Mitch Shirra
Encyclopedia
Mitchell Owen Shirra (born 27 September 1958 in Auckland
, New Zealand
) is a former motorcycle speedway
rider who rode with the Coventry Bees
, Reading Racers
, Swindon Robins
and Ipswich Witches
in the British League.
in 1973 at the age of 14, though he would consider the Liverpool Speedway
in Sydney
as his home track. In 1975 he joined the Coventry Bees
and was loaned out to the Coatbridge Tigers
for a year. From 1976-1982 he rode for Coventry then transferred to the Reading Racers
. In 1987 he was loaned out to the Swindon Robins
but returned to Reading in 1988-1989. In 1990 he was banned from the British League for a season for bringing the sport into disrepute after failing two drug tests. He returned to race for Reading in 1991, Swindon in 1992, and the Ipswich Witches
in 1993.
He won the British League Pairs Championship
in 1978 with Ole Olsen.
In 1979 he was a member of the New Zealand
team with Larry Ross
, Bruce Cribb
, Roger Abel and Ivan Mauger
which won the World Team Cup
. He won Brandonapolis in 1980 and the Overseas Final at Bradford in 1987. In 1984 he finished 3rd in the World Pairs Championship
with Ivan Mauger. In 1992 he finished 2nd in the World Longtrack Championship and was only one point away from victory. Mitch has also won four New Zealand championship titles during his time on the track.
With the help of American friend John Cook, Shirra rode to victory in the 1988 European Jet Ski championship winning in two classes. The same year he competed in a televised competition called Run The Gauntlet hosted by Martin Shaw
, His team finished second.
Shirra won the Morgan mile title held in his home state of New South Wales on a hybrid fuel injected speedway bike in 1996.
Shirra now resides in country New South Wales, Australia. He has one son Jenz Mitchell Shirra (Born in England 11 August 1981).
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) is a former motorcycle 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 who rode with the Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees
The Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team based at Brandon near Coventry, England. A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the Southern League and then the National League in the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. There were also meetings at a stadium in Lythalls Lane...
, Reading Racers
Reading Racers
Reading Racers were a British motorcycle speedway team. Formed in 1968, they won four British League titles during their history...
, Swindon Robins
Swindon Robins
The Swindon Speedway team, also known as the Swindon Robins, are an English Motorcycle Speedway team established in 1949 that competes in the Elite League....
and Ipswich Witches
Ipswich Witches
The Ipswich Witches are a British speedway club based at Foxhall Stadium near Ipswich, Suffolk. Meetings are staged on most Thursdays from March until October, normally commencing at 7.30pm....
in the British League.
Career summary
Shirra began riding at the Kembla Grange Speedway in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1973 at the age of 14, though he would consider the Liverpool Speedway
Liverpool Speedway
Liverpool Speedway was located in Green Valley, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool was opened by Frank Oliveri, the mayor of Liverpool at the time, and ran until its sudden and unexpected closure in 1989...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
as his home track. In 1975 he joined the Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees
The Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team based at Brandon near Coventry, England. A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the Southern League and then the National League in the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. There were also meetings at a stadium in Lythalls Lane...
and was loaned out to the Coatbridge Tigers
Glasgow Tigers (speedway)
The Glasgow Tigers are a motorcycle speedway team from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 1928, the club adopted the Tigers nickname in 1946 and compete in the British Premier League...
for a year. From 1976-1982 he rode for Coventry then transferred to the Reading Racers
Reading Racers
Reading Racers were a British motorcycle speedway team. Formed in 1968, they won four British League titles during their history...
. In 1987 he was loaned out to the Swindon Robins
Swindon Robins
The Swindon Speedway team, also known as the Swindon Robins, are an English Motorcycle Speedway team established in 1949 that competes in the Elite League....
but returned to Reading in 1988-1989. In 1990 he was banned from the British League for a season for bringing the sport into disrepute after failing two drug tests. He returned to race for Reading in 1991, Swindon in 1992, and the Ipswich Witches
Ipswich Witches
The Ipswich Witches are a British speedway club based at Foxhall Stadium near Ipswich, Suffolk. Meetings are staged on most Thursdays from March until October, normally commencing at 7.30pm....
in 1993.
He won the British League Pairs Championship
Speedway Elite League Pairs Championship
The Elite League Pairs Championship is a contest between the top two riders from each club competing in the Speedway Elite League in the UK. The meetings comprise ten teams of two riders drawn into two qualifying groups.-Gate positions:...
in 1978 with Ole Olsen.
In 1979 he was a member of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
team with Larry Ross
Larry Ross
Larry Ross in Christchurch, New Zealand, is a former speedway rider who rode with the Wimbledon Dons, Belle Vue Aces, Halifax Dukes and the Bradford Dukes in the British League.-Career summary:...
, Bruce Cribb
Bruce Cribb
Bruce Brian Hoani Cribb in Palmerston North, New Zealand, is a former speedway rider who rode in the UK for several teams in a career spanning over twenty years. He began riding at Palmerston North, before joining the Poole Pirates in 1965. In 1969 and 1970 he represented New Zealand in tests with...
, Roger Abel and Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger, OBE, MBE, is a retired motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships, a feat only equalled by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden...
which won the World Team Cup
Speedway World Team Cup
The Speedway World Team Cup was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The competition started in 1960 and was replaced with the Speedway World Cup in 2001.-Format:From 1960 until 1985 each team consisted of four riders and a reserve...
. He won Brandonapolis in 1980 and the Overseas Final at Bradford in 1987. In 1984 he finished 3rd in the World Pairs Championship
Speedway World Pairs Championship
The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994 it was merged with the World Team Cup.- Rules :...
with Ivan Mauger. In 1992 he finished 2nd in the World Longtrack Championship and was only one point away from victory. Mitch has also won four New Zealand championship titles during his time on the track.
With the help of American friend John Cook, Shirra rode to victory in the 1988 European Jet Ski championship winning in two classes. The same year he competed in a televised competition called Run The Gauntlet hosted by Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in shows such as The Professionals, The Chief, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently.-Theatrical background:...
, His team finished second.
Shirra won the Morgan mile title held in his home state of New South Wales on a hybrid fuel injected speedway bike in 1996.
Shirra now resides in country New South Wales, Australia. He has one son Jenz Mitchell Shirra (Born in England 11 August 1981).
World final appearances
- 19831983 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1983 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 4, 1983 Norden, Motodrom Halbemond*Referee: Rolf RandborgKarl Maier replaced the injured Petr Ondrašík-Classification:...
-
Germany NordenNorden, Lower SaxonyNorden is a town in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea shore, in East Frisia.-External links:* *...
, Motodrom Halbemond - 11th - 7pts - 19841984 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 1, 1984 Göteborg, Ullevi...
-
Sweden 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...
- 5th - 10pts - 19861986 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1986 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 30, 1986 Chorzów, Silesian Stadium...
-
Poland 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 - 16th - 1pt - 19871987 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1987 Individual Speedway World Championship was contested for the one and only time over two days. The scores from both meetings were combined to produce the eventual winner.-Day 1:*September 5, 1987 Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium-Day 2:...
-
Netherlands AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Olympic Stadium - 9th - 12pts - 19891989 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1989 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 2, 1989 Munich, Olympic Stadium*Referee: Henry van den Boomen* Troy Butler replaced the injured Jan O. Pedersen-Classification:...
- Germany MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Olympic StadiumOlympic Stadium (Munich)Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics....
- 6th - 10pts - 19911991 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1991 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 31, 1991 Göteborg, Ullevi...
- Sweden 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...
- 13th - 4pts - 19921992 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1992 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 29, 1992 Wrocław, Olympic Stadium...
- Poland Wrocław, Olympic StadiumOlympic Stadium (Wroclaw)Olympic Stadium in Wrocław is a multi-purpose stadium in Wrocław, Poland. It is currently used mostly for football matches and speedway racing. It serves as the home stadium of Atlas Wrocław. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people and was opened in 1935. The stadium was supposed to be used...
- 13th - 6pts
World Longtrack Championship appearances
- 1991 -
Czech Republic Mariánské LázněMariánské LázneMariánské Lázně is a spa town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is a mosaic of parks and noble houses...
- 5th - 1992 - Germany PfarrkirchenPfarrkirchenPfarrkirchen is a municipality in southern Lower Bavaria Germany, the capital of the district Rottal-Inn. It has about 12,500 inhabitants and is an important school centre with about 10,000 pupils from all over Lower Bavaria. The town spreads over an area of about 52 square kilometers and lies...
- 2nd - 1993 - Germany MühldorfMühldorfMühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
- 8th