KARLSSON, Magnus Erik
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 December 1981, Gullspang, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Edinburgh; (2003) Edinburgh, Wolverhampton; (2004) Hull, Wolverhampton; (2005-07) Wolverhampton; (2008-10) Scunthorpe.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003 [Edinburgh], 2004 [Hull]; Knock-Out Cup Winner: 2004 [Hull]; Young Shield winner: 2004 [Hull].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Gunnar Karlsson (born: 16 December 1947, Nybble, Sweden). Brother of Peter Karlsson (born: 17 December 1969, Gullspang, Sweden) and Mikael Max (born: 21 August 1973, Amneharad, Gullspang, Sweden).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.23 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The youngest of three racing siblings made his official UK debut with Edinburgh in 2002 and, the following year, was a member of the Monarchs’ legendary side – that also included the likes of Frede Schott, Peter Carr and Rory Schlein – which won the Premier League Championship.

In 2004, he moved to Hull and helped the Vikings secure a glorious treble, again winning the League Championship, as well as the Knock-Out Cup and Young Shield. In both 2003 and 2004, he also ‘doubled-up’ alongside his eldest brother, Peter, at top-flight Wolverhampton, before joining the Monmore men on a full-time basis in 2005.

Having enjoyed a good first term in the Wolves’ famous colours, Karlsson’s average slipped back in each of the two following years and he decided to return to the Premier League with Scunthorpe, where he enjoyed an upsurge in form. The Scorpions’ linchpin missed part of the middle sector of the 2009 campaign through paternity leave and a knee injury, before returning to action on 24 July.

Later, following the Kenny Smith Memorial meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 23 October, the popular Swede confirmed that he would again be lining-up for the Scorpions in 2010. He went on to post a real-time average of 8.06 for the club, having totalled 353 points from forty official appearances.

However, at the season’s conclusion, Scunthorpe confirmed that the rider didn’t feature in their team plans for 2011. Berwick were quick to show an interest in Karlsson, although it was pointed out that travel arrangements – particularly the accessing of suitable flights to and from Sweden – would be the key factor in whether he joined the Borders club or not.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 1 – 15th on Sweden’s list; 135th on SWC all-time list
Points: 2 – 15th on Sweden’s list; 141st on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

KARLSSON, Peter Gunnar
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 December 1969, Gullspang, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (1990) Wolverhampton; (1992-97) Wolverhampton; (1999) Wolverhampton; (2000) Peterborough; (2001) King’s Lynn, Belle Vue; (2002-03) Wolverhampton; (2005) Peterborough; (2006-07) Wolverhampton; (2009) Wolverhampton; (2010) Belle Vue.
MAJOR HONOURS: Nordic Under-21 Champion: 1989; Swedish Champion: 1989, 1991; World Team Cup Champion: 2000; World Cup Champion: 2003, 2004.
CLUB HONOURS: Premiership winner: 1992, 1997 [both Wolverhampton], 2001 [King’s Lynn]; Gold Cup winner: 1992 [Wolverhampton]; League Championship winner: 1996, 2002, 2009 [all Wolverhampton]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1996 [Wolverhampton].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: Challenge Champion: 2000.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Gunnar Karlsson (born: 16 December 1947, Nybble, Sweden). Brother of Magnus Karlsson (born: 28 December 1981, Gullspang, Sweden) and Mikael Max (born: 21 August 1973, Amneharad, Gullspang, Sweden).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.66 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Aside from the club honours listed, the Swede also helped Poole to victory in the Craven Shield in 2002, when he guested for the Dorset side in all three legs of the final against Ipswich and Coventry. The former Grand Prix regular had long been associated with Wolverhampton, spending many past years plying his trade at the intricate Monmore Green raceway and the circuit hosted a much-deserved testimonial meeting for ‘PK’ on 16 March 2003, when Wolverhampton defeated Kaparna 50-40.

He returned to their line-up once again in 2009, bringing a wealth of experience to the club as a true professional, whose riding style exudes bundles of class and charisma. Regrettably, he sustained a broken collarbone during the Play-Off semi-final versus Lakeside at home on 21 September, when he collided with Hammers’ reserve Stuart Robson in a spectacular heat eleven spill.

Karlsson – the Wolves’ skipper and a key rider – subsequently flew back to Sweden for urgent treatment in Gothenburg with a specialist who works with the national football team. Remarkably, the veteran racer returned to action for Wolverhampton in the first leg of the Play-Off final versus Swindon at Monmore Green on 5 October – exactly two weeks after his accident. And, showing trademark on-track craft, he helped the Black Country club cement the Elite League Championship a week later in the second leg at the Robins’ Abbey Stadium.

At the end of November, the Wolves’ management revealed that Karlsson was free to talk to other clubs regarding a 2010 team berth, as they were unable to accommodate him within their own plans. Subsequently, in December, Belle Vue were delighted to announce that they had acquired the services of the Swede, who had considered quitting the Elite League.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 49 – 18th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 330 – 19th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 232 – 19th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 35 – 22nd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 2 – 35th on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 6
Events: 14 – 3rd on Sweden’s list; 16th on SWC all-time list
Points: 144 – 3rd on Sweden’s list; 14th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 5
Gold medals: 2

KASPRZAK, Krzysztof
DATE OF BIRTH: 18 July 1984, Leszno, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003-06) Poole; (2007) Lakeside; (2008) Poole; (2009) Belle Vue; (2010) Lakeside, Coventry.
NOTE: Kasprzak joined Swindon at the start of 2004, but is not credited with any official appearances as he rode only in four challenge matches with the Wiltshire club.
MAJOR HONOURS: European Champion: 2003; World Under-21 Champion: 2005; World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2005; World Cup Champion: 2007, 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003 [Poole], 2004 [Poole], 2008 [Poole], 2010 [Coventry]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2004 [Poole]; Craven Shield winner: 2006 [Poole]; Pairs Championship winner: 2010 [Coventry].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Zenon Kasprzak (born: 10 May 1962, Poniec, Poland). Brother of Robert Kasprzak (see separate entry).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.23 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kasprzak’s stint with Swindon in 2004 was short-lived because of a crash in his homeland. This occurred in the Criterion of Aces individual event at Bydgoszcz on 21 March. He was initially replaced temporarily in the Robins’ side by Andy Smith, but that move later became a permanent one for the season. Swindon did try to re-introduce Kasprzak following Rafał Kurmański’s tragic suicide at the end of May, but the BSPA refused to reduce his grading status and the move was vetoed, with the rider subsequently re-joining his parent club, Poole. The Pole’s success in the 2005 World Under-21 Championship was bizarre, to say the least. Both he and Tomáš Suchánek were tied on 8 points apiece when the meeting, at Wiener Neustadt, Austria, was abandoned because of adverse weather conditions. Kasprzak subsequently took the title on the toss of a coin!

‘KK’ didn’t have a British team berth in 2008, but answered an SOS call to re-join Poole on a short-term basis after the club’s No. 1, Bjarne Pedersen, had sustained a broken wrist in the Craven Shield semi-final at Coventry on 2 May. Kasprzak was a full-time Grand Prix competitor in 2008 and has regularly represented Poland in the Speedway World Cup, playing a huge part in their successes of 2007 and 2009. Having enjoyed a good campaign with Belle Vue in the latter of those years, it came as a considerable shock in November when Lakeside revealed that the popular rider was linking with them for a second spell in 2010 in place of the previous season’s leading rider, Lee Richardson.

However, in May – in a complete turnaround – the club announced that they had agreed a deal for Richardson to return, with Kasprzak making way. This came after the Pole had been absent for an away league match at Poole on 28 April, when the Hammers suffered a humiliating 70-24 defeat. The Leszno-born rider wasn’t without a British berth for long, though, as both he and Lewis Bridger linked with Coventry towards the end of May, replacing Rory Schlein and Filip Šitera in the Bees’ line-up.

The move saw Kasprzak re-acquaint with Alun Rossiter, whose management he had ridden under briefly at Swindon in 2004. And, he marked his debut with a stunning paid maximum tally of 14+1 points to head the Bees’ scoring in a 47-45 Elite League victory at Ipswich on 27 May; in so doing, he became the first Coventry rider to notch an unbeaten tally on his club debut for 34 years – since the legendary Ole Olsen achieved the feat for the Bees in 1976. And, on 4 September, the Pole brilliantly partnered Chris Harris to victory in the Elite League Pairs Championship at Ipswich.      

The Pole was key in a stunning late-season revival that saw the Bees 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, Coventry journeyed to Wimborne Road for the return fixture seven days later. And they completed an astonishing transformation from early-term 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. Kasprzak’s contribution was 13 points, as he sealed the fourth League Championship success of his UK career.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 15 – 45th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 87 – 47th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 76 – 41st on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 10 – 49th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 1 – 42nd on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 5
Events: 11 – 4th on Poland’s list; 25th on SWC all-time list
Points: 83 – 6th on Poland’s list; 29th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 3
Gold medals: 2

KATAJISTO, Kalle Oskari
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 April 1991, Varkaus, Finland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Edinburgh; (2009-10) Edinburgh.
CLUB HONOURS: Play-Off winner: 2009 [Edinburgh]; League Championship winner: 2010 [Edinburgh].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Katajisto was recommended to Edinburgh by Kaj Laukkanen in 2007 and both riders subsequently linked with the Scottish side in July that year, amid a raft of team changes at Armadale. The young Finn was very inexperienced at the time, having only recently graduated to 500cc machinery, but he certainly showed plenty of raw nerve as he entertained the knowledgeable Monarchs’ supporters. Having missed the 2008 campaign in the UK, Katajisto returned to Edinburgh for a second stint in October 2009, following Byron Bekker’s decision to stand down from the side.

The Varkaus-born rider showed considerably improved form as he helped the Scottish side to victory in the Play-Off final against King’s Lynn and, with his low starting average, it came as no surprise at the end of November, when the Monarchs named him as part of their team plans for 2010. Some impressive early-season form was capped by a fabulous tally of 16+1 points when the Scottish side faced Rye House in a Knock-Out Cup tie at Armadale on 7 May. And, the flying Finn went even better a fortnight later, romping to a whopping 19+1 points as Edinburgh entertained Newcastle in a league encounter.

He had been due to represent his country in Event Two of the Speedway World Cup against Great Britain, Australia and Sweden at King’s Lynn on 26 July. But, the day before that, he sustained a foot injury whilst representing Edinburgh in an academic Premier Trophy encounter at the home of their fierce Scottish rivals, Glasgow. It was thought at the time that he had broken the foot but, following a visit to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, it was confirmed that there was no break.

The injury was sustained in heat eight of the meeting at Ashfield Stadium when team-mate Tobias Burch and Tigers’ Lee Dicken collided, leaving the Finn with nowhere to go. After a short break, he returned to action and managed to maintain an average of close on 8 points per meeting. This was key to the Monarchs securing to a third League Championship success in seven years.

KENNETT, Edward (Eddie) David
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 August 1986, Hastings, Sussex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Rye House, Mildenhall; (2002-03) Rye House, Rye House II, Eastbourne; (2004) Eastbourne; (2005) Rye House, Poole; (2006) Rye House, Eastbourne; (2007) Poole; (2008) Eastbourne; (2009-10) Coventry.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Under-21 Champion: 2005, 2007.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Rye House], 2010 [Coventry]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Eastbourne].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Dave Kennett (born: 18 April 1952, Farnborough, Kent). Nephew of Gordon Kennett (born: 2 September 1953, Bromley, Kent) and Barney Kennett (15 March 1955, Orpington, Kent).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.72 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Following arbitration, it was decided in late April 2009 that Coventry would pay a fee of £29,000 plus VAT for the transfer of Kennett from Eastbourne. This was significantly lower than the initial £80,000 and £40,000 price tags placed by Eagles’ boss Bob Dugard. The Bees had reacted quickly to reports that Kennett was looking to move away from Eastbourne in order to improve his all-round riding by being based at a larger home circuit, and his arrival at Brandon very much continued the club’s policy of investing in young, talented riders for the future.

He went on to enjoy a fantastic first term in the Bees’ colours, bagging 376 points as he remained ever-present throughout the club’s forty official meetings for a solid real-time average of 8.58. At the end of December, the Coventry management confirmed that he would be remaining on board for the 2010 campaign. Athough the season saw his average drop by just over 1-point per match, the Hastings-born rider remained a solid contributor for the Bees.

Indeed, he played a key role for the side who, despite being bottom of the Elite League table with no points from their first seven matches, as well as still being second from bottom before winning at Ipswich on 12 August, strung together a sensational run to grab the last Play-Off spot, before defeating Peterborough at the semi-final stage. Kennett then netted 7+2 points in the first leg of the final versus Poole at Brandon on 27 September but, before the return match, his season came to a shattering halt. This occurred three evenings later as Coventry entertained Wolverhampton in the Knock-Out Cup quarter-final when, in heat five, he came to grief on the third bend and went into the fence with his machine, suffering a broken ankle.  

Despite having to operate the rider replacement facility in his absence, Coventry completed an astonishing transformation from early-term relegation candidates to Championship material on a stunning night at Wimborne Road seven days later 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. Thus Kennett added to his only previous League Championship success with Rye House in 2005.

Kennett comes from a family steeped in speedway as his father, Dave, and uncles, Barney and Gordon, are all former riders – with the latter famously having finished as runner-up in the 1978 World Final at Wembley. As a 9-year-old, Edward had given a glimpse of what was to come when he scorched to a 15-point maximum to win the British Under-16 Championship at Eastbourne on 25 August 1996.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 3 – 83rd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 9 – 90th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 12 – 84th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 3
Events: 4 – 10th on Great Britain’s list; 68th on SWC all-time list
Points: 16 – 12th on Great Britain’s list; 80th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 1
Gold medals: 0

KERR, Christopher (Chris) Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 June 1984, Grass Valley, California, USA.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Redcar; (2007) Redcar, Wolverhampton; (2008) Redcar; (2009) Newport, Wolverhampton; (2010) Birmingham, Wolverhampton.
CLUB HONOURS: Young Shield winner: 2007 [Redcar]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Wolverhampton].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.47 (PL), 3.24 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kerr received a double fracture to his lower right leg whilst representing Redcar in a Premier Trophy match at Scunthorpe on 30 March 2008. The accident happened on the first bend in heat nine, when the American tangled with Viktor Bergström and both riders were sent flying into the safety fence. The American linked with Newport in 2009 and also joined Wolverhampton in a ‘doubling-up’ role. He lost his position at Wolves towards the end of June – being replaced by Lee Complin – but returned within a matter of days in the No. 8 capacity, when he took over from Jesper Kristiansen.

The season ended in glory for Kerr, as he was part of the Wolverhampton side that won the Elite League Championship courtesy of a Play-Off final victory over Swindon. At the end of November, the American was named as part of Birmingham’s team plan for 2010; a move that delighted the rider. Then, in mid-January, the Wolves’ management confirmed that he would also remain on board with them as a ‘doubling-up’ reserve, alongside Joe Haines.

Regrettably, though, his season came to a crunching halt in the Brummies’ home league match versus Edinburgh on 12 May. In heat three of the encounter, Kerr clipped team-mate Richard Sweetman’s rear wheel on the back straight and went into the fence on turn three. He was subsequently transferred from Birmingham’s City Hospital to Wolverhampton the following day for further X-rays on a serious leg injury. Initial examinations proved inconclusive when assessing the extent of the damage, but he was expected to undergo surgery that would be likely to rule him out of action for around two months.

Wolves wasted little time in acquiring the services of Matthew Wethers as a ‘doubling-up’ replacement and a broken leg was later confirmed for the unfortunate Kerr. Meanwhile, the Brummies initially utilized the rider replacement facility. Thanks to oxygen treatment and regular work in the gym, the popular American recovered well from his injury and planned to return to action for Birmingham in a Premier League clash with Sheffield at Perry Barr on 14 July. Unfortunately, that fixture fell victim to poor weather conditions and he wasn’t able to test out his fitness. And, with a 3-match northern tour to follow for the Brummies, Kerr understandably didn’t feel ready for three meetings in as many days.

Although he had a practice over the weekend whilst Birmingham were on their tour, he still encountered problems with the leg and was subsequently ruled out of both legs of the Premier Trophy final against Newcastle. It was explained that although the American’s leg had healed perfectly, it was the amount of muscle wastage during his time on the sidelines that was the problem. As such, with more time required to build that back up, Birmingham moved to sign Klaus Jakobsen as a replacement on 1 August.

Kerr was finally deemed fit to return to action for the Brummies during September, when he was due to step back into the team at the expense of Jakobsen. However, inclement weather delayed his resumption in the side until October, prior to which he finished a highly creditable second – in his comeback meeting – in the Teesside Silver Helmet at Redcar on 30 September. The American was to still suffer ongoing problems with his leg, though, as the season petered out for the Brummies with defeats by Newcastle at the semi-final stage of both the Play-Offs and Knock-Out Cup.
FIM Speedway World Cup Record:    
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 1 – 10th on USA’s list; 137th on SWC all-time list
Points: 2 – 8th on USA’s list; 142nd on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

KERR, Lewis James
DATE OF BIRTH: 25 March 1990, King's Lynn, Norfolk.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) King's Lynn II.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: King's Lynn made a change to their National League line-up in mid-June 2010, replacing Chris Widman in the No. 8 slot with the highly-rated Kerr. The hometown speedster thus joined other locally produced riders like Jake Knight and James Brundle on the club's asset list. The youngster had only started riding speedway in the winter months of 2009 at the Saddlebow Row circuit, having previously participated in moto-cross from the age of 12.

However, due to the lack of opportunities in that particular discipline, he fancied having a go at the shale sport after witnessing former moto-cross riders like Lewis Bridger and Craig Cook forging successful careers from it. He borrowed an old bike from former King's Lynn rider Andy Mountain for his initial skids and really enjoyed it, so much so that he purchased a second-hand machine for £1,000 and started appearing in amateur meetings and second-halves at King's Lynn, Peterborough and Scunthorpe. In an amazing coincidence, both Kerr and the rider he replaced in the Young Stars' squad, Widman, were both born on 25 March 1990!

KESSLER, Robert (Robbie)
DATE OF BIRTH: 5 April 1973, Neuwied, Germany.
BRITISH CAREER: (1994) Sheffield; (1996-97) Sheffield; (1999) King's Lynn; (2000-01) Sheffield; (2002) Hull; (2003) Stoke; (2004) Stoke, Peterborough; (2005-06) Stoke; (2007) Stoke, Redcar, Rye House; (2008) Mildenhall, Coventry; (2009) Redcar; (2010) Rye House.
MAJOR HONOURS: German Under-21 Champion: 1992, 1993.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2000 [Sheffield]; Premiership winner: 2000 [Sheffield], 2002 [Hull]; Premier Trophy winner: 2001 [Sheffield]; League Championship winner: 2007 [Rye House].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Johann Kessler.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.69 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kessler sustained a broken right arm in a bizarre accident at Mariestad, Sweden on 22 May 2003, when he was hit by a rider-less bike while representing Örnarna in a home match versus Bysarna. Stoke hosted Kessler’s testimonial meeting on 27 May 2006, when a four-team tournament resulted thus: Stoke 30, Sheffield 25, Hull 24, Wolverhampton 24. After being released by the Potters in 2007, the German racer had a spell with Redcar, prior to joining Rye House. Unfortunately, his time with the Rockets was short-lived, as he suffered complicated ligament damage to his shoulder after crashing in the opening heat of a home league fixture against Newport on 4 August.

Kessler was again injured in 2008, when, in heat nine of a challenge match at Peterborough on 13 March, he suffered concussion and a neck injury. Then, in 2009, the Neuwied-born rider aggravated his neck and shoulder injuries when he spun and fell, before being inadvertently struck by the closely following David Howe, during heat three of Redcar’s Knock-Out Cup tie versus Scunthorpe at the South Tees Motorsports Park on 13 August. That meant another spell on the sidelines for the popular rider and it appeared he was lost to the British racing scene when there were no takers for his services at the start of the 2010 campaign.

But, at the end of June, Rye House announced that he was re-joining them for a second spell as cover for the injured Luke Bowen. His return proved brief to say the least, as Kessler stunned the Rockets by announcing his retirement after just two league matches for the Hertfordshire club. He had registered 3 points at King’s Lynn on 30 June and a further paid 4 at Sheffield the following evening, before dropping his bombshell. However, after a private practice session at Rye House on the morning of 10 July, using an engine specially prepared by former World Champion Michael Lee, the German ace decided that he would continue to ride for the Rockets after all.

Kessler sustained an injury to his left foot ahead of Rye House’s league visit to Edinburgh on 30 July, whilst practicing on his trials bike. The news in the week that followed was not encouraging, as the swelling was preventing him from wearing a riding boot. Thankfully, he was able to return to action in a league match at Birmingham on 18 August and he showed resurgent form on the 30th of the month, when he notched 7+2 points versus Stoke in a Premier League encounter at Hoddesdon.

Despite that performance and a 7-point tally against King's Lynn, Kessler generally struggled for points and, in September, the Rockets' management sought to change their line-up by attempting to sign Australian Jay Herne to replace him. The move was vetoed, though, 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, granted Rye House use of the rider-replacement facility for the subsequently retired Kessler.

KILDEMAND, Peter
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 September 1989, Odense, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Workington.
MAJOR HONOUR: World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOUR: Young Shield winner: 2010 [Workington].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane started early on the road to a career in speedway, first riding a bike when just four years-of-age. In 2009, he represented three clubs: Fjelsted in his homeland, Getingarna in Sweden and Polonia Piła in Poland. After the season’s end, in December, Workington revealed that they had signed Kildemand – whose only previous experience of UK racing had occurred in that year’s Teesside Silver Helmet at Redcar – for the 2010 campaign. The rider had been recommended to the Comets’ management by Danish team manager Jan Stæchmann, who rated him very highly, indeed.

Kildemand sustained an elbow injury in a home league match versus Birmingham on 3 July, resulting in a lump the size of a tennis ball. That forced him to sit out an away match at Newcastle the following day. However, having returned to action quickly, the rider – whose style was likened to that of a spider – was to maintain an impressive first season average in excess of 7 points per match before sustaining another injury that again ruled him out of action.

Unfortunately, he was twice a faller in the Danish Under-21 Championship semi-final at Brovst on 24 July when, although he was able to finish the meeting, he suffered a foot injury that got progressively worse and a hospital X-ray examination revealed damaged ligaments.

He returned to action in the Danish Championship at Holsted on 6 August, but fell heavily in heat five after clipping the rear wheel of Morten Risager’s steed. That crash left Kildemand concerned that he had aggravated his ankle injury; however, he subsequently experienced pains in his hand and a broken bone showed-up in a late X-ray.

He was due to practice in his homeland towards the end of the month and returned to action in the World Under-21 Team Cup Final at Rye House on 5 September – scoring 8 points – as the Danes emerged victorious and broke Poland’s stranglehold on the competition.

Right at the season’s end, he 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 in the second leg at Derwent Park on 30 October, but won emphatically on the night, 66-28; Kildemand notching 10+1 points from five rides.

KING, Daniel (Danny) Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 August 1986, Maidstone, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Peterborough II; (2002) Peterborough II, Swindon II; (2003) Peterborough II, Ipswich, Reading, Mildenhall, Arena-Essex; (2004) Ipswich, Mildenhall; (2005) Rye House, Ipswich; (2006) Mildenhall, Ipswich; (2007-08) Peterborough; (2009-10) Ipswich.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-18 Champion: 2004.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2002 [Peterborough II], 2005 [Rye House]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2003 [Mildenhall]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Jason King (born: 13 April 1985, Maidstone, Kent).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.80 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: King made his official debut for Peterborough’s then-Conference League outfit, the Pumas, on 25 August 2001, when he rode with his brother in an away fixture against Boston. He remained with the side at the East of England Showground the following year when, along with team-mates such as Chris Schramm, Adam Pryer, Ian Barney, Shane McCabe, James Horton, Danny Norton and his elder sibling, they scooped the League Championship ahead of Sheffield. King’s form was sensational in his first full season for the club, as he notched 172 points from eighteen appearances for an 8.87 average. Under the rules, he also represented Swindon Sprockets in the Conference Trophy, making seven appearances for the Wiltshire outfit.

Early in 2003, he featured in an £8,000 transfer from Peterborough to Ipswich and represented the Witches in the British League Cup competition. He also enjoyed an early-season stint with Reading, before having a run in the Arena-Essex side from July onwards. King subsequently took up a reserve berth with Ipswich in 2004 and, a year later, also represented Rye House at Premier League level. He continued to make steady improvement at top-flight level, before returning to the Witches’ rivals Peterborough on loan in 2007. However, after spending two seasons back with the Panthers, the 2009 campaign saw the British youngster return to his parent club, Ipswich. In his time away from Foxhall Heath, King had significantly increased his average to become an established top division rider. His resumption at familiar surroundings saw him cement his position as one of the club’s leading riders and he was handed the club captaincy in June, following the decision to release Leigh Lanham. At the end of November, it was announced that King would again line-up for Ipswich in 2010.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
King has signed on as a reserve for two Grand Prix, both at Cardiff, Wales, for the 2007 FIM British Speedway Grand Prix and the 2010 FIM British Speedway Grand Prix, but did not get a ride in either meeting and is still waiting to make his SGP debut.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 2 – 16th on Great Britain’s list; 111th on SWC all-time list
Points: 10 – 14th on Great Britain’s list; 96th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

KING, Jason Gary
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 April 1985, Maidstone, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000-01) Peterborough II; (2002) Swindon, Swindon II, Peterborough II; (2003) Arena-Essex, Peterborough II; (2004) Mildenhall, Rye House; (2005) Somerset, Newport; (2006-07) Mildenhall; (2008-10) Newcastle.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2002 [Peterborough II], 2004 [Mildenhall]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; Conference Trophy winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2004 [Mildenhall]; Premier Trophy winner: 2010 [Newcastle].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Daniel King (born: 14 August 1986, Maidstone, Kent).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Both of the King racing brothers spent their early racing days in and around the grass-track scene. ‘Jay’ eventually progressed to speedway at the age of fifteen, making his debut with Peterborough in the Conference League in 2000. Moving up to British speedway’s middle tier, he linked with Swindon in 2002 and, a year later, joined Arena-Essex.

In both of those years, he also continued to hone his skills at Conference level. Spells at Mildenhall and Rye House in 2004 were followed by stints with Somerset and Newport a year later. He then appeared to settle at Mildenhall after re-joining the Fen Tigers upon their elevation to the Premier League in 2006.

For personal reasons, King was planning to up sticks and live in Newcastle after two seasons with the Suffolk side, although it was thought he would remain on board with the Fen Tigers. However, following a surprise encounter with Newcastle co-promoter George English and several subsequent telephone calls, he was to become a Diamond.

The change of track brought great rewards for the popular teamster and he never looked back in 2008. Indeed, he finished the season on fire to post a real-time average of 7.82 and also collected the club’s Rider of the Year award. Another solid campaign in 2009 saw him play a full part as Newcastle produced a late-season burst to rise from the lower echelons and finally finish third in the league table.

Having agreed to remain with the Diamonds in 2010, King was enjoying another sound season in their colours. But the club captain was in the wars during a league match at Somerset on 2 July, when he sustained a thumb injury. This occurred in the initial running of heat ten after home rider Sam Masters had flown from the gate to lead. Behind him, Newcastle’s René Bach took a big lift and got completely out of shape on the run to the bend. As the Dane arrived at the turn, he skittled Rebels’ guest Jordan Frampton and King into the fence, and all three ended up on the floor.

Despite the knock, the Maidstone-born speedster still took his place in the Diamonds’ line-up for an away fixture at Stoke the following evening. Regrettably, though, the Newcastle skipper crashed in heat three of their league match at Glasgow on 29 August. The upshot was knee ligament damage that prematurely brought his season to a close, the popular rider having posted a real-time average of 6.72 per match in his third term for the Diamonds, having scored 228 points from thirty-seven appearances.

KLINDT, Nicolai
DATE OF BIRTH: 29 December 1988, Outrup, Vestjylland, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008-10) Wolverhampton.
MAJOR HONOURS: Danish Under-19 Champion: 2006; Danish Under-21 Champion: 2006, 2008; European Under-19 Champion: 2007.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2009 [Wolverhampton].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.25 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Klindt was unveiled as a Wolverhampton signing on 28 August 2007. The hotly-rated Dane had been linked with Poole and Peterborough but, after spending a day with team manager Peter Adams, he agreed to join the Black Country side. Of course, he had previously ridden in the Wolverhampton side as a guest in the season-opening challenge at Sheffield on 15 March, when he scored 4 points in a narrow 46-44 defeat.

Klindt subsequently appeared at Monmore Green on 15 October, when he participated in the Banks’s Olympique, scoring 5 points and generally looked a fine prospect in a meeting that was won by Fredrik Lindgren. His Wolves debut occurred a week later, on 22 October, when he was part of the side that defeated Birmingham 55-38 in the first leg of the BBC West Midland Shield. Two days later, he notched 4 points as the Monmore men forced a 45-45 in the return match at Perry Barr Stadium to take victory on aggregate.

Prior to that, there was glory for the Danish youngster on the world stage, when he took victory in the final of the European Under-19 Championship at Częstochowa, Poland on 19 August. The meeting saw him race to a 14-point haul to finish ahead of Jurica Pavlić and Filip Šitera on the rostrum. He also battled through to the final of the European Championship, scoring 5 points in the big event at Wiener-Neustadt, Austria on 29 September.

The Dane had first appeared in the UK as a sixteen-year-old in 2005, carding a 5-point tally in the Young Guns Championship at Poole on 3 August. He went on to ride in the Scottish Open at Edinburgh, where he accrued a fine 7 points. Club honours came his way when he helped Fredericia to the Division One Championship in Denmark. And, in the World Under-21 Team Cup Final, he registered 5 points as Denmark finished in third position, behind winners Poland and second placed Sweden.

In 2006, he again appeared for Denmark in the final of the World Under-21 Team Cup and gave a brilliant display to top-score with 12 points, as his nation replicated their third place finish of the season before, behind Poland and Sweden. Klindt took victory in the Danish Under-21 Championship at Holstebro on 12 August in a meeting that was curtailed by heavy rain.

He had been due to face Patrick Hougaard, Kenneth Hansen and Klaus Jacobsen in the ‘A’ Final to determine the outcome, however, a crash in the preceding ‘B’ Final brought the event to a premature end. Klindt was deservedly declared the Champion because he had topped the scoring in the qualifying heats on 14 points. The year also saw Klindt make another trip to Britain, when he represented the Rest of the World in a challenge match at Swindon on 19 October.

The young Danish star is certainly a rider for the future and is tipped by many to be a Grand Prix regular in the coming years. He represented Wolverhampton for a second full season in 2009 and another term of progression culminated in the Black Country side scooping the Elite League Championship after defeating Swindon in the Play-Off final. And, at the end of November, his efforts were rewarded when the Wolves’ management named him in their starting side for 2010.

Klindt missed Wolverhampton’s Knock-Out Cup derby clash versus Coventry at Monmore Green on 19 July as he was still suffering from a shoulder injury sustained nine-days previously when riding in Poland and had raced through the pain barrier in the interim. And the day following the match against the Bees, he visited laser treatment specialist Brian Simpson in a bid to speed up the recovery process. And, having successfully come through the session, he quickly returned to Wolves’ line-up in an away league match at Peterborough on 22 July.

His season was to conclude early, however, after representing the side in a double-header against Eastbourne (Knock-Out Cup) and Swindon (Elite League) at Monmore Green on 11 October. This was because he checked in for surgery on his troublesome shoulder in his home country two days later. It had been causing him problems for a while and had clearly affected his performances on a bike.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 2 – 96th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 2 – 119th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 2 – 123rd on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 2
Events: 5 – 7th on Denmark’s list; 55th on SWC all-time list
Points: 35 – 7th on Denmark’s list; 56th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 1
Gold medals: 0

KLING, Ricky Anders
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 June 1987, Virserum, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007-08) Lakeside; (2009-10) Eastbourne.
NOTE: Kling also appeared for Oxford in 2007, but this is not credited in his career record because the club closed down prematurely, with all their matches expunged from the records.
MAJOR HONOUR: Swedish Under-21 Champion: 2008.
CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2009 [Eastbourne].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Anders Kling (born: 18 July 1963, Virserum, Sweden).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.31 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Swede linked with Eastbourne in 2009, having spent the previous season with Elite League Play-Off finalists Lakeside. An instant success on joining the UK's top-flight in 2007, Kling's progress was hampered by the mid-season closure of Oxford - the Cowley club's unfortunate demise being a precursor to his full-time move to Lakeside. He stayed with the Hammers until the end of the 2008 season, when it was announced that he would be released on loan due to team-building constraints.

Having joined the Eagles, Kling overcame a dismal start to the campaign to finish with a real-time average in excess of 5 points per match. In November, the Sussex club agreed a deal to keep the Swede on board for a second successive term in 2010. At the start of December, Kling's parent club, Lakeside, concluded a swap deal with Poole that saw Daniel Davidsson join the Hammers, with Kling becoming an asset of the Pirates. However, his loan arrangement to remain at Eastbourne was subsequently both confirmed and honoured by the Poole management.

Riding from a reserve berth, the Virserum-born rider showed great form in the opening weeks of the season for the Eagles; this culminated in a blistering six-ride, paid maximum tally of 16+2 points versus Belle Vue in a league encounter at Arlington on 1 May, when he signed-off by taking the prized scalps of Hans Andersen and Peter Karlsson in the nominated heat.

KNIGHT, Jake
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 August 1992, King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009-10) King’s Lynn II.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Richard Knight (born: 26 May 1959, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having made his official debut for King’s Lynn’s National League outfit on 10 April 2009, Knight was in the wars a little over a month later, on 21 May, when he sustained a broken bone in his left hand in a crash at Bournemouth’s Wimborne Road circuit. The injury occurred when he fell in heat two and was accidentally run into by team-mate Rhys Naylor as he manfully attempted to lay his machine down.

Whilst he recuperated, Knight was replaced in the Barracudas’ line-up by Ricky Scarboro. Once fit to return, that move was reversed, however, with Knight coming back into the King’s Lynn squad in place of the veteran Scarboro at the end of July. In February 2010, the re-branded Young Stars announced that he would fill the No. 8 berth in the new campaign. However, a change in May saw him promoted into the side’s declared 1-7 in place of Chris Widman, who was switched to the No. 8 position. Another amendment in September saw Knight shuffled back into the No. 8 slot, with Lewis Kerr replacing him in the 1-7 line-up.

KORNELIUSSEN, Mads Klit
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 June 1983, Aalborg, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003-04) Newport; (2005) Newport, Swindon; (2006-08) Swindon; (2009) Peterborough; (2010) Swindon.
CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Tim Korneliussen (born: 28 January 1968, Aalborg, Denmark).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.30 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Korneliussen’s 2005 campaign was disrupted by a nasty shoulder injury, sustained whilst riding for Newport against Reading in a Knock-Out Cup tie on 17 July. The innocuous appearance of his fall, as he crossed the line to win the opening heat, was deceptive and the severity of the knock was to keep him out of action for a lengthy period. Having ‘doubled-up’ with Swindon that year, the popular rider became a full asset of the Robins in 2006 after a transfer fee had been agreed with then-Newport boss Tim Stone. In 2007, the Dane was to suffer the first of two injuries on 7 June, when he broke a hand in a home match for the Robins against Wolverhampton after a defective chain had caused his machine to stop dead, sending him flying forward as he exited the fourth bend in heat nine.

Having recovered from that, he was to end the season with his foot in plaster, following a crash during a Danish League match between Holsted and Esbjerg on 8 September. The injury, a broken bone at the bottom of the heel, occurred when Patrick Hougaard, who Korneliussen was chasing, blew an engine causing him to stop dead, with both riders unavoidably piling into the safety fence. The Aalborg-born racer, who employs trademark wide-line swoops and a never-say-die attitude – which has earned him plenty of admirers during his time on the British scene – joined Peterborough on loan from Swindon for the 2009 campaign, his team-mates including compatriots Niels-Kristian Iversen, Kenneth Bjerre, Claus Vissing, Kenneth Hansen and Henning Bager. After the season’s conclusion, on 23 December, Swindon announced that Korneliussen was returning to them for 2010.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Korneliussen has signed on as a reserve for one Grand Prix, at Copenhagen, Denmark, for the 2005 FIM Danish Speedway Grand Prix, but did not get a ride and is still waiting to make his SGP debut.

KOÅšCIUCH, Norbert
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 April 1984, Leszno, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Peterborough.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kościuch first rode for Unia Leszno - his hometown team - in 2000 but, due mainly to injuries, he played a peripheral role in the side until becoming more of a regular in 2005. During this time, he was runner-up in the 2002 Bronze Helmet, although his progress was halted by a freak crash shortly afterwards. This occurred when he was forced on to the centre green in a meeting at Piła and suffered a split pelvis after hitting a tractor. And, he was to endure a further a setback in 2004, when a badly broken leg kept him on the sidelines.

He remained with the Leszno club, which races out of the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium, until the conclusion of the 2006 campaign prior to linking with PSŻ Poznań the following season. He made real strides in 2010 - with both Poznań and Örnarna in Sweden's All-Svenskan League - and this caught the eye of British promoters with Peterborough winning the race ahead of Belle Vue to sign the Pole as a replacement for fellow countryman Kamil Brzozowski towards the end of June.

Having had his signing ratified by the Management Committee of the British Speedway Promoters' Association and the Polish Federation, the Panthers' management arranged for a van to travel across to the rider's home in Leszno to collect two bikes and other equipment, thus ensuring he would be appropriately set-up for his debut in their colours.

KRONER, Tobias (Tobi)
DATE OF BIRTH: 16 October 1985, Dohren, Nr. Bremen, Germany.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Oxford; (2006-09) Ipswich; (2010) Belle Vue.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.97 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kroner made solid strides in 2008 - in what was only actually his second full season of Elite League racing. Indeed, the German successfully made the transition from reserve into the main body of the Ipswich team. He had initially joined the Witches as a replacement for Jan Jaroš mid-way through the 2006 campaign and was to remain loyal to the Suffolk club in the ensuing three years. Prior to that, he made a dozen late-season appearances for Oxford in 2005. Regrettably, though, his 2009 campaign hit the buffers on 13 August, when he sustained a triple break to his collarbone in the Anglian Pairs meeting at Ipswich.

The injury occurred in heat fifteen of the meeting at Foxhall Heath, when the German and Chris Schramm locked together entering the first turn, with both coming down heavily and Kroner coming off worst from the resultant mêlée. The rider subsequently underwent an operation in his homeland three days later and remained in the country to recuperate. In his absence, the Witches employed the rider replacement facility until the conclusion of their official fixtures.

Initially without a British club in 2010, the Döhren-born speedster made a belated start to the campaign when he was drafted into the Belle Vue side as cover for the unlucky Charlie Gjedde, who had sustained a knee injury in a pre-season training crash at Stoke. Having got one of the last remaining Eurostar tickets, the resourceful German managed to get to Britain amidst the chaos caused by the Icelandic volcano eruption in time to make his debut for the Aces on 19 April.

He made a dream start, too, scoring 10 points as Belle Vue defeated his parent club, Ipswich, at Kirkmanshulme Lane. Unfortunately, due to struggling with a stubborn virus and the slide in confidence that resulted, he failed to maintain his early impact. And, on 1 June, the Manchester-based outfit revealed that Kroner had decided to leave the club. He was replaced towards the end of the month by Ulrich Østergaard. In August, the German revealed that he was training to work in a bank and turn speedway into a weekend hobby. He admitted that being left out of the Ipswich side at the start of the campaign had had a major effect on his decision.

KSIEZAK, Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 January 1987, Pooraka, Adelaide, South Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Edinburgh; (2006-07) Glasgow; (2008) Glasgow, Belle Vue; (2009) Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke; (2010) Glasgow.
MAJOR HONOURS: South Australian State Under-16 Champion: 2002, 2003.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.01 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The former twice winner of the South Australian Under-16 Championship (2002 and 2003) has Polish and Australian citizenship. After finishing as runner-up to Rory Schlein in the 2004 Australian Under-21 Championship at Undera, Ksiezak's British career began at Edinburgh in 2005, prior to a switch to their Scottish rivals, Glasgow, a year later. He remained with the Tigers for three seasons, the last of which saw him also assume the No. 8 role at Belle Vue. During his time with the Ashfield-based team, he again got on the podium in his country's Under-21 Championship at Gillman in 2007, running a third-place finish behind Chris Holder and Troy Batchelor. And, he replicated that feat the following year at Mildura, as Holder again took top spot ahead of Ty Proctor.

The talented Aussie-born speedster linked with Birmingham for 2009 and, in June, also joined Coventry in a ‘doubling-up' role after the Bees had agreed with the BSPA that Jordan Frampton should stand down following Scott Nicholls' short-term return to the club. However, when Nicholls' spell in the side ended, Ksiezak was replaced in his role with the Bees by the returning Frampton - together with Josh Auty in a ‘doubling-up' capacity - in July. At the tail-end of the same month, it was announced that Birmingham had parted company with Ksiezak after a poor run of scores and that he was to be replaced in their line-up by fellow Australian Rusty Harrison. The rider from Adelaide was without a club for only a matter of days, though, before his services were acquired by Stoke - who had targeted the Aussie the previous winter - to fill the vacancy left by Phil Morris.

Ksiezak rejoined Glasgow for a second spell in 2010, but was injured in an alarming crash during a Premier Trophy fixture at Berwick on 17 April. Heat fourteen of the encounter saw him inadvertently clip the rear wheel of home skipper Paul Clews and land heavily after clearing the safety fence entering the back straight. Having been taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, he was discharged the following day with a bruised kidney and damage to a knee. Then, a further examination at Motherwell FC three days after the accident produced the diagnosis of torn medial ligaments. And, shortly afterwards, he was ruled out of action for the rest of the season. The Tigers initially utilized the rider replacement facility to cover his absence, prior to the arrival in May of a new recruit in the shape of Australian youngster Michael Penfold.

KURTZ, Todd William
DATE OF BIRTH: 4 November 1992, Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Newport II; (2010) Newport, Newport II.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Brady Kurtz (born: 27 September 1996, Cowra, New South Wales, Australia).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL), 6.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The young Aussie first started in junior speedway in 2004, becoming a member of the Cowra Motorcycle Racing Club. He also competed in junior rugby league and long-track racing, scooping an impressive collection of state titles along the way in the latter discipline. The highly-rated Kurtz netted 5 points in the 2009 Australian Under-21 Championship, despite suffering some heavy knocks in the meeting.

He was subsequently recommended to Newport by club legend Craig Watson and eventually took the place of Jaimie Pickard in their National League outfit in a June re-declaration. His stay was to last a month or so, with a view to returning the following term, and he was eventually replaced by Marc Owen in late August.

After the conclusion of the season – in November – Newport did indeed announce that he would return in 2010, when he would line-up in both their Premier and National League sides. He did very well, too, topping the Hornets’ averages on a 9.47 figure, having scored 254 points from twenty-six official meetings.

Meanwhile, for the senior Wasps side, he recorded 152 points from thirty-eight appearances for a highly satisfactory 4.88 average. The only downside was that he flew out of the country on his return home to Australia before the end of 30 October and therefore missed the National League Play-Off final against Buxton.

KYLMÄKORPI, Joonas Nikolai
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 February 1980, Stockholm, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Eastbourne; (2002) Ipswich; (2003) Arena-Essex, Eastbourne; (2004) Eastbourne; (2005) Peterborough, Coventry; (2006) Arena-Essex; (2007-09) Lakeside; (2010) Eastbourne.
MAJOR HONOURS: Swedish Under-21 Champion: 1999; Nordic Under-21 Champion: 2001; World Long-track Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Coventry]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Lakeside].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.02 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kylmäkorpi received a 28-day ban from the BSPA in 2005, when he was deemed to have been withholding his services from the Peterborough side. He went on to see that season out with Coventry, gaining a League Championship medal with the Bees. After joining Arena-Essex in 2006, the Swedish-born Finn endured a couple of injury-hit seasons as the Thurrock-based club morphed into Lakeside in 2007 and 2008. And he was struck by further misfortune when he suffered a broken elbow in heat fourteen of a league match at Peterborough on 2 April 2009.

Having recovered, Kylmäkorpi returned to action with the Hammers and went on to represent them in the first leg of the Knock-Out Cup final versus Coventry. Unfortunately, he missed the return match due to an operation to have metalwork taken out of his elbow, although he was credited with a winner’s medal after the Essex side had completed an aggregate victory. Having been released by Lakeside at the season’s end, the stylish Finn subsequently agreed a deal to re-join one of his former clubs, Eastbourne, on loan in 2010.

He was to enjoy a resurgent, injury-free campaign with the Eagles, posting an average of around 7.5 points per match. Meanwhile, on the individual front, having started participating in long-track racing in 1996 and twice being runner-up in the discipline’s World Championship (in 2006 and 2007), he finally sealed his first title at Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic, on 18 September, having led the 6-round series since round two. In so doing, he became the first Finn to take the world crown since Timo Laine had lifted the trophy in 1961.  

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 3 – 85th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 4 – 108th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 6 – 99th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 5
Events: 7 – 2nd on Finland’s list; 43rd on SWC all-time list
Points: 60 – 1st on Finland’s list; 36th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0