Lance King (speedway rider)

Lance Alan King (born 13 August 1963) is a former speedway rider from the United States.[1] He earned 47 international caps for the United States national speedway team.[2]

Lance King
Born (1963-08-13) 13 August 1963 (age 61)
Carson City, Nevada, United States
Career history
1982-1984Cradley Heathens
1986, 1987Bradford Dukes
1988, 1989King's Lynn Stars
Individual honours
1984World Championship bronze
1984Overseas Champion
1983Golden Hammer
1984Midland Riders Champion
Team honours
1983, 1984World Team Cup bronze
1983British League Champion
1982, 1983Knockout Cup winner
1982, 1984British League Cup winner
1983, 1984Midland Cup winner

Speedway career

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King first rode in the British leagues when he joined Cradley Heath Heathens for the 1982 British League season and won the British League Knockout Cup and league Cup in his first season with them.[3] He improved his average to 8.74 the following season and helped Cradley win the league title and knockout cup double in addition to the Midland Cup.

King won bronze medals at both the 1983 and 1984 Speedway World Team Cup.

By the 1984 season he was recognised as one of the world's leading riders, and his career peaked with him winning the 1984 Overseas Final on his way to a bronze medal in the 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship behind Erik Gundersen and Hans Nielsen.[4] With Cradley he won two more trophies, the League Cup and Midland Cup but was forced to leave the club at the end of the season because of the league's points limits rules.[5]

King later rode for both Bradford Dukes and King's Lynn Stars from 1986 until 1989.[6][7]

World Final appearances

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Individual World Championship

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World Team Cup

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References

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  1. ^ "Lance King". Speedway Bikes. com. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  2. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Grahame can go". Daily Mirror. 2 February 1982. Retrieved 1 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Little Erik's a king". The People. 2 September 1984. Retrieved 1 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Critical pay talks facing Heathens". Birmingham Mail. 15 January 1985. Retrieved 1 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Biography". Cradley Speedway. Retrieved 27 June 2021.