PALM TOFT, Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 26 July 1990, Odense, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Scunthorpe.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Scunthorpe announced the signing of the Danish youngster as a replacement for Joe Haines on 28 June 2011. Toft, who was the World 80cc Champion in 2006, also represented Outrup in the Danish League and was part of the national team that qualified for the World Under-21 Team Cup final.

Palm Toft, who also rode in the Danish First Division and won a Danish Under-21 qualifier earlier in the season, was delighted to have found a British club so quickly, having only completed his studies the previous week. His Scorpions’ debut occurred in a Knock-Out Cup replay versus Ipswich at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 1 July, when he impressively totalled 7 points riding out of the No. 3 berth.

Although his efforts on that occasion couldn’t prevent Scunthorpe from heading out of the competition, Palm Toft went even better the following evening in a league match at Newport, netting 8+2 points, as his side claimed a 49-43 victory.

PARKER, Shane Andrew
DATE OF BIRTH: 29 April 1970, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (1990-94) Ipswich; (1995-96) Middlesbrough; (1997-98) King’s Lynn; (1999) Hull; (2000) King’s Lynn, Belle Vue; (2001-02) Peterborough; (2003) King’s Lynn, Peterborough; (2004-09) Glasgow; (2010) Somerset; (2011) Sheffield.
MAJOR HONOURS: South Australian State Under-16 Champion: 1984, 1985; Australian Under-16 Champion: 1985; South Australia State Champion: 1991, 1994, 2001, 2002.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 1991 [Ipswich]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2001 [Peterborough]; Pairs Championship winner: 2005, 2006 [both Glasgow].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.95 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Parker has ridden bikes for most of his life, having first tried cycle speedway at just three years-of-age. He then moved on to moto-cross, before taking up junior speedway at eleven and finally the full-size machines when fifteen at North Arm, Adelaide. And, an early success came not long after that, when he won the Australian Under-16 Championship.

Prior to his twentieth birthday, in 1990, he ventured to the UK to link with the then-Division Two Ipswich and remained with the club – through their elevation back to the top-flight the following year – until the conclusion of the 1994 campaign.

A switch to Middlesbrough for the two years of the large amalgamated Premier League was to prove a precursor for a return to British speedway’s uppermost tier with King’s Lynn in 1997, for what was the first season of the all-new Elite League.

After two terms with the then-nicknamed Knights, Parker spent a year at Hull as the East Yorkshire club dipped a toe in the higher echelon for just a single season. For the new Millennium, the Aussie was again identified in the colours of King’s Lynn but, with the Norfolk side riding high in the league standings, it came as a considerable shock when he was dropped and replaced by Peter Nahlin towards the end of July. Parker subsequently saw the season out with Belle Vue, prior to linking with Peterborough in 2001.

The regular patrons at the East of England Showground were to enjoy his trademark brand of showmanship and flamboyance for a couple of seasons, before he became the first rider to take advantage of a rule change in 2003 that permitted him to also ‘double-down’ with King’s Lynn, who had returned to the second sphere of racing. That certainly kept the rider from Down Under busy, as the year saw him total a whopping 70 official appearances between the Panthers and the revamped Stars!

Parker moved into the Premier League on a full-time basis when he signed for Glasgow in 2004 and, in six seasons with the club, his popularity simply soared – so much so that he joined the likes of Steve Lawson and Charlie Monk at the sharp end of the club’s legends’ list. In his first term with the Scottish outfit, he was quickly dubbed the ‘King of Ashfield’ and his dominance at the circuit saw him launch a year-on-year assault on the track record, which he lowered on a number of occasions.

An example of his conviction to the club occurred in 2005 after he had suffered a collarbone break in Glasgow’s league fixture at Newport on 10 June. This was sustained in heat four of the match, when he clipped the rear wheel of Wasps’ guest Stuart Robson during a titanic scrap. Despite the injury, he heroically rode alongside George Stancl a little over a fortnight later, on 26 June, when the duo took victory in the Premier League Pairs Championship at their Ashfield Stadium.

In a hectic year, his testimonial was also played out at the Glasgow venue on 17 July, when Sam Ermolenko took victory in an individual event. Meanwhile, off the track, Parker was the leading light in reforming the Speedway Riders’ Association and he organized their first-ever awards evening, too. The Tigers replicated their PL Pairs triumph on 8 October 2006, when Parker master-minded a successful defence of the title with Danny Bird.

Regrettably, the Aussie suffered a bout of pneumonia prior to the start of the 2008 season. Then, after a difficult beginning to the campaign whilst he regained fitness, his tall scoring form for Glasgow returned, only for him to suffer a broken collarbone and lower arm whilst making a guest appearance for King’s Lynn in a league match at Berwick on 3 May. Parker sustained the injuries in the opening heat, after clashing with home team member Norbert Magosi on the first bend.

It had been thought that the 2009 campaign might represent the Adelaide-born speedster’s last in the saddle but, in August, the Scottish Sun gave Glasgow supporters a ray of hope when the rider himself stated that it was a little premature to suggest he would retire at the end of the term.

The veteran Aussie sustained a broken knuckle in the Tigers’ league match at Berwick on 19 September and although he rode in the following day’s home encounter versus Birmingham, he was forced to pull out of the meeting after two rides and seek medical advice.

The upshot meant a plaster cast on his hand and the remainder of the campaign on the sidelines. Glasgow fans were shocked in November, however, when Parker quit the club; there was no animosity – it was simply a combination of the travelling from his Midlands’ base and the continuous weekends away from his family.

Subsequently, at the tail-end of the month, he was named in Somerset’s starting line-up for 2010 and, although he didn’t begin the season too well, Parker soon got back amongst the points to maintain an average of well over 8 points a match. As ever, he also proved to be a great leader and guiding light in the pits; his attributes and qualities being essential in view of the number of younger riders in the Rebels’ line-up.

At the season’s end, he had remained ever-present throughout the Rebels’ 36-match programme, scoring 338 points to average 8.40 but, despite that, in November it was revealed that the Aussie wasn’t part of Somerset’s plans for 2011. However, on 15 December, Sheffield announced that they had signed the vastly experienced rider as their new No. 1. And Parker also confirmed that it would be his last year in British racing, before he headed home with his family.

PAWLICKI, Piotr
DATE OF BIRTH: 30 November 1994, Leszno, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Coventry.
MAJOR HONOUR: Polish Under-21 Champion: 2011.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Piotr Pawlicki Sr. (born: 31 July 1963, Zaborów, Poland). Brother of Przemysław Pawlicki (born: 5 September 1991, Leszno, Poland).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Coventry announced that the teenage Pole would be joining them in mid-August 2011. The then 16-year-old Pawlicki was the younger brother of fellow Bees rider Przemysław and had attracted rave reviews for his performances on the continent during the season.

Indeed, he was a competitor in the four-round World Under-21 Championship and actually outscored his brother with an impressive 12-point tally in the first round of the series at Poole on 24 July. He linked with Coventry as part of a lower-order re-shuffle in the squad, which saw Travis McGowan and Peter Kildemand released from their ‘doubling-up’ duties.

However, the Polish youngster’s season was to end early after he suffered a broken wrist in his homeland on 9 October. Pawlicki crashed in the first race of the final round of the Word Under-21 Championship at Gniezno, a meeting won ironically by his brother Przemysław who scored a 15-point maximum.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
The younger of the racing brothers was named as one of the reserves for the 2011 FIM Torun Speedway Grand Prix of Poland.

PAWLICKI, Przemysław
DATE OF BIRTH: 5 September 1991, Leszno, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010-11) Coventry.
MAJOR HONOURS: European Under-19 Champion: 2009; European Under-19 Team Champion: 2009, 2010; World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2009.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2010 [Coventry].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Piotr Pawlicki Sr. (born: 31 July 1963, Zaborów, Poland). Brother of Piotr Pawlicki Jr. (born: 30 November 1994, Leszno, Poland).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Pawlicki made a spectacular, double-figure scoring Polish Extraleague debut with Leszno in 2008 when, on 20 July, he netted 11 points in a home encounter versus Wrocław. And, having finished fourth in the Polish Under-21 Championship, the Polish magazine Tygodnik Żużlowy [Speedway Weekly] awarded him with the accolade of Revelation of the Year.

In 2009, he made further huge strides and produced a jaw-dropping performance at Tarnów on 11 July to win the European Under-19 Championship, ahead of Maciej Janowski and Martin Vaculik. He followed that up by helping Poland to land the European Under-19 Team Championship by netting a full 15 points in the final at Holsted, Denmark, on 23 August.

Then, at Gorzów on 5 September, Pawlicki posted another 15-point maximum as Poland claimed the World Under-21 Team Cup for a fifth successive year. Regrettably, his momentum came to a sudden halt three days after the WTC glory when he crashed in a junior meeting at Gorzów, sustaining a broken arm.

Fully fit for 2010, he appeared on Coventry’s radar following an early-season injury to Christian Hefenbrock and, on 20 April, Bees’ boss Alun Rossiter was delighted to announce that, although it had taken some time to finalise, he had pulled off the signing of the teenage hotshot as a replacement for the unlucky German.

The Pole belatedly made his Coventry debut on 10 May, notching an impressive 7-point tally in a league encounter at Swindon. However, the Warwickshire club was then dealt a major blow with the news that they are unable to track him in their home league clash with Ipswich four days later.

Alun Rossiter subsequently held urgent talks with Pawlicki and his advisors after the rider was told he instead had to practice at Gorzów in preparation for an away Extra League fixture at Zielona Góra on 16 May.

The Bees received a boost on 20 May, though, when Pawlicki was able to make his home league debut versus Wolverhampton. This came after he had been due to take a Polish Pairs booking for his Gorzów club, but the event was rained-off and he was able to gain clearance to fly to the UK instead.

Pawlicki was unable to replicate his success of the previous year in the European Under-19 Championship at Goričan, Croatia, on 24 July – instead he had to settle for the runner-up spot following a three-man title run-off. This occurred after he had tied on 14 points with fellow Pole Patryk Dudek and Swede Denis Andersson. It was Andersson who took victory on a rain-soaked circuit, whilst Pawlicki passed his compatriot for the silver medal.

Then, on 8 August, he became a double-winner of the European Under-19 Team Championship with Poland as they swept to victory in Divišov, Czech Republic, finishing a massive 31 points ahead of second-placed Sweden. Pawlicki’s contribution was 14 points, with his team-mates being Maciej Janowski, Patryk Dudek, Kacper Gomólski and Łukasz Cyran.

The Leszno-born rider produced an eye-catching display for Coventry against table-topping Poole at Brandon on 9 September, when he scored 12 (paid 14) points as the Bees completed a late surge up the Elite League table to grab a Play-Off spot.

However, he suffered a crash whilst racing in Germany the following day and picked up an arm injury, which required pain-killers to enable him to participate in the Polish Under-21 Championship final at Toruń on 11 September. He came through that meeting successfully with a 14-point score in second place, behind Swindon recruit Maciek Janowski, but reported further pain after his later rides.

He declared himself fit to represent the Bees in the first leg of the Play-Off semi-final at home to Peterborough two days later. He was subsequently ‘rested’ from what was described as a ‘dead-rubber’ league fixture at Swindon on 16 September, before returning to action for Coventry and helping the side to achieve a 101-82 aggregate victory over the Panthers in the return Play-Off semi-final four days afterwards.

The Bees then faced 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 did the Bees defend their 12-point first leg lead, but they also won the away leg, 50-40, as well. Pawlicki top-scored for the Bees on the night, his remarkable haul of 16+1 points from a reserve berth undoubtedly being a crucial factor in the League Championship success.

He concluded the campaign with an impressive 7.08 average to his name, having notched a total of 132 points from seventeen official appearances. His best performances have previously been mentioned, at home being his tally of 12+2 points from six starts in league action against Poole on 9 September, whilst away it was his amazing 16+1 return from seven rides against the same opposition in the Play-Off final on 4 October.

Pawlicki was expected to remain with Coventry in 2011, having ended the previous season at reserve and still holding the assessed 4.00 green-sheet average he was given when he had linked with the club in April (although he didn’t make his club debut until May), having only completed eleven league matches. He had controversially missed one meeting and therefore avoided the normal 12-match requirement for a new average.

The Bees claimed to have broken no rules when the Pole was absent for a fixture at Swindon on 16 September, which kept him below the 12-meeting mark. However, there had allegedly been a move for his average to be increased to 6.18, based on the eleven matches he had ridden in.

Due to that and other issues, Coventry became involved in a winter-long dispute with the BSPA and were late in coming to the line for the start of the campaign, before the situation was finally resolved. The Pole again took his place in the Bees’ line-up, but with an increased starting average of 5.00.

Pawlicki started the campaign like a steam train for the Bees and a succession of tall scores gave him a real-time average of 9.33 after the club’s first four league matches. However, he was temporarily forced on to the sidelines after suffering concussion in a crash whilst racing for Stokłosa Polonia Piła in a league match at KSM Krosno in his homeland on 8 May.

The Pole’s appearances for Coventry were to be restricted by injuries sustained in his homeland, leading to frustration for Bees’ boss Alun Rossiter. Indeed, ‘Rosco’ stated that Pawlicki should not even have been competing in the meetings where the knocks occurred.

The rider had twice been involved in crashes in Polish Second Division fixtures, suffering concussion on the first occasion at Piła and missing Coventry’s trips to Poole and Birmingham as a result. Then he was brought down again on 29 May, whilst representing Piła in a home encounter versus Kolejarz Rawicz, sustaining a wrist injury that would have ruled him out of the rained-off home clash with Poole the following day.

Rossiter felt the rider was being ill-advised in Poland because he was good enough to race in the Extraleague and couldn’t understand why he was riding two leagues below that, where everyone was out there to beat him and, as a result, he kept on getting knocked off his machine.

After missing Coventry’s trip to Birmingham on 2 June, Pawlicki finally returned to the Bees’ line-up in an away fixture at Swindon on 9 June, when he brilliantly reeled off four straight wins only to then be denied the chance of a 15-point maximum by a throttle cable breakage on the start line in the nominated heat.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 1 – 138th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix races: 1 – 148th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 0 – n/a
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 0 – n/a

PEDERSEN, Bjarne Aagaard
DATE OF BIRTH: 12 July 1978, Ryde, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000-01) Newcastle; (2002) Poole; (2003) Poole, Newcastle; (2004-10) Poole; (2011) Eastbourne.
MAJOR HONOURS: Danish Under-21 Champion: 1999; Danish Champion: 2004; Elite League Riders’ Champion: 2004; World Cup Champion: 2006, 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2001 [Newcastle], 2003 [Poole], 2004 [Poole], 2008 [Poole]; Craven Shield winner: 2002, 2006 [both Poole]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2003, 2004, 2010 [all Poole]; British League Cup winner: 2003 [Poole]; Pairs Championship winner: 2007 [Poole].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHT: European GP Champion: 2004.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 8.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dane first rode in his homeland at Holstebro in 1990, prior to venturing to the UK to link with Newcastle ten years later. And, in a sensational debut UK term, he posted an average in excess of 9 points per match for the Diamonds, whilst also becoming something of an expert on the inside line at the Brough Park raceway.

If Pedersen’s first season at Newcastle had been brilliant, then his second year with the club was sensational as notched over 500 points, upped his average to over the 10-point mark and helped the side claim the Premier League Championship.

A move into the top-flight was inevitable after such scintillating form and it was Poole who won the race for his coveted signature for the 2002 campaign. And, despite the step-up in class, he showcased several eye-catching performances to average close on 7 points per match and his undoubted ability was there for all to witness.

Although the ultra-professional Pedersen slightly increased his average with the Pirates in 2003, he didn’t make the strides that had been predicted of him. However, he benefited substantially from being able to ‘doubling-down’ – alongside Coventry’s Stuart Robson – with Newcastle from mid-May onwards, as the familiar surroundings of Brough Park again brought out the best in him.

After that, he was to enjoy a terrific year in 2004, winning the Danish Championship at Holsted, the European Grand Prix at WrocÅ‚aw, Poland, and the Elite League Riders’ Championship at his home Wimborne Road circuit, as well as raising his average to 8.63 with Poole. Understandably, he scooped the club’s Rider of the Year award for his brilliant efforts.  

He was to head the Pirates’ averages in 2005 and was to regularly post figures in excess of 9 points per match, as the Dorset club added to their back-to-back League Championship and Knock-Out Cup doubles of 2003 and 2004, their Craven Shield success of 2002 and their British League Cup triumph of 2003; indeed, he was an integral part of their various successes.

Pedersen’s testimonial meeting took place at Poole on 18 March 2009, when the County Crest Pallets defeated Newcastle 50-37. That year represented his eighth consecutive season for the club and he also continued in the role of captain, having been appointed the position in 2006 due to his extensive experience with the side. Meanwhile, on the individual front, the Dane was a Grand Prix regular from 2003 to 2008 but, having totaled 58 appearances and 457 points in the series, he didn’t figure beyond that point.

Late in the campaign, it was agreed that he could take a break from representing the Pirates in some challenge matches in order to spend time with his partner, Lone, who was expecting a child in early October. Pedersen did confirm, though, that he would be available to ride for Poole should they go into the Relegation Race-Off against the Premier League Play-Off victors.

However, in the event the Pirates avoided that scenario, but Pedersen was quick to confirm that he wanted to continue representing the Dorset side for at least two more years. And, in December, despite a drop in form that had seen his real-time average dip to 8.31, the club confirmed that he would once again line-up for them in 2010. And he was to show resurgent form to up his average to close on 9 points a match and also top Poole’s statistical run-down for the campaign.

The season also saw Pedersen become the club’s all-time third highest point-scorer during the Pirates’ league fixture versus South Coast rivals Eastbourne at Wimborne Road on 4 August. The Danish star overtook Steve Schofield in the standings to move behind top man Craig Boyce and the second-placed Pete Smith.

The Pirates 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, when Pedersen top-scored as they clinched an aggregate victory over Eastbourne to lift the Knock-Out Cup; it being the Dane’s third such success with Poole in the competition.

When all the numbers were added up at the campaign’s conclusion, Pedersen was credited with a real-time average of 8.83 courtesy of 380 points from forty-one official appearances. And, having been the backbone of the Pirates’ line-up for nine seasons, he deservedly collected the Rider of the Year award at the club’s Presentation Evening, held at the Premier Inn, Westover Road, Bournemouth, on 5 November.

On 4 December, Poole confirmed that Pedersen would be looking for a new club after the rider had been informed that he wasn’t in the Pirates’ plans for 2011. Promoter Matt Ford described the decision to release the Dane after nine terms at Wimborne Road as the toughest of his time in charge. This had come about due to a reduced points-limit under which, if they had retained the long-serving rider, it was considered the team would have been too top heavy.

A day later, though, Eastbourne swooped to sign Pedersen on loan as the spearhead for their honours challenge the following term. The Dane was to take the No. 1 race-jacket, as the club confirmed that there would be no return for Matej Žagar; the East Sussex outfit having decided to move back to a Saturday race-night.

The Dane played a big part as the Eagles began the season on fire and soared to the head of the Elite League standings. However, he missed the team’s league fixture at Peterborough on 28 April, with the East Sussex club later confirming that his absence was because he was back home in Denmark receiving treatment on his back, having suffered with it since completing two matches for Eastbourne on Good Friday [22 April].

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 58 – 13th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 457 – 15th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 296 – 13th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 55 – 16th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 1 – 22nd on SGP all-time list      
Grand Prix finals: 7 – 20th on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 11
Events: 26 – 1st on Denmark’s list; 2nd on SWC all-time list
Points: 264 – 2nd on Denmark’s list; 6th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 10
Gold medals: 2

PEDERSEN, Nicki
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 April 1977, Odense, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (1998) Newcastle; (1999-2000) Wolverhampton; (2001-02) King’s Lynn; (2003) Oxford, Eastbourne; (2004-07) Eastbourne; (2011) Peterborough.
MAJOR HONOURS: Danish Under-21 Champion: 1997, 1998; Danish Champion: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011; World Champion: 2003, 2007, 2008; Elite League Riders’ Champion: 2005, 2007; World Cup Champion: 2006, 2008; Czech Golden Helmet Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOUR: Premiership winner: 2001 [King’s Lynn].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: European GP Champion: 2002, 2007, 2011; British GP Champion: 2003; Slovenian GP Champion: 2006, 2007; Polish GP Champion: 2006, 2009; Italian GP Champion: 2007; Czech Republic GP Champion: 2007, 2008.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Ronni Pedersen (born: 6 October 1974, Middelfart, Denmark).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 10.46 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Pedersen began speedway racing when aged 11 at Fjelsted in his Danish homeland. His career in the UK began with Premier League Newcastle in 1998, when he stormed to 357 points from twenty-eight official meetings for an average of 9.97.

There was only one way he could go after that and he moved into the top-flight with Wolverhampton in 1999 season. He spent two terms at Monmore Green, before the club loaned him out to King’s Lynn in 2001.

His stint at the Norfolk Arena replicated that of his spell in the West Midlands and lasted for two seasons, after which he followed promoter Nigel Wagstaff to Oxford. However, following a dispute, he left Cowley part-way through the 2003 campaign and linked with Eastbourne.

Pedersen remained with the Eagles until the conclusion of the 2007 campaign and subsequently lost his place in the side due to a change of ownership and a reduction in the points-limit for team building purposes. In his final season with the club, the hard-charging Dane yielded 342.5 points and a huge 10.55 average from twenty-six appearances.

During his time with the East Sussex outfit, he suffered concussion, as well as back and finger injuries when he crashed during the first leg of the Danish League Play-Offs at Fjelsted on 31 August 2005. The accident occurred when he slightly locked-up in front of Slangerup’s Kenneth Bjerre, with both riders hitting the safety fence at speed.

Eastbourne came mighty close to a major title on three occasions through Pederesen’s high scoring. In 2005, they lost out to Belle Vue in the Knock-Out Cup final and were also beaten into second place by Oxford in the Craven Shield final. In 2006, they came third in the Craven Shield final, behind winners Poole and second-placed Coventry.  

Still an asset of Wolverhampton, he ruled out a return to the Elite League until – following much speculation – he was officially confirmed as Peterborough’s first signing for the 2011 season on 15 March, some 17 years after the Panthers had initially tried to sign him.

Indeed, he had pledged his future to the East of England Showground side in 1994 but, when he was ready to start his professional career, his average was too high to fit into the all-conquering Premier League side of 1998.

His acquisition by the Panthers marked the beginning of the end of a winter of discontent, which had seen both the Panthers and Coventry at loggerheads with the BSPA.

On the world stage, Pedersen first raced in the Grand Prix series in 2000, when he appeared as a wildcard in Sweden and Denmark. In the second of these at Vojens on 2 September, he certainly impressed by finishing in fourth place.

That earned him a permanent GP spot in 2001 and he showed potential in the opening round that year, finishing third in Germany. Consistent scoring left him in eleventh place in the World Championship after his first full year.

Pedersen had a bad start to 2002, but secured his GP place in 2003 after recording the first win of his career in the European Grand Prix at Katowice, Poland, on 14 September. Overall, he finished the year in twelfth place despite an inconsistent season.

In 2003, he improved massively on his previous performances. He finished second in the opening round of the season and, after a tenth place in the Swedish Grand Prix, Pedersen won the British round in Cardiff on 14 June to give him a chance of becoming World Champion. And consistent high placings, together with four more podium finishes – including three in a row – secured him a first World title.

The 2004 season was less successful for Pedersen; he failed to record a single win or a podium place. He finished in fifth place in the World Championship; well behind the two leaders, winner Jason Crump and runner-up Tony Rickardsson.

A second place in Slovenia was his best result during the 2005 GP campaign and he finished fourth overall in the World Championship. Pedersen won the opening round of the 2006 series in Slovenia on 22 April but, after that, he fell behind the championship leaders. He improved to finish third in the World Championship, however, after a podium place in Latvia and a win in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on 23 September.
 
Pedersen was dominant in 2007, winning four of the eleven Grand Prix rounds and finishing runner-up in another two. He won the penultimate GP in Slovenia on 22 September and, in so doing, became World Champion for a second time after accumulating an unassailable lead at the head of the standings.

Although he was to only win one round in 2008 at Prague, Czech Republic, on 2 August, he still maintained his grip on the World title through his sheer consistency, finishing 22 points ahead of Crump at the conclusion of the series.

However, he slipped down the pecking order in 2009 and only a win in the final round at Bydgoszcz, Poland, on 17 October elevated him to sixth place overall. And, in a troubled, confidence-sapping 2010 campaign, he failed to win a round and ended up in tenth position.

Pedersen showcased renewed hunger and desire for the World Championship going into the 2011 GP campaign and got the series off to a flying start by taking victory ahead of the reigning title holder, Tomasz Gollob, in the European round at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium, Leszno, Poland, on 30 April.

Then, on 14 May, in the second round of the series, he became only the fifth rider in Grand Prix history to reach 100 appearances in the prestigious competition, joining Greg Hancock [135], Tomasz Gollob [131], Jason Crump [124] and Leigh Adams [115] on the milestone figure.

Eastbourne had been relishing the return to Arlington of their former club legend for a televised Elite League fixture against Peterborough on 23 May, but Pedersen was ruled out of the match-up after a crash in Poland the previous day.

Regrettably, he suffered arm and leg injuries in a clash with Dennis Andersson in the first running of heat five of Gorzów’s 48-42 defeat at Wrocław. He also aggravated a coccyx injury, which he had sustained in Sweden on 17 May. Andersson was excluded from the re-run, but Pedersen won the re-run and then rode through the pain barrier to take a further four rides.

With his arm and leg subsequently stiffening up, it meant a change of plans so that he could fly home to Denmark to see his physiotherapist for immediate treatment. And he responded well to the medical attention, so much so that he was able to return to the Panthers’ line-up for a home match versus Birmingham on 26 May, when he top-scored with 11+1 points.

Days later, in the early hours of 1 June, the Peterborough captain had a fortunate escape from injury in a road traffic accident, when his van collided with a moose whilst taking him back to Denmark from a Swedish Elitserien meeting at Norrköping the previous evening.

The animal caused considerable damage to the vehicle and Pedersen was thrown out of his bunk through the force of the impact. Fortunately, the triple individual World Champion escaped without injury although he subsequently had treatment from his physiotherapist, Lisa Thorney, in Silkeborg. With him at the time of the accident were his pits crew, former World finalist and Coventry star John Jørgensen, plus ex-King’s Lynn racer Tom P. Madsen.

In early September, Peterborough revealed that they had reached agreement for Hans Andersen to re-join club in place of Pedersen who, it was stated, was released in order to focus on his Grand Prix efforts. At the time, the triple World Champion was just below the cut-off for automatic qualification for the 2012 GP series and needed to make sure he gave everything to securing his GP future without having to rely on a permanent wildcard selection.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 105 – 5th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 1273 – 6th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 600 – 5th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 220 – 4th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 11 – 5th on SGP all-time list      
Grand Prix finals: 44 – 5th on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 10
Events: 23 – 2nd on Denmark’s list; 5th on SWC all-time list
Points: 279 – 1st on Denmark’s list; 2nd on SWC all-time list
Finals: 9
Gold medals: 2

PERRY, Thomas (Tom) Andrew
DATE OF BIRTH: 22 February 1993, Albrighton, Nr. Wolverhampton, Shropshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010-11) Dudley.
CLUB HONOUR: National Shield winner: 2011 [Dudley].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.56 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Perry began racing on the grass-track scene when aged just 6 and, four years later, first rode a speedway bike in 2003. He has enjoyed many club meeting victories on the grass, with an early career highlight being crowned British 125cc Youth Champion in 2006.

However, he really came on in leaps and bounds in 2009, recording second and third-place finishes in the British Championship at 250cc and 350cc levels, respectively. He also claimed fourth position in the British Under-21 Championship and, at 16 years-of-age, became the youngest ever rider to appear in the 500cc British Masters Championship, having won the qualifier.

The West Midlander went on to finish a remarkable fifth in the big event at St Agnes, Cornwall on 20 September, beating ex-winners Glen Phillips and Paul Hurry. The year also saw him make his debut abroad when, in France in August, he competed against some of the best long-track riders in the world, eventually finishing a quite brilliant third, behind Theo Pijper and Stephane Trésarrieu.

The Wolverhampton-born racer turned 17 in February 2010 and, early the following month, was handed his initial team berth in speedway when Dudley confirmed his signing for their first season of National League participation.

Despite his lack of experience on shale, Perry began the season strongly, notching 6+3 points in the Heathens’ historic opening meeting against the USA Dream Team at Birmingham’s Perry Barr Stadium on 7 April. He then performed even better in the side’s first league match, tallying an excellent 10+3 points versus Buxton the following week at Wolverhampton’s Monmore Green Stadium on 13 April.

Whilst he continued to rack-up the points on the shale, he also maintained his form in speedway’s sister sport by winning the British Under-21 Grass-track Championship at the Dunmow Club’s Ugley Bowl on 13 June, when he topped the podium ahead of Rob Mear and Harland Cook. But he was to end the season on the injured list after sustaining a fractured wrist in a first lap crash in heat three of a Play-Off semi-final encounter at Buxton on 17 October.

However, that was pretty much the only downside for Perry in his debut term of speedway racing, as he finished with an impressive 6.99 average, having notched 155 points from twenty-two official matches. Indeed, he capped a brilliant first season by lifting the major honour at Dudley’s presentation night on 29 October, when he lifted the Ivor Hughes award for Heathens’ Rider of the Year, voted by fans, at a packed Cradley Heath Liberal Club.

It was reported on 17 January that Perry was on the verge of signing a new deal with Dudley for the 2011 campaign, having made a stunning impact on the former Cradley club in his first season of speedway racing.

His spectacular, all-action style made him a massive hit with Heathens’ fans and he was keen to continue his development with another term at Dudley, who would race their meetings solely at Wolverhampton in their second year of activity.

It was confirmed on 11 February that Perry had finalised his new deal to ride for the club for a second successive season. And it was stated that he was aiming to take his career up another level after pledging his future to the former Cradley club just a few days before his 18th birthday.

He would sign a full professional contract with the club at that time. The deal was made possible with the help of former Cradley riders Mark Robinson and Anthony Boyd, who came to the rescue with transport arrangements for the youngster.

Perry was to average around 6.5 points a match over the first half of the campaign, but crashed out of a controversial National League meeting at Belle Vue on 13 July and complained of pain in his neck. He was taken to hospital, where X-rays thankfully gave him the all-clear and he able to travel back to the West Midlands.

PICKARD, Jaimie (Jay)
DATE OF BIRTH: 23 February 1990, Stourbridge, Worcestershire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Plymouth; (2007) Plymouth, Stoke II; (2008) Plymouth; (2009) Newport II; (2010) Plymouth; (2011) Stoke, Plymouth.
CLUB HONOURS: Conference Trophy winner: 2008 [Plymouth]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Plymouth].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.24 (NL), 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Pickard, a former protégé of the much-travelled Dean Felton, joined Plymouth when they entered the Conference League in 2006. Although he remained with the club the following term, he was to also have a mid-season spell when he made half-a-dozen appearances for Stoke Spitfires – after the Potteries out fit had received special dispensation to use him – before regaining his spot in the Devils’ line-up in September.

After again being identified with the side that rides out of the St Boniface Arena in 2008, he linked with Newport’s new National League side in 2009, but lost his place in the team in June upon the Hornets’ acquisition of young Australian Todd Kurtz.

Although he subsequently didn’t link officially with another side, he did see out the campaign with a number of guest appearances for his former team, Plymouth, as the Devon outfit cemented top-spot in the National Trophy.

In December, he was officially named as one of the Devils’ reserves for 2010. And having achieved an average of 5.63 courtesy of 139 points from twenty-six appearances, Pickard collected the Devils’ Rider of the Year award at the annual Presentation Evening of the Plymouth Speedway Supporters’ Club.

Following the Devils’ winter elevation to the Premier League and Stoke’s move in the opposite direction to the National League for financial reasons, the Potters announced the acquisition of Pickard on 25 February 2011.

He was to put in several impressive performances for the Potters – including scoring a 15-point maximum from the No. 2 berth in a home fixture against Buxton in the Knock-Out Cup on 4 June – and this led to an announcement from Wolverhampton on 14 June to say that they had signed the Stourbridge-born rider on a full transfer from Newport.

Wolverhampton owner Chris Van Straaten was keen to bring local youngsters through for the future whenever possible and Pickard joined fellow Black Country boy Ashley Morris on the Monmore books. And, in a team re-declaration at Plymouth three days later, he returned to the Devils’ line-up in place of the off-form James Cockle.

But, after struggling for points at the higher lever, a little over a month later Pickard was himself replaced by Italian Guglielmo Franchetti in another team amendment at the St Boniface Arena.

PIJPER, Theo
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 February 1980, Dokkum, Holland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002-06) Edinburgh; (2007) Wolverhampton, Edinburgh, Berwick; (2008) Swindon, Mildenhall; (2011) Glasgow, Birmingham.
TEAM HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003 [Edinburgh], 2011 [Glasgow]; Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 4.90 (PL), 3.00 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Dutchman, who is a gifted exponent on both the long-track and grass-track scene, first rode a bike in 1985, when he tentatively used a 50cc moto-cross machine. Pijper had made four successive appearances in the World Long-track Final (1998-2001), prior to making his speedway debut on these shores with Edinburgh in 2002.

Following that, it was a truly memorable year for the Scottish side in 2003, when the Monarchs swept all before them to win the Premier League Championship, finishing 9 points ahead of second placed Sheffield in the final standings. Pijper remained ever-present throughout their forty-six official matches to notch 277 points and a solid 6.11 average, as he lent solid support to his team-mates Frede Schøtt, Peter Carr, Rory Schlein, Magnus Karlsson, Wayne Carter and Matthew Wethers.

A third term with Edinburgh followed in 2004, when Pijper increased his average to 6.50 courtesy of 253 points from forty-three. Three paid maximums also came his way, the most impressive being a tally of 13+2 points versus Berwick at Armadale Stadium in a Premier League encounter on 20 August. And, just two days after his hefty haul against the Bandits, he took victory in the European Grass-track Championship, staged at Eenrum in his homeland.

He was appointed skipper of the Monarchs in 2005 and he celebrated by putting together an excellent campaign, which netted 333 points from thirty-eight appearances and an increased 8.11 average. The highlight was a full 15-point maximum in a home league encounter with the Isle of Wight on 27 May. Pijper’s season was disrupted for a month, however, when he received a broken jaw, as well as calf and knee injuries in a horror smash at Cloppenburg, Germany in July.

The Dokkum-born rider spent a fifth successive season with Edinburgh in 2006, when 381 points produced an 8.22 average from forty-one matches. The year also saw him attain his best-ever finish in the World Long-track Championship when he finished in fourth spot.

Showing his ambition, the Dutchman sought an Elite League berth in 2007 and he got his wish with a move to Wolverhampton. He began well enough, too, as a couple of early performances against Swindon suggested that he had comfortably made the step-up.

These saw him score 5+1 points at Blunsdon on 22 March in what was actually his Elite League debut. Then, after replicating his 5+1 tally at Reading the following evening, he netted 7+1 points against the Robins at Monmore Green on 26 March.

Pijper continued in similar vein throughout much of April, but problems with machinery led to a reduction in his scoring and, following a home match against Oxford on 21 May, he was replaced in the side by Kenneth Hansen. In total, he had ridden in seventeen matches for the Wolves, recording 75 points and a 4.35 average.

He subsequently returned to Edinburgh in June as a replacement for William Lawson, who headed in the opposite direction to take up a full-time position at Wolverhampton, having previously held a ‘doubling up’ role with the West Midlands outfit. The Dutchman’s stay was to be short-lived with the Monarchs and, following a defeat at Somerset in the Knock-Out Cup on 11 July, he was released along with Ronnie Correy and Henrik Møller.

His brief stint back with the Scottish team had lasted just seven matches, which had produced 54 points and a 6.47 average. Included in that, though, was a 15-point full-house versus Newport in a league fixture at Armadale on 15 June.

Pijper next saw action with Berwick in August, joining the Bandits as a replacement for the axed Sebastian Truminski. However, following a 63-27 thrashing at Rye House on 7 September, then-promoter Peter Waite showed the trapdoor to the Dutchman and also Swedish rider Andreas Bergström.

That was to be the end of Pijper’s season as far as domestic British speedway was concerned, but he didn’t let that stop him from winning a second European Grass-track Championship at the Astra circuit in Swingfield, Kent on 16 September. A brilliant showing on the day saw him take victory in the final ahead of Stephan Katt, Andrew Appleton and Glen Phillips.

On 13 December 2007, it was revealed that he would be lining up for Swindon in 2008. It was basically a case of the rider having a green-sheet average that fitted at the time, although Pijper had a point to prove having felt harshly done by, in his opinion, when he had been released by Wolverhampton the previous year.

However, he was hurt in the Robins’ home match against Poole in the Craven Shield on 27 March 2008. The accident occurred in heat eleven and saw the chasing Adam Skórnicki inadvertently clip Pijper’s back wheel as they entered the first bend of the final lap. The Dokkum-born rider was knocked unconscious and suffered two fractures to his right shoulder, as well as a dislocated thumb.

He eventually returned to the side on 3 May but was released early the following month when the Swindon management opted to sign Manuel Hauzinger. At the time of his departure, he had ridden for the Wiltshire side on fifteen occasions, scoring 27 points for a 2.80 average. Pijper was snapped-up by Mildenhall, but was to lose his team spot after only eight matches.

He had appeared lost to the British scene following that stint with the Fen Tigers mainly to being saddled with a high 2006 PL green-sheet average, which was gained at a time when he was Edinburgh’s captain and also the track record holder at Armadale. He never completed twelve Premier League meetings in any subsequent season and had been forced to restrict himself to his grass and long-track commitments.

But, on 27 November 2010, Glasgow announced the signing of the Edinburgh asset for the 2011 campaign during a STARs social event at Hampden Park’s Nevis Suite. The sport’s authorities had handed the rider a lifeline by allowing him back on a 4.90 average, which was gained from two home and six away fixtures for Mildenhall in 2008. And, on 9 March, Pijper was named as top-flight Birmingham’s No. 8; the stand-by rider to cover for injuries and other unavailability.

PISZCZ, Tomasz
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 June 1977, Lublin, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2004) Peterborough, Coventry; (2005-06) Workington; (2008) Birmingham, Belle Vue; (2009) Birmingham, Poole; (2011) Belle Vue.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2006 [Workington]; Pairs Championship winner: 2009 [Birmingham].
2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.49 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Piszcz initially began riding at his hometown track, Lublin, in 1993, having watched the sport there from a young age. He made his British debut with Peterborough at the start of the 2004 campaign, but was fined £1,000 by the club shortly afterwards for missing the Panthers’ home and away Easter Monday fixtures against Coventry, on 12 April. As a further punishment, the Pole also received a 14-day ban from the BSPA.

He was to be dropped from the Peterborough line-up at the end of May, being replaced shortly afterwards by Henrik Møller. Having been quickly signed-up by Coventry, Piszcz broke his ankle in only his second meeting with the club, versus Ipswich at Brandon on 17 June. He returned to action for the latter part of the campaign, but was unable to help the Bees improve on bottom spot in the final Elite League standings.

The hard-charging rider didn’t return to the UK until linking with Workington towards the end of August 2005 but, having greatly impressed, he was a starting member of the Comets side for the following season. Surprisingly, there were no takers for his services in 2007, but he made a return with injury-hit Birmingham over a year later, joining the side in August. Late in the season, he also became a squad member at Belle Vue but, in the event, only made a solitary appearance for the Aces.

Remaining with the Brummies in 2009, the tenacious rider also filled a position with Poole, however, together with fellow ‘doubling-up’ rider Carl Stonehewer, he lost his place in the Pirates’ squad in a late May shake-up; the duo were replaced by the late Paul Fry and Ben Wilson.

Known for his liking of the wider dirt lines – due to his experience on the larger Polish circuits – Piszcz ably demonstrated his considerable talents when he linked with Jason Lyons to win the Premier League Pairs Championship for Birmingham at Somerset’s Oak Tree Arena on 26 June.

Moving on to 9 August, the rider was placed under unbearable pressure from his sponsors in Poland to race in a Play-Off fixture in his home country, rather than appear in a re-arranged meeting for the Brummies at Newport, which the club had been told to undertake at short notice – on the one date Piszcz had wanted to avoid.

He had informed the Polish club of his decision to race for Birmingham, but this led to the threatened withdrawal of his sponsorship, which would also have had a significant effect on his British equipment. The West Midlands outfit had sympathy with the rider, as they appreciated the situation was not of his making, however, they also had to do their utmost to field a competitive team for their encounter in South Wales.

Consequently, with the approval of the BSPA, they were permitted a guest facility for the meeting and, in addition, Piszcz received a suspension from the Brummies’ next two home fixtures. Also, the rider was handed a significant club fine, but readily agreed to donate £1,000 from his own pocket to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and to make a personal appearance to hand over the cheque.

Then, at the end of September, the popular Pole was banned from riding in Britain by his Polish club, Lublin, for the remainder of the season, although Brummies’ promoter Graham Drury remained confident that he could get to the bottom of the situation and ensure that Piszcz would be available for the Play-Offs that the West Midlands club had qualified for. However, there was to be no satisfactory outcome for Birmingham as far as the Pole was concerned and they had to utilise guests in his absence.

On 23 February 2011, Belle Vue completed their starting line-up for the Elite League season with the signing of the experienced Pole. Piszcz had, of course, previously been a squad rider with the Aces in 2008. The move marked the King’s Lynn asset’s return to the British scene after missing the whole of the 2010 campaign on these shores.

On 24 March, Belle Vue moved to clarify the situation regarding Piszcz due to an ongoing issue surrounding Polish riders. As it stood, the Polski Związek Motorowy [PZM) wouldn’t grant permission to any of its riders who wanted to race in a league that had sanctioned a new type of silencer.

That included teams in Great Britain, Sweden and Denmark where they had already been introduced. It meant that several Polish riders could be refused from competing in England and other FIM events. However, the BSPA verified that Piszcz had received a start permit and, as such, he wasn’t included in the ban and was expected to continue lining-up as scheduled for the Aces.

It was also confirmed that Piszcz’s starting average had been re-assessed at 3.49, giving the team an extra 1.4 points. With that in mind, the club moved to make last minute changes, with Jordan Frampton making way for Newcastle rider Mark Lemon and Sheffield’s Hugh Skidmore introduced in the No. 8 position.

However, Piszcz quit Belle Vue following the Aces’ home defeat against table-topping Eastbourne on 11 April. The Pole resigned from the club, having failed to score in the 45-44 loss to the flying Eagles after struggling with mechanical setbacks since the start of the season and decided to end his stint with the club after only six league matches in order to give himself time to try and sort out his problems.

POOLE, Taylor Nicholas
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 July 1992, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Mildenhall; (2010) Stoke; (2011) Ipswich, Eastbourne.
CLUB HONOUR: Four-Team Championship winner: 2011 [Ipswich].
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.11 (PL), 3.67 (EL).
RIDER LINKS: Son of Mick Poole (born: 27 November 1966, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Taylor is the son of former speedway ace Mick; he is also the grandson of Terry, who was a leading short-track rider, before he became the speedway promoter at Gosford, NSW, during the 1990s and into the Millennium. Coming from a family steeped in the sport, the youngster started in junior speedway at just ten years-of-age.

Having worked his way up to a full size steed, Poole ventured to the UK in August 2009 to join Mildenhall as a replacement for Dean Felton, participating in a practice spin at Peterborough and a second-half event at Coventry prior to making his debut for the Fen Tigers. Just a month previously, he had cracked a bone in his left foot at Barliegh Ranch Raceway in Newcastle, NSW, after a collision with another rider.

A subsequent operation at Gosford Hospital had quickened-up the recovery time and the tussle-haired rider was raring to go upon his arrival in Britain, despite still having metalwork in his foot. His stay in Britain was brief, but it served to showcase his talent and whetted the rider’s appetite to follow in his dad’s tyre-tracks.

In mid-December, Peterborough revealed that Poole – like his father before him – had become an asset of the club. It was stressed, however, that the youngster would be given time to find his feet in the UK and wouldn’t be rushed into the Panthers’ line-up; as such, shortly afterwards he was loaned to Premier League Stoke for the 2010 campaign.

He began like a whirlwind in the Premier Trophy competition in the Potters’ colours, notching 18 points at Scunthorpe on 26 March and tallying 15+1 in a home encounter versus Redcar twenty-four hours later, both scores being enhanced by 6-point returns from tactical outings.

The big totals continued to come from his wheels, before he was temporarily grounded when he sustained a hand injury in heat two of a league match at Newcastle on 30 May. He went on to compile a seasonal tally of 247 points from thirty-five official appearances for the Staffordshire side, which equated to an average of 6.45.  

It was revealed on 8 December that Poole had agreed to link with Ipswich ahead of the 2011 campaign; that followed the Witches’ decision to drop down to the Premier League at the BSPA AGM in Bournemouth the previous month.

Then, on 22 February, Eastbourne named the talented rider from Down Under as their official No. 8 for the Elite League campaign. As such, he completed a solid and cosmopolitan-looking Eagles’ squad that also included fellow Aussie Cameron Woodward, Dane Bjarne Pedersen, Finn Joonas Kylmäkorpi, Czech Lukáš Dryml, Swede Simon Gustafsson, Pole Dawid Lampart and Englishman Lewis Bridger.

Poole greatly impressed as he maintained an average in excess of 8 points a meeting for Ipswich during the course of the first half of the season. However, he was injured in heat four of the Witches’ Knock-Out Cup quarter-final tie at Newport on 23 July, when he clashed with team-mate Chris Mills on the back straight. The Aussie sustained a hand injury and was forced on to the sidelines due to the severity of the inflammation.

PORTWOOD, Adam
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 July 1995, March, Cambridgeshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2011) Mildenhall, Dudley.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Portwood first rode at the age of six and, having developed over the years, he finished third in the 2010 British Under-15 Championship, behind winner Brandon Freemantle and runner-up Adam Kirby.

The teenager continued to impress in 2011, finishing second in the first of six qualifying rounds of the re-branded British Youth Championship at Newport on 15 May. Indeed, he scored 11 out of 12 points from the heats, but had to settle for second spot in the final after the race was stopped when Adam Kirby took a tumble. Nathan Stoneman was declared the winner, with David Abraham third and Kirby fourth.

On 7 June, Mildenhall announced that they had drafted Portwood into their line-up as a direct replacement for Nick Laurence. This came after the rider had hugely impressed Fen Tigers’ co-promoter Michael Lee, who was keen on giving youngsters a platform from which to start their careers.

The rider from March was to lose his place in the side later that same month, when Mildenhall finally received clearance to introduce Australian whizz-kid Cameron Heeps into their line-up. He wasn’t with a team spot for long, though, as Dudley announced his acquisition on 30 June – the day before his sixteenth birthday – as a replacement for Danny Stoneman.

However, on 4 August, Dudley announced that Stoneman had re-joined the club – a little over a month after he was axed. He replaced Portwood, who was invited to fill the club’s No. 8 slot for the remaining weeks of the National League season. The reverse move came because it was felt that the youngster needed more time in practice rather than in a competitive league situation.

PRIEST, Luke Alex James
DATE OF BIRTH: 18 June 1985, Birmingham, West Midlands.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000) Ashfield, Owlerton; (2001) Sheffield II, Boston; (2002) Sheffield II; (2003) Sheffield II, Stoke II; (2004) Newport, Stoke II, Sheffield II; (2005) Stoke II; (2006) Stoke, Stoke II; (2007) Stoke II; (2008) Weymouth, Mildenhall; (2009) Bournemouth, Workington, Mildenhall; (2010) Newport II; (2011) Buxton.
NOTE: Priest also appeared for Mildenhall prior to joining Newport II in 2010, but this is not credited in his career record because the club closed down prematurely, with all their matches expunged from the records.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2000 [Owlerton], 2001 [Sheffield II]; 2008 [Weymouth]; Four-Team Championship winner: 2006 [Stoke II].
RIDER LINKS: Son of John Priest (born: 5 September 1952, Birmingham, West Midlands).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.08 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Priest received severe injuries whilst riding for Stoke’s Conference League side in a home fixture versus Scunthorpe on 5 July 2006. The accident saw him go under the air safety barrier, suffering pelvic, elbow and ankle injuries in addition to internal organ damage. After initially being in a critical but stable condition, a long period of recuperation followed, before he bravely returned to the saddle late in the 2007 campaign.

On 31 July 2008, Priest was travelling to Redcar to take a guest booking for Newcastle in a Premier League fixture that fell foul to inclement weather. On the journey, he stopped at Manchester Birch services but, when he returned to his van, the side door had been forced open and his kitbag stolen. Two helmets and two race suits, together with back protectors, knee pads and boots were amongst the items taken, which totalled £2,500 in value.

The rider was involved in controversy following a heat three clash with Sam Hurst, whilst representing Bournemouth in a Knock-Out Cup encounter at Newport on 26 April 2009. Priest was adjudged to have ridden into his opponent and disqualified from the re-run.

However, having ridden back to where the incident occurred, he was allegedly punched by Hurst. After the riders had returned to the pits, a mass fight broke out and the Birmingham-born speedster was handed a £300 fine by referee Dave Watters.

Late in May 2009, Priest was released by both Bournemouth and Workington, his replacements being Danny Warwick and Craig Cook, respectively. He was soon snapped-up by Mildenhall, though, where he took the place of Mark Thompson and did a solid job to post a real-time average in excess of 7 points per match.

At the end of November, the Suffolk club was pleased to announce that Priest would remain with them for the 2010 campaign. And he was to maintain an average in excess of 7 points per match, before the Fen Tigers’ premature closure due to off-track problems. After a spell of inactivity, he was signed by Newport as a replacement for Tim Webster in August and went on to make fifteen appearances for the Hornets.

During what was a long and troublesome winter for the sport, Priest’s name wasn’t mentioned in any team listings for the 2011 season, but he was eventually unveiled as a member of the Buxton side at their Press and Practice Day on 10 April.

PROCTOR, Tyron (Ty)
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 February 1987, Longwarry, Victoria, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Redcar, Peterborough; (2009) Redcar, Wolverhampton; (2010-11) Wolverhampton.
MAJOR HONOUR: Victoria State Champion: 2010.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2009 [Wolverhampton]; Elite Shield winner: 2010, 2011 [both Wolverhampton].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Toby Proctor (born: 2 May 1990, Longwarry, Victoria, Australia)
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.46 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Proctor finished as runner-up to Chris Holder in the 2008 Australian Under-21 Championship at Mildura, prior to embarking on his first season of league racing in Britain, where he linked with Redcar.

He was soon hailed as a great character to be around in the pits and, because of his on-track exploits, understandably acquired the nickname of ‘The Showman’. The Aussie also made some impressive appearances for top-flight Peterborough in his debut campaign and finished on a high when he scooped the Bears’ Rider of the Year award.

For 2009, he remained with Redcar for a second term and also joined Wolverhampton in a ‘doubling-up’ capacity. In a glorious end to the campaign, he participated in both legs of the Play-Off final as Wolves defeated Swindon to win the Elite League Championship.

More success came shortly afterwards – although it wasn’t officially recognised – when he rode as a guest for King’s Lynn in both legs of the Premier League Knock-Out Cup final and helped them defeat Edinburgh. And his impressive form was rewarded in early November, when he was handed a place in the Wolverhampton side for 2010.

Team-mate Fredrik Lindgren lost control and crashed heavily on the pits bend of heat five during Wolves’ league match at Swindon on 2 September, before being hit by the closely following Proctor. Both riders were badly shaken and took no further part in the meeting.

Despite that, the Aussie went on to be the only Wolverhampton rider to appear in a full quota of the club’s forty-two official meetings, with a total of 254 points producing a highly impressive 6.72 average. And, during the close season he was confirmed as a definite starter for the Monmore men in 2011.