Speedway legend and twice World Champion Ronnie Moore has died at the age of 86.
‘Mirac’ before Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger was the first of a trio of New Zealand World Champions and an overnight sensation when he arrived in Europe as a 17 year old in 1950 to join the Wimbledon club in England. He was the youngest ever to win the World Individual Championship when, four years later he became the first New Zealander to take the title in front of 80,000 spectators in Wembley despite having to wear a brace to protect a fractured leg. He repeated that win with a maximum 15 points in 1959, again with an injured leg. He was runner up on three occasions and was also World Pairs Champion in 1970. He qualified for a total of 15 World Individual Championship Finals.
In a long and successful career Ronnie served his team, Wimbledon for 16 years helping them to seven National League Championships but his racing was ended by a serious head injury in 1975 and he retired to his adopted home in Christchurch. There he ran training schools for young riders where his local track at Moore Park was named after him. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1985.
A natural rider with superb throttle control he was universally popular with fans and fellow riders alike and FIM sends its condolences to Ronnie’s family and friends throughout the world.
Graham Brodie, for FIM