Kelly Moran
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| Kelly Moran | ||
| Personal Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nationality |  American |
|
| Date of birth | 21 September 1960 | |
| Place of birth | Huntington Beach, USA | |
| Current Club Information | ||
| British League | Retired | |
| Career History | ||
| Hull Vikings Birmingham Brummies Eastbourne Eagles Sheffield Tigers Belle Vue Aces Swindon Robins |
1978-1979 1980 1981-1982 1986-1988 1989-1992 1992 |
|
| Individual Honours | ||
| USA National Champion | 1983, 1984 | |
| Team Honours | ||
| World Cup (USA) | 1982, 1990 | |
Kelly Moran (born 21 September 1960 in Huntington Beach, USA)[1] is a retired former professional speedway rider who rode for a number of British clubs and also represented USA.
Moran was a charismatic and spectacular performer. He was called the Jelly Man and the Wizard of Balance for the way he would hang off his machine when cornering. A naturally-talented rider, Kelly raced all over the world thrilling crowds with his showmanship and charm.
He arrived in England to race for Hull in 1978 as a teenager, but his season was curtailed when he crashed heavily at Hackney and suffered multiple injuries. However, the following year he quaified for his first World Championship and finished in fourth place - losing a four rider run-off.
A dispute over terms saw Kelly make a late start to his British season with Birmingham. But he was on the move again in 1981 when he joined the Eastbourne Eagles where he became a spectacular crowd pleaser. In 1982 he qualified for his second world championship in America and finished fourth again.
However, despite experiencing his best ever season he decided to remain in California for the next three years. During this period he won back-to-back US National Championships and qualified for his third - and final - world championship in 1984 finishing with 11 points and another fourth place.
In 1986 Kelly joined his younger brother Shawn at the Sheffield Tigers where he had 3 successful years and helped himself to 1012.5 points at an average of 8.88. He represented his country on several occasions and it was his partnership with Shawn that helped USA to the 1982 and 1990.
Following Sheffield's closure Kelly moved to Belle Vue with his brother, where he remained until a dip in form saw him move from Belle Vue to Swindon early in 1992. A broken collar bone interrupted his spell at Swindon, but he struggled for form in a team that was rooted at the foot of the league.
He retired from speedway at the end of the season, but he made a brief comeback in 2003 racing in North America. However, his comeback lasted just the one season.
[edit] References
- ^ Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
2. Burford, B (2002) The Moran Brothers ISBN 0-7524-2424-6
