Jack Kitchen

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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

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]

Career[edit]

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[edit]

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

References[edit]

  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.