Wayne Malcolm Garratt was a speedway

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 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, who started his speedway career with the Cradley Heath Heathens

Cradley Heath Heathens

Cradley Heath Heathens are a defunct motorcycle speedway team from Dudley, England.-History:Cradley Heath speedway team was formed in 1947 and first raced at Dudley Wood Stadium on 21 June 1947 after a number of away appearances prior to the opening of the newly built stadium...

 in the British League on his 16th birthday. Wayne was also a junior grasstrack champion at the age of six.

Career summary

Garratt showed a lot of promise but due to the points limit restrictions he was loaned to the Arena Essex Hammers in the National League for two seasons. He was recalled to Cradley again in 1991 but was forced out again by the points limit for 1992. However, in 1992, whilst on loan with the Newcastle Diamonds

Newcastle Diamonds

Newcastle Diamonds are a motorcycle speedway team who compete in the British Premier League. The club has a reputation of importing young foreign talent and have given starts to the British careers of six times World Champion Ivan Mauger, three times World Champion Ole Olsen, 1974 World Champion...

he was involved in a crash at Brough Park on Sunday 13 September and was rushed to hospital and placed on a life support machine. Garratt died after 15 days and never having regained consciousness. His body was transported back to the West Midlands.