Phil Clarke (speedway rider)
 Clarke in 1951 | |
| Born | 30 June 1922 Norwich, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 6 October 2010 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1947-1959 | Norwich Stars |
| Individual honours | |
| 1955 | Speedway World Championship finalist |
| Team honours | |
| 1950, 1951 | National League Division II Champion |
| 1955 | National Trophy Winner |
| 1951 | National Trophy (Div 2) Winner |
| 1951 | Southern Shield Winner |
Philip Charles Clarke (30 June 1922 - 6 October 2010) was an English motorcycle speedway rider.[1][2]
Speedway career[edit]
Clarke was a leading speedway rider in the 1950s. He reached the final of the Speedway World Championship in the 1955 Individual Speedway World Championship.[3][4]
He first rode in the UK leagues during the 1947 Speedway National League Division Two, after joining the Norwich Stars and would soon establish himself as a regular at the club.[5] He was their leading rider in 1950 when the club won the league title and was also instrumental in helping Norwich win the league and cup double in 1951.[6]
He followed the team when they moved up to the top tier of British Speedway in 1952.[7][8] His performance in the home leg of the final of the 1955 National Trophy effectively won the trophy for Norwich.[9]
By 1957, he had become the chairman of the Speedway Riders' Association.[10]
At retirement he had earned 5 international caps for the England national speedway team.[2]
World final appearances[edit]
Individual World Championship[edit]
- 1955 -
London, Wembley Stadium - 14th - 2pts
References[edit]
- ^ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ a b "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "World Speedway finals" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Former Norwich speedway captain dies". Evening News24. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "1951 season results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Phil Clarke". Speedway Museum. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Last night's speedway". The People. 18 September 1955. Retrieved 31 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Speedway rider crashes". The People. 15 September 1957. Retrieved 31 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.