Kelvin Tatum

Last updated

Kelvin Tatum
MBE
Born (1964-02-08) 8 February 1964 (age 60)
Epsom, Surrey, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
Great Britain
1983–1984 Wimbledon Dons
1985–1990 Coventry Bees
1991 Berwick Bandits
1992–1993 Bradford Dukes
1994, 2002–2004 Arena Essex Hammers
1995, 1998 Poole Pirates
1996 London Lions
1997 Peterborough Panthers
Poland
1991–1992 Wrocław
Sweden
1989–1998 Örnarna
2000–2001 Indianerna
Individual honours
1987, 1990 British Champion
1987, 1988, 1990, 1992 Commonwealth Champion
1989 Intercontinental Champion
1991, 1997 Overseas Champion
1995, 1998, 2000 Long Track World Champion
1991, 1999Australian Long track Grand Prix
1994, 1995Ace of Aces Grasstrack Champion
1995European Grasstrack Champion
1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 (shared)British Masters 500cc Solo Grasstrack Champion
1987, 1990Pride of the East
Team honours
1989 World Team Cup winner
1987, 1988, 1995 British League champion
1992, 1993 British League KO Cup winner
1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 Elitserien champion

Kelvin Martin Tatum MBE (born 8 February 1964) is a former British international motorcycle speedway and grasstrack rider. [1] He earned 65 international caps for the England national speedway team. [2]

Contents

Career

Tatum attended Brighton College from 1977 to 1980. [3] He started riding speedway bikes at Hackney's training school at Hackney Wick Stadium in the winter of 1982-83. He was given his first team place at Hackney's London rivals, Wimbledon Dons, riding in the top flight British League in 1983. He finished the season with an average of over six points per meeting.

In 1985, he signed for Coventry Bees from Wimbledon for £18,000, [4] staying there for the next six seasons. While at Coventry Tatum formed a formidable partnership with Tommy Knudsen, starring for the Bees and recording averages of 9.09, 8.69, 10.06, 10.04, 9.49 and 8.93 over the six seasons. [5] He helped Coventry win back to back league titles during the 1987 British League season and 1988 British League seasons. [6]

Stints then followed at Berwick Bandits, Bradford Dukes, Arena Essex Hammers, Poole Pirates, Peterborough Panthers and the ill-fated London Lions, with brother Neville Tatum among his teammates.

Tatum became British Champion twice; in 1987 and 1990. In 1989, he won the Intercontinental Final. [7]

In 1990, Tatum was the highest placed British rider in the World Final at the Odsal Stadium in Bradford, finishing in 7th place with 9 points from his 5 rides. In the 1990 World Final qualifying rounds, Tatum had won the Commonwealth Final at the Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester. It was his third Commonwealth Final win after having done so in 1987 and 1988. Tatum would add a fourth Commonwealth crown to his trophy cabinet in 1992.

Longtrack and grasstrack

Later in Tatum's career, he turned his attention to grasstrack and longtrack to much success. He won the World Long Track Championship three times, in 1995, 1998 and 2000, and missed out on a fourth title in 2004 when his bike broke down whilst leading the final. Tatum was also the European Grasstrack Champion in 1995 and British Grasstrack Champion four times: in 1996, 1999, 2000 and jointly in 2001, and was almost unbeatable in domestic grasstrack events in the latter stage of his career, winning 4 British Masters Championships. Fittingly, Tatum won his last grasstrack event, the Bonfire Burnup in 2006 at Collier Street in Kent.

Kelvin Tatum also won the Australian Long track Grand Prix in 1991 at the 800 metres (870 yards) Bathurst Showground, [8] and again in 1999 at the Tamworth Showground.

After retirement

Kelvin is now a television presenter, appearing on BT Sport speedway programmes as a presenter and commentator and is currently the lead expert commentator for Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup broadcasts. He began commentating when taking a break from the sport, but continued when he returned to ride for the Arena Essex Hammers in 2002. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours for services to speedway. [3] [9]

World Final appearances

Individual World Championship

World Pairs Championship

World Team Cup

British Speedway Championship

Finals

World Longtrack Championship

Finals

Grand-Prix

World Longtrack Best Grand-Prix Results

European Grasstrack Championship

Finals

British Masters Grasstrack Championship

Podium Finishes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Morton</span> English motorcycle speedway rider (born 1956)

Christopher John Morton, MBE is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned 115 international caps for the England national speedway team and 7 caps for the Great Britain team, making him the third most capped England & British rider of all-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)</span> Danish speedway rider

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Havelock</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Robert Gary Havelock is a British former speedway rider who was World Champion in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Screen</span> British international motorcycle speedway rider

Joseph Screen, is a former British international motorcycle speedway rider. His major speedway honours include winning the World Under-21 Championship in 1993, the British Championship in 1996 and 2004, and the British League Riders' Championship in 1992. He earned 37 international caps for the England national speedway team and 7 caps for the Great Britain team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Ermolenko</span> American speedway rider

Guy Allen Ermolenko is a former motorcycle speedway rider. During his career he was known as Sam Ermolenko. In 1993, he won the Speedway World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Nilsen</span> Swedish speedway rider

Jimmy Oyvind Nilsen is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden. He earned 53 international caps for the Sweden national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Wigg</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Simon Antony Wigg was an English speedway, grasstrack and longtrack rider. He won five World Long Track Championships and finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989. He earned 57 international caps for the England national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Cross</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Simon James Cross is a former motorcycle speedway rider who spent most of his career with the Cradley Heathens.

Philip David Collins is a former motorcycle speedway rider. He finished runner-up with England in the World Team Cup final in 1984 and third in 1985. He was British Under-21 Champion in 1978. His transfer from Ellesmere Port to Cradley Heath in 1978 for £15,000 was a record transfer fee at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvyn Cox</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Doncaster</span> British speedway rider

Jeremy Doncaster is a former international motorcycle speedway rider, who won the World Team Cup with England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Thorp</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Paul Thorp is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned 31 international caps for the England national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bohumil Brhel</span> Czech speedway rider

Bohumil Brhel is a Czech former motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 10 international caps for the Czechoslovakia national speedway team and 15 caps for the Czech Republic national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthias Kröger</span> German motorcycle speedway rider (born 1969)

Matthias Kröger is a former speedway, long track and grasstrack rider from Germany. He earned 6 international caps for the German national speedway team.

Paul William George Hurry is an English former motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 12 international caps for the England national speedway team and 5 caps for the Great Britain team.

Gerd Riss is a German former speedway rider. He competed in motorcycle speedway and longtrack racing. He is an eight-times World longtrack champion. He also earned 22 international caps for the West German national speedway team and 12 international caps for the German national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zdeněk Schneiderwind</span> Czech motorcycle speedway rider

Zdeněk Schneiderwind is a former motorcycle speedway rider who competed in speedway, Longtrack and Grasstrack racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Maier (speedway rider)</span> German speedway rider

Karl Maier (born 24 August 1957) is a German former speedway rider. He competed in motorcycle speedway and Longtrack racing. He reached seventeen world longtrack championship finals and was world champion four times. He also earned 38 international caps for the West German national speedway team.

Aleš Dryml Sr. is a Czech former motorcycle speedway rider who competed in speedway, longtrack and grasstrack racing. He earned 32 international caps for the Czechoslovakia national speedway team.

Stéphane Trésarrieu is a former motorcycle racer from France, who competed in Grasstrack, Longtrack and motorcycle speedway. He is a three times speedway champion of France and eight times grasstrack champion of France. He earned 7 caps for the France national speedway team.

References

  1. ↑ Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN   0-948882-81-6
  2. ↑ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Kelvin Tatum MBE (B. 1977-80)". Old Brightonian Association. 2004. Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  4. ↑ "Bees sign Kelvin Tatum" . Rugby Advertiser. 21 February 1985. Retrieved 10 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ↑ Bamford, Reg (2004). Speedway Yearbook. Tempus Publishing, Stroud. ISBN   978-0-7524-2955-7.
  7. ↑ Oakes, Peter (1990). Speedway Yearbook 1990. Front Page Books. pp. 7–9. ISBN   0-948882-15-8.
  8. ↑ 1990/91 Australian Long Track GP Final
  9. ↑ "No. 56797". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2002. p. 22.
  10. ↑ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN   0-7524-2402-5
  11. ↑ "Danes defeat spirited challenge" . Sandwell Evening Mail. 29 June 1987. Retrieved 11 July 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.