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; (2010) King's Lynn, Wolverhampton, Redcar.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Under-15 Champion: 2006; British Under-21 Champion: 2010.
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].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.62 (PL), 3.31 (EL).
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 speedster sustained a broken hand in the World Under-21 Championship qualifying round at his home track, Hoddesdon, on 17 May. 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. The ambitious youngster went on to post a real-time average in excess of 7 points per match for the Rockets but, in November, it was revealed that he had opted to join King's Lynn for the 2010 campaign. Later in the same month, Wolverhampton indicated that they would again utilize Haines' services, this time in a ‘doubling-up' capacity.

During the British close season, Haines enjoyed a racing trip Down Under, his exploits including a third place finish in the Queensland State Championship at North Brisbane on 12 December. And, having made a bright start to the season, the pinnacle of his career occurred at on Lakeside on 16 April, when he conjured a brilliant victory in the British Under-21 Championship, beating Tai Woffinden, Lewis Bridger and Kyle Hughes in the final.

Regrettably, just three days after his individual success, Haines crashed during heat twelve of Wolverhampton's Elite League fixture against Eastbourne at Monmore Green, suffering a fracture to his shoulder and collarbone problems. And, on 12 May, his return to the saddle in the British semi-final at King's Lynn was curtailed when he pulled out of the event with just 2 points to his name. But, three days later, he brilliantly notched-up an 11-point tally to finish fourth and qualify from a World Under-21 Championship qualifying round at Gdańsk, Poland.

Haines was in the wars again on 23 May when, in heat three of King's Lynn's Knock-Out Cup tie at Glasgow, he sustained a knee injury after clashing with home rider Josh Grajczonek. Then, in July, there appeared to be a major question mark over the future of the reigning British Under-21 Champion, who was set for talks with parent club Wolverhampton after considering quitting the sport due to not enjoying his racing. Happily, he decided to carry on racing after meeting with Chris Van Straaten. Nonetheless, he was subsequently released by King's Lynn early in August, when Adam Roynon was drafted in as a replacement. Almost immediately, however, Haines was snapped-up by Redcar to replace the out-of-form Ben Wilson.

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; (2009-10) Sheffield.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2006 [Peterborough]; Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.37 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hall worked his way through the British League system – with his trademark never-say-die, fence-scraping blasts around the boards – 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 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 was to remain 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 during 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. Despite spending the rest of the campaign on the sidelines, he had done sufficiently well to warrant a recall in 2010, with Sheffield announcing that they had concluded a deal for his services in mid-November.

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; (2010) Bournemouth, Weymouth.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.15 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Halsey has his roots firmly in sport, as his father, John, was a three-time British Grass-track Sidecar Champion, taking the title in 1994, 1997 and 2000. His dad also completed a hat-trick of British Speedway Sidecar Championship successes, being victorious in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Meanwhile, the youngster himself represented his county at athletics, rugby and football. He was also a member of football academies at League clubs Peterborough, Wycombe Wanderers, Northampton Town and Luton Town.

After taking his initial speedway skids early in 2002 at Burton-on-Trent training track, he went on to have second-half outings at Eastbourne in 2004, as well as furthering his experience in Southern Track Riders’ meetings. His official debut came with Rye House Raiders at Conference level the following year and he was to establish himself in the side thereafter, particularly enjoying the 2007 campaign, when he notched 199 points from twenty-one meetings for a 7.90 average. He was to represent both Rye House sides in 2008, as he got his first taste of Premier League action but despite posting an average of a shade under 4 points per match, he didn’t feature in the team plans for the following year and only represented the Hertfordshire club at the re-branded National League level.        

However, he joined Birmingham on loan in April 2009, following the Brummies’ decision to release Marek Mroz. In mid-May, though, a further team re-shuffle saw Halsey replaced in the Birmingham line-up by Manuel Hauzinger. He did continue to skipper Rye House’s National League outfit, attaining a real-time average of 7.5 points per match. During the early part of the close season, it was revealed that Halsey would be linking with Bournemouth in place of Kyle Newman for the 2010 campaign; this followed his request for a change of track in order to kick-start his career.

Despite maintaining an average of over 6 points per match with the Buccaneers, he was released amidst sweeping changes in August. Both Karl Mason and John Resch were also relieved of their duties, whilst replacing the trio were Jerran Hart, James Sarjeant and Danny Stoneman. He wasn’t out of action for long, though, being snapped-up by Weymouth as a replacement for Adam McKinna who, at the time, had returned to the Premier League with Newcastle, but would also resume in the Wildcats’ ranks shortly afterwards.

Halsey’s season came to an abrupt end on 17 September – coincidentally on the day when promoter Phil Bartlett had put Weymouth Speedway up for sale – when the Wildcats entertained the Isle of Wight in a National Trophy fixture. He fell on the first bend of heat fifteen and clattered into the Wessex Stadium safety fence, fracturing the L1 vertebrae in his spine. After a lengthy delay, he was taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester by the track ambulance, resulting in the meeting being abandoned. He was subsequently replaced in the Wildcats’ line-up by Brendan Johnson.

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; (2004-10) Coventry.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Champion: 2007, 2009, 2010.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1998 [St Austell], 2000 [Exeter], 2005 [Coventry], 2007 [Coventry], 2010 [Coventry]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1998 [St Austell], 2006 [Coventry], 2007 [Coventry]; Premier Trophy winner: 2002 [Trelawny]; Elite Shield winner: 2006 [Coventry]; Craven Shield winner: 2007, 2008 [both Coventry]; Pairs Championship winner: 2008, 2010 [both Coventry].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHT: British GP Champion: 2007.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.32 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Harris started riding in the Auto Cadets at local grass-track meetings at just 6 years-of-age in 1989 and went on to become Intermediate Cornish Youth Grass-track Champion seven years later. He first came to the attention of speedway supporters at Exeter’s County Ground on 26 May 1997. He was aged just 14 at the time and took a demonstration ride prior to an Amateur League fixture between the Western Warriors and St Austell. In 1998, he appeared for the Gulls in a Press Day challenge match versus Exeter Devon Rangers on 19 April, scoring 5+1 points.

He went on to be a regular for St Austell and helped them to a double triumph, winning the Conference League Championship and Knock-Out Cup. He was also the youngest-ever rider to be selected for the England Under-19 squad. Towards the end of the year, his father, Cedric, asked if he could join the Falcons and then-promoter Colin Hill jumped at the chance. He was to sign for Exeter on his sixteenth birthday. His dad was naturally delighted and was soon building-up a couple of bikes in readiness for the following season. Regrettably, though, he would not see his son race in a Falcons’ race-jacket as he passed away before the 1999 campaign.

Further success came for Harris in 2000, when Exeter narrowly edged out Swindon to win the Premier League title by virtue of a superior race-points difference. A move back to the Clay Country Moto Parc followed in 2001 as St Austell Gulls morphed into Trelawny Tigers and came to the tapes in British speedway’s middle tier. A year later, his efforts helped the side to an amazing Premier Trophy victory, courtesy of a hard-fought aggregate success over Sheffield.

The Truro-born racer continued to ply his trade with Trelawny in 2002 and 2003, whilst also gaining valuable Elite League experience in a ‘doubling-up’ role with Peterborough. The latter of these two years saw him make his Grand Prix debut in the British round at Cardiff, where he replaced broken-hand victim Hans Andersen. And his career really began to flourish with a second-place finish, behind Jaroslaw Hampel, in the World Under-21 Championship and victory in the British Under-21 Grass-track Championship.

He moved into the Elite League on a full-time basis in 2004, when Coventry won the race for his coveted signature ahead of a plethora of other clubs. And, more league title glory came his way in 2005, when the Bees defeated Belle Vue in the Play-Off final. There was more silverware to cherish in 2006, as the Elite Shield and Knock-Out Cup made their way to Coventry’s trophy cabinet. On the world stage, although he had ridden as a reserve in the 2003 British Grand Prix at Cardiff, he wasn’t a full-time participant in the series until 2007.

However, any fans who attended that year’s British GP at the Millennium Stadium will never forget the remarkable riding of the young Cornishman on 30 June. Some 4,500 rooms in hotels and guest-houses from Bridgend to the Valleys were booked up weeks in advance of the event. Those who couldn’t get to Cardiff were glued to their television sets at home or in public houses that were screening the action.

Over 40,000 spectators in the fabulous arena witnessed Harris deny the former World Champion, Greg Hancock, victory in an absorbing final. Not many would have bet that he would even make the final, but he booked his place with 12 points from the heats and a second-place finish in his semi-final. The Cornish St Piran flags were in abundance and there was euphoria as Bomber cleverly sold Hancock the most sublime of dummies exiting the fourth bend of the final lap, allowing him to nip inside the American to take victory and send the fans into pandemonium, as Jason Crump and Leigh Adams had to be satisfied with third and fourth position, respectively.

Team-wise, he played an integral part in Coventry’s honours-fest that culminated in the Brandon-based side completing a glorious treble, winning the League Championship, Knock-Out Cup and Craven Shield. His on-tack exploits brought off-track accolades, as he was voted BBC South-West Sports Personality of the Year, piping England rugby captain Phil Vickery MBE.

Harris also came out on top in the BBC Midlands Sports Personality of the Year award. Over the winter months Scott Nicholls, who had captained the Bees in 2007, agreed a move to the South Coast with Eastbourne. This paved the way for the Coventry management to offer the captaincy to Harris, who happily accepted the challenge.

Aside from the serious business of Elite League racing and his overseas commitments in 2008, he found time to do some charity work by turning out to run a mile for Sport Relief on 23 April, at St Leonards First School in Dunstan. A little over a month later, he also agreed to pedal the last stretch of the way of a charity cycle ride, which had seen Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher and former moto-cross champion Jamie Dobb ride 1,000 miles from Barcelona to Donington Park.

On 28 June, Harris returned to Cardiff for the British GP, but there were to be none of the previous year’s heroics. Indeed, it was a tough meeting for him, which featured a nasty crash when he was brought down by Niels-Kristian Iversen in heat twenty. When he eventually got to his feet little did the crowd know that Bomber had sustained a broken nose, a damaged knee and a suspected broken shoulder. He bravely finished second in the re-run, before being eliminated with a third-place in the semi-final. Despite his battering, he was only out of action for a few days.

More glory came his way at Swindon on 17 August, when he was partnered to victory in Elite League Pairs Championship by Hans Andersen, the Coventry duo happy to settle for the higher-scoring middle-order positions behind home rider Mads Korneliussen, whilst keeping Robins’ skipper Leigh Adams in last position. And, late in the season, he helped the Bees retain the Craven Shield courtesy of an aggregate success over Lakeside.

In 2009, Harris conjured more of the trademark battling qualities that have been a feature of his career, as he notched 401 points from thirty-nine official appearances to head the Coventry averages on a real-time 8.74 figure. In November, he was handed a permanent wildcard for the 2010 GP series and, towards the end of the month, it was confirmed that he would once again lead the Bees’ assault for a seventh successive term.

Individually, he finished second to then team-mate Scott Nicholls in the 2005 British Championship, before reaching the top step of the podium in 2007 at Wolverhampton and, of course, he replicated that success in at Poole on 20 May 2009. Then, again at Wolverhampton on 14 June 2010, he completed a hat-trick of British titles. Harris had to pick himself up from two nasty crashes to become a three-time Champion, though, before getting the better of his arch-rival, Nicholls, in the final.

Harris suffered a series of falls at the tail-end of June, both when racing for Coventry and also in Poland and Sweden, and he twice came to grief in the Bees’ league match at Poole on 30 June. He was to carry a knee injury for several weeks, before suffering further damage whilst racing in Sweden on 10 August. This meant a short spell out of action, but he was fighting fit on the occasion of the Elite League Pairs Championship at Ipswich on 4 September, when he partnered Krzysztof Kasprzak to his and Coventry’s second success in three years in the event.

The Cornishman was instrumental in a remarkable Coventry revival that saw the Warwickshire side recover from losing their first seven league matches of the campaign to launch a stunning late-season revival that saw them grab the last spot in the Play-Offs. They then defeated Peterborough at the semi-final stage, before facing runaway table-toppers Poole to decide the title.

After winning 51-39 in the first leg at Brandon on 27 September, the Bees journeyed to Wimborne Road for the return fixture seven days later. And they completed an astonishing transformation from relegation candidates to Championship material on a stunning night when they overturned the overwhelming favourites – not only by defending their 12-point first leg lead, but also by winning the away leg, 50-40, as well.

To put that into context, the Pirates’ worst result on their home patch all season was a 10-point win, and they had frequently topped the 60-point margin – but Coventry were the form team leading into the Play-Offs, and they swept to glory in front of a huge travelling support. Skipper Harris put in an immense display after looking to be seriously injured in a first-bend pile-up in heat six. He could easily have been ruled out of the meeting, but instead was unbeaten from his remaining five rides – totalling 13+2 points – and made fantastic last-ditch overtakes of both Chris Holder and Bjarne Pedersen.

Then, on 9 October, Harris secured the highest overall World Championship finish by a British rider since the turn of the century. This came courtesy of a second-place in the Polish Grand Prix at Bydgoszcz – his third runner-up position in the space of four events – to end the season in sixth place overall. Meanwhile, for Great Britain, he has been placed in four Speedway World Cup finals, as follows: (2005) fourth; (2006) third; (2007) fourth; (2010) fourth.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 44 – 20th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 319 – 21st on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 237 – 17th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 34 – 23rd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 1 – 20th on SGP all-time list      
Grand Prix finals: 6 – 18th on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 6
Events: 13 – 3rd on Great Britain’s list; 19th on SWC all-time list
Points: 116.5 – 3rd on Great Britain’s list; 19th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 4
Gold medals: 0

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; (2010) Workington.
MAJOR HONOURS: Australian Under-16 Champion: 1995, 1997; Australian Under-21 Champion: 2001; South Australia State Champion: 2003.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2001, 2004, 2006 [all Workington]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005 [Belle Vue]; Young Shield winner: 2010 [Workington].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.45 (PL).
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. However, he was subsequently forced to retire after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in September that year, but – 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 stint in 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 since, at the end of the same month, he was snapped-up by Birmingham to replace the released Robert Ksiezak. Again, he appeared lost to the sport in 2010, but was was signed by his former club, Workington, initially on a short-term deal in April after Adam Roynon was ruled out of action with a doctor’s certificate declaring he would be unavailable until further notice.

Harrison’s form was so good that his return to the Comets was to last for the remainder of the season. Having overcome a viral infection in August, he went on to top the club’s averages on a figure of over 7.5 points per match and played in big part in Workington winning the Young Shield for a third successive season. Indeed, in the final, they had to pull back 20 points against Rye House at Derwent Park in the second leg on 30 October, but won emphatically on the night, 66-28; the Aussie leading the way with a paid maximum tally of 16+2 points.

HART, Jerran
DATE OF BIRTH: 19 January 1991, Ipswich, Suffolk.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Sittingbourne; (2008) Newport, Sittingbourne, Newcastle; (2009) Scunthorpe, Bournemouth, Ipswich; (2010) Scunthorpe, Mildenhall, Bournemouth.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-18 Champion: 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Bournemouth]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Bournemouth].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.99 (PL), 8.91 (NL).
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 (NL) in 2009, whilst also filling the No. 8 role with his hometown team, Ipswich, in the Elite League. 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 NL 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. In November, it was announced that Hart would again feature in the Scunthorpe line-up in 2010 and, shortly afterwards, he also agreed a deal to represent Mildenhall in the National League. Then, in January, Lakeside revealed that he would fill the No. 8 berth in their squad for the new campaign.

Hart continued to move in the right direction, culminating in a career-high Premier League score of 14+3 points – and a pivotal role – in the Scorpions’ away win at Glasgow on 6 June. Early the following month, he was relieved of his duties at Lakeside, having not been called into action on a single occasion for the top-flight side. His place with the Hammers was filled by Chris Neath. And, following the early closure of Mildenhall due to off-track problems, Hart returned to Bournemouth in August. His return to the Buccaneers came amidst sweeping changes that also saw the arrivals of James Sarjeant and Danny Stoneman, whilst Karl Mason, Daniel Halsey and John Resch were all released.

Regrettably, his season was over shortly afterwards, though. This followed an accident whilst representing Scunthorpe in a Premier League encounter at Redcar on 19 August. With a break near his left wrist and concern that his right leg might also have suffered a break, he underwent X-rays at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. This confirmed that, aside from the wrist injury, he had also sustained a broken ankle and a sliced heel bone.

The injuries occurred in heat nine of the clash when Bears’ Charles Wright picked up some unexpected grip and careered into the side of Hart, who was sent flying over the fourth turn safety fence and into the pits. The personal damage also cost the Ipswich-born rider his place in the Bournemouth side and he was replaced in the Buccaneers’ line-up by the returning Jay Herne in September. Meanwhile, Scunthorpe had agreed a deal to sign Teemu Lahti as Hart’s replacement in September, but the move for the 2006 Finnish Under-21 Champion didn’t materialize because the rider suffered a broken.

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; (2010) Redcar, Poole.
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).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.44 (PL), 3.72 (EL).
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 SCB 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 that 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 that 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, that 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. In November, Redcar revealed that the veteran English racer would again line-up for them in 2010 and, later in the month, Elite League Poole announced that he would slot into their squad in the No. 8 position.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 7 – 63rd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 72 – 51st on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 42 – 58th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 10 – 48th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 4
Events: 8 – 5th on Great Britain’s list; 37th on SWC all-time list
Points: 70 – 5th on Great Britain’s list; 32nd on SWC all-time list
Finals: 2
Gold medals: 0

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; (2010) Somerset, Ipswich.
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).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.52 (PL), 3.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hawkins began his racing career on the moto-cross circuits as a 13-year-old, but he didn't move on to the shale sport until first appearing at the Sheffield training track in 2000. He subsequently made his Conference League debut for Sheffield Prowlers in a home match against St Austell on 8 October that season. Having enjoyed a first full campaign with Swindon, he went on to represent 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. 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.

That 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.

After spells with Mildenhall and Berwick in 2004, the British rider represented Somerset and Peterborough a year later, before linking with Workington in 2006. And he was proving to be a real favourite with the Comets' supporters until a tangle with Glasgow's Danny Bird at Derwent Park on 15 July left him with a badly bruised brain. It was a serious injury and he spent the remainder of the campaign recovering on the sidelines. 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.

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 in force 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. In November, Somerset revealed that he would be re-joining them for a third spell in 2010. And, towards the end of January, having enthusiastically helped with the re-modelling of the Ipswich track during the close season, he was named as the Witches' No. 8 for the new campaign.

HAZELDEN, Shane Roy
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 October 1993, Hailsham, Wealden, East Sussex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Rye House II.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hazelden initially rode on the Eastbourne junior track, riding a 100cc machine, in February 2005. He moved on to a 200cc steed the following year, before advancing to a 250cc Jawa in 2007. Then, in 2008, he starting using a full-size machine, but had the misfortune to lift on a rut at Sittingbourne, before hitting the safety fence on one wheel. The accident resulted in a dislocated knee and a broken right femur, which required a metal rod to hold it together.

Having recuperated, the injury bug regrettably struck again at Ipswich early in 2009, when he picked up grip and went through the fence, suffering a broken right tibia and fibula. That meant more surgery and the insertion of a metal plate but, having recovered and got back on a bike, he was to go through the rest of the year injury-free.

In January 2010, Rye House announced that they had signed the Lakeside Hammers’ asset to represent their National League side, the Raiders; the youngster having already become familiar to Rye supporters from a number of second-half appearances.

The teenager – previously sixth in the 2007 British Under-15 Championship and winner of the Under-15 250cc race at the Cardiff Grand Prix that same year – made two late season guest appearances at National League level for Newport in 2009, scoring an impressive paid 10 points at King’s Lynn and then delivering an equally excellent paid 8 haul for the Hornets in the return against the Barracudas in Wales.

He subsequently returned to winter practice at Hoddesdon following an October operation to remove metalwork from his previous leg break and was eagerly looking forward to his first full season of league racing. And the term saw him net 101 points from nineteen official meetings to post a 4.74 average. An undoubted highlight saw him represent the Young Lions in an international challenge versus the touring USA side at Lakeside on 15 October, when he tallied 9+1 points from four starts.

HEFENBROCK, Christian
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 May 1985, Liebenthal, Germany.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Wolverhampton; (2007) Lakeside, Peterborough; (2008) Wolverhampton; (2010) Coventry, Somerset.
MAJOR HONOURS: German Under-21 Champion: 2001, 2005; German Champion: 2006
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.00 (EL), 8.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hefenbrock had earned a growing reputation in his homeland after taking victory in the German Under-21 Championship in 2001. He was to replicate that success in 2005 and almost made it a glorious double, when he filled the runner-up position behind Mathias Schultz in the senior National Championship at Brokstedt on 2 October. He was invited to participate in the prestigious Bank’s Olympique at Wolverhampton eight days later and an impressive showing saw him notch 7 points amidst a high-quality field.

It was little surprise that he was subsequently snapped-up by the Monmore club in 2006 and he was to make a number of telling contributions for the side. When the figures were totted up at the end of the season, he had posted a very respectable first term average of 5.08, courtesy of 168 points from thirty-five league appearances. The year also saw him become German Champion at Herxheim on 24 September, when he top-scored with a 15-point maximum, before defeating Tobias Kroner, Tommy Stange and Martin Smolinski in the final.

Hefenbrock began the 2007 campaign in the colours of Lakeside, but was to finish the season with Peterborough after being released by the Hammers in June, when he was replaced by Luboš Tomíček in a team re-shuffle. The Panthers introduced the German to their side as a replacement for Richard Hall, the move becoming effective on 24 August. However, his stint with the club was to be interrupted by a rib injury, which he suffered in a bizarre accident whilst racing in his homeland. This happened in an open meeting in Leipzig when, during the celebration of a race victory, he became entangled with the starting tapes.

Immediately prior to that, he had been unfortunate enough to have his van broken into during the Peterborough’s Elite League meeting at Ipswich on 13 September, when thieves stole valuable items, including his racing licence, passport, credit cards and a mobile phone. Hefenbrock later appeared as a wildcard in historic 100th Grand Prix at the Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen on 13 October, winning the opening heat to establish the first track record at the venue. He went on to total 4 points in a meeting that was eventually won by Andreas Jonsson.  

Identified in Wolverhampton’s distinctive colours in 2008, the Liebenthal-born rider was involved in a crash in a Bundesliga meeting at Olching on 20 July. The following day, he made his way to Monmore Green for an Elite League encounter with Eastbourne but, having suffered dizzy spells on the way to the track, he was ruled out before the start by the track doctor.

He was subsequently advised to see a neurologist and, in early August, was replaced in the club’s declared line-up by the returning Jesper B. Monberg, who formerly raced under the surname of Jensen. Having missed the UK season in 2009, Hefenbrock was the subject of much speculation regarding a return to these shores and, right at the end of December, Coventry announced that they had secured the rider’s services on loan from his parent club, Wolverhampton, for 2010.

Unfortunately, the Bees’ winter signing was injured within yards of the start of his very-first Elite League race for the club at Peterborough on Good Friday morning, 2 April. The unlucky German rider was involved in a nasty-looking first bend accident in heat one of the clash. Coventry captain Chris Harris had led convincingly going into the turn, but the other three riders were all close and Hefenbrock was sent slamming into the air safety barrier, with his machine clearing the fence.

A lengthy delay ensued whilst he was attended to, and although initial concerns were over possible breaks to his ankle and pelvis, word eventually came back from hospital later that the damage was to his ankle ligaments and also concussion. On 20 April, he was replaced in the Bees’ declared line-up by Polish hotshot Przemysław Pawlicki.

Almost two months passed before the German returned to the British racing scene when, on 18 June, Premier League Somerset unveiled him as a new signing to replace the departed Luboš Tomíček. He marked his debut with 8+2 points that night in a league match versus Berwick at the Oak Tree Arena.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 1 – 118th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 4 – 106th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 5 – 104th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 1 – 83rd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 2
Events: 2 – 1st on Germany’s list; 106th on SWC all-time list
Points: 2 – 8th on Germany’s list; 139th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

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; (2010) Somerset, Bournemouth.
CLUB 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 (born: 27 March 1980, Ipswich, Suffolk).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.81 (PL), 10.16 (NL).

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, the Rebels’ management 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 Somerset’s 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.

During the match against the Hitmen, 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. In November, Bournemouth announced that Herne would remain on board with them in 2010 and, shortly afterwards, it was revealed that he would also be rejoining Premier League Somerset.

Regrettably, though, on 6 February, the Sydney flyer sustained severe damage to his right knee in a full-throttle crash – whilst riding his brother’s machine – in the Australian Long-track Championship at Tamworth Showground. The accident left him with a significant hole in the bone and he subsequently underwent three procedures in hospital, which culminated in a skin graft using a mass of tissue taken from his thigh. Fortunately, there was nothing broken and the rider remained hopeful of lining-up at the start of the British season.

And, in fact he did, as he took his place in a practice session at Sittingbourne and then came through the Rebels’ Press Day on 17 March with no ill effects of the injury. But, the season had only just got underway, before he was in the wars again in a Severn Bridge Trophy encounter at Newport on 28 March. Unfortunately, he faced a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a back injury as a result of a fall in heat fourteen of Somerset’s match in the Principality. After initial X-rays at the Royal Gwent Hospital, it was found that Herne had sustained a wedge-fracture in his vertebrae, whilst his foot was also fractured.

He was subsequently transferred to Poole Hospital for two weeks’ bed rest, before being fitted with a back brace, which he would need to wear for two months. Herne was replaced in the Rebels’ line-up early in April by American veteran, Brent Werner. Shortly after, the unlucky Aussie’s place in the Bournemouth side was filled by Chris Mills. At the time, he had appeared in just one official fixture for Somerset in the Premier Trophy at Rye House on 27 March.

Remarkably, though, he made a superb comeback at Weymouth on 10 September, when romping to a 12-point maximum for Bristol in a challenge match against the home side. In so doing, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Phil, who had represented the Bulldogs with distinction in 1977, when they raced out of Eastville Stadium.

Naturally, that prompted interest from elsewhere and – ironically – it looked like he was headed for Rye House as a replacement for Robbie Kessler. However, this was turned down on the grounds of insufficient lead time between the point of submission and the deadline date for final team changes in the 2010 season. The BSPA did, however, grant the Rockets use of the rider-replacement facility for the retired Kessler, whilst Herne instead rejoined National League Bournemouth as a replacement for the injured Jerran Hart.

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; (2009-10) Isle of Wight.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.84 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: After three years out of the sport, 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.

Having regained fitness, the Sheffield-born rider was subsequently promoted to a slot in the side’s declared 1-7 in July, when he replaced Andy Braithwaite. He went on to attain a real-time average of a shade under 4 points per match and his battling qualities made him a firm favourite with the Islanders’ supporters. Late in December, the club announced that he would be remaining on board for the 2010 campaign.  

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; (2010) Isle of Wight.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
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. He returned to the squad in May 2009 - replacing the injured Jason Garrity - however, 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 capacity in place of the previously mentioned Garrity. He was to make twenty seasonal appearances, scoring 53 points for a real-time 3.64 average.

The Bradford-born rider was left without a team place for the 2010 campaign until being drafted into the Isle of Wight's squad at the tail-end of May, when he replaced the injured Dan Blake on a short-term deal. Late in June, he was replaced in the main body of the team by Ricly Scarboro; however, he did retain a place in the Islanders' squad, as he shuffled into the No. 8 slot in place of Rikki Mullins.

HOLDER, Christopher (Chris) Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 September 1987, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006-07) Isle of Wight; (2008-10) 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, 2010; 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]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2010 [Poole].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHT: British GP Champion: 2010.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of James Holder (born: 7 May 1986, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.76 (EL).
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 finished second – behind Russian sensation Emil Sayfutdinov – in the World Under-21 Championship for two successive seasons (in 2007 and 2008) and was widely tipped for a very bright future at the sharp end of the sport. 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 and, in November, Poole boss Matt Ford confirmed that the Aussie would indeed return for his third successive term.

Then, in the New Year, the New South Wales star won his second Australian Championship after a dramatic series decider at Newcastle on 9 January. The Poole ace started the third and final round 4 points adrift of Troy Batchelor, who had won the previous two events at Gillman and Mildura. However, the Peterborough acquisition failed to reach the final, allowing Holder to overturn the deficit and take the Championship by a single point overall, with Darcy Ward and Rory Schlein completing the top four.

A broken arm was feared when Holder fell in heat fourteen of the Toruń Grand Prix in Poland on 19 June and was subsequently clipped by the closely following Greg Hancock. However, he was fortunate to escape without any broken bones, although he did suffer some muscle damage that necessitated a short spell on the sidelines.

Having recovered quickly, he went on to celebrate his maiden Grand Prix victory in front of a record-breaking 44,150 crowd at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on 10 July. The Aussie ended the recent British GP dominance of compatriot Jason Crump, with the reigning World Champion having to settle for second place after winning in South Wales for the previous two years.

Holder was to post a real-time average in excess of 8.5 points per match as the Pirates completely dominated the domestic programme to comfortably head the Elite League table, but they missed out on the Championship after losing to Coventry in the Play-Off final. They did at least gain some consolation at Wimborne Road on 27 October, though, when they clinched an aggregate victory over Eastbourne to lift the Knock-Out Cup.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 11 – 55th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 96 – 45th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 60 – 50th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 12 – 45th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 1 – 21st on SGP all-time list      
Grand Prix finals: 1 – 40th on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 4
Events: 10 – 4th on Australia’s list; 28th on SWC all-time list
Points: 82 – 5th on Australia’s list; 30th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 3
Gold medals: 0

HOLDER, James Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 May 1986, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Isle of Wight; (2009) Newport; (2010) Stoke, Somerset.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Chris Holder (born: 24 September 1987, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.43 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The elder of the Holder brothers linked with Newport in 2009 and was also named as Eastbourne's No. 8 rider but, prior to making any appearances for the Eagles, he was replaced in the role by Chris Schramm in May. Holder's battling qualities made him extremely popular on the terraces at Queensway Meadows and he was the only Wasp to remain ever-present in what was an otherwise difficult season for the Welsh club, which had re-opened under new management.

In November, Stoke announced that they had acquired the Aussie's services for 2010. However, he was released by the Staffordshire club early in May and replaced by Lee Smart, as promoter Dave Tattum sought improvements to his side. He wasn't without a club for long, though, as shortly afterwards his services were acquired by Somerset, initially as a 28-day injury replacement for Tommy Allen. However, he was to sustain a dislocated collarbone in only his third meeting for the Rebels, when they appeared at Redcar in a league encounter on 20 May. This occurred in heat two, when his rear wheel was clipped by home rider Gary Irving, with both men being catapulted over the high side and the Somerset signing coming off worst in the ensuing mêlée.

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; (2009-10) Isle of Wight.
CLUB HONOUR: Conference Trophy winner: 2008.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.02 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: A British Under-15 silver medalist in 2006 - achieving that finish despite riding with a dislocated ankle - Hopwood linked with the Isle of Wight in 2009 and, despite the long journey from Manchester for every home meeting, thoroughly enjoyed himself to post a real-time average of over 7 points per match. His whole-hearted efforts made him popular with the Islanders' supporters and he was keen to return in 2010, with his wish subsequently granted in December after he had travelled down to attend the club's Christmas dinner at the Wave 105 FM Stadium.

He again proved a solid competitor, maintaining an average in excess of 6 points per match; however, he was injured in a league fixture at Scunthorpe on 6 August. Regrettably, he went through the air safety barrier and struck a steel stock car post back first. He was subsequently taken to hospital in Manchester where he underwent tests to determine the prognosis on his back injuries. With a lengthy recuperation probable, he was replaced in the Islanders' line-up by Paul Starke.

HOUGAARD, Patrick Hald
DATE OF BIRTH: 23 May 1989, Fredericia, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Reading; (2008-10) Belle Vue.
MAJOR HONOURS: Danish Under-21 Champion: 2007, 2009; World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2010.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.66 (EL).
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. At 6’ 2” in height, he rides with a unique style that is certainly spectacular to watch.

Having again linked with the Aces for 2009, he underlined his immense talent when he won the Danish Under-21 title after dominating the final at the Glumso Speedway Centre on 16 August. In December – having made a very good impression during his short time in British speedway – the Belle Vue management confirmed that Hougaard would again line-up for them in 2010. And, as well as maintaining a solid average in excess of 6.5 points per match for the Aces, he was a member of the Danish side that finally broke Poland’s dominance of the World Under-21 Team Cup, when they triumphed in the final at Rye House on 5 September.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Hougaard signed on as a reserve for the last three FIM Danish Speedway Grand Prix at Parken in Copenhagen. He was No. 18 in 2008, No. 17 in 2009 and No. 18 again in 2010. He also signed on as a reserve at the 2010 FIM Nordic Speedway Grand Prix at Vojens, but has not had a ride at any of the four Grand Prix’ and is still waiting to make his SGP debut.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 1 – 12th on Denmark’s list; 134th on SWC all-time list
Points: 6 – 12th on Denmark’s list;       111th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

HOWARTH, Kyle
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 February 1994, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Scunthorpe II; (2010) Bournemouth, Somerset.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.72 (NL), 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Howarth is a former youth grass-track and moto-cross rider who, it was 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 2009, 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 went on to take 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. During the season, he completed nineteen official matches for the Saints, recording 74 points for a real-time average of 4.62. In February 2010, Bournemouth revealed that Howarth had joined them on a full contact ahead of his second season of league racing.

The year saw him make further strides and he greatly impressed when notching 9+1 points as a guest for Somerset in a Premier League match at Berwick on 29 May. He was to represent the Rebels in a similar capacity on a number of occasions, before finishing third in the British Under-18 Championship at the club's Oak Tree Arena raceway on 30 July. Having greatly impressed the Somerset management, the club subsequently announced his signing on loan from Poole on 4 August, when he took the place of Australian Jake Anderson in their line-up.

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; (2009-10) 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.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.40 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Howe first rode a speedway machine at Milton Keynes’ Elfield Park raceway in 1991, when just nine years of age. Then, in 1997, he made his British Amateur League debut with Peterborough. It was to be a dream first year for the then fifteen-year-old, too, as he brilliantly headed the side’s averages and, along with the likes of Simon Stead, Olly Allen, Paul Clews and Ross Brady, helped the then-nicknamed Thundercats to hoist aloft the league title. Howe’s efforts earned him a crack at the Amateur League Riders’ Championship, staged at Long Eaton on 7 September. Luck wasn’t on his side in his first outing, though, since he suffered a puncture while leading on the last lap. However, showing wonderful mental courage for one so young, he then reeled off four straight wins to finish on 12 points and occupy third place overall.

He moved into Peterborough’s Premier League side in 1998 and also made a single appearance for Norfolk in the re-named Conference League. He rode in seventeen league fixtures for the Panthers, netting 136 points and a superb 7.70 average. And, once again, he had cause for celebration, as Peterborough landed the league title. Howe was to remain with Peterborough for three more seasons, starting with the 1999 campaign when the East of England Showground outfit returned to the Elite League. His golden tough was once more evident, as the Panthers completed a glorious treble, winning the Elite League Championship, the Knock-Out Cup and the Craven Shield.

During his time with the Panthers, he secured a brilliant victory in the final of the British Under-21 Championship at Edinburgh on 7 April 2000 and followed it up by making his British Final debut at Coventry the following month. He again helped the Panthers to Knock-Out Cup success in 2001, before a change of scenery the following year saw him link with Wolverhampton. Howe brought his golden touch with him, too, as the Monmore men eventually claimed the League Championship after defeating Eastbourne 93-87 on aggregate in the Play-Off final.

Having enjoyed a solid first term in the Wolves’ colours, his form was to be pretty consistent for the West Midlands outfit over the next three years. Among many high spots, he hit a superb 15-point maximum for the Great Britain Under-21 team against their Swedish counterparts at Monmore Green on 8 July 2003, as his side triumphed 57-33. Then, the following season, he raced to a brilliant victory in the prestigious Ladbroke Olympique on 25 October, scoring 13 points to finish ahead of Peter Karlsson and Scott Nicholls on the rostrum.

Howe spent the 2006 season at Oxford, where he was initially appointed skipper by then-promoter Aaron Lanney. In what was a difficult term for the Cheetahs, he was to be replaced as captain in mid-season by Todd Wiltshire. However, despite the problems that the club was enduring, Howe maintained his form and remained ever-present throughout their forty-two official matches to register 252 points and a 6.27 average. A return to Wolverhampton followed in 2007, when Howe was to enjoy his best-ever term in top-flight speedway, securing 277 points from thirty-eight official matches for a solid 7.81 average.

On the downside he suffered two hefty knocks, breaking his collarbone whilst riding in Italy in July and then having his season prematurely curtailed by a similar injury in the Cumberland Classic at Workington on 29 September. He showcased great form either side of the first injury, not just for his club but also on the individual front. This was highlighted by his performance in the British Final at Monmore Green on 4 June, when he accrued 14 points to jointly top-score with Chris Harris, before the Coventry rider took victory ahead of him in the four-man final. His runner-up finish in the national championship earned him a wildcard place at the showpiece event of the year – the Millennium Stadium-staged British Grand Prix on 30 June. And he was delighted to appear in the event, scoring 4 points on a wonderful night in Cardiff.

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. Despite such far from ideal preparation for the season ahead, he still went on to appear in forty-three official matches for Wolverhampton, which yielded 254 points and a 6.01 real-time average.

He elected to drop into the Premier League with Scunthorpe in 2009 and was to enjoy a fine campaign with the Scorpions. His season ended prematurely, however, when he sustained 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 subsequently 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.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 3 – 82nd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 12 – 82nd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 12 – 83rd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

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; (2010) Rye House, Rye House II.
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].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL), 9.18 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: In a famous sporting link, Hughes’ cousin is the Trowbridge-born and highly-ranked international snooker star, Stephen Lee. The Chippenham-based youngster took his first speedway rides at Reading’s then-training track in 1999, before becoming a regular on the second-half scene at Swindon. Then, during his first two years of official competition, he tasted League Championship success with Mildenhall in 2004 and Oxford Academy in 2005. Further moves took him to Boston and back to Oxford, before he joined Plymouth in 2008 and also enjoyed regular outings with Premier League Sheffield from the middle of the season onwards.

Remaining with the Devils in 2009, he was also drafted into the Newport side as a ‘doubling-up’ rider – along with Kyle Newman – as a replacement for Tony Atkin in June. 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. He was to see the term out with Plymouth and added to their Conference Trophy and Knock-Out Cup successes of the previous year by helping the Devils secure the National Trophy.

Prior to that, he was desperately unlucky in the National League Riders’ Championship at Rye House on 26 September, when he shed a chain on the last bend whilst leading a run-off for the coveted title, thereby handing victory to Buxton’s Craig Cook. In November, it was revealed that he had agreed to link with Premier League Rye House in 2010 and would also represent the Hertfordshire club’s National League outfit. Emphasizing that his story is one of success for British speedway’s third tier, Hughes won the highly coveted National League Rider of the Year award at the annual Speedway Riders’ Association ceremony in December.

He was to show remarkable form for the Rockets in the season’s early exchanges, his efforts culminating in a brilliant fourth-place finish in the British Under-21 Championship at Lakeside on 16 April. However, Hughes was temporarily derailed in a heat four spill during Rye House’s home league clash with Berwick on 3 May. This saw him tangle with Bandits’ Michal Makovsky in the opening yards of the race, with the initial medical opinion suggesting he had sustained a fractured right foot after the appendage had become caught up in his real wheel. Thankfully, hospital X-rays revealed no more than tissue damage and, showing great determination, the youngster quickly returned to action.

Hughes’ season was to end prematurely, though, when he was involved in an alarming spill during a home meeting for the Rockets against King’s Lynn in the Young Shield on 10 October. Pursuing Stars’ Kozza Smith, he lost control on the fourth bend of the Hoddesdon raceway and the closely following Lasse Bjerre couldn’t avoid a collision. It was initially thought that Hughes had broken his pelvis but, although that proved not to be the case, he did suffer a badly broken collarbone – which subsequently required plating – and was also left generally battered and bruised.

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; (2010) Lakeside.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-21 Champion: 1994.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 1991 [Arena-Essex], 1992 [Peterborough], 2000 [Eastbourne], 2002 [Wolverhampton]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1991 [Arena-Essex], 1992 [Peterborough]; Four-Team Championship winner: 1992 [Peterborough]; Premiership winner: 1993 [Peterborough].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.15 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Hurry first straddled a speedway bike in a training school at Hackney when aged 11, before going on to become the London club's mascot. He went on to make his official debut in the sport as a 16-year-old with Arena-Essex on 1 June 1991, scoring 6 points in a home match versus Long Eaton. Success came his way with the Hammers that year as they plundered a League Championship and Knock-Out Cup double, with the Canterbury-born rider's team-mates including the likes of Bo Petersen, Brian Karger, Alan Mogridge, Troy Pratt, Andy Galvin and Colin White in what was a powerful unit.

He was to enjoy more glory with Peterborough the following year, when another double was secured, and there were further Championship successes with Eastbourne in 2000 and Wolverhampton in 2002. However, it's Arena-Essex/Lakeside that he has been most associated with during his long racing career, which has also seen him attain several major grass-track triumphs, including winning the British Masters title in 1997, 2002 and 2004.

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 Dr. Dave Goodier, an expert in bones that don't heal. Hurry's testimonial meeting was held at Lakeside on 18 July that year, when Peter Karlsson took victory in an individual event.

With the humerus bone in his upper right arm held together by two metal plates and twenty-four screws, Hurry 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 him 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.

Following the cessation of the season, the veteran rider's future seemed unclear but, in January, he was named in the Lakeside team for the 2010 campaign. Whilst this raised a few eye-brows, his return to the club was seen as a no-brainer by the Hammers' bosses, who felt his experience would be a crucial factor. And his presence helped beef-up the side's reserve department in the early weeks of the campaign, as he averaged over 5 points per match.

On 3 May, Hurry participated in a grass-track meeting at the famous Collier Street venue in Maidstone and endured a day to forget. In the 350cc category, he took a win in his first ride, but was forced to withdraw from the class after finding traces of metal in his oil. Then, in the 500s, he started well to post a brace of victories but, in his third outing, a new clutch shed its teeth and sent him crashing down at speed. It was thought that he had escaped unharmed but, after feeling discomfort during Lakeside's league engagement at Wolverhampton on 10 May, a medical check-up revealed he had been riding with cracked ribs.

That led to his withdrawal from the British semi-final at King's Lynn on 12 May and the rider, who joined the Hammers as a full asset on a transfer from the BSPA at this time, also agreed to limit his non-speedway activities. He was in the wars again, though, when he sustained a broken finger in a high-speed crash during Lakeside's home league fixture versus Poole on 14 May. This occurred in heat fourteen of the match, when the Pirates' Jason Doyle crashed in front of him.

The injury was successfully operated on and Hurry was able to return to action for the Hammers in a home league encounter versus Eastbourne on 4 June. However, little more than two months later, on 7 August, his season was over following dreadful crash in the European Grass-track Championship at La Réole, France, after being struck by German racer Richard Speiser. Having clattered into the fence, Hurry unfortunately sustained broken tibia and fibula bones in his left leg and a break below the knee on his right leg. To cover his enforced absence, Lakeside engaged the services of their No. 8 rider, Chris Neath.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 2 – 15th on Great Britain’s list; 108th on SWC all-time list
Points: 2 – 18th on Great Britain’s list; 140th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0