Bruce Abernethy (speedway rider)
| Born | 14 May 1926 Wellington, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Died | 2 April 1999 (aged 72) New Zealand |
| Career history | |
| Great Britain | |
| 1948–1951 | Wembley Lions |
| Individual honours | |
| 1950, 1951 | New Zealand champion |
| Team honours | |
| 1949, 1950, 1951 | National League (UK) |
Bruce Mackenzie Abernethy (14 May 1926 – 2 April 1999) was a motorcycle speedway rider from New Zealand.[1]
Career
Abernethy purchased his first motorcycle in 1946 and competed in beach racing and hill climbs before taking up speedway when the Hutt speedway track in Lower Hutt opened in December 1947.[2] During his first season he was approached by Wally Kilmister who arranged for him to ride for the Wembley Lions in the 1948 Speedway National League.[3] He was loaned out for most of the year to the Rayleigh Rockets team which competed in some third division challenge matches. From 1949 to 1951 he was included in the Wembley team and helped the team win three consecutive league titles in 1949, 1950 and 1951.[4] [5]He broke the Wembley track record in 1951.[6]
He won the New Zealand Speedway Championship in 1950 and 1951[7] and although he didn't ride in the UK after 1951, he continued to compete in New Zealand until 1959.
In 1964 and 1965 he drove a Cooper Climax in the Tasman Series.
References
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022, Bruce Abernethy" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Glamour star of the cinder track". Evening Post. 8 April 1999. p. 007.
- ^ Batt, Allan (2008). Flat out!!!: the story of the Hutt Speedway 1947-1954. Speedway Classics. p. 11. ISBN 9780473135478.
- ^ "Norman Parker was No.1". Daily Mirror. 28 March 1950. Retrieved 25 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "A_Z of Rider Averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Abernethy sets track record". Daily News (London). 15 June 1951. Retrieved 25 July 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "HISTORYCZNE ZESTAWIENIE WYNIKÓW 1929-2023". Speedway History. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
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