Shane Bowes

Shane Bowes
Personal information
Nationality  Australia
Date of birth 4 March 1969
Place of birth    Adelaide, South Australia
Current club information
Career status Retired
Career history
Newcastle Diamonds
Glasgow Tigers
Reading Racers
Coventry Bees		 1987
1988-1993, 1995
1994
1996-1997
Individual honours
West End Speedway International
Jack Young Memorial Cup		 1991
1996
Team honours
British League Division Two
British League Div 2 KO Cup winner
Craven Shield winner		 1993
1993
1997

Shane Bowes (born 4 March 1969, Adelaide, South Australia) is a former motorcycle speedway rider. Bowes was a finalist in the 1990 Under-21 Speedway World Championship, finishing in eighth place. He also rode in the United Kingdom between 1987 and 1997, most notably spending seven seasons with the Glasgow Tigers.

Career

Australia

Shane Bowes, the son of 1962, 1964 and 1974 South Australian and 1968 Australian Sidecar champion Len Bowes, began speedway racing at the Under-16 Sidewinders Speedway in the Adelaide suburb of Wingfield. Bowes graduated into the senior ranks in March 1985 and quickly set about becoming one of South Australia's better young riders alongside of Shane Parker, Scott Norman and Craig Hodgson.

During his career, Bowes set numerous track records at his home track (North Arm Speedway) and had his best years in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. In 1990 he finished third in the South Australian Championship at North Arm and was later lucky to draw a wildcard to the Australian Championship at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground where he ultimately impressed by finishing 5th, the highest placed South Australian ahead of state champion Scott Norman and SA's #2 Shane Parker. He also represented Australia against a "Rest of the World" touring team that included Shawn Moran of the USA, Gary Havelock of England and Mitch Shirra from New Zealand. In late 1990 at North Arm, Bowes captained a "South Australian Select" team which defeated the visiting Soviet Union team that was touring Australia for the first time. Then in 1991 he was selected to represent Australia in Test Matches against the visiting Swedish team who included the 1990 World Champion Per Jonsson, and future six time World Champion Tony Rickardsson. Bowes also represented Australia in matches overseas during his career, as well as finishing runner-up to Leigh Adams in the 1990 Australian Under-21 Championship at the Riverland Speedway in Renmark in South Australia's Riverland.

After acquitting himself well against the visitors, Bowes went on to his biggest career win to date when he defeated World #3 Todd Wiltshire, Swede Dennis Lofqvist, and 1980 World Champion Michael Lee (who was making a comeback to the sport after a 5 year sabbatical) in the West End Speedway International at Adelaide's 510 metre long Wayville Showground. Bowes was not only the first South Australian winner of the event, but was also the first Australian rider to win the event first run in 1986.

During the 1990/91 Australian season Bowes was considered the favourite for the South Australian Championship held at the Riverview Speedway in Murray Bridge on 29 December 1990 after breaking both the four and six lap track records there less than a month earlier (one night earlier he had done the same thing at North Arm). Unfortunately Bowes lodged his entry forms a day after nominations closed and although officials considered letting him ride, his fellow riders (perhaps thinking about Bowes being in career best form) insisted he be kept out. This resulted in him missing qualification for the 1991 Australian Championship in Alice Springs. Because a number of top riders had actually missed qualifying across the country, a special qualification round was held just a week before the title. Bowes showed his class (and current form) by easily winning the Qualifying Round before finishing equal fourth in the Australian title. Although he finished the championship fourth on points, this became sixth after losing the runoff to David Cheshire and Todd Wiltshire who also finished on 10 points. Bowes' eventual 6th place could have easily been 7th had Shane Parker's bike not suffered engine failure while the South Aussie title winner was leading his final heat. Had Parker won he would have finished outright 4th on 11 points.

Shane Bowes failed to make the 1992 Australian Championship held at his home track of North Arm (South Australia was represented by Shane Parker (2nd) and SA Champion Craig Hodgson (7th)). He would be back to place second in the 1993 South Australian championship behind Scott Norman at North Arm before going on to finish a career best 3rd in 1993 behind Victorian riders Leigh Adams (1st) and Jason Lyons (2nd) at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground, in what was his only podium finish in the Australian titles.

In 1996, Bowes became the first local rider to win the Jack Young Memorial Cup at North Arm.

United Kingdom

Shane Bowes first rode in the United Kingdom when he signed with the Newcastle Diamonds in 1987. He then moved on to the Glasgow Tigers in 1988 where he made his UK home for the next six years, winning both the British League Division Two and the Division Two KO Cup in 1993.

Bowes left Glasgow for Reading in 1994 but returned to the Tigers in 1995. After a single season with Glasgow, Shane moved again, this time to the Coventry Bees for 1996 and 1997, winning the Craven Shield with the Bees in 1997.

International

Shane Bowes made numerous appearances for Australia in Test Matches against various national and composite teams. He also appeared in the 1990 Under-21 Speedway World Final in Lviv (then Russia, now the Ukraine) where he finished 8th on 7 points with a win and two 2nd placings.

Present

Bowes retired from riding in the late 1990's, mostly due to injury. He currently lives in Adelaide with his wife and three children and runs a pump sales, repairs and installation business called Shane Bowes Contracting, though for a number of years before (including during his riding days), he also worked for his father Len's lawn mower sales and repair business.[1]

His son Fraser Bowes has started racing at Sidewinders speedway and is trying to follow in his fathers foot steps. His daughter Rosie is a novice rider at Sidewinders and is also a passenger (swinger) in the junior sidecars with her brother Patrick, both following in their grandfather Len Bowes' footsteps.

World Final Appearances

Individual Under-21 World Championship

References

  1. ↑ Shane Bowes Contracting
Books

External links