Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Australia national speedway team

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Team manager
  
Mark Lemon

Nation colour
  
Green/Yellow

Team captain
  
Chris Holder

4
  
4

Australia national speedway team httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumbb

SWC Wins
  
4 (1976, 1999, 2001, 2002)

Squad
  
Chris Holder (c) Jason Doyle Sam Masters Josh Grajczonek

Australia are one of the major teams in international motorcycle speedway with the country regarded as the birthplace of the sport in the 1920s. The current team is managed by former rider Mark Lemon, and captained by 2012 World Champion Chris Holder. Australia finished 3rd in the 2014 Speedway World Cup Final on 2 August in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Contents

Speedway World Cup

The Australian national speedway team has won both the Speedway World Team Cup (1960-2000) and the Speedway World Cup (2001–present) on two occasions respectively, and were a major force at the turn of the 21st century. The team won its first World Team Cup in 1976 with captain John Boulger, Phil Crump, Billy Sanders, Phil Herne and reserve Garry Middleton, but had to wait over 30 years before winning three tournaments out of four, between 1999 and 2002. Key riding members of the title wins since 1999 include Jason Crump (undefeated through the 2001 World Cup rounds and Final), Leigh Adams, Ryan Sullivan and Todd Wiltshire who took part in all three wins, while Jason Lyons rode in two (1999 and 2002) and Craig Boyce rode in 2001.

Multi-time Australian and New South Wales champion Jim Airey is the only Australian rider to win the World Team Cup not riding for Australia. He won the 1971 Speedway World Team Cup in Wrocław, Poland, as part of the Great Britain team.

The current Australian team (at the 2016 SWC) is Chris Holder, Jason Doyle, Josh Grajczonek and Sam Masters.

Team Under-21 World Championship

* Due to cost of travel and visa problems, Australia withdrew from the 2011 Final,

Individual World Championship

  • 1936 - London, Wembley Stadium - Lionel Van Praag 26+3pts
  • 1938 - London, Wembley Stadium - Bluey Wilkinson 22pts
  • 1951 - London, Wembley Stadium - Jack Young 12+3pts
  • 1952 - London, Wembley Stadium - Jack Young 14pts
  • 2004 - Jason Crump 158pts
  • 2006 - Jason Crump 188pts
  • 2009 - Jason Crump 159pts
  • 2012 - Chris Holder 160pts

    • Individual Under-21 World Championship

  • 1983* - Lonigo, Pista Speedway - Steve Baker 13pts
  • 1992 - Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Speedway Stadion Pfaffenhofen - Leigh Adams 14+3pts
  • 1995 - Tampere, Ratinan Stadion - Jason Crump 13+3pts
  • 2009 - Goričan, Stadium Milenium - Darcy Ward 13pts
  • 2010 - Gdańsk, Daugavpils, Pardubice - Darcy Ward 30+3pts
  • 2016 - King's Lynn, Pardubice, Gdańsk - Max Fricke 46pts

    • * Steve Baker's win in 1983 was when it was known as the European Under-21 Championship

    Notable riders

    ♦ Individual World Champion
    • Under-21 World Champion
    × World Team Cup / World Cup Champion
    * Australian Champion
    # Australian Under-21 Champion
    † - Deceased

    References

    Australia national speedway team Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA