Mike Farrell (speedway rider)

Last updated

Mike Farrell
Born (1955-04-20) 20 April 1955 (age 69)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Career history
1975–1978 Exeter Falcons
1979–1980 Leicester Lions
Team honours
1978Spring Gold Cup

Michael Farrell (born 20 April 1955) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who rode for the Exeter Falcons and Leicester Lions. He earned 12 international caps for the Australia national speedway team. [1]

Contents

Career

Farrell rode in short-track and scrambling competition in the late 1960s and early 1970s before taking up speedway, while also working as a motorcycle mechanic. [2] He won the Queensland Junior Championship in 1974 and also the Barrier Reef Championship. [2]

During the 1974–75 British Lions tour of Australia he was spotted in a North Qld vs Great Britain meeting by Lions team manager Wally Mawdsley and made his British League debut with the Exeter Falcons in 1975 alongside then four time World Champion Ivan Mauger. [2] A broken wrist meant that he missed most of the 1976 season but he progressed on his return, reaching the Intercontinental Final in 1978. [3] He requested a transfer at the end of the season and in 1979 joined his friend John Titman at Leicester Lions. [4] [3] A hand injury limited his season and the following season only lasted until April, when he suffered a broken leg while riding in a Midland League match against Birmingham, complications from the injury ending his career. [3] [5]

Career record

All figures relate to the British League.

YearTeamMatchesRidesPointsBonusTotalAverageFull MaximumPaid Maximum
1975 Exeter Falcons 36134130281584.72
1976Exeter Falcons2793126.86
1977Exeter Falcons38142196342306.48
1978Exeter Falcons33131188332216.7521
1979 Leicester Lions 33144190.525215.55.99

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Mauger</span> New Zealand speedway rider (1939–2018)

Ivan Gerald Mauger was a New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships (Finals), a feat equalled only with the inclusion of the Speedway GP Championships by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden who won one World Final and five GP Championships. Mauger rode for several British teams – Wimbledon Dons, Newcastle Diamonds, Belle Vue Aces, Exeter Falcons and the Hull Vikings. In 2010, Mauger was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Wilson (speedway rider)</span> British motorcycle speedway rider

Raymond Wilson is a former international motorcycle speedway rider who was World Pairs Champion in 1972 and British Speedway Champion in 1973, was also England Team Captain for five years in the early 1970s. He was the first Englishman to record a maximum score in a World Team Cup Final. He earned 72 international caps for the England national speedway team and 36 caps for the Great Britain team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Boulger</span> Australian speedway rider

John Boulger is a former international motorcycle speedway rider. Boulger won a record nine South Australian Championships, as well as two Australian Solo Championships during his career. As part of the Australian team, Boulger won the 1976 World Team Cup as captain.

Steven Grae Regeling is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the British League for Leicester Lions in the early 1980s and later for Kings Lynn Stars, before riding for several years in the National League for the Exeter Falcons and Middlesbrough Bears. He won the Australian Championship in 1987.

John Charles Titman is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who was Australian Champion in 1977.

Graham W Plant is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He won the Second Division Riders Championship in 1968. He earned five international caps for the England national speedway team and one cap for the Great Britain team.

Colin Cook is an English former motorcycle speedway rider who rode for Ipswich Witches and Leicester Lions in the British League, before spending eight successive seasons with the Exeter Falcons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reidar Eide</span> Norwegian speedway rider

Reidar Eide was a Norwegian motorcycle speedway rider, who was champion of Norway on five occasions.

Ian Russell Clark is a British former motorcycle speedway rider.

Alan Edward Cowland was a motorcycle speedway rider, who represented England and Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Emerson</span>

Robert Alan Emerson, generally known as Alan Emerson is a British former motorcycle speedway rider.

Robert Frank Henry is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England, who rode for Mildenhall Fen Tigers for eleven seasons, later going on to manage the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Smith (speedway rider, born 1957)</span> British former motorcycle speedway rider (born 1957)

Peter Edward Smith is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.

Michael William Lanham is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England, who had a long career with Ipswich Witches.

Veli-Pekka Teromaa also known as Pepe Teromaa is a Finnish former motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the British League for Leicester Lions and Coventry Bees in the 1970s. He earned three caps for the Finland national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Shakespeare</span>

Terence Malcolm Shakespeare is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Lomas</span> British former motorcycle speedway rider (born 1943)

Anthony Carl Lomas is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned 12 international caps for the England national speedway team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Robins</span> British former motorcycle speedway rider (born 1954)

Christopher Michael Robins is a British former motorcycle speedway rider.

Douglas Richard Underwood was an Australian motorcycle speedway rider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Turner (speedway rider)</span> British former motorcycle speedway rider (born 1958)

Christopher Turner is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.

References

  1. "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Oakes, Peter & Mauger, Ivan (1976) Who's Who of World Speedway, Studio Publications, ISBN   0-904584-04-6, p. 125
  3. 1 2 3 Jones, Alan (2010) Speedway in Leicester: The Lions Roar, Automedia, p. 164
  4. "Long Eaton threat over Lions' future" . Leicester Daily Mercury. 15 February 1979. Retrieved 23 August 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. Oakes, Peter (1981) 1981 Speedway Yearbook, Studio Publications, ISBN   0-86215-017-5, p.167