New Zealand Solo Championship

New Zealand motorcycle speedway championship

New Zealand Championship

Jason Bunyan, ten time winner

Sport| motorcycle speedway
Founded| 1929
Most titles| Jason Bunyan (10)

The New Zealand Solo Championship is the annual individual motorcycle speedway championship of New Zealand. The championship has been running since 1929, although the event has not been held during various years.[1][2][3]

## History

[edit]

Throughout the history of the championship, New Zealand has produced some of the best riders of all-time. Ronnie Moore, the first world champion from the country in 1958, became the champion of the New Zealand on four occasions. Two legendary riders Ivan Mauger and Barry Briggs, who won ten world individual titles between them, only won four national championships because they spent significant parts of their careers based in England and did not always compete.[4][5][6]

From 1979, the final of the New Zealand Solo Championship regularly doubled up as the New Zealand qualification round for the Speedway World Championship, although during various years this has not always been the case due to factors like licensing.

Since the early 1990s, the standard of speedway in New Zealand has decreased significantly and no rider has managed to win a competition of note.

## Key

[edit]

* Unless stated, all riders are from New Zealand
* (wc) indicates that it was a world championship qualifier

## Past winners

[edit]

Year | Venue | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place

|
|
|
|

1929  | Kilbirnie Speedway | Dave Managh |  |
1930  | Kilbirnie Speedway | Alf Mattson | Harry Mangham | Eddie Naylor
1931  | Western Springs Stadium | Alf Mattson | Wally Kilmister |
| 1932 not held
1933  | Monica Park | Charlie Blacklock | Norm Grey |
| 1934 to 1935 not held
1936  | Monica Park | Wally Kilmister | Wally Rhodes |
| 1937-1940 not held
1941  | Western Springs Stadium | Charlie Buchanan | Ron Seed | Henry Falls
| 1942-1944 not held due to World War II
1945  | Western Springs Stadium | Jack Hunt | Ron Seed | Norman Morgan
1946  | Western Springs Stadium | Len Perry | Norman Morgan | George Mudgway
1947  | Western Springs Stadium | Gil Craven ()  | Harold Fairhurst | George Mudgway
1948  | Western Springs Stadium | Jack Hunt | Len Perry | Alf Clarkin
1949  | Palmerston North Showgrounds | Harold Fairhurst | Gil Craven ()  | Bruce Abernethy
1950  | Hutt Speedway | Bruce Abernethy | Alf Clarkin | Trevor Redmond
1951  | Aranui Speedway | Bruce Abernethy | Jack Parker ()  | Peter Dykes
1952  | Tahuna Park Speedway | Ron Johnston | Mick Holland | Maury Dunn / Norman Parker ()
1953  | Not held
1954  | Western Springs Stadium | Harold Fairhurst | Merv Neil | Gerald Jackson ()
1955  | Not held
1956  | Aranui Speedway | Ronnie Moore | Eric Williams ()  | Ron Mountford ()
1957  | Not held
1958  | Rotorua Speedway | Maury Dunn | Jules Benson | Goog Allen
1959  | Rotorua Speedway | Barry Briggs | Ivan Mauger | Len Jelaca
1960  | Western Springs Stadium | Ray New | Maury Dunn | Bryce Subritzky
1961  | Rotorua Speedway | Ray New | Maury Dunn | Bob Anderson
1962  | Palmerston North Showgrounds | Ronnie Moore | Merv Neil | Ken McKinlay ()
1963  | Palmerston North Showgrounds | Barry Briggs | Ronnie Moore | Geoff Mardon
1964  | Western Springs Stadium | Geoff Mardon | Peter Moore ()  | Bob Andrews
1965  | Ruapuna Speedway | Murray Burt | Allan Brown | Jack Hart
1966  | Waiwakaiho Speedway | Bob Andrews | Murray Burt | Bryce Subritzky
1967  | Ruapuna Speedway | Howard Cole ()  | Doug Templeton ()  | Ronnie Moore
1968  | Ruapuna Speedway | Ronnie Moore | Frank Shuter | Bob Andrews
1969  | Palmerston North Showgrounds | Ronnie Moore | Bob Andrews | Goog Allen / Bill Andrew / Howard Cole
1970  | Western Springs Stadium | Chris Bailey ()  | Bill Andrew | Bryce Subritzky
1971  | Ruapuna Speedway | Frank Shuter | Allan Brown | Roger Wright
1972  | Ruapuna Speedway | Bruce Cribb | Roger Wright | Graeme Stapleton
1973  | Western Springs Stadium | Gary Peterson | Bob Andrews | Graeme Stapleton
1974  | Ruapuna Speedway | Ivan Mauger | Ronnie Moore | Barry Briggs
1975  | Palmerston North Showgrounds | Dave Morton ()  | John Davis ()  | Craig Pendlebury ()
1976  | Meeanee Speedway | Larry Ross | Colin Farquharson | Paul Church
1977  | Stratford Speedway | Larry Ross | Graeme Stapleton | Robin Adlington
1978  | Penlee Speedway | Larry Ross | Barry Briggs | Mike Fullerton
1979 | Ruapuna Speedway (wc) | Larry Ross | Mitch Shirra | Ivan Mauger
1980 | Western Springs Stadium (wc) | Larry Ross[7] | David Bargh | Tony Briggs
1981 | Meeanee Speedway (wc) | Ivan Mauger | Mitch Shirra | Larry Ross
1982  | Western Springs Stadium | Mitch Shirra | John Goodall | David Bargh
1983 | Ruapuna Speedway (wc) | Mitch Shirra | Larry Ross | David Bargh
1984  | Penlee Speedway | Mitch Shirra | Larry Ross | David Bargh
1985  | Ruapuna Speedway | Larry Ross | Alan Mason | Roger Wright
1986 | Awapuni Speedway (wc) | David Bargh | Larry Ross | Mitch Shirra
1987 | Western Springs Stadium (wc) | David Bargh | Mitch Shirra | Larry Ross
1988 | Ruapuna Speedway (wc) | Larry Ross | David Bargh | Gary Allan
1989 | Western Springs Stadium (wc) | Larry Ross | Gary Allan | Mark Thorpe
1990 | Ruapuna Speedway (wc) | Larry Ross | Mark Thorpe | Craig Wilkie
1991 | Awapuni Speedway (wc) | David Bargh | Chris Martin | Mark Thorpe
1992 | Meeanee Speedway (wc) | Gary Allan | Mark Thorpe | Paul Atkins
1993 | Ruapuna Speedway (wc) | Mark Thorpe | Mark Lyndon | Andy Walker
1994 | Stratford Speedway (wc) | Mark Thorpe | Tony Nagel | Mark Jamieson
1995  | Kihikihi Speedway | Andy Walker | Nathan Murray | Robert Davidson
1996  | Ruapuna Speedway | Mark Thorpe | Graham Hartshorne | Mark Jamieson
1997  | Stratford Speedway | Chris Penny | Robert Price | Graham Hartshorne
1998  | Meeanee Speedway | Paul Atkins | Mark Jamieson | Michael Long
1999  | Ruapuna Speedway | Mark Jamieson | Andy Walker | David Bargh
2000  | Awapuni Speedway | David Bargh | Kris Jemmet | Sean Cox
2001  | Ruapuna Speedway | Graham Hartshorne | Daniel McKinlay | Scott Boyce
2002  | Kihikihi Speedway | Andrew Appleton ()  | Nathan Murray | Graham Hartshorne
2003  | Ruapuna Speedway | Sam Taylor | Blair McKinlay | John Tuffley
2004  | Te Marua Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Simone Terenzani ()  | Craig Ramsay
2005  | Awapuni Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Glen Phillips ()  | Attila Stefani ()
2006  | Rosebank Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Mattia Carpanese ()  | Daniele Tessari ()
2007  | Ruapuna Speedway | Andrew Bargh | Dale Finch | Jason Bunyan ()
2008  | Oreti Park Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Larry Ross | Andrew Bargh
2009  | Arena Manawatu | Jason Bunyan ()  | Jade Mudgway | Larry Ross
2010  | Oreti Park Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Grant Tregoning | Larry Ross
2011  | Rosebank Speedway | Grant Tregoning | Jason Bunyan ()  | Ritchie Hawkins ()
2012  | Moore Park Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Grant Tregoning | Dale Finch
2013  | Rosebank Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Dale Finch | Sean Mason
2014  | Oreti Park Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Grant Tregoning | Sean Mason
2015  | Moore Park Speedway | James Sarjeant[8] ()  | Hayden Sims | Dale Finch
2016  | Rosebank Speedway | Jason Bunyan ()  | Bradley Wilson-Dean | Sean Mason
2017  | Oreti Park Speedway | Bradley Wilson-Dean | Grant Tregoning | Dale Finch
2018  | Moore Park Speedway | Bradley Wilson-Dean | Andrew Aldridge | Ryan Terry-Daley
2019  | Rosebank Speedway | Bradley Wilson-Dean[9] | Dylan Hancock | Ryan Terry-Daley
2020  | Oreti Park Speedway | Bradley Wilson-Dean[10] | Andrew Aldridge | Ryan Terry-Daley
2021  | Moore Park Speedway | Ben Whalley | Andrew Aldridge | George Congreve
| 2022 not held
2023  | Oreti Park Speedway | George Congreve[11][12] | Ben Whalley | Finn Reed
2024  | Oreti Park Speedway | Bradley Wilson-Dean[13] | George Congreve | Ben Whalley

## See also

[edit]

* New Zealand national speedway team
* Sport in New Zealand

* v
* t
* e

International speedway competitions

World|

* Individual (Grand Prix) (Qualification)
* Pairs (Speedway of Nations)
* World Team Cup (World Cup)
* Individual U-21
* Team U-21
* Individual U-16

Europe|

* Individual
* Pairs
* Team
* U21
* U19
* Junior (team)

National Championships|

* Argentina
* Australia / (U-21)
* Austria
* Czech/Czech Rep
* Denmark / (U-21)
* Finland
* France
* Germany/East/West
* Great Britain / (U-21) / (U-19)
* Hungary
* Italy
* Latvia
* New Zealand
* Norway
* Poland / (U-21)
* Romanian
* Russia/Soviet
* Slovenia
* Sweden / (U-21)
* USA (AMA) / USA (SRA)

National Leagues|

* Denmark
* Great Britain
* Poland
* Sweden
* Czech/Czech Rep
* Germany/East/West
* Hungary
* Russia/Soviet

Ice speedway|

* World Championships: Individual
* Team
* European: Individual

Long track|

* World Championships: Individual
* Team

Former Championships|

* Australasian
* British Nordic
* Champions Cup (indiv)
* Champions' Cup (teams)
* Commonwealth
* Continental
* Estonian
* Intercontinental
* Nordic
* Overseas
* Star Riders'

Governing Bodies|

* World (FIM)
* FIM Europe

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Roll Of Honour". Motorcycling New Zealand. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
2. ^ "History Zestawienie Wynikow 1929-2023". Speedway History. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
3. ^ Loader, Tony (1991). Loader's International Speedway Annual 1991. Tony Loader. pp. 299–301. ISSN 1036-4404.
4. ^ "History, Speedway and Longtrack". Speedway.org. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
5. ^ Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. pp. 97–98. ISBN 0-09-141751-1.
6. ^ Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and Results. Guinness Superlatives. pp. 289–290. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
7. ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 91\. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
8. ^ "Brytyjczyk mistrzem Nowej Zelandii", nicesport.pl, 3 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2015
9. ^ Hurndell, Shane (2019) "Speedway: Wilson-Dean captures third consecutive national title", New Zealand Herald, 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019
10. ^ "Four In A Row For BWD". Peterborough Panthers. 12 January 2020.
11. ^ "CONGREVE GOES UNDEFEATED TO SEAL NZ SOLOS". Driven by Dirt. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
12. ^ "Invercargill teen surprises himself on national speedway stage". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
13. ^ "Solo Championships". Speedway New Zealand. Retrieved 13 February 2024.

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