 | |
| Born | 30 January 1956 Harlow, England |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1974-1980 | Rye House Rockets |
| 1976-1980 | Hackney Hawks |
| Team honours | |
| 1979 | National League KO Cup Winner |
| 1980 | National League Champion |
Karl Fiala (born 30 January 1956 in Harlow), is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. [1]
Silver Helmet Match Race (September 1979) Silver Helmet Match Race (October 1979) Knock-Out Cup Champions Rye House (1979) National League Champions Rye House (1980)
Three outstanding performances. (1). On 1 May 1977 winning a World Championship Qualifying round at Rye House with a 15-point maximum. (2) Rye House Rockets were away to Newcastle Diamonds where the Rockets won away 42-36 (25 April, Karl scoring a maximum 12 points). And (3) his proudest moment (quote from Karl), helping Rye House to win against Middlesbrough Bears on 9 October 1980 with a paid 15 point maximum having had to win the last race of the match to win the National League (speedway) Championship.
While racing for Rye House Rockets [2] under the parent club Hackney Hawks, Karl also worked as an engineer for a company that made Life Support and Anaesthetic Equipment.
In 1988, he joined a Direct Mail Print Company and, in 2002, started his own business in this line, which is still running today.[ citation needed ] A keen squash player until knee-joint problems forced retirement from league competition.[ citation needed ]
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only one gear and have no brakes. Racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt, loosely packed shale, or crushed rock. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into the bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).
Hackney Hawks speedway opened in 1963 at Hackney Wick Stadium, Waterden Road, London, England, and operated until 1983. The team replaced the Hackney Wick Wolves who had raced at the stadium from 1935 to 1939. The Hawks were then themselves replaced by the Hackney Kestrels.
The Rye House Rockets were a speedway team based at Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon, England. They competed in various British speedway leagues from 1954 to 2018.
Hans Hollen Nielsen is a Danish former professional motorcycle speedway rider. He competed in the Speedway World Championships from 1977 to 1999. Nielsen is notable for winning four Speedway World Championship titles. During his career, he won a total of 22 world championships, making him arguably the most successful speedway rider of all time. In 2012, Nielsen was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements. He later managed the Danish national team.
Len Silver is a former motorcycle speedway rider and is former promoter of the Rye House Rockets.
Tai Woffinden is a British speedway rider. He is a three-time World Champion.
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Victor John Harding was a motorcycle speedway rider.
Colin George Pratt was a British motorcycle speedway rider and later promoter of the Coventry Bees who compete in the British Elite League. He earned 14 international caps for the England national speedway team and 7 caps for the Great Britain team. He was later the manager of the Great Britain national team from 1979 to 1980 and from 1986 to 1993.
Edward David Kennett is a motorcycle speedway rider. He was the British Under-21 Champion in 2005 and has appeared in two Speedway Grand Prix as a wild card. He has recently retired from the sport due to injury.
Barry John Thomas is a former motorcycle speedway rider. He spent 20 consecutive seasons at the Hackney Wick Stadium and earned 26 international caps for the England national speedway team.
Bo Petersen is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Denmark. He was the 1980 Danish champion.
Marvyn Cox is a former motorcycle speedway rider. Cox was twice a winner of the German Individual Championship in 1993 and 1995, when he raced under a German licence. At retirement he had earned 25 international caps for the England national speedway team.
Jens Rasmussen is a former speedway rider from Denmark, who rode in the United Kingdom.
Roy George Arthur Case was an Australian international speedway rider who finished sixth in the 1936 Speedway World Championship, the first ever final.
The 1979 National League was contested as the second division/tier of Speedway in the United Kingdom.
The 1980 National League was contested as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom.
The 2012 season of the National League was the third tier/division of British speedway and was contested by eight teams.
Hugh Saunders is a former speedway rider from Guernsey, who competed in the National League.
Edward Raymond Hubbard nicknamed "Hurricane Hubbard" was a motorcycle speedway rider in National League (speedway) and British League.
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