Simon Wigg
| Simon Wigg | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nationality |  England | |
| Date of birth | 15 October 1960 | |
| Place of birth | Aylesbury, England | |
| Date of death | 15 November 2000 (aged 40) | |
| Current club information | ||
| Career status | Deceased | |
| Career history | ||
| Weymouth Wildcats Cradley Heath Heathens Oxford Cheetahs Hackney Kestrels Bradford Dukes Coventry Bees Long Eaton Invaders Exeter Falcons King's Lynn Stars |
1980-1982 1981-1983 1984-1986, 1988-1990 1987 1991-1992 1993 1995 1996 1997-1998 | |
| Individual honours | ||
| British Speedway Champion Long Track World Champion |
1988, 1989 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994 | |
| Team honours | ||
| World Team Cup Winner National League Pairs Champion British League Champion British League KO Cup winner British League Pairs Champion |
1989 1982 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992 1985, 1986 | |
Simon Wigg (15 October 1960 – 15 November 2000) was a speedway, grasstrack and Longtrack rider who finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989.[1]
Wigg was born in Aylesbury, England.[2] 1988 saw him become British Speedway Champion and he retained the title the following year. 1989 also saw Simon captain the Great Britain speedway team when they won the World Team Cup.
He moved to Brisbane, Australia aged just two years old in 1962 and returned to England after 15 years in 1977. When he returned, 3 years later he joined his first speedway club Weymouth Wildcats which was just the start of his professional career as a Speedway Rider [1]
In 1982, Wigg won the British League Division Two Pairs Championship with Martin Yeates. He became the second British Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship 1985 (Michael Lee was the first in 1981) and went on to win the title a further four times. He was the most successful British Grasstrack and Longtrack rider ever. When Wigg was riding in Oxford, England he met his wife to be, Charlie, and after a few years together, had two children.
British Grasstrack Championship Record
- 1981 - British 500cc Grasstrack
- 1982 - British Masters Grasstrack
- 1983 - British Masters Grasstrack
- 1989 - British Masters Grasstrack
- 1990 - British Masters Grasstrack
World Longtrack Championship Record
- 1985 - World Longtrack Champion
- 1989 - World Longtrack Champion
- 1990 - World Longtrack Champion
- 1993 - World Longtrack Champion
- 1994 - World Longtrack Champion
World final Appearances
- 1984 -
Göteborg, Ullevi - 6th - 9pts - 1988 -
Vojens, Speedway Center - 6th - 9pts - 1989 -
Munich, Olympic Stadium - 2nd - 12pts + 3pts
Speedway World Pairs Championship
- 1986 - Pocking, Rottalstadion (with Jeremy Doncaster) - 7th - 23pts (11)
- 1987 -
Pardubice, Svítkov Stadion (with Kelvin Tatum) - 2nd - 44pts (20)
Speedway World Team Cup
- 1984 -
Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Chris Morton / Peter Collins / Phil Collins / Neil Collins) - 2nd - 24pts (9) - 1986 - Göteborg, Ullevi, Vojens, Vojens Speedway Center and
Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 3rd - 81pts (24) - 1987 - Fredericia, Fredericia Speedway, Coventry, Brandon Stadium and Prague, Marketa Stadium - 2nd - 101pts (29)
- 1988 -
Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Simon Cross / Kelvin Tatum / Chris Morton / Gary Havelock) - 4th - 22pts (0) - 1989 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Jeremy Doncaster / Kelvin Tatum / Paul Thorp / Simon Cross) - Winner - 48pts (11)
- 1990 - Pardubice, Svítkov Stadion (with Kelvin Tatum / Jeremy Doncaster / Marvyn Cox / Gary Havelock) - 2nd - 34pts (8)
Speedway Grand Prix results
| Year | Position | Points | Best Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 17th | 13 | 10th | - |
Death
Simon died after a long battle with a brain tumour in 2000 at the age of forty.[3]
External links
References
- ↑ Rogers, G.(2005). Wiggy!: Simon Wigg in His Own Words . ISBN 0-9548336-7-8
- ↑ Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook. Spotsdata. ISBN 0-948882-00-X
- ↑ "Bike champion dies young". The Daily Telegraph (London). 22 November 2000.