Alan Hunt (speedway rider)
Encyclopedia
Alan Hunt was an international motorcycle speedway
rider who qualified for the Speedway World Championship
final four times.
s training school in the winter of 1946-47 and impressed so much he was given the reserve berth with the Cradley Heath Heathens
for the 1947 season who were competing in the National League Division Two
. After his fourth season with the Heathens, Hunt was averaging over ten points per meeting and it was not surprising that he was attracting the attention of top flight teams.
In 1951, the Harringay Racers
thought they had a deal with the Heathens to sign Hunt on a full transfer but at the last moment the Birmingham Brummies
promotion took over the Heathens and transferred Hunt to them.
In his first season at Birmingham he qualified for the World Final but only manage two points. It signalled the start of his dislike of the Wembley track although it was similar to the Cradley Heath track he learnt his speedway skills on.
Hunt was also selected to ride for England
, the highlight being a six ride, six win maximum against Australia
in 1956.
, where he was planning on emigrating and only living in the UK during the speedway season, when he fell and was hit by the machine of the following rider, fracturing his skull. He was rushed to hospital but died in the early hours of 2 February. He was only thirty one years old.
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 qualified for 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...
final four times.
Career
Hunt attended Tiger StevensonTiger Stevenson
Harold 'Tiger' Stevenson was a Speedway who rode for the West Ham Hammers from 1929 until 1939 in early pioneer days, captaining the club for most of them. He was captain for their first ever meeting on 2 May 1929 at home to Coventry and was still the captain in 1937 when the Hammers won the...
s training school in the winter of 1946-47 and impressed so much he was given the reserve berth 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...
for the 1947 season who were competing in the National League Division Two
Speedway National League Division Two
The National League Division Two was the second tier of Speedway league competition in the United Kingdom. The competition was founded in 1938 following a competition named "The National Provincial League". Following World War II the second tier of racing was entitled "The Northern League" in 1946...
. After his fourth season with the Heathens, Hunt was averaging over ten points per meeting and it was not surprising that he was attracting the attention of top flight teams.
In 1951, the Harringay Racers
Harringay Racers (speedway)
The Harringay Racers were a motorcycle speedway team who raced at the Harringay Stadium from 1947 until 1954 in the National League Division One....
thought they had a deal with the Heathens to sign Hunt on a full transfer but at the last moment the Birmingham Brummies
Birmingham Brummies
Birmingham Brummies are a British speedway team, who were reformed in 2006 and then accepted into the Premier League in 2007. The club race at Perry Barr Stadium ....
promotion took over the Heathens and transferred Hunt to them.
In his first season at Birmingham he qualified for the World Final but only manage two points. It signalled the start of his dislike of the Wembley track although it was similar to the Cradley Heath track he learnt his speedway skills on.
Hunt was also selected to ride for England
Great Britain national speedway team
The Great Britain national speedway team are one of the major teams in international speedway. The team is managed by Poole Pirates manager Neil Middleditch and the captain is Chris Harris of the Belle Vue Aces....
, the highlight being a six ride, six win maximum against Australia
Australia national speedway team
Australia are one of the major teams in international speedway. The team is managed by former rider, three time Australian Champion and 1994 World #3 Craig Boyce and captained by three time Speedway World Champion Jason Crump...
in 1956.
World Final Appearances
- 19511951 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1951 Individual Speedway World Championship.Speedway riders from Sweden, Scotland and Republic of South Africa was started in World Championship first time...
-
LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wembley Stadium - 16th - 2pts - 19531953 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1953 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*17 September 1953 London, Wembley Stadium...
- LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wembley Stadium - 14th - 3pts - 19541954 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1954 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 15, 1954 London, Wembley Stadium...
- LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wembley Stadium - Res - Did not ride - 19561956 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1956 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 22, 1956 London, Wembley Stadium...
- LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wembley Stadium - 11th - 6pts
Death
On 1 February 1957 Hunt was riding in a meeting in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where he was planning on emigrating and only living in the UK during the speedway season, when he fell and was hit by the machine of the following rider, fracturing his skull. He was rushed to hospital but died in the early hours of 2 February. He was only thirty one years old.