McBAIN, James
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 December 1988, Glasgow, Scotland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004-05) Armadale; (2010) Buxton.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Scotsman signed for Armadale shortly after his fifteenth birthday, eventually making his club debut in a Conference League match at home to Swindon Sprockets on 4 September 2004. It was to be his only official appearance for the side that season, but he was in the Devils' starting line-up the following term. However, after riding in three early fixtures, he was displaced by Cal McDade. Aside from one further home outing in June against Stoke in the Conference Trophy, he was reduced to just second-half appearances thereafter. Following the decision to dispense with a second side at the Ediburgh track at the end of the 2005 campaign, McBain had very limited opportunities to race in Scotland. He impressed during one rare chance, though, notching 10 points in the Heathersfield Golden Helmet at Glasgow on 28 October 2007, before finishing fourth in the final.

After continuing to plug away, his big break came after had put himself out to fill a gap in the Buxton side when the Hitmen entertained Plymouth in a National Trophy encounter on 25 October 2009. Having made the long journey to occupy the No. 6 berth, the Glaswegian won his first ride and went on to tally 5 points. The management were impressed by his commitment and, in February, he was offered a team place for the new campaign. The Scot didn't reappear for the side after being brought down by Mildenhall's Joe Jacobs in heat nine of a Knock-Out Cup tie at Buxton on 2 May, though, and was replaced in the club's declared 1-7 at the tail end of the month by Jason Garrity.

McDADE, Cal
DATE OF BIRTH: 25 April 1987, Glasgow, Scotland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Swindon II; (2005) Armadale; (2006-07) Boston; (2010) King's Lynn II, Edinburgh, King's Lynn.
CLUB HONOUR: Conference Trophy winner: 2005 [Armadale].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.60 (NL), 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: McDade took his first speedway skids at a Glasgow training school in December 2003 and – after being a regular second-half performer at Edinburgh – made his official debut for a short-handed Swindon Sprockets side, when they appeared at Armadale in a Conference League encounter on 4 September the following year.

He was a member of the Armadale side in 2005, making twenty-nine appearances for an average of a shade over 3 points per match. Success came his way with the Devils, too, when he was part of the side for both legs of the final as they defeated Stoke 99-84 on aggregate to win the Conference Trophy.

McDade was identified with Boston in both 2006 and 2007, enjoying his best term in the latter of those two years when he achieved a 4.38 average from twenty-two matches. Having been in the speedway wilderness since representing the Barracuda-Braves at the Norfolk Arena, his efforts clearly hadn’t gone without notice as he was drafted into King’s Lynn’s side for a challenge match against the USA Dream Team on 10 April 2010. He responded by notching an impressive 12+1 points and, shortly afterwards, became an officially declared squad member as a replacement for Ricky Wallace.

Having put everything into his attempts to break through, he was rewarded in June when he was handed a Premier League team spot with Edinburgh in place of the axed Max Dilger. However, the Scot found points hard to obtain at the higher level and, at the tail-end of July, he was replaced in the Monarchs’ line-up by Arlo Bugeja. But, in August, he ironically returned to Premier League action with King’s Lynn amidst an astonishing raft of changes at the Norfolk club.

The first move had seen Adam Roynon replace Joe Haines and this was immediately followed by another four amendments to their team declaration, as Casper Wortmann and Chris Mills were released, whilst the injured Kevin Doolan and the unwell Darren Mallett also had their names removed from the 1-7. Olly Allen effectively replaced Doolan in the No. 1 position, with the other incoming riders being McDade, Jamie Courtney and Lasse Bjerre.

Regrettably, the Scot was to suffer a broken leg on 27 October, when King’s Lynn entertained Buxton in the National League Knock-Out Cup final. This occurred in heat fourteen after a collision with visiting rider Lewis Dallaway. It was an extremely unfortunate end to his season, as he had been scheduled to fly out to Australia on a racing trip.

McGOWAN, Travis
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 January 1981, Mildura, Victoria, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (1999-2000) King’s Lynn; (2002) King’s Lynn; (2003-05) Oxford; (2006-07) Reading; (2008-09) Swindon; (2010) Glasgow.
MAJOR HONOURS: Australian Under-16 Champion: 1993; Australian Under-21 Champion: 1998, 2000, 2002; Victoria State Champion: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2000 [King’s Lynn]; Craven Shield winner: 2005 [Oxford]; Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 11.72 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: McGowan first rode a speedway bike at the age of ten and showed such rapid development that he took victory in the Australian Under-16 Championship for 1993. As a teenager, he continued to progress, winning the first of three Australian Under-21 titles in 1998. That led to a call from King’s Lynn the following year and the fresh-faced youngster came into the then Knights’ line-up as a May replacement for Darren Groves, who had found the pace of Elite League racing too hot in a brief stint with the side.

McGowan’s debut occurred in a high-profile league match versus Peterborough at Saddlebow Road on 19 May. This was because it was only the second Elite League match to be screened live by Sky Sports, following closely on from the first at Coventry six days previously.

Having remained with the Norfolk outfit for another term, the Aussie took a season away from the UK in 2001, but resumed with the Knights in 2002. The rider from Mildura – the birthplace of so many top-notch speedway exponents – followed his promoter, Nigel Wagstaff, to Oxford in 2003 and was to spend three terms with the Cowley-based team, before he accompanied Cheetahs’ skipper Greg Hancock to Reading.

A resurgent McGowan was to enjoy his best-ever British season and also played a full part, as the re-named Bulldogs produced a remarkable string of results to finish second in the final Elite League table – on race-points difference to Peterborough. Fittingly, both sides battled through to the Play-Off final and, in an overwhelmingly tense second leg at the East of England Showground, the Panthers claimed a 7-2 (courtesy of a tactical ride) and a brace of 5-1s from the final three heats to win 95-94 on aggregate.

McGowan stayed put with Reading in 2007, after the Berkshire outfit had fended off strong overtures from Peterborough to acquire his signature; however, it wasn’t a good season for the club – who became immersed in off-track problems – or the rider, who was struck by the injury bug. In mid-year, he suffered a shoulder injury whilst riding in Poland. Then, having taken over the captaincy from the departed Hancock, he crashed heavily with Swindon’s Leigh Adams and Andrew Moore in an aborted Knock-Out Cup semi-final at Smallmead on 14 September, re-damaging his shoulder.

Having returned to his homeland, he was to compete in the Australian Championship, but his quest for honours was halted after he again suffered a badly injured shoulder in round two of the series at Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway on 2 January. Prior to that, on 3 December, Swindon had announced the signing of the likeable speedster following Reading’s decision to join the Premier League.

Despite his injury setback, McGowan still linked with the Robins for the start of the 2008 campaign, as planned. It proved a difficult season for him, though, as he struggled to recapture his best form. Somewhat unsurprisingly, after a succession of disappointing scores, he was released by the club on 1 September. The Aussie subsequently agreed to join Premier League Mildenhall, but the move was vetoed by the BSPA because it came after the transfer deadline of 31 August.

Remarkably, McGowan was subsequently recalled to the Swindon side as a replacement for the injured Seb Aldén in a move that did receive approval from the sport’s governing body. He promptly recorded a season’s best score of paid 14 points in a Play-Off semi-final clash at Lakeside’s intricate Arena-Essex strip, as the Robins headed out of the title race.

That performance and a low starting average meant it was a no-brainer that he would be included in Swindon’s starting septet for 2009, despite interest from an array of other clubs. Improved performances helped the Robins reach their second Play-Off final in three seasons but, as in 2007 versus Coventry, there was more heartache for the Wiltshire side as they were beaten by Wolverhampton. In the close season, on 17 December, it emerged that McGowan had agreed to join Premier League Glasgow on loan for the 2010 campaign.

McGowan sustained knee and back injuries when he was hit by Marcin Rempała’s errant machine in heat fifteen of the Tigers’ league encounter versus Berwick at Ashfield Stadium on 22 August. Typically, the gritty Aussie rode on through the pain barrier and whilst he overcame the knock to the knee quickly, he was to receive a lot of pain from the base of his back. He went on to achieve a 9.33 average for Glasgow, having notched 397 points from thirty-six meetings and deservedly scooped the club’s Rider of the Year award at a packed Hilton Hotel on 30 October.

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 1
Events: 1 – 14th on Australia’s list; 149th on SWC all-time list
Points: 3 – 14th on Australia’s list; 129th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 1
Gold medals: 0

McKINNA, Adam Kenneth
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 August 1986, Crewe, Cheshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004-05) Armadale; (2006) Newcastle, Scunthorpe; (2007) Newcastle, Cleveland, Boston; (2008) Berwick, Buxton, Redcar II; (2009) Newcastle; (2010) Newcastle, Weymouth.
CLUB HONOURS: Conference Trophy winner: 2005 [Armadale]; Play-Off winner: 2010 [Newcastle]; Knock-Out Cup Winner: 2010 [Newcastle].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Kenny McKinna (born: 21 October 1962, Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland). Nephew of Charlie McKinna (born: 25 June 1961, Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland) and Martin McKinna (born: 6 December 1965, Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.37 (PL), 6.74 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The son of the legendary Scottish rider, Kenny, began his racing career with Armadale at Conference League level in 2004 and, after representing the Dale Devils for a second term, he subsequently enjoyed his first stint with Newcastle in 2006.

McKinna moved around a bit in the interim but, after finding himself unattached at the start of the 2009 campaign, he made six guest appearances for Glasgow, before being re-introduced to the Newcastle line-up for a third time at the end of May as a direct replacement for Casper Wortmann. Some solid performances brought a real-time average of over 4 points per match and the rider was rewarded when, in early November, the Diamonds confirmed that he would remain with them in 2010.

Then, late in February, McKinna was also named as a member of the new Dudley side that had entered the National League, with home fixtures split equally between Wolverhampton’s Monmore Green raceway and Birmingham’s Perry Barr circuit. Unfortunately, just after the season’s start, he sustained bad bruising to his lower back when he crashed in heat seven of Newcastle’s home match versus Glasgow in the Premier Trophy on 5 April.

That meant he had to miss Dudley’s historic opening meeting against the USA Dream Team at Birmingham two days later. And, due to his injury setback, McKinna was replaced shortly afterwards in the Heathens’ squad by Jake Anderson, who had in fact guested in his place in the club’s initial match.

With a touch of irony, the Crewe-born rider was able to return to the Newcastle line-up for the Diamonds’ league match at Birmingham on 21 April. But he was to be injured again in heat two of a league encounter versus Stoke at the famous Geordie venue on 30 May. He had made a good start to the race, but fell on the first corner and was inadvertently hit by closely following visiting rider Taylor Poole. He was taken to hospital, having suffered a broken bone in his neck and also bruised kidneys.

The initial prognosis was that he would have to wear a brace for at least two weeks, but that proved optimistic and the rider was later advised that a three-month lay-off was more realistic. As such, on 11 June, the Diamonds announced the signing of Anders Andersen to replace the unlucky McKinna. The rider made a good recovery, though, and towards the end of July he joined Weymouth to fill the position previously held by Terry Day.

Following Andersen’s departure from Newcastle in August, he was recalled to the Diamonds’ 1-7, thereby bringing his short stint with the Wildcats to an end. His place in the side at Radipole Lane was filled by Daniel Halsey. However, McKinna was also recalled to Weymouth line-up early in September, following the collarbone and knuckle injuries sustained by Byron Bekker.

He went on to enjoy a good end to the campaign, helping Newcastle to victory in the Play-Offs in October, when they defeated Sheffield in the final. At the end of the month, they also won the Knock-Out Cup by beating Edinburgh 91-88 on aggregate. With little between the two teams, his returns of 4+2 points from the away leg and a tally of 4 from the return match were vital contributions, indeed.

MADSEN, Leon
DATE OF BIRTH: 5 September 1988, Vejle, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009-10) Poole.
CLUB HONOUR: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2010 [Poole].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Madsen attracted considerable interest when, as a sixteen-year-old, he agreed to ride for Glasgow in June 2005. This was seen as a major coup by the Scottish outfit, who signed the highly-rated youngster on an eighteen-month contract. At the time, the Tigers also brought in Stefan Ekberg and Adam Roynon in a major shake-up that saw the departures of Matthew Wethers, James Birkinshaw and Trent Leverington.

However, the deal with Madsen collapsed after he had been due to make his debut in a Knock-Out Cup tie at Hull on 29 June. That meeting fell victim to inclement weather and, prior to Glasgow’s next scheduled fixture at Berwick on 2 July, the Dane quit the club and returned home due to a problem over his workshop accommodation. As a result, the Tigers subsequently recalled Leverington to their line-up.

Madsen continued to hone his undoubted skills in the meantime and posted an excellently acquired 9-point tally – to occupy sixth position – in the Danish Under-21 Championship at Fjelsted on 17 August 2008. Fast forward almost a year to the beginning of August 2009 and he was introduced to Poole’s declared line-up as a replacement for Daniel Davidsson. Having greatly impressed, it was announced in November that Madsen would be in the club’s starting line-up for 2010.      

The Dane sustained an injury when he came down heavily in heat eleven of the Pirates’ home league clash versus Swindon on 11 August. This occurred on the first bend of the race, when he appeared to catch some unwanted grip and straightened-up before crashing into the Robins’ Cory Gathercole. However, he was back in action quickly and went on to achieve an excellent real-time average of a little below 7 points a match.

Poole 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; it representing Madsen’s first trophy in British racing.

MAKOVSKÝ, Michal
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 April 1976, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001-04) Berwick; (2005) Berwick, Oxford; (2006-10) Berwick.
MAJOR HONOUR: Czech Republic Champion: 1999.
CLUB HONOUR: Four-Team Championship winner: 2002 [Berwick].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.02 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Makovský began riding on a BMX in 1986 along with his brothers, prior to moving on to a speedway steed in the Autumn of 1991. Five years later, in 1996, the Czech signed for Long Eaton, only to be refused a work permit. Then, prior to Christmas in 1999, Berwick boss Peter Waite announced that he had agreed a deal with the reigning Czech Champion, which would have seen him line-up for the Bandits in 2000, however, there were fears that he was simply too good for the Premier League.

The then-Berwick promoter lodged an appeal against the rider being given an assessed Elite League average of 7.50 – which would have precluded any PL activity – and Makovský subsequently took his UK bow with the Borders outfit in 2001. His 2004 campaign with the Bandits ended prematurely on 29 May when, in a league fixture at home to Rye House, he crashed heavily and sustained a broken arm.

Having again resumed with the club in 2005, he also enjoyed a spell as the No. 8 rider with top-flight Oxford. The mega-loyal and extremely popular Czech star – who has long since been known as ‘The Bohemian Bandit’ – linked with Berwick for a ninth successive season in 2009. And on 21 June, he reached the milestone of 3,000 official points for the club, as he became only the second rider to achieve this landmark with the Bandits. At the time, Steve McDermott remained out front as the all-time top scorer for the side, having accumulated 3,203 points from 1979 to 1988, inclusive.

However, on 3 October, Makovský became Berwick’s highest ever scorer in a Young Shield fixture at Workington, his tally for the club having reached 3,209 points by the meeting’s end. After the cessation of the season, the Bandits’ management announced that the Czech ace would be with them once again in 2010. His much-deserved testimonial meeting was staged at Shielfield Park on 27 March, when a good turn-out witnessed Coventry’s Chris Harris take victory in an individual event courtesy of a sublime 15-point maximum.

The Czech – always a tough customer on track, although that could be termed an understatement at times – who had brought an awful lot to the Borders outfit during his long association with them was to maintain an average of over 7 points a match during the campaign. However, his benefit season ended abruptly during Berwick’s visit to Redcar for the second leg of the Tweed-Tees Trophy on 9 September. Unfortunately, he fell heavily in heat seven, suffering shoulder ligament and knee injuries.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 1 – 129th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 1 – 129th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 2 – 125th 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: 1
Events: 2 – 11th on Czech Republic’s list; 117th on SWC all-time list
Points: 0
Finals: 0
Gold medals: 0

MALLETT, Darren Carl
DATE OF BIRTH: 25 May 1986, Boston, Lincolnshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Somerset, Boston; (2002) Boston; (2003) Boston, King's Lynn; (2004) King's Lynn, King's Lynn II, Boston; (2005) Boston, King's Lynn; (2006-08) Boston; (2009) King's Lynn II; (2010) King's Lynn, King's Lynn II.
CLUB HONOUR: Conference Trophy winner: 2003 [Boston].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Dennis Mallett (born: 16 May 1961, Boston, Lincolnshire).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (PL), 7.67 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Mallett looked set for a move to Birmingham in May 2009 that would have seen him break away from his long association with the King's Lynn track, which had seen him represent Boston between 2001 and 2008, as well as making several appearances over the years for the Stars, when required. However, the deal collapsed as it was said that his work place wasn't willing to allow him to finish early on a regular basis in order to accommodate his travel to meetings. He saw the season out at National League level, scoring 234 points from the side's full quota of twenty-four matches for an excellent 8.31 real-time average. In February 2010, the club announced that he was remaining on board with the re-branded Young Stars for the new campaign.

Early in his career, when aged just 15, Mallett bizarrely turned out for BOTH teams in the 2001 Conference Trophy final between Boston and Somerset. In the first leg at the Norfolk Arena on 22 September, the Rebels arrived short-handed when Simon Phillips had to miss the meeting at short notice due to a family problem, so they ‘borrowed' the then-Boston junior - for what actually counted as his official debut in the sport - to at least bring team up to seven riders, although he didn't score any points. Then, in the second leg at the Oak Tree Arena on 28 September, Mallett was a member of the Barracuda-Braves' line-up that took to the track trying to preserve a 9-point lead. He went on to score 1-point on the night, but it was Somerset who overcame their deficit to win comfortably 104-75 on aggregate.

King's Lynn had only just got going with their official fixtures for 2010, before they made a change to their line-up. This saw Aussie rider Ricky Wallace - who had failed to score in his previous two matches - being replaced by Mallett. The Stars were hopeful that the Boston-born racer would step-up to the plate after opting to utilize the services of one of their own young British riders from the Young Stars team.

After doing well for the side and maintining an average in excess of 5 points per match, he was sidelined with a kidney infection and later suffered a bout of food poisoning. And, in August, he was released when the Stars' management executed an astonishing raft of changes. The first move had seen Adam Roynon replace Joe Haines and this was immediately followed by another four amendments to their team declaration, as Wortmann and Chris Mills were released, whilst the unwell Mallett and the injured Kevin Doolan and also had their names removed from the 1-7. Olly Allen effectively replaced Doolan in the No. 1 slot, with the other incoming riders being Lasse Bjerre, Jamie Courtney and Cal McDade.

MASON, David Lee
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 December 1976, Crawley, West Sussex.
BRITISH CAREER: (1995) Sittingbourne, Reading, Arena-Essex, Swindon, Poole, Oxford; (1996) Sittingbourne, London, Reading; (1997) Arena-Essex; (1998) Newport, Stoke, Arena-Essex, Mildenhall; (1999) Swindon, Rye House; (2000) Rye House, Arena-Essex, Poole; (2001-03) Rye House; (2004-07) Weymouth; (2009) Mildenhall, Rye House II; (2010) Rye House II.
MAJOR HONOUR: Conference League Riders’ Champion: 2001.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2005 [Weymouth]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2005 [Weymouth].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.56 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Crawley-born rider is the all-time highest point-scorer in British speedway's third tier of racing. He is also, arguably, the most successful rider at that level as - aside from his CLRC success in 2001 - he also defended the Bronze Helmet Match-Race Championship on twenty-five occasions during 2000 and 2001. Mason decided to take a break from racing to head-up Lewis Bridger's pit crew in 2008, although he did agree to help out Plymouth as a back-up rider if any of their heat-leaders got injured. In the event, he didn't appear for the Devils, but subsequently made something of a surprise return to racing with Mildenhall in 2009.

However, he was released in August, when the Fen Tigers took the opportunity to sign James Birkinshaw. Otherwise known as ‘Magic', Mason subsequently returned to Rye House - having previously skippered the senior Rockets side - to link with their National League operation in place of Dan Blake. In December, the Hoddesdon-based club announced that the captaincy of the Cobras had been awarded to Mason for 2010. During the close season break from racing, Mason engaged in a weight reduction programme to ensure he was in fighting shape for the Cobras in the new campaign, as he continued his love affair with the club he led so successfully when the track had re-opened in 2000. His personal interest in helping younger riders also made him invaluable to the team.

Unfortunately, though, having ridden in a challenge match against the USA Dream Team, the Rye House skipper was injured in his first league race of the season for the Cobras at King's Lynn on 18 April. In heat four, Mason clipped fallen home rider Jake Knight and suffered concussion from the resultant fall. While the 2001 Conference League Riders' Champion recuperated, the club moved him from the No. 5 position to the No. 2 slot and utilized the rider replacement facility.

MASON, Karl Lewis
DATE OF BIRTH: 4 March 1986, Hillingdon, London.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Buxton, Mildenhall, Somerset; (2002) Newport II; (2003) Newport, Newport II; (2004) Newport, Newport II, Coventry II; (2005) Newport, Newport II; (2006) Newport II; (2007) Newport, Weymouth; (2008) Weymouth; (2009) Newport II; (2010) Bournemouth, Weymouth.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team winner: 2008 [Weymouth]; League Championship winner: 2008 [Weymouth].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.50 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Mason took his first rides on a speedway bike at Buxton in March 1994, but it wasn't until 20 May 2001 that he made his official debut for the Hitmen in a Conference Trophy match at home to Rye House. Only a handful of appearances came his way that year, as he also represented Mildenhall and Somerset in British speedway's third tier. He linked with Newport the following term and, after initially riding for the then-Mavericks at Conference level, he also went on to eventually appear officially for the Wasps in October 2003, having previously taken several outings as a guest for the side.

He was to remain attached to the Welsh club - riding variously at PL and CL level - from 2004 through to May 2007, when he lost his place in the senior team to Barry Burchatt. Having also started the season on the books of Conference League Weymouth, he saw the term out with the Wildcats to post an average of 6.56. However, he was back with Newport in 2009, when he appeared for the re-branded Hornets in the National League and upped his real-time figure to 7.07, having notched 117 points from seventeen matches.

In February 2010, it was announced that he had joined Bournemouth, where he was seen an important part of the Buccaneers' set-up. But, despite maintaining an average of over 6 points per match, he was released amidst sweeping changes in August. Both Daniel Halsey and John Resch were also relieved of their duties, whilst replacing the trio were Jerran Hart, James Sarjeant and Danny Stoneman. The Londoner wasn't on the sidelines for long, though, as he snapped-up by his former club, Weymouth, as a replacement for Gary Cottham.

MASTERS, Samuel (Sam) Peter
DATE OF BIRTH: 23 May 1991, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Somerset.
MAJOR HONOUR: New South Wales Under-16 Champion: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007; Australian Under-16 Champion: 2007; New South Wales Under-21 Champion: 2010.
RIDER LINKS: Nephew of David Stevens (born: February 1961, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia). Cousin of Daine Stevens (born: 19 December 1985, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia) and Jaye Stevens (born: 8 February 1982, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Masters started riding in dirt and long-track events when he was just six years-of-age. He turned to speedway when aged eleven after watching his uncle, David Stevens, and cousins, Daine and Jaye Stevens, in action. And, after scooping four New South Wales Under-16 Championships in a row – plus one Australian Under-16 title – he eventually moved into the senior ranks in August 2007. Then, in November 2009, Somerset revealed Masters as their first signing for the 2010 campaign.

The youngster joined the Rebels as a full club asset after they had who won the race for his signature ahead of five other sides; this despite the rival clubs being able to offer the Aussie better personal terms than those being tabled by the Oak Tree Arena-based outfit. His father, Peter, who accompanied Masters to the UK for the early months of the new season, stated that is was not a question of money, but instead what was best for rider’s career, future and welfare.

Having agreed to ride for Somerset, he celebrated by winning the New South Wales Under-21 Championship at Tamworth on 14 November, ahead of Alex Davies, Taylor Poole and Dakota North. Following that, on 16 January at Mildura, he finished a highly creditable fourth in the Australian Under-21 Championship.

He went on to be a big hit with the Rebels, showcasing bags of speed and ability on his way to 258 points from thirty-two official meetings and an impressive first-season average of 7.17 points per match. His excellent efforts were duly recognised when he scooped the club’s Rider of the Year award.

MELLGREN, Anders
DATE OF BIRTH: 22 June 1991, Hagfors, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Newport.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: A highly talented rider, Mellgren twice won the Swedish 80cc Championship, in 2006 and 2007, following in the illustrious tyre-tracks of Andreas Jonsson, Freddie Eriksson, Jonas Davidsson, Fredrik Lindgren, Ricky Kling and Simon Gustafsson, all of whom were previous victors. A visitor to Newport's Queensway Meadows venue in December 2009, he put in several laps of practice and was subsequently named in the Wasps' starting line-up for 2010. The Swede then gave notice of his immense promise when notching a well-acquired 9-point haul in the New Year Classic at the Welsh circuit on 3 January.  

Mellgren was maintaining an average in excess of 5 points per match for Newport, but was sidelined after sustaining a broken collarbone in heat two of an away Swedish Elite League fixture for Valsarna against Rospiggarna on 8 June. This had seen home rider Kauko Nieminen take a fall whilst leading the race, with the Swede sustaining the injury after laying his machine down. Towards the end of the month, the Wasps' management announced the signing of compatriot Robin Aspegren as his replacement.

However, following successful surgery on his collarbone, Mellgren was due to return to the Newport line-up for a home league match versus Stoke on 18 July, but missed the meeting after unfortunately suffering a recurrence of his injury whilst riding in his homeland. As a result, the Welsh outfit moved quickly to re-declare with Aspegren, who had made a good impression during his spell in the team.

MILLS, Christopher (Chris) William
DATE OF BIRTH: 29 March 1983, Chelmsford, Essex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Arena-Essex; (2002) King's Lynn II, Wimbledon; (2003) Isle of Wight, Oxford II; (2004) Reading, Oxford II; (2005) Reading, Oxford II, Somerset, Oxford; (2006) King's Lynn, Reading; (2007) King's Lynn, Lakeside; (2008) Reading, Lakeside; (2009) Sheffield, Lakeside; (2010) Bournemouth, King's Lynn.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Oxford II], 2006 [King's Lynn]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2006, 2007 [both King's Lynn]; Premier Trophy winner: 2006, 2007 [both King's Lynn].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 9.98 (NL), 4.99 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Mills' first speedway skids occurred at King's Lynn in 1999, when he attended a training school presided over by Shane Parker. He subsequently made his maiden appearance in the sport for Arena-Essex in a Premier League fixture at the Isle of Wight on 25 September 2001. That was to be his one and only official appearance of the season. In 2002, the youngster joined King's Lynn Kids for a year of Conference-level action and impressively attained a real-time average of 7.40. The year also saw him represent Wimbledon in the Conference Trophy, the London side having re-opened on 2 May that season after spending eleven years out of action. The Essex-boy joined the Isle of Wight in 2003, whilst also continuing to further his experience with the Oxford Silver Machine Academy side in the Conference League.

In 2004, ‘Millsy' first linked with Reading and again continued to serve Oxford in the Conference sphere of the British racing scene. Unfortunately, he did endure a spell on the injured list, having suffered a broken collarbone whilst representing the Silver Machine Academy in a league match versus Rye House at Cowley on 24 September. Come 2005 and he was again identified with both Reading and Oxford in the same capacity as the previous term.

However, he only appeared in eight meetings for the Racers in the Premier Trophy, before losing his team spot to veteran Steve Masters in June. He eventually re-located to Somerset late the following month. In the Conference sector, he enjoyed a fruitful campaign with Oxford, as they just shaded the League Championship by a single point from Wimbledon in a desperately tight finish. The tail-end of the ‘05 season also saw him ride in four Elite League matches for the senior Oxford side, the highlight being a return of 6+1 points at home to Wolverhampton on 28 October.

A move to King's Lynn followed in 2006 and Mills also filled the role of No. 8 at Reading, upon the club's elevation into the Elite League. In what was a wonderful year, he played a full part as the Norfolk side completed a glorious treble, winning the League Championship, Knock-Out Cup and Premier Trophy. For Reading, though, he made just five appearances, before a switch in July saw Glenn Cunningham take over in the No. 8 berth. The Chelmsford-born rider spent a second successive term with King's Lynn in 2007, again helping the Norfolk side to victory in both the Knock-Out Cup and Premier Trophy. The term also saw him take over from Chris Neath as the club No. 8 at Lakeside in June, although he was to only appear on three occasions for the Hammers.

A return to Reading followed in 2008 - when they dropped back into the Premier League - but it was a season of great sadness for the Berkshire club as, at then cessation of the campaign, they waved a fond farewell to their Smallmead home after 33 years at the venue. With the Racers in the speedway wilderness, Mills moved to one of his favourite tracks, Sheffield, for the 2009 campaign. Meanwhile, for a third successive term, he also remained a valued squad member at top-flight Lakeside.

Surprisingly, there were no takers for his services during the close season, although he remained hopeful of picking up a team spot. And, following a calf injury suffered by Jamie Smith during Rye House Cobras' Press Day on 15 March, he agreed to join the National League outfit as a replacement No. 1 during the unlucky Peterborough-born rider's enforced absence. However, before he had an opportunity to make his Rye House debut, Smith made a dramatic recovery and Mills was released. He wasn't without a team for long, though, as on 9 April Bournemouth revealed that they had signed him in place of back injury-victim Jay Herne. Then, at the tail-end of June, he returned to the Premier League, when he re-joined King's Lynn as a replacement for Linus Eklöf. His place in the Bournemouth side was subsequently filled by James Brundle.

Mills' stint in the Stars side didn't last long, though, as the club's management executed an astonishing raft of changes in August. The first move had seen Adam Roynon replace Joe Haines and this was immediately followed by another four amendments to their team declaration, as Mills and Casper Wortmann were released, whilst the injured Kevin Doolan and the unwell Darren Mallett also had their names removed from the 1-7. Olly Allen effectively replaced Doolan in the No. 1 slot, with the other incoming riders being Lasse Bjerre, Jamie Courtney and Cal McDade. But when new averages became effective in September, they permitted King's Lynn to re-introduce Mills at the expense of Adam Lowe who, himself, had replaced Courtney towards the end of August.

MIÅšKOWIAK, Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 21 November 1983, Rawicz, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005-10) Ipswich.
MAJOR HONOUR: World Under-21 Champion: 2004.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.69 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having represented Ipswich since the start of the 2005 campaign, it was a surprise to many when Miskowiak wasn't retained in 2009. The former World Under-21 Champion was subsequently recalled to the Witches' line-up late in June, though, when he took the place of Leigh Lanham. He was to produce some blistering form to yield a real-time average of over 8 points per match and, in December, it came as little surprise when Ipswich's management confirmed that he would again represent the club in 2010. However, due to a backlog of fixtures in Poland caused by inclement weather, both he and compatriot Dawid Stachyra were not been given start permission by the Polish authorities to ride in the UK until a week later than originally scheduled.

MORLEY, Ben
DATE OF BIRTH: 10 March 1994, Southend, Essex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009-10) Rye House II.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: As a 15-year-old, Morley was handed a team berth in Rye House’s National League side in 2009 and the youngster produced several eye-catching performances on his way to an encouraging real-time average of close on 5 points per match. After the season, the Southend-born speedster engaged in a heavy programme of practice and, in December, he was again named as a starter in the Cobras’ line-up for 2010.

Morley was to show plenty more of his undoubted promise to attain an average in excess of 5 points per match, prior to sustaining an ankle injury in heat three of a home league match versus Bournemouth on 24 July. He was subsequently taken to hospital where a break was confirmed and, following an operation, he was released five days later. Whilst he recuperated, Rye House moved to sign Ricky Scarboro as cover for his absence. That situation was reversed in September, though, when the fit-again Morley returned to the line-up at the expense of Scarboro.

MORRIS, Ashley
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 May 1994, Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Scunthorpe II; (2010) Dudley, Edinburgh.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2010 [Edinburgh].
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-15 Champion: 2009.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.68 (NL).
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.68 (NL), 3.00 (PL).

ADDITIONAL INFO: Morris initially began riding on a 150cc machine in 2006 and, under the guidance of former Buxton rider Neil Painter, he eventually moved on to a full 500cc machine in 2008, when he initially used Dan Greenwood's steed at King's Lynn on a practice day. Injuries curtailed his participation in that year's British Under-15 Championship and, in fact, limited him to a solitary appearance in the first round at Stoke on 10 July. Indeed, in that meeting at Loomer Road, he sustained a painful chipped bone in his hip, when he was sent through the fence after a collision with another rider. Then, just two days afterwards, he compounded his problems by breaking a wrist in an Academy fixture at Coventry.
 
Having turned fifteen years-of-age, he was introduced to Scunthorpe Saints' squad as their official No. 8 rider late in May 2009, when James Sarjeant moved from the position into the main body of the side. Morris reached the pinnacle of his fledgling career on 19 September, when he sealed overall victory in the British Under-15 Championship at the Northside track in Workington. He went on to complete fifteen official matches for Saints, yielding 76 points and an impressive 5.56 real-time average.

Towards the end of January, he was named as the first member of the new Dudley side, which would contest the National League in 2010, splitting their home matches between the Wolverhampton and Birmingham circuits. In May, it was revealed that the British Under-15 Champion had signed for Wolverhampton. Morris put pen to paper on his 16th birthday but, while his long-term future lay with the Monmore club, he would remain with Dudley for at least the rest of the 2010 campaign. And, late in August, he also got an opportunity to further advance his learning curve when Edinburgh signed him as a replacement for Arlo Bugeja.
 
MORRIS, Nicholas (Nick) Craig
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 June 1994, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Buxton, Glasgow.
MAJOR HONOUR: Queensland Under-16 Champion: 2009, 2010; New South Wales Under-16 Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2010 [Buxton].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL), 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Morris started riding at the age of ten and, having acquired his first bike in February 2005, he took his initial practice skids on vacant land near the site of the old Savanah Speedway in Townsville, North Queensland, in readiness for his first official meeting at Pioneer Park the following month.

His interest in the sport came about due to his father, Lee, taking him along to meetings from four years-of-age. He enjoyed a blossoming career in football at school and had played at club level, but had to choose between following that route or pursuing his speedway interests. However, he did continue to participate in school sports, including Rugby League, but had to drop the competitive activities that clashed with speedway.

As a highly-rated 15-year-old, Morris was runner-up in the 2009 Australian Under-16 Championship and also finished third in the 350cc title chase. He subsequently arrived in the UK with his dad in August that year and managed to get in plenty of practice at numerous tracks. Indeed, he rode at King’s Lynn, Swindon, Coventry, Stoke, Berwick, Scunthorpe and Glasgow during his stay, and competed in individual and team events.

Those included appearing in a round of the Scunthorpe Summer Series on 26 September, when he made the final alongside three Danish riders. He also represented a Glasgow select side versus Team Viking from Scandinavia on 28 September, when he unfortunately crashed whilst leading heat two and was withdrawn from the remainder of the meeting due to back pain.

The Glasgow management were impressed with what they had seen of him and it was they who eventually won the race to capture his signature to begin his Premier League career in June 2010, when he turned sixteen. And, in December, Buxton announced the signing of Morris in preparation for their National League campaign. Prior to his arrival in the UK in March, he enjoyed his last term in Australian junior speedway by defending his Queensland Under-16 title at Gladstone and also lifting the New South Wales Under-16 Championship.

In another speedway connection, Nick’s father was a Cradley Heath supporter before he emigrated Down Under and, doubtless, he was delighted with the Heathens’ return to the speedway scene – under the name of Dudley – in 2010, when the side split their home meetings between the circuits of Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Morris made an encouraging start to his British career with Buxton, culminating in an excellent tally of 11+3 points from five rides when the Hitmen entertained Mildenhall in a Knock-Out Cup tie on 2 May. Indeed, he formed a devastating reserve partnership with fellow Aussie Robert Branford; the two riders being paid for a combined total of 26 points against the Fen Tigers.

Early in June, he was drafted into the Glasgow side – at the same time as the big arrival of former Great Britain international Joe Screen – replacing fellow Aussie Michael Penfold, who had struggled to get to grips with racing in the UK. And it didn’t take him long to bag his first maximum for the Tigers; this came in a Premier Trophy encounter against fierce Scottish rivals Edinburgh at Ashfield on 25 July, when he carded an unbeaten 12+3 points from five starts. In so doing – at 16 years 1 month and 18 days – he became the second youngest rider in Glasgow’s history to register a full-house, behind Kiwi legend Mitch Shirra.

Morris was a key figure in what turned out to be Buxton’s most successful season in their 16-year history, as he posted a 7.91 average courtesy of 162 points from eighteen matches. His appearances for the club were curtailed due to Glasgow sharing the Hitmen’s Sunday race-day and also by the fact that he returned home to Australia in mid-October, thereby missing out on an exciting run-in that included the team’s participation in the finals of both the Knock-Out Cup and Play-Offs.

MROCZKA, Artur
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 November 1989, Grudziadz, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Poole.
MAJOR HONOURS: European Under-19 Champion: 2008; World Under-21 Team Cup winner: 2008, 2009.
CLUB HONOUR: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2010 [Poole].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Mroczka was a member of the Polish national team that won the Under-21 Team Cup in both 2008 and 2009. Showing his credentials as an outstanding prospect, he also took victory in the 2008 European Under-19 Championship at Stralsund, Germany, as well as the prestigious Polish Bronze Helmet at Gdañsk.

Late in the 2009 season, the youngster with the world at his feet joined Poole for a series of challenge matches, as the Dorset club rested a number of riders in order to try out some new faces. Some impressive performances followed and, in December, he was named as a member of the Pirates’ starting line-up for 2010.

The Grudziądz-born rider started the campaign like a steam train from a reserve berth for Poole, compiling a series of eye-catching scores and he backed this up with a convincing first-place finish in the Polish Final of the World Under-21 Championship at Gdañsk on 7 April. His sparkling form saw his average rocket to over 8 points per match, but he was temporarily sidelined by a badly sprained ankle during the Pirates’ home league encounter versus Ipswich on 9 June.

That occurred in heat nine of the match when he hit the air safety barrier with a hefty impact on the third bend, before becoming trapped. Thankfully, though, a trip to Poole Hospital revealed no broken bones. However, the Pole was to end the campaign on the injured list after a crash in heat seven of the Pirates’ visit to Eastbourne for the first leg of the Knock-Out Cup final on 24 October. The accident left him feeling dazed and, following medical advice, he was ruled out of the return match at Wimborne Road.

In his absence, his team-mates went on to seal an aggregate victory over the Eagles at Wimborne Road on 27 October, as they gained some consolation for missing out on the League Championship after losing out to Coventry in the Play-Off final. The statistical run-down for the season gave Mroczka a healthy real-time average of 6.89; the Pole totalled 212 points from thirty-six official meetings. Having averaged in excess of 8 points a match at one time, it was understandable that his figure would fall after a move into the main body of the side but, nonetheless, this was still an excellent return from his first term of UK racing.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 2 – 97th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 1 – 130th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 2 – 126th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

MUDGWAY, Jade
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 June 1988, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Redcar II; (2009) Buxton; (2010) Berwick.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Kiwi began his British career with Redcar’s then-Conference League outfit in 2008 when, showing impressive form, he achieved a real-time average of 6.87 from a dozen official appearances. Following the decision not to continue with the Cubs at the South Tees Motorsports Park, Mudgway linked with Buxton in 2009 and his progress continued with an average in excess of 8.5 points per match. After the season’s conclusion, in December, he was named in Berwick’s starting line-up for 2010.

His acquisition continued the Bandits’ proud tradition of signing Kiwi riders, as the Wellington-born speedster added his name to the list of former club greats, such as Roy Williams, Dave Gifford, Roger Wright, Mike Fullerton, Robin Adlington, Bruce Cribb and the late, great Wayne Brown. The reason for Mudgway’s full-time step-up to the higher level of racing was because Commonwealth riders are only permitted to race in the National League for a maximum of two years.

The New Zealander sustained painful bruising when he fell on the third bend of heat four during the Bandits’ home match versus Redcar in the Tweed-Tees Trophy on 4 September. He recovered quickly to maintain an average in excess of 4.5 points a match, however, his season ended abruptly on 3 October, when he made a guest appearance for Glasgow in a Scottish Cup encounter versus Edinburgh at Ashfield. He had impressively netted 8+2 points, when he came to grief in his fifth outing for the Tigers in heat fourteen. This occurred when he attempted to pass William Lawson, but only succeeded in hitting the fence with force. The upshot was a cracked bone in his coccyx and bruised kidneys.

MULLINS, Rikki Joe
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 October 1988, Sidcup, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Sittingbourne; (2009-10) Isle of Wight.
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having previously only enjoyed limited outings for Sittingbourne in 2008, an impressive after-meeting spin at Smallbrook Stadium led to Mullins being drafted into the Isle of Wight side in July 2009, following Dan Berwick's enforced break through injury. But, upon Berwick's return to fitness, Mullins was re-located to the side's No. 8 berth in place of Scott Meakins. In January, the speedster from Sidcup was again named in the Islanders' squad for 2010, when he once more filled the No. 8 position. However, misfortune struck on 15 May - on the eve of an away league match at Buxton - when the rider and his dad were involved in a car crash in which both suffered whiplash injuries. Thankfully, Mullins was able to return to action for the Islanders shortly afterwards. However, towards the end of June, he lost his No. 8 berth in the side's team declaration to Danny Hodgson.