Michael Lee (speedway rider)
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| Michael Lee | ||
 |
||
| Personal Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nationality |  Great Britain |
|
| Date of birth | December 11, 1958 | |
| Place of birth | Cambridge, England | |
| Current Club Information | ||
| Career Status | Retired | |
| Career History | ||
| Boston Barracudas King's Lynn Stars Poole Pirates |
1975 1975-1982, 1985-1986, 1991 1983-1984 |
|
| Individual Honours | ||
| British Champion World Champion World Longtrack Champion |
1977, 1978 1980 1981 |
|
| Team Honours | ||
| World Team Cup Winner | 1977, 1980 | |
Michael Andrew Lee (born 11 December 1958 in Cambridge, England) is a former international speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship in 1980.[1] A controversial character, he was banned for allegedly endangering other riders in the early eighties.
[edit] Career
Lee began his professional speedway career in 1975 with Boston in the second division of speedway in the United Kingdom, the National League. In his first season he recorded an impressive average points score of 9.13, he also rode part-time for top division team King’s Lynn.[2]
In 1976, Lee moved full time to British League team King’s Lynn and finished the season with an average of 9.22, he was also the British Junior Champion that year.
At the end of the 1977 season, Lee had become the top scorer in the British League with an average of 10.64. He also won the first of his two British Speedway Championship titles. Lee won the World Team Cup with England and he had also made his first appearance in a World Championship Final.[3]
In 1979, Lee finished 3rd in the World Finals, beating Kelly Moran, Billy Sanders and Ole Olsen in a run-off race to claim the bronze medal. The next year, Lee won the World Championship in Gothenburg for the first and only time, finishing ahead of King’s Lynn team mate Dave Jessup. He was also triumphant again with England in the World Team Cup.[3]
Lee opted for a change in clubs in 1983 and move to the Poole Pirates. He had another successful year, finishing with and average of 10.43. At the start of the 1984 season Lee was involved in an incident that would result in him being banned from speedway for a year. In a cup match against former club King’s Lynn, Lee had a bad start to heat 5 and in a moment of anger he rode along the track in the wrong direction causing the other riders to take evasive action. The Speedway Control Board fined him and banned him for 5 years, although this was later reduced on appeal.[2]
After his ban ended, Lee returned to King’s Lynn for two seasons but he was given another fine after he didn’t show up to a match in June 1986 and he seemingly quit the sport. He made a short come-back in 1991 with King’s Lynn.
[edit] World Final Appearances
- 1977 -
SWE Gothenburg - 4th - 12pts + 2pts - 1978 - GBR Wembley - 7th - 9pts
- 1979 -
POL Chorzów - 3rd - 11pts +3pts - 1980 - SWE Gothenburg - Winner - 14pts
- 1981 - GBR Wembley - 10th - 5pts
- 1983 -
GER Norden - 3rd - 11pts
[edit] References
- ^ Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
- ^ a b Bamford, Robert; Shailes, Glynn (2004). 50 Poole Pirates Greats. Tempus Publishing, 73-75. ISBN 0-7524-3257-5.
- ^ a b Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
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