Nickname Viccy Nationality England | British league - Name Vic Harding | |
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1974
1975-1976
1975
1975
1976
1976
1977-1979 Sunderland Gladiators
Weymouth Wizards
Hull Vikings
Exeter Falcons
Poole Pirates
Leicester Lions
Hackney Hawks Died June 8, 1979, Whipps Cross, London, United Kingdom | ||
Vic Harding (5 July 1952 in East Ham, London – 8 June 1979 Whipps Cross, London) was a motorcycle speedway rider.
Contents
Career
Harding began at the Rye House training school in 1970 run by Len Silver and spent several seasons trying to break into a league team.
In 1974 the Sunderland Gladiators handed him the chance. In 1975 he moved to Weymouth. In 1977 Len Silver signed him for the Hackney Hawks from Weymouth and spent most of that season as reserve. In 1978 he began improving so much that by 1979 he was a heat leader.
Death
However, tragedy struck on 8 June 1979 when he was killed whilst riding for Hackney at Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road. He was in a heat as a replacement for Bo Petersen but during the race he was involved in a terrible crash with Steve Weatherley. Harding was killed and Weatherley was left with a broken back and paraplegia.
Following this tragic accident, the Hawks hosted a Vic Harding Memorial Trophy every season in Harding's honour. It was in fact the last ever meeting hosted by the Hackney Hawks.