John Titman
| Born | 26 January 1951 Brisbane, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Career history | |
| 1972–1973 | Halifax Dukes |
| 1975–1977 | Exeter Falcons |
| 1978–1981 | Leicester Lions |
| 1982–1983 | Hackney Hawks |
| 1984 | Wimbledon Dons |
| Individual honours | |
| 1977 | Australian Champion |
| 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986 | Queensland State Champion |
| Team honours | |
| 1986 | Australian Best Pairs Champion |
John Charles Titman (born 26 January 1951) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who was Australian Champion in 1977.[1]
Biography
[edit]Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Titman initially worked as a mechanic, making his speedway debut at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in April 1968.[2] He made his British League debut with Halifax Dukes in 1972,[3] and also made his international debut for Australia that year against the British Lions.[2] In 1973 he averaged 6.92 from 38 matches, and became a regular member of the Australian team.[2] In 1973 he finished in 7th place (with John Boulger) in the Australian qualifying round of the World Pairs championship. He also raced in Poland and New Zealand. He moved on to the Exeter Falcons in 1975.[2]
Titman won the Australian Solo Championship in 1977 on his home track, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. He also finished runner-up in the Australian championship to Phil Crump in 1975 at the Sydney Showground Speedway, and again in 1986 at the Pioneer Park Speedway in Ayr behind fellow Queenslander Troy Butler.
He signed for the Leicester Lions in 1978, becoming club captain in 1979.[4] After falling to third in the Lions averages in 1981 and being stripped of the captaincy, he was transfer listed at the end of the season, and moved on to the Hackney Hawks in 1982.[5] He moved on again in 1984 to the Wimbledon Dons, and this was his final season in British speedway.
During his career, Titman made the World Final on two occasions, finishing 8th in 1978 and 9th in 1979. Titman also rode in longtrack speedway, reaching the world final in 1983 and 1984. After returning home at the end of 1984, Titman continued to ride, captaining the Australian national team for a further three years.
In 2022, he was inducted into the Speedway Australia's Hall of Fame.[6][7]
Career record
[edit]All figures relate to the British League.
| Year | Team | Matches | Rides | Points | Bonus | Total | Average | Full Maximum |
Paid Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Halifax Dukes | 34 | 119 | 101 | 19 | 120 | 4.03 | ||
| 1973 | Halifax Dukes | 38 | 167 | 274 | 15 | 289 | 6.92 | ||
| 1975 | Exeter Falcons | 32 | 127 | 165 | 22 | 187 | 5.89 | 1 | |
| 1976 | Exeter Falcons | 37 | 155 | 251 | 20 | 271 | 6.99 | ||
| 1977 | Exeter Falcons | 40 | 177 | 327 | 38 | 365 | 8.25 | 1 | 4 |
| 1978 | Leicester Lions | 40 | 175 | 375 | 16 | 391 | 8.94 | 6 | 2 |
| 1979 | Leicester Lions | 35 | 163 | 326 | 19 | 345 | 8.47 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980 | Leicester Lions | 31 | 129 | 227 | 21 | 248 | 7.69 | 1 | |
| 1981 | Leicester Lions | 47 | 227 | 376 | 46 | 422 | 7.44 | 1 | 1 |
| 1982 | Hackney Hawks | 36 | 145 | 215 | 24 | 239 | 6.59 | ||
| 1983 | Hackney Hawks | 41 | 167 | 233 | 28 | 251 | 6.25 | 1 | 1 |
| 1984 | Wimbledon Dons | 47 | 187 | 238 | 34 | 272 | 5.82 |
World Final Appearances
[edit]Individual World Championship
[edit]- 1978 -
London, Wembley Stadium - 9th - 7pts - 1979 -
Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 12th - 5pts
World Pairs Championship
[edit]- 1979 -
Vojens, Speedway Center (with Phil Crump) - 4th - 19pts (6)
World Longtrack Championship
[edit]Finalist
- 1983
Mariánské Lázně 9pts (11th) - 1984
Herxheim 11pts (10th)
References
[edit]- ^ "John Titman". Grasstrack GB. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Oakes, Peter & Mauger, Ivan (1976) Who's Who of World Speedway, Studio Publications, ISBN 0-904584-04-6, p. 136-7
- ^ "Six Dukes entered". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 7 March 1972. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Jones, Alan (2010) Speedway in Leicester: The Lions Roar, Automedia, p. 179
- ^ Oakes, Peter (1982) 1982 Speedway Yearbook, Studio Publications, ISBN 0-86215-072-8, p. 173
- ^ "Off the Beaten Track". Speedway Star. 23 July 2022. p. 14.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". Speedway Australia. Retrieved 1 January 2023.