Christopher John Kitchen (2 August 1938 – 21 July 1990) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1][2][3] He earned two international caps for the Great Britain national speedway team.[1]

Jack Kitchen
Born2 August 1938 (1938-08-02)
Lancaster, England
Died21 July 1990(1990-07-21) (aged 51)
Lancaster, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1958–1963Belle Vue Aces
1960, 1963–1966Sheffield Tigers
1958Bradford Boomerangs
1962Bradford Panthers
Team honours
1958National Trophy
1958Britannia Shield
1963, 1964Northern League

Career

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Kitchen started his British leagues career in 1958 as he captained the Bradford Boomerangs junior side[4] and in the 1958 Speedway National League he rode for Belle Vue Aces, where he helped the team win the National Trophy.[1][5] He would ride for the Manchester club for six years until the end of 1963. He also had spells with Bradford Panthers and Sheffield Tigers in the Provincial League.[1]

From 1963 he rode for Sheffield and in 1965 topped the team's averages, which led him to represent Sheffield in the British League Riders' Championship.[6]

His last season was in 1966 and he retired aged just 28. He was involved in a crash that resulted in the death of Ivor Hughes in 1966, which seemed instrumental in his decision to retire.

Family

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His uncle Bill Kitchen was a speedway rider.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022, Jack Kitchen" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Speedway News". Motherwell Times. 13 June 1958. Retrieved 31 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Sheffield Tigers Speedway Post-War Legends 2001". London Cigarette Card Company. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Speedway Tonight". Wishaw Press. 13 June 1958. Retrieved 31 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Jack Kitchen". WWOS Backup. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Kitchen shines but Sheffield go down". Bristol Evening Post. 20 August 1960. Retrieved 31 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Speedway News". Daily Mirror. 26 May 1959. Retrieved 31 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.