Robert Gary Havelock (born 4 November 1968) is a British former speedway rider who was World Champion in 1992.[1][2]
 Havelock in 1988 | |
| Born | 4 November 1968 Eaglescliffe, England |
|---|---|
| Career history | |
| Great Britain | |
| 1985-1986 | Middlesbrough Tigers |
| 1986-1988, 1990-1997 | Bradford Dukes |
| 1998 | Eastbourne Eagles |
| 1998-2002 | Poole Pirates |
| 2003-2004 | Peterborough Panthers |
| 2005 | Arena Essex Hammers |
| 2006-2012 | Redcar Bears |
| Poland | |
| 1992, 1996 | Gorzów |
| 1998 | Częstochowa |
| 2000 | Rzeszów |
| 2001-2003, 2005 | Piła |
| Sweden | |
| 1994-1995 | Indianerna |
| 1999-2000 | Filbyterna |
| 2000-2003 | Masarna |
| Individual honours | |
| 1992 | World Champion |
| 1986 | British Under 21 Champion |
| 1987 | European Under-21 Champion |
| 1991, 1992 | British Champion |
| 1992, 1995 | South African Champion |
| 1995 | Premier League Riders Champion |
| 1992 | Overseas Champion |
| Team honours | |
| 1997 | Elite League Champion |
| 2000 | Swedish Elitserien Champion |
| 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 | British KO Cup Winner |
| 2007 | Young Shield Winner |
| 1985 | National League Fours Winner |
Career
editHavelock's father was speedway rider Brian Havelock.[3] Gary Havelock first competed in grasstrack racing, winning the British Junior Championship, before following his father into speedway.[4] Havelock showed his potential early in his speedway career, winning the Suffolk Open Championship at Mildenhall as a 16-year-old in 1984, only two weeks after qualifying for a licence.[5][6]
Havelock started his league career with local club Middlesbrough Tigers (the team managed by his father) in 1985, moving from reserve to the main body of the team by May. He helped Middlesbrough win the Fours Championship during the 1985 National League season.[7]
He moved to the Bradford Dukes in 1987, the same year that he won the 1987 Individual Speedway Junior European Championship (this would be the final year that it would be called the European Championship as it became the World Under-21 Championship from 1988).[8] He stayed with Bradford for next ten seasons.
The highlight of his career was when he won the World Championship in 1992 at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, Poland.[9] Havelock, the first British World Champion since Michael Lee in 1980, finished three points clear of 1990 World Champion Per Jonsson of Sweden, and four in front of Dane Gert Handberg[10]
Havelock won the Premier League Riders Championship at Odsal Stadium on 14 October 1995[11] but missed most of the 1996 season after seriously injuring his back whilst representing England in a test match against Australia at Poole in July.[12] Havelock had ridden in the first two of the Speedway Grand Prix meetings that season.
He has also represented Great Britain in the Speedway World Team Cup finals six times, finishing runner-up in 1990 and in the Speedway World Cup four times, finishing runner-up in 2004.[12]
The 1998 season, was spent with the Eastbourne Eagles and this was followed by five seasons with the Poole Pirates until 2003.[2] During this time Havelock also spent the 1986/87 and 1988/89 seasons in Australia based at the North Arm Speedway in Adelaide.
His 2012 season was ended early by a crash in March in which he was hit by Derek Sneddon's bike, resulting in a broken collarbone, a broken arm, and broken ribs.[13][14]
As a consequence of the injuries to his arm, Gary Havelock announced his retirement from speedway on 22 February 2013.[15] A week later he was named as the new team manager of Coventry Bees.[16]
Off track
editHavelock was banned for the entire 1989 season after he tested positive for cannabis at the British League Riders' Championship meeting in 1988.[12]
At the 2007 BSPA Annual General Meeting, Great Britain team manager Neil Middleditch announced that he would be "happy to continue" in the position but recommended that Havelock should be his successor once he has retired from racing, stating "he would take to it like a duck to water". Middleditch also mentioned he would be happy for Havelock to act as his assistant.[17]
Havelock appeared in the Sky TV football show Premier League All Stars in 2007, representing eventual winners Middlesbrough F.C.[18]
Havelock is a patron of the charity National Association for Bikers with a Disability.[19]
World final appearances
editIndividual World Championship
edit- 1992 -
Wrocław, Olympic Stadium - Winner - 14pts - 1993 -
Pocking, Rottalstadion - 6th - 10pts
World Pairs Championship
edit- 1992 -
Lonigo, Pista Speedway (with Kelvin Tatum / Martin Dugard) - 2nd - 23pts (15+2) - 1993 -
Vojens, Vojens Speedway Center (with Joe Screen / Martin Dugard) - 4th - 17pts (0)
World Team Cup
edit- 1988 -
Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Simon Wigg / Simon Cross / Kelvin Tatum / Chris Morton) - 4th - 22pts (8) - 1990 -
Pardubice, Svítkov Stadion (with Kelvin Tatum / Simon Wigg / Jeremy Doncaster / Marvyn Cox) - 2nd - 34pts (5) - 1991 - Vojens, Vojens Speedway Center (with Marvyn Cox / Martin Dugard / Chris Louis / Paul Thorp) - 4th - 11pts (3)
- 1992 -
Kumla, Kumla Speedway (with Mark Loram / Joe Screen / Martin Dugard / Kelvin Tatum) - 3rd - 31pts (7) - 1993 -
Coventry, Brandon Stadium (with Kelvin Tatum / Martin Dugard / Joe Screen / Chris Louis) - 4th - 14pts (4) - 1994 - Brokstedt, Holsteinring Brokstedt (with Mark Loram / Chris Louis) - 7th - 16pts (3)
World Cup
edit- 2003 - Vojens, Vojens Speedway Center (with Dean Barker / David Norris / Lee Richardson / Scott Nicholls) - 5th - 44pts (3)
- 2004 - Poole, Poole Stadium (with David Norris / Lee Richardson / Mark Loram / Scott Nicholls) - 2nd - 48pts (9)
Individual Under-21 World Championship
edit- 1987 - Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra Speedway Stadium - Winner - 13pts
Speedway Grand Prix results
edit| Year | Position | Points | Best Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 13th | 45 | 7th | |
| 1996 | 16th | 27 | 6th |
References
edit- ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 520. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
- ^ a b Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007. NPI Media Group. ISBN 978-0-7524-4250-1.
- ^ Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
- ^ Daniel, Paul (1985) "Stars of Tomorrow: Gary Havelock", Speedway Star, 18 May 1985, p. 18-19
- ^ Butt, Randall (1984) "Great Gary", Speedway Star, 20 October 1984, p. 28
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ^ "Speedway". Cambridge Daily Mirror. 22 July 1985. Retrieved 11 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Havelock lifts European title". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 13 July 1987. Retrieved 9 March 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Flying Brit GAry on top of the world". Birmingham Daily Post. 31 August 1992. Retrieved 29 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
- ^ "Mullett misery". Reading Evening Post. 16 October 1995. Retrieved 7 June 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c Oakes, P (2006). Speedway Star Almanac. Pinegen Ltd. p. 85. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0.
- ^ "Havelock Injured Archived 2 February 2013 at archive.today", speedway365.com, 23 March 2012, retrieved 9 August 2012
- ^ "Havelock Hurt at Redcar", speedwaygb.co, 23 March 2012, retrieved 9 August 2012
- ^ Neal-DNU, Martin (23 February 2013). "Speedway legend Gary Havelock announces retirement". TeessideLive. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Havvy is New Bees Boss", speedwaygb.co, 1 March 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013
- ^ "Havvy could be 'next GB boss'". Daily Echo. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- ^ "'Boro quarter final clash ejects Birmingham City". Sky One. 29 September 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- ^ NABD Patrons Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 27 May 2009