I’ANSON, Daniel
DATE OF BIRTH: 3 August 1994, Southampton, Hampshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Newport II.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having shown continuous improvement throughout the close season in the Sunday training school sessions at Queensway Meadows, I'Anson was signed by Newport in February 2010 to fill the Hornets' No. 8 berth. The Southampton-based teenager came through the British Under-15 Championships at 250cc and 500cc levels, and also impressed in the Summer Championship events at Scunthorpe.

INGALLS, Kenny
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 March 1987, Foresthill, California, USA.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Workington.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: As a 4-year-old, Ingalls first rode a moto-cross bike and, in the ensuing years, he went on to participate in numerous disciplines, including cross-country, hillclimbs, trials and BMX. But it wasn't until he was seventeen, in 2004, that the all-action Californian first took to the shale on a speedway steed in his homeland. Subsequent British trips saw him appear at various venues, including Weymouth, Sheffield, Scunthorpe, Wolverhampton, Plymouth, Buxton, Somerset and Rye House.

After some impressive performances on their tour of 2009, Ingalls was handed the No. 1 race-jacket by the USA Dream Team that again took to British tracks at the start of the 2010 campaign. His form was striking, too, as he hit double-figures in four of the side's six matches and never failed to record less than 8 points. One of his best showings came at the Isle of Wight on 5 April, when he notched an 18-point full-house; his score enhanced on that occasion by a double-points outing.

However, he out-stripped that accomplishment with a six-ride, 18-point maximum in an eye-catching display versus Team Viking at Newcastle on 11 April. His form sparked the interest of more than one Premier League club and the rider was determined to land a berth by the start of the 2011 season. But, he was to achieve his ambition ahead of schedule in the summer of 2010, when it it initially looked like he would link with Stoke.

The Potteries club had to shelve the move, though, because of problems over a work permit. Nevertheless, Workington were able to sort out the necessary paper-work so that Ingalls - who enjoyed a practice session at Derwent Park following a league match against Newcastle on 5 June - could make his official debut for the Comets in the week that followed. The American replaced local rider John Branney in the Cumbrian team.

He did well to maintain an average of around 6 points per match in the cut-and-thrust of the Premier League, before his season was unfortunately curtailed prematurely by injury. This occurred on 28 August, when Workington appeared at Berwick in a Premier League encounter; in heat twelve, Ingalls got into difficulty on the first bend of the final lap, prior to colliding awkwardly with the fence boards. Regrettably, the upshot was a broken leg, which required an operation to insert a plate. To cover the American's absence, the Comets acquired the services of Casper Wortmann in early September.

IRVING, Gary Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 March 1989, Carlisle, Cumbria.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Cleveland; (2008-09) Scunthorpe II; (2010) Scunthorpe II, Redcar, Scunthorpe.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Michael Irving (born: 19 November 1963, Longtown, Cumbria).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.55 (NL), 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Irving is the son of former rider Michael, who appeared for Workington, Glasgow and Long Eaton during two attempts at the sport between 1981 and 1991. Gary learnt how to ride at the Northside training track in Workington and subsequently took his official bow with Cleveland in the Conference Shield late in October 2006. He impressed at Scunthorpe's official Press and Practice Day the following season, but was to miss the entire campaign after being involved in a serious road traffic accident in Cumbria on the Easter Monday. Fellow rider Ben Johnson was also involved in the incident.

Irving did, however, represent the Saints in 2008, when he remained ever-present to post an excellent real-time average of 6.73. But, having initially agreed to resume with the side in 2009, the Carlisle-born rider quit the sport pre-season, in February, and revealed that it had cost his family in the region of £20,000 to ride at Conference level the previous year. Once speedway is in the blood it can be hard to turn your back on it for good, though, and a change of heart - following a couple of practice sessions at the Eddie Wright Raceway - subsequently saw Irving return to the sport with Scunthorpe's National League side in place of the retired Sean Stoddart in August.

With a crowd-pleasing style, he went on to score 31 points from four official appearances for a real-time average of 7.33. Unsurprisingly, in early-February 2010, he was named as a starter in the side for the new campaign. And, in May - following some good performances in British speedway's third tier - he was also drafted into Redcar's Premier League team as a replacement for Jan Graversen. The step-up proved too much, though, and with points hard to come by, he lost his team spot to Charles Wright mid-way through the following month. Irving made a quick return to the PL, though, when Scunthorpe elected to share a reserve berth between him and Steve Worrall, having released Simon Lambert at the tail-end of June. However, another change in August saw the Scorpions' management draft in Jan Graversen to replace Irving and Worrall.

ISHERWOOD, Gareth Andrew
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 November 1988, Manchester, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Stoke II; (2006-07) Stoke II, Buxton; (2008-09) Buxton; (2010) Scunthorpe II.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.12 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Isherwood was associated only with Stoke and Buxton at Conference/National League level during his first five seasons in the saddle. Having been voted the Hitmen's Rider of the Year in 2008, he assumed the captaincy in 2009, but announced his retirement from the sport after failing to score from four rides in their home leg of the Knock-Out Cup final versus Bournemouth on 11 October. However, in a change of heart immediately after the season, the Manchester-born rider confirmed that he would, after all, continue in the saddle in 2010. And, early in March, Scunthorpe announced his signing as the final member of the 1-7 in their National League side. But, after losing his place in the team at the tail-end of April, he was subsequently replaced in the Saints' line-up by Jonathan Bethell.

IVERSEN, Niels-Kristian Trochmann
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 June 1982, Esbjerg, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) King’s Lynn; (2003) Newport, Oxford; (2004-05) Oxford; (2006-07) Peterborough; (2008) Wolverhampton; (2009-10) Peterborough.
MAJOR HONOURS: Danish Under-21 Champion: 2002; World Cup Champion: 2006, 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: Craven Shield winner: 2005 [Oxford]; League Championship winner: 2006 [Peterborough]; Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: Grand Final Champion: 2007.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.80 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Iversen initially took to a speedway track on a 50cc machine in his native Denmark in 1994, eventually progressing to the full-size 500cc steeds in 1998. His first taste of domestic racing in the UK took place with King’s Lynn in 2001, when he was an October addition to the team; he was to appear in just one Craven Shield fixture and two league matches for the Norfolk outfit. The Esbjerg-born rider continued to perfect his skills in his homeland in 2002, helping Holsted to the Division One Championship. Meanwhile, on the individual front, he scooped a brilliant victory in the Danish Under-21 Championship. Late in the year, he again appeared briefly on these shores, representing Workington in an October challenge match at King’s Lynn.

Iversen spent his first full British season with Newport in 2003 and he made quite an impact, posting a real-time average of 9 points per match. He was also identified with Oxford, making three Elite League appearances for the Cowley-based side, plus one other in the British League Cup. Back in Denmark, he again played a part as Holsted retained the Division One Championship while, on the world stage, he was a member of his country’s squad in the Speedway World Cup.

Iversen made the full-time switch to the Elite League with Oxford in 2004 and posted a solid 6-point average, as the Cowley faithful enjoyed his exciting leg-trailing style. In Denmark, he completed a hat-trick of league title successes with Holsted, while in the World Cup he was again part of the national squad. And, showcasing his talent to a wider audience, he ran a brilliant joint fifth place as a wildcard in the Danish Grand Prix at Parken, Copenhagen on 26 June, when he reached the semi-final stage before being eliminated.

Again he was identified with Oxford in 2005, a season that saw the Silver Machine outfit only just avoid the wooden spoon – finishing a solitary point ahead of Arena-Essex – and they were also dispatched from the Knock-Out Cup by Belle Vue at the quarter-final stage. However, a late-season flourish saw them take victory in the Craven Shield, defeating Eastbourne and Poole in a gripping final. Once again, Iversen gained a Championship success, though, this time with Västervik in the Swedish Division One and, for a third time, he was also part of the Denmark squad in the Speedway World Cup.

He subsequently linked 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 Richard 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. Prior to his success with the Cambridgeshire side, Iversen had enjoyed glory with Denmark in the Speedway World Cup Final at Reading on 22 July, when he notched 5 points as his country took a brilliant victory ahead of Sweden, Great Britain and Australia.

He went on to enjoy a solid second campaign with Peterborough in 2007, providing solid backing to fellow Danish riders Hans Andersen and Kenneth Bjerre, as the Panthers concluded their league campaign in third spot and reached the Play-Offs, before being beaten at the semi-final stage by Swindon. Iversen was also part of the Danish team that finished a gallant second to Poland in the World Cup Final at Leszno on 21 July. On the day, he scored 9 points as his side totalled 52, ending up just 3 points adrift of the triumphant home nation. There was domestic team success for him in Denmark, though, as his club side, Holsted, won the Superleague Championship, just edging out Slangerup in a tight title finish.

The highlight of his season undoubtedly occurred on the individual front, however, when he took a glorious victory in the Grand Prix Qualifying final in Vojens, Denmark on 15 September, booking a direct passage to the 2008 series. In a brilliant display, the rider from Esbjerg cruised to a 14-point tally on the day to finish on top of a class field, with Lukáš Dryml and Bjarne Pedersen occupying second and third place, respectively. However, the following year, the Dane dislocated his right shoulder when he crashed in the Swedish GP in Gothenburg on 24 May. The accident occurred in heat five, when he chased after Jason Crump but lost control and fell heavily, before hitting the safety fence.

An established face on the British racing scene, Iversen moved back to Peterborough for the 2009 campaign after a decent term with Wolverhampton in 2008. With his exciting racing style, ‘Puk’ thrives on the wider lines and has conjured countless top drawer performances during his time on these shores. Given his mega-popularity at the East of England Showground, there was little surprise in December, when he was once more named in the club’s starting line-up for 2010. However, having started the campaign brightly, the Panthers’ skipper required a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a fractured shoulder blade during Holsted’s Danish Superleague fixture at Slangerup on 5 May.

Iversen crashed on the fourth bend during heat fourteen of Peterborough’s league match at Swindon on 5 August, sustaining an injury to his right leg. He rode on in the Danish Championship the following evening, but was forced to pull out after one ride. Then, in the Panthers’ league match at Belle Vue on 9 August, he only partially completed two rides before being signed-off in pain. A day later, he represented his Swedish club, Indianerna, in a home clash with Valsarna but had to give up after his third ride, before having extensive physio to rebuild his fitness. Having recuperated, he returned to the saddle for Peterborough on 27 August – ironically against Swindon – in a league encounter at the East of England Showground.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 26 – 34th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 156 – 35th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 135 – 30th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 21 – 35th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 1 – 41st on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 8
Events: 18 – 4th on Denmark’s list; 10th on SWC all-time list
Points: 141 – 5th on Denmark’s list; 15th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 6
Gold medals: 2