Gary Havelock
Encyclopedia
Robert Gary Havelock is a speedway
rider who currently captains the Redcar Bears
in the British Premier League
. He is the son of former speedway rider Brian Havelock
.
in 1985 before moving to the Bradford Dukes
in 1987, where he spent the next ten seasons. A season with the Eastbourne Eagles
was followed by five seasons with the Poole Pirates
until 2003.
The highlight of his career was when he won the Speedway World Championship
in 1992. 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
.
Havelock missed most of the 1996 season after seriously injuring his back whilst representing England in a test match against Australia at Poole in the July. Havelock had ridden in the first two of the Speedway Grand Prix
meetings that season.
at the British League Riders Championship
meeting in 1988.
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.
Havelock appeared in the Sky TV
football show Premier League All Stars
in 2007, representing eventual winners Middlesbrough F.C.
.
Havelock is a patron of the charity National Association for Bikers with a Disability
.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
rider who currently captains the Redcar Bears
Redcar Bears
The Redcar Bears are a British Speedway team. They currently compete in the Premier League. Captain of the team is 1992 World Champion Gary Havelock. In 2007 the Bears won their first major honour, beating the Birmingham Brummies to win the Young Shield...
in the British Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
. He is the son of former speedway rider Brian Havelock
Brian Havelock
Robert Brian Havelock is a former motorcycle speedway rider is the current team manager of the Redcar Bears who compete in the Premier League. His son Gary Havelock is captain of the Bears and was the 1992 World Champion....
.
Career
Havelock started his career with local club Middlesbrough TigersMiddlesbrough Bears
The Middlesbrough Bears were a British speedway team which operated under various names from 1939 until their closure in 1996.-Brief history:The team was initially nicknamed the Bears in 1939...
in 1985 before moving to the Bradford Dukes
Bradford Dukes
The Bradford Dukes were a British motorcycle speedway team which operated from the Odsal Stadium in Bradford from 1986 until their closure in 1997.-History:...
in 1987, where he spent the next ten seasons. A season with the Eastbourne Eagles
Eastbourne Eagles
The Eastbourne Eagles are a British speedway team based near Eastbourne, England who compete in the British Elite League. They became Elite League Champions in 2000. They were also Elite League Knockout Cup winners in 2002 and again in 2008. Speedway was initially introduced to Eastbourne in...
was followed by five seasons with the Poole Pirates
Poole Pirates
Poole Pirates are a motorcycle speedway team based in Poole, England, competing in the British Elite League...
until 2003.
The highlight of his career was when he won the Speedway World Championship
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
in 1992. He has also represented Great Britain in the Speedway World Team Cup
Speedway World Team Cup
The Speedway World Team Cup was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The competition started in 1960 and was replaced with the Speedway World Cup in 2001.-Format:From 1960 until 1985 each team consisted of four riders and a reserve...
finals six times, finishing runner-up in 1990
1990 Speedway World Team Cup
-Group D - Venue : Güstrow, Germany and Ljubljana, Yugoslavia:Austria to Group C.-Group C - Venue : Lonigo, Italy and Karhula, Finland:Finland to Group B.-Group B - Venue : Szeged, Hungary and Gorzów Wlkp., Poland:Australia to Group A....
and in the Speedway World Cup
Speedway World Cup
The Speedway World Cup is an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first edition of the competition in the current format was in 2001 and it replaced the old World Team Cup competition.-Format:...
four times, finishing runner-up in 2004
2004 Speedway World Cup
The 2004 Speedway World Cup was the 4th FIM Speedway World Cup season. The Final took place on August 7, 2004 in Poole, Great Britain. The tournament was won by Sweden and they beat host team Great Britain , Denmark and Poland in the Final.-Qualification:-Venues:Two cities were selected to host...
.
Havelock missed most of the 1996 season after seriously injuring his back whilst representing England in a test match against Australia at Poole in the July. Havelock had ridden in the first two of the Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix are a series of stand-alone speedway events over the course of a season used to determine the Speedway World Champion. As of 2008, all of the events take place in Europe.- Event format :...
meetings that season.
Off track
Havelock was banned for the entire 1989 season after he tested positive for cannabisCannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
at the British League Riders Championship
Speedway Elite League Riders Championship
The Elite League Riders Championship is a contest between the top riders with the highest average points total from each club competing in the Speedway Elite League in the UK. The championship was inaugurated in 1960 when it was known as the Provincial League Riders Championship...
meeting in 1988.
At the 2007 BSPA Annual General Meeting, Great Britain team manager Neil Middleditch
Neil Middleditch
Neil Middleditch is a former Speedway rider and the team manager of the Poole Pirates. His father Ken was a former rider with the Poole Pirates...
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.
Havelock appeared in the Sky TV
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
football show Premier League All Stars
Premier League All Stars
Premier League All Stars was a televised charity football tournament, which was broadcast live on Sky1 on consecutive nights between 23 September and 30 September 2007. The innovative format features football teams representing all 20 Premier League clubs, each playing to win a share of the...
in 2007, representing eventual winners Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
.
Havelock is a patron of the charity National Association for Bikers with a Disability
National Association for Bikers with a Disability
The National Association for Bikers with a Disability or NABD is a Registered Charity in the United Kingdom and in Scotland. The NABD gives technical advice and financial grants to help to adapt motorcycles, sidecars and trikes for use by disabled riders. It also gives advice on training and...
.
