Kelly Moran
Encyclopedia
Kelly Moran was a professional speedway
rider who rode for a number of British clubs and also represented USA
.
Moran was known as "Jelly Man" and "the Wizard of Balance" for the way he would hang off his machine when cornering. He arrived in England to race for Hull in 1978 as a teenager, but his season was curtailed when he crashed heavily at Hackney and suffered multiple injuries. However, the following year he qualified for his first World Championship and finished in fourth place – losing a four rider run-off.
A dispute over terms saw Kelly make a late start to his British season with Birmingham. But he was on the move again in 1981 when he joined the Eastbourne Eagles where he became a spectacular crowd pleaser. In 1982 he qualified for his second world championship in America and finished fourth again.
However, despite experiencing his best ever season he decided to remain in California for the next three years. During this period he won back-to-back US National Championships and qualified for his third – and final – world championship in 1984 finishing with 11 points and another fourth place.
In 1986 Kelly joined his younger brother Shawn
at the Sheffield Tigers
where he had three successful years and helped himself to 1012.5 points at an average
of 8.88. He represented his country on several occasions and it was his partnership with Shawn that helped United States team
to win the 1982
and 1990 Speedway World Team Cup
.
Following Sheffield's closure Kelly moved to Belle Vue with his brother, where he remained until a dip in form saw him move from Belle Vue to Swindon early in 1992. A broken collar bone interrupted his spell at Swindon, but he struggled for form in a team that was rooted at the foot of the league. He retired from speedway at the end of the season, but he made a brief comeback in 2003 racing in North America. However, his comeback lasted just the one season.
on April 4, 2010 from complication
s of emphysema
.
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 rode for a number of British clubs and also represented USA
United States national speedway team
The United States national speedway team are an international speedway team from the United States who compete in the annual major international speedway competition, the Speedway World Cup. They are managed by David Joiner and the current captain is 1997 World Champion Greg Hancock...
.
Moran was known as "Jelly Man" and "the Wizard of Balance" for the way he would hang off his machine when cornering. He arrived in England to race for Hull in 1978 as a teenager, but his season was curtailed when he crashed heavily at Hackney and suffered multiple injuries. However, the following year he qualified for his first World Championship and finished in fourth place – losing a four rider run-off.
A dispute over terms saw Kelly make a late start to his British season with Birmingham. But he was on the move again in 1981 when he joined the Eastbourne Eagles where he became a spectacular crowd pleaser. In 1982 he qualified for his second world championship in America and finished fourth again.
However, despite experiencing his best ever season he decided to remain in California for the next three years. During this period he won back-to-back US National Championships and qualified for his third – and final – world championship in 1984 finishing with 11 points and another fourth place.
In 1986 Kelly joined his younger brother Shawn
Shawn Moran
Shawn Moran is a retired former professional speedway rider who was one of the most popular and talented riders ever to race for Sheffield Tigers who also represented USA....
at the Sheffield Tigers
Sheffield Tigers
The Sheffield 'Window Centre' Tigers are a speedway team based in Sheffield, England. They currently race in the British Premier League and their home meetings take place at Owlerton Stadium which is the fastest track in British speedway...
where he had three successful years and helped himself to 1012.5 points at an average
Calculated Match Average
Calculated Match Averages are calculated for every motorcycle speedway rider.The CMA is calculated from the following:\left \times4...
of 8.88. He represented his country on several occasions and it was his partnership with Shawn that helped United States team
United States national speedway team
The United States national speedway team are an international speedway team from the United States who compete in the annual major international speedway competition, the Speedway World Cup. They are managed by David Joiner and the current captain is 1997 World Champion Greg Hancock...
to win the 1982
1982 Speedway World Team Cup
- Qualification :- Tournament :...
and 1990 Speedway World Team Cup
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....
.
Following Sheffield's closure Kelly moved to Belle Vue with his brother, where he remained until a dip in form saw him move from Belle Vue to Swindon early in 1992. A broken collar bone interrupted his spell at Swindon, but he struggled for form in a team that was rooted at the foot of the league. He retired from speedway at the end of the season, but he made a brief comeback in 2003 racing in North America. However, his comeback lasted just the one season.
Death
Kelly Moran died in Huntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
on April 4, 2010 from complication
Complication (medicine)
Complication, in medicine, is an unfavorable evolution of a disease, a health condition or a medical treatment. The disease can become worse in its severity or show a higher number of signs, symptoms or new pathological changes, become widespread throughout the body or affect other organ systems. A...
s of emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
.
World Final Appearances
- 19791979 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1979 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 2, 1979 Chorzów, Silesian Stadium-Heat Results:...
-
ChorzówChorzówChorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
, Silesian Stadium - 4th - 11pts + 2pts - 19821982 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1982 Individual Speedway World Championship.1982 was the only time the Individual World Final was held outside of the United Kingdom or Europe before the advent of the Speedway Grand Prix series in 1995.-World final:...
-
Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
- 4th - 11pts - 19841984 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 1, 1984 Göteborg, Ullevi...
-
Göteborg, UlleviUlleviUllevi is a stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The stadium was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then Ullevi has also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1983 and 1990, the UEFA Euro 1992...
- 4th - 11pts
External links
- Burford, B. (2002) The Moran Brothers ISBN 0-7524-2424-6