Eric Langton
Encyclopedia
Eric Langton was a motorcycle speedway
who won the Star Riders' Championship
in 1932, the forerunner to the Speedway World Championship
. He also finished runner-up in 1934. Langton rode for Leeds
and then Belle Vue Aces
from 1930 until his retirement in 1947.
He lost the run-off for the inaugural Speedway World Championship
to Lionel Van Praag
in 1936 in somewhat controversial circumstances. The Championship was decided by bonus points accumulated in previous rounds. Despite being unbeaten in the final, Bluey Wilkinson
was not crowned Champion. Bonus points accumulated by Langton and Van Praag took them to the top of the standings and into a run-off (Match Race).
, Australia
.
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...
who won the Star Riders' Championship
Star Riders' Championship
The Star Riders' Championship was the forerunner of the Speedway World Championship and was inaugurated in 1929. The competition was sponsored by The Star, which was a London evening newspaper at that time....
in 1932, the forerunner to 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...
. He also finished runner-up in 1934. Langton rode for Leeds
Leeds Lions
Leeds Lions are a defunct British motorcycle speedway team who were based at Fullerton Park Sports Stadium at Elland Road in Leeds, England.-History:...
and then Belle Vue Aces
Belle Vue Aces
The Belle Vue Aces are a British speedway team from Manchester in the north west of England.-Brief history:Racing first took place in 1928 at the Belle Vue greyhound stadium in Kirkmanshulme Lane before moving the following year to a specially built stadium nearby on Hyde Road. The club raced there...
from 1930 until his retirement in 1947.
Circumstances
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...
to Lionel Van Praag
Lionel Van Praag
Lionel Maurice Van Praag, GM was an Australian motorcycle speedway champion, who won the inaugural Speedway World Championship in London on 10 September 1936.-1932 UK National League Champion:...
in 1936 in somewhat controversial circumstances. The Championship was decided by bonus points accumulated in previous rounds. Despite being unbeaten in the final, Bluey Wilkinson
Bluey Wilkinson
Arther George "Bluey" Wilkinson was an international speedway rider. Wilkinson was Speedway World Champion in 1938 after narrowly missing out on winning the inaugural Championship in 1936.-Early life:Wilkinson was nicknamed "Bluey" because of his red hair...
was not crowned Champion. Bonus points accumulated by Langton and Van Praag took them to the top of the standings and into a run-off (Match Race).
The Match Race
As they lined up at the tapes, Langton broke them which would ordinarily lead to disqualification. However, Van Praag stated he did not want to win the title by default and insisted that a race should take place. At the restart Langton made it to the first bend in front and lead until the final bend on the last lap when Van Praag darted through the smallest of gaps to win by less than wheel length.Controversy
Afterwards, controversial allegations were abound that the two riders had 'fixed' the match race, deciding between them that the first person to the first bend would win the race and the Championship and split the prize money. Van Praag's overtake seemed to quash those rumours.Retirement
He built bikes to his own specifications, which were in widespread use around the world for many years after his speedway retirement. He eventually emigrated to PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
World Final Appearances
- 19361936 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1936 Individual Speedway World Championship was the first ever Speedway World Championship and was won by Lionel Van Praag of Australia. It was the first of a record 26 times that London's Wembley Stadium would host the World Final with the last being in 1981.*1936 Podium# Lionel Van Praag # ...
-
United Kingdom 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 - 2nd - 26pts + 2pts - 19371937 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1937 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 2, 1937 London, Wembley Stadium...
- United Kingdom 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 - 10th - 16pts - 19381938 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1938 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 1, 1938 London, Wembley Stadium...
- United Kingdom 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 - 8th - 13pts