems. He was to miss three weeks of action after sustaining rib injuries in a heat twelve accident during Redcar’s league visit to Scunthorpe on 20 August.

Then, in his comeback meeting at home to Berwick in the Tweed-Tees Trophy on 9 September, he tangled with Bandits’ Grzegorz Stróżyk on the first bend of heat five and had to be helped from the track, having received a badly sprained and bruised wrist. On the plus side, the Scot’s 20-year testimonial took place at Ashfield Stadium on 24 October when, having recuperated, he was able to participate himself. The meeting saw Wolverhampton win a four-team tournament with 33 points, ahead of Glasgow (31), Edinburgh (20) and Redcar (12).

GUSTAFSSON, Simon Anders
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 May 1990, Kumla, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007-10) Eastbourne.
MAJOR HONOUR: European Under-19 Team Champion: 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Eastbourne]; Elite Shield winner: 2009 [Eastbourne].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Henrik Gustafsson (born: 14 August 1970, Kumla, Sweden).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.18 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Gustafsson was involved in a collision with Chris Holder whilst riding for his Swedish club, Indianerna, on 5 May 2009; the incident left him with a broken collarbone. However, the son of a famous father regained fitness to net 191 points from twenty-four official matches with Eastbourne, yielding a real-time average of 6.86; his efforts also winning him the club's Rider of the Year award by a clear margin. In December, the Sussex club confirmed that he would begin the 2010 term with them at No. 2 in their averages, behind Slovenian ace Matej Zagar. Having initially linked with the Eagles in September 2007, the new campaign will represent his fourth season with the club and the third full term in their distinctive colours.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Gustafsson has signed on as a reserve for one Grand Prix, at MÃ¥lilla, Sweden, for the 2009 FIM Scandinavian Speedway GP, but did not get a ride and is still waiting to make his SGP debut. He has been named as the first reserve for the 2010 FIM Swedish Speedway Grand Prix and, if he makes his debut, he will become the first son of a former GP rider (his father Henka Gustafsson rode in 40 Grand Prix between 1995 and 2001) to ride in a Speedway Grand Prix.