Humans of Speedway

Celina Liebmann is a trail blazer in speedway, becoming the first female rider to race in an FIM World Speedway Championship event competing in SGP2 in 2022. And in 2024 she will become the first female rider to race in a professional British league when she joins the Workington Comets on the Cab Direct Championship.

With speedway being a male dominated world, she's had no shortage of advice from online experts, but as you'll hear, she doesn't care what anyone thinks.

Celina has been riding a speedway bike for 18 of her 23 years, and comes from a family of motorcycle racers. Her dad was a top German Ice Speedway rider, and her mum competed in Moto X, and so in her words "we know how to ride a bike".

In addition to British league racing she will also have the chance to face some of the finest riders in world speedway in the season opening Peter Craven Memorial meeting in Manchester UK, at the National Speedway Stadium.

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Kyle Howarth captained the Sheffield Tigers to their first top flight championship in 2023, and in 2024 celebrates his testimonial at Owlerton with some of the sports top stars racing against the Sheffield 24 line up. He'll also race for Scunthorpe in the Championship too where he starts as the Scorpions number 1.

In this podcast we get to know Kyle a little better, how he found his way into the sport and his personal highlights.

Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, Howarth competed in grasstrack and motocross before starting his speedway career in 2008 in amateur competitions, gaining a National League place with Scunthorpe Saints in 2009, scoring 13+2 on his debut.[3] He averaged 4.62 over the season and finished as runner up in the British Under-15 championship that year.[3] In 2010, he became a Poole Pirates asset and rode for Bournemouth Buccaneers in the National League, averaging 7.43, and also made guest appearances in the Premier League for Somerset Rebels.[3] Also in 2010, he finished in third place in the British Under-18 Championship.[3] In 2011 he rode in the National League for Belle Vue Colts, and he also rode for Edinburgh Monarchs in the Premier League, averaging 5.11, and was named at number eight for the Belle Vue Aces Elite League team.[3] He spent the winter riding in Australia, and won the Queensland Under-21 Championship.[4]

In 2012, after initially signing for King's Lynn Stars, he rode for Poole in the Elite League and Workington Cometsin the Premier League, and signed for both teams in 2013.[5][6][7][8] He finished in third place in the 2012 British Under-21 Championship and represented Great Britain at under-21 level.[9]

From 2013 until 2020 he rode for numerous clubs including Swindon Robins, Workington, Poole Pirates and Coventry Bees. He joined Sheffield Tigers and Wolverhampton Wolves in 2016, staying with both clubs until 2020. As a Sheffield rider he won the SGB Championship Pairs, partnering Lasse Bjerre, during the SGB Championship 2017 season.[10] and then the following season won it again partnering Charles Wright, during the SGB Championship 2018 season.[11]

In 2021 and 2022, he returned to Sheffield in the SGB Premiership 2021 and SGB Premiership 2022 and signed for the Leicester Lions in the SGB Championship 2021 and SGB Championship 2022.[12] He helped Sheffield win the 2022 League cup and reach the Play off final.[13]

In 2023, he re-signed for Sheffield for the SGB Premiership 2023[14] and won the league title with the club.[15]He also signed for Plymouth Gladiators for the SGB Championship 2023.[16] In 2024, he re-signed for Sheffield[17] and re-signed for Scunthorpe (his first club) for the 2024 Championship season

#speedway #gniezno #sheffield #sheffieldspeedway #britishspeedway

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Gino Manzares is a former USA National Champion, has raced in the UK for Ipswich & Scunthorpe and now he prepares to captain Team USA Vs The World in the upcoming clash in California. In this podcast we hear more about Gino's story, how Bruce Penhall and a cast of American legends have helped him on his way, and how he hopes to be considered for a team spot in the UK again.

Since last riding in the UK in 2018 Gino has turned down offers to be a professional UFC Fighter, as he follows his speedway dream.

Don't forget to like / follow / subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes!

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Charles Wright is a former British Champion, and has won league titles at both professional levels of British Speedway, and 2024 marks his testimonial year in the sport!

Of course his brother has been a top level rider too, but both are very much following in their grandfather's footsteps, Jim Yacoby was a rider with Belle Vue Aces in the 1960's and that's where the family routes in the sport lay. We'll hear how it hasn't always been easy for Charles who despite finding himself without a team at times in his early career, has battled to the top of domestic speedway in Britain.

2023 also saw a dramatic end to his season, after he was selected to race for Wroclaw in the Ekstraliga final, but after a good start to the night it ended with a high speed season ending crash!

Hear more of the story of Charles and his testimonial plans in the latest episode of Humans of Speedway!

Charles Wright, British Speedway, Bellevue Aces, Championship League Riders Champion, Speedway Testimonial, Ty Woffinden, Manchester Speedway, British Champion, Speedway Promoter, Redcar Speedway, Freddie Lingren, Peter Craven Memorial, Jim Yacoby, Buxton Speedway, Grass Track Racing, Somerset Rebels, Speedway Pairs, Oxford Spires, Speedway Grand Prix, Ecco Arena Redcar, Ekstraliga, Wroclaw

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Get ready for an exhilarating ride through the life and times of Peter Adams, British Speedway's most decorated manager.

From his early chance encounter with Ole Olsen, to his strategic genius on the tracks taking Coventry, Cradley and Wolves to multiple league titles, this episode of our podcast is packed with thrilling stories and insights.

Listen as Peter reveals the high-octane world of speedway racing, his unexpected encounters with rock royalty, and much more.

This is one episode you won't want to miss – tune in now for a deep dive into the legacy of a speedway icon!

Peter Adams, Speedway Manager, British Speedway, World Championships, Ole Olsson, Coventry Bees, Cradley Heathens, Wolverhampton Wolves, Tai Woffinden, Team Management, Speedway Racing, Motorcycle Sports, Track Design, Queen Rock Band, Roadie Experience, Speedway Training, Speedway Promotion, Speedway Legacy, Speedway Comeback, Racing Strategy

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Hans Nielsen has been recognised by the FIM as an icon for very good reason..! In his career he won 22 World Championship medals in all competitions, including 4 individual World titles. It could however have been so many more were is not for the fickle finger of fate, as he claimed many more silver medals, missing the top step by the smallest of margins.

We discuss Hans' stellar career which saw him dominate British speedway through the 80's and 90's, in fact we was the top averaged rider from 1983 to 1990, NO rider delivered more.

We also look at what is next for Hans, having stepped down from Danish national management and heading to Polish league management!

Enjoy!

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He's a title winning Captain of the Belle Vue Aces, a former Australian Champion and has raced in Speedway GP in his homeland as a wildcard..! We get to know more about one of Australia's top young stars, Brady Kurtz!

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Craig Ackroyd is one of the World's top speedway referees, and one of the few on the Grand Prix circuit in addition to officiating across British Speedway's leagues.

Craig himself had ambitions of being a speedway rider, and was involved in Grasstrack alongside the likes of Carl Stonehewer and Garry Stead. However he eventually followed in his Dad's footsteps and entered the referee's box and hasn't looked back since.

He has taken charge of some of World speedway's biggest clashes, including the Speedway World Cup and title deciding Grand Prix rounds.

In this podcast learn more about his journey to the top, handing massive situations involving the world's best riders, and what is required to become a top referee in speedway.

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A rising star in the speedway world, Ben Cook has already won 5 trophies in his 3 years with the Poole Pirates, and in 2024 will captain the side. He follows in a long line of speedway greats who have made the journey from New South Wales to Dorset, basing himself with Middlo.

In this podcast we find out more about the journey and the standards required for a young Aussie to make it in the UK and Europe, why the state championships are so important, and his ambitions for the years ahead!

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Alun Rossiter is in a very select group of people in British Speedway, as one of the few to have won a top level league title as both a rider and manager. On the bike Rosco represented his home town club Swindon Robins through the 80s, with a spell at Coventry Bees in between, along with spells at Exeter, Weymouth, Wolves King's Lynn and Peterborough among a few. His most success as a rider came at Poole Pirates where he won 3 league titles and 2 cups, and remains among the club's all time top 50 points scorers.

As a manager he took the helm of Swindon to begin with, but it was Coventry where he secured his first title in 2010, in that epic comeback at Wimbourne Road as Chris Harris picked himself up from the deck and dragged the Bees over the line. Rosco also claimed 3 further titles with Swindon, the most recent in 2019 which became the clubs final year.

Alun talks about his journey from young fan to club legend, and he talks us through how his own dream speedway meeting would look including his all time 1-7 team.

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