INGALLS, Kenneth (Kenny) John
DATE OF BIRTH: 8 March 1987, Foresthill, California, USA.
BRITISH CAREER: (2010-11) Workington, Swindon.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.07 (PL), 3.04 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: As a 4-year-old, Ingalls first rode a moto-cross bike and, in the ensuing years, he went on to participate in numerous disciplines, including cross-country, hill-climbs, trials and BMX. But it wasn’t until he was seventeen, in 2004, that the all-action Californian first took to the shale on a speedway steed in his homeland. Subsequent British trips saw him appear at various venues, including Weymouth, Sheffield, Scunthorpe, Wolverhampton, Plymouth, Buxton, Somerset and Rye House.

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

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

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

He did well to maintain an average of around 6 points per match in the cut-and-thrust of the Premier League, before his season was unfortunately curtailed prematurely by injury. This occurred on 28 August, when Workington appeared at Berwick in a Premier League encounter; in heat twelve, Ingalls got into difficulty on the first bend of the final lap, prior to colliding awkwardly with the fence boards.

Regrettably, the upshot was a broken right leg, which required an operation to insert a plate. To cover the American’s absence, the Comets acquired the services of Casper Wortmann in early September. With his season over, the Californian had ridden in seventeen matches for the Cumbrian outfit and notched 93 points for an average of 5.81.

He had obviously impressed the Workington management, though, since in early December he was confirmed as a starter in the club’s 2011 line-up. And shortly afterwards, on 16 December, in the furtherance of his career it was announced at a Blunsdon-staged Fans’ Forum that Swindon had signed the talented American as an addition to their asset base.

Ingalls would join the Robins from Workington, where he was to remain on loan at Premier League level. Swindon co-owner Gary Patchett envisaged that the Foresthill-born rider would play some part with the Elite League side in 2011 but, in what capacity – whether that of a ‘doubling-up’ position or at No. 8 – remained to be seen.

He also revealed that the rider had returned to the UK in the summer with Swindon’s assistance and that they had been delighted with how well he had settled into British speedway, prior to his season being curtailed by injury. It was confirmed by the Robins on 15 February that Ingalls would fill their No. 8 berth.

However, the local News & Star in Workington reported on 19 March that, despite being given the all-clear to ride again following his broken leg, Ingalls was in danger of missing the start of the season. The Californian, who said it was the worst injury of his career, had encountered problems since getting back on his bikes when attending both the Press and Practice Days for Wolverhampton and his Elite League club, Swindon.

Workington owner Keith Denham explained that the rider would be going for a scan and believed that the American had been given the wrong diagnosis for his injury as he had been fine training without his bikes, but needed different treatment to make sure he was back to fitness to ride.

On 29 March, the Comets confirmed that Ingalls would not start the season for the club. The American had been booked in for an operation in early April to have a rod removed from the leg he had injured the previous season, with a further recovery time of at least 3-4 weeks predicted. In the meantime, the club drafted in Gary Irving as a short-term replacement. And with no Premier League berth – under the rules – it meant he couldn’t fill the No. 8 slot with top-flight Swindon.

There was good news from the Comets’ camp on 25 April when, during a league fixture against Berwick, it was announced that the talented American was ready to return to the starting line-up following further surgery at a hospital in Dudley to remove the screws from the plate in his right leg. This meant that Irving was released to make way.

However, Ingalls struggled for points on his return to the Workington line-up, causing great concern to the Cumbrian club. He plugged away, though, and raced to a paid maximum for the Comets in only his fourth meeting back, when they entertained Redcar in a Knock-Out Cup tie on 14 May. The American rode with great determination on the night to notch 10+2 points from four rides.

Proving he was well back to fitness, he produced a match-winning haul of 16+1 points from seven rides as Workington claimed a 49-41 Premier League success at Plymouth six days later. And, having returned to his Premier League club, it meant he could take up the No. 8 position with Swindon and he duly made his Robins’ debut in a home match versus Belle Vue on 26 May.

Whilst representing Workington on 31 July, Ingalls suffered suspected serious shoulder damage in a crash at Newcastle and seemed set to join the Comets’ growing injury list. The American came to grief in his second outing of a meeting, which the Premier League title-chasers started without Tomáš Topinka, Peter Kildemand and Gary Irving – with Rusty Harrison also carrying a knee injury and James Wright only just back after a spell on the sidelines.

IRVING, Gary Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 1 March 1989, Carlisle, Cumbria.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Cleveland; (2008-09) Scunthorpe II; (2010) Scunthorpe II, Redcar, Scunthorpe; (2011) Scunthorpe II/Sheffield II, Workington.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2011 [Scunthorpe II/Sheffield II].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Michael Irving (born: 19 November 1963, Longtown, Cumbria).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 6.25 (NL), 3.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Irving is the son of former rider Michael, who appeared for Workington, Glasgow and Long Eaton during two attempts at the sport between 1981 and 1991. Gary learnt how to ride at the Northside training track in Workington and subsequently took his official bow with Cleveland in the Conference Shield late in October 2006.

He impressed at Scunthorpe’s official Press and Practice Day the following season, but was to miss the entire campaign after being involved in a serious road traffic accident in Cumbria on the Easter Monday. Fellow rider Ben Johnson was also involved in the incident.

Irving did, however, represent the Saints in 2008, when he remained ever-present to post an excellent real-time average of 6.73. But, having initially agreed to resume with the side in 2009, the Carlisle-born rider quit the sport pre-season, in February, and revealed that it had cost his family in the region of £20,000 to ride at Conference level the previous year.

Once speedway is in the blood it can be hard to turn your back on it for good and a change of heart – following a couple of practice sessions at the Eddie Wright Raceway – subsequently saw Irving return to the sport with Scunthorpe’s National League side in place of the retired Sean Stoddart in August.

With a crowd-pleasing style, he went on to score 31 points from four official appearances for a real-time average of 7.33. Unsurprisingly, in early-February 2010, he was named as a starter in the side for the new campaign.

In May – following some good performances in British speedway’s third tier – he was also drafted into Redcar’s Premier League team as a replacement for Jan Graversen. The step-up proved too much, though, and with points hard to come by, he lost his team spot to Charles Wright mid-way through the following month. Indeed, five appearances had yielded just 3 points and an average of 0.63 for the Cumbrian.

Irving made a quick return to the PL, though, when Scunthorpe elected to share a reserve berth between him and Steve Worrall, having released Simon Lambert at the tail-end of June. However, another change in August saw the Scorpions’ management draft in Jan Graversen to replace Irving and Worrall. He had ridden officially on just three occasions for the Scorpions, scoring 7 points for a 2.40 average. Meanwhile, for the Saints, he scored 140 points from nineteen appearances for a 6.79 average.

In January, Irving was named as the first rider in Scunthorpe’s National League side for the 2011 campaign even though, at the time, it hadn’t been confirmed that they were running in British speedway’s third tier for a seventh successive season.

It was later revealed that the NL team would be a joint venture with Sheffield and that home fixtures would be split between the two tracks. And, early in April, he also joined Premier League Workington in place of Kenny Ingalls after the American had struggled for full fitness with the leg he had broken the previous year.

He was to do a good job for the Comets, but his short-term deal came to an end following a return of 6+1 points in a home fixture against Berwick on 25 April, when Ingalls was deemed fit to return.

Ironically, his last appearance for the Comets meant he was unavailable for Scunthorpe’s National League fixture at home to King’s Lynn on the same day. As such, the Saints had to draft Greg Blair into their side as cover.

However, Irving made a quick return to the Workington line-up as a guest replacement for the injured Charles Wright in a home league match versus Newport on 30 April, notching a valuable 6+1 points.

He again impressed when guesting for the Comets in place of the then-released Wright in a league fixture against Somerset at Derwent Park on 4 June, scoring 9+2 points from six rides. Following that, the Cumbrian club took the decision to draft him back into their side, their re-declaration being effective from 11 June.

ISHERWOOD, Gareth Andrew
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 November 1988, Manchester, Greater Manchester.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Stoke II; (2006-07) Stoke II, Buxton; (2008-09) Buxton; (2010) Scunthorpe II; (2011) Stoke.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 5.12 (NL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Isherwood was associated only with Stoke and Buxton at Conference/National League level during his first five seasons in the saddle. Having been voted the Hitmen’s Rider of the Year in 2008, he assumed the captaincy in 2009, but announced his retirement from the sport after failing to score from four rides in their home leg of the Knock-Out Cup final versus Bournemouth on 11 October.

However, in a change of heart immediately after the season, the Manchester-born rider confirmed that he would, after all, continue in the saddle in 2010. And, early in March, Scunthorpe announced his signing as the final member of the 1-7 in their National League side.

But, after losing his place in the team at the tail-end of April, he was subsequently replaced in the Saints’ line-up by Jonathan Bethell. He had made just three appearances for the side, scoring 10 points for an average of exactly 4.00.

Isherwood was named in the Stoke side on 14 February 2011, as the Potters prepared to embark on a season of re-building in the National League after opting to drop down from British Speedway’s second tier. Promoter Dave Tattum felt that he owed the rider a team spot, as he had stuck by the Loomer Road outfit and wanted to ride for the club.

The Stoke reserve sustained two broken vertebrae, when he crashed out of heat two in the Potters’ Play-Off semi-final at Mildenhall on 2 October. With his season over, Isherwood remained in hospital in Cambridge to recuperate.

IVERSEN, Niels-Kristian Trochmann
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 June 1982, Esbjerg, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) King’s Lynn; (2003) Newport, Oxford; (2004-05) Oxford; (2006-07) Peterborough; (2008) Wolverhampton; (2009-10) Peterborough; (2011) King’s Lynn.
MAJOR HONOURS: Danish Under-21 Champion: 2002; World Cup Champion: 2006, 2008.
CLUB HONOURS: Craven Shield winner: 2005 [Oxford]; League Championship winner: 2006 [Peterborough]; Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: Grand Final Champion: 2007.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 7.76 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Iversen initially took to a speedway track on a 50cc machine in his native Denmark in 1994, eventually progressing to the full-size 500cc steeds in 1998. His first taste of domestic racing in the UK took place with King’s Lynn in 2001, when he was an October addition to the team; he was to appear in just one Craven Shield fixture and two league matches for the Norfolk outfit.

The Esbjerg-born rider continued to perfect his skills in his homeland in 2002, helping Holsted to the Division One Championship. Meanwhile, on the individual front, he scooped a brilliant victory in the Danish Under-21 Championship. Late in the year, he again appeared briefly on these shores, representing Workington in an October challenge match at King’s Lynn.

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

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

Again he was identified with Oxford in 2005, a season that saw the Silver Machine outfit only just avoid the wooden spoon – finishing a solitary point ahead of Arena-Essex – and they were also dispatched from the Knock-Out Cup by Belle Vue at the quarter-final stage.

However, a late-season flourish saw them take victory in the Craven Shield, defeating Eastbourne and Poole in a gripping final. Once again, Iversen gained a Championship success, though, this time with Västervik in the Swedish Division One and, for a third time, he was also part of the Denmark squad in the Speedway World Cup.

He subsequently linked with Peterborough in 2006 and what a season it was for the Panthers, as they finished at the top of the final league table – albeit on race-points difference – ahead of Reading, both sides having attained 64 points from their forty matches.

Fittingly, it was the Panthers and the then-nicknamed Bulldogs who both battled through to the Play-Off final; Peterborough getting there by virtue of defeating Coventry 52-40 at the East of England Showground on 25 September. The first leg of the final took place seven days later at Reading on 2 October, when the Bulldogs were only able to claim a hard-fought 49-47 success.

The Panthers clearly started the second leg at their pacy home circuit as favourites, but Reading fought like tigers to lead 41-31 after heat twelve. Just when it looked as if the Berkshire side were heading for the League Championship, Hans Andersen took victory in a tactical ride and, with Richard Hall in third place, the resultant 7-2 reduced the Bulldogs’ advantage to 43-38. Ryan Sullivan and Hall then combined for a 5-1, setting up an overwhelmingly tense last-heat decider as Reading clung desperately to a 44-43 lead.

It wasn’t to be for the Bulldogs, however, as Sullivan and Andersen joined forces for a 5-1 over Greg Hancock, giving the Panthers the narrowest of aggregate successes by 95 points to 94. Prior to his success with the Cambridgeshire side, Iversen had enjoyed glory with Denmark in the Speedway World Cup Final at Reading on 22 July, when he notched 5 points as his country took a brilliant victory ahead of Sweden, Great Britain and Australia.

He went on to enjoy a solid second campaign with Peterborough in 2007, providing solid backing to fellow Danish riders Hans Andersen and Kenneth Bjerre, as the Panthers concluded their league campaign in third spot and reached the Play-Offs, before being beaten at the semi-final stage by Swindon.

Iversen was also part of the Danish team that finished a gallant second to Poland in the World Cup Final at Leszno on 21 July. On the day, he scored 9 points as his side totalled 52, ending up just 3 points adrift of the triumphant home nation. There was domestic team success for him in Denmark, though, as his club side, Holsted, won the Superleague Championship, just edging out Slangerup in a tight title finish.

The highlight of his season undoubtedly occurred on the individual front, however, when he took a glorious victory in the Grand Prix Qualifying final in Vojens, Denmark on 15 September, booking a direct passage to the 2008 series. In a brilliant display, the rider from Esbjerg cruised to a 14-point tally on the day to finish on top of a class field, with Lukáš Dryml and Bjarne Pedersen occupying second and third place, respectively.

However, the following year, the Dane dislocated his right shoulder when he crashed in the Swedish GP in Gothenburg on 24 May. The accident occurred in heat five, when he chased after Jason Crump but lost control and fell heavily, before hitting the safety fence.

An established face on the British racing scene, Iversen moved back to Peterborough for the 2009 campaign after a decent term with Wolverhampton in 2008. With his exciting racing style, ‘Puk’ thrives on the wider lines and has conjured countless top drawer performances during his time on these shores.

Given his mega-popularity at the East of England Showground, there was little surprise in December, when he was once more named in the club’s starting line-up for 2010. However, having started the campaign brightly, the Panthers’ skipper required a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a fractured shoulder blade during Holsted’s Danish Superleague fixture at Slangerup on 5 May.

Iversen crashed on the fourth bend during heat fourteen of Peterborough’s league match at Swindon on 5 August, sustaining an injury to his right leg. He rode on in the Danish Championship the following evening, but was forced to pull out after one ride. Then, in the Panthers’ league match at Belle Vue on 9 August, he only partially completed two rides before being signed-off in pain.

A day later, he represented his Swedish club, Indianerna, in a home clash with Valsarna but had to give up after his third ride, before having extensive physio to rebuild his fitness. Having recuperated, he returned to the saddle for Peterborough on 27 August – ironically against Swindon – in a league encounter at the East of England Showground.

At the season’s conclusion, Iversen had achieved a real-time average of 7.93, having totaled 222 points from twenty-seven official appearances. But, following the news that the Panthers would not be participating in the 2011 Elite League and the subsequent elevation of King’s Lynn to the top-flight, the Dane was named as the Stars’ first signing on 3 December. Subject to official paperwork that meant the rider would start his second spell with the Norfolk side, having ridden just three matches for the club at the beginning of his UK career back in 2001.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix Record:
Grand Prix ridden: 26 – 34th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix points: 156 – 36th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix races: 135 – 30th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix race wins: 21 – 36th on SGP all-time list
Grand Prix wins: 0 – n/a      
Grand Prix finals: 1 – 41st on SGP all-time list

FIM Speedway World Cup Record:
SWC tournaments: 9
Events: 20 – 4th on Denmark’s list; 10th on SWC all-time list
Points: 154 – 5th on Denmark’s list; 14th on SWC all-time list
Finals: 7
Gold medals: 2