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Born | Aylesbury, England | 15 October 1960
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Died | 15 November 2000 | (aged 40)
Nationality | British (English) |
Career history | |
Great Britain | |
1980–1982 | Weymouth Wildcats |
1981–1983 | Cradley Heathens |
1981 | Birmingham Brummies |
1984–1986, 1988–1990 | Oxford Cheetahs |
1987 | Hackney Kestrels |
1991–1992 | Bradford Dukes |
1993 | Coventry Bees |
1995 | Long Eaton Invaders |
1996 | Exeter Falcons |
1997–1998 | King's Lynn Stars |
Sweden | |
1990 | Indianerna |
1992-1993, 1995 | Vetlanda |
Individual honours | |
1985, 1986 | Mr Melbourne winner |
1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994 | Long Track World Champion |
1988, 1989 | British Speedway Champion |
1989 | Commonwealth Final winner |
1990, 1994, 1995 | Australian Long track Grand Prix |
1994 | New Zealand Long track Grand Prix |
1994 | Golden Helmet of Pardubice |
1996 | Grand Prix Challenge |
1981, 1984, 1993 | Ace of Aces Grasstrack Champion |
1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990 | British Masters Grasstrack Champion |
Team honours | |
1989 | World Team Cup Winner |
1982 | National League Pairs Champion |
1983, 1985, 1986, 1989 | British League Champion |
1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992 | British League KO Cup winner |
1985, 1986 | British League Pairs Champion |
1982 | British League Cup Winner |
1990 | Swedish Elite League winner |
1983 | Midland Cup Winner |
Simon Antony Wigg (15 October 1960 – 15 November 2000) was an English speedway, grasstrack and longtrack rider who won five World Long Track Championships and finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989.[1][2] He earned 57 international caps for the England national speedway team.[3]
Education
Wigg went to school at the John Hampden School in High Wycombe. Leaving in 1977 after taking his O'levels.[4] After relocating with his family several times as a child, he gained a scholarship to Woodbridge School in Suffolk, where he and his brother began their interest in motorcycle racing, attending Ipswich Witches meetings at Foxhall and riding in grasstrack competitions.[5]
Career
Wigg was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.[6][5] In 1980, he joined his first speedway club, Weymouth Wildcats,[5] and in 1982, Wigg won the British League Division Two Pairs Championship with Martin Yeates with the sea-side town club.[7] After joining Cradley Heath in 1983, he won the treble of league, Knockout Cup and Midland Cup.[8]
In 1984, he was signed by Oxford Cheetahs who bought him from Cradley Heath Heathens for £25,000. The Oxford team had returned to the British League and the other signings to start as the top five riders for the season were Hans Nielsen for a record £30,000, Marvyn Cox for £15,000, Melvyn Taylor for £12,000 and Jens Rasmussen, with Ian Clark and Nigel Sparshott at 6 & 7.[9] It was in 1984 that he qualified for his first World Final.[5]
After a mid table finish in 1984 he was part of the Oxford team that won the league and cup double during a 1985 British League season.[9] Also in 1985, he became the second British World Longtrack Champion (Michael Lee was the first in 1981) and went on to win the title a further four times.[5] He was the most successful British grasstrack and longtrack rider ever.[5]
Wigg while riding in Oxford, met his wife to be, Charlie, and after a few years together they had two children.[5] In 1986, Wigg was part of the Oxford team that won a second consecutive league and cup double during the 1986 British League season.[9]
1988 saw him become British Speedway Champion and he retained the title the following year.[5] 1989 also saw him captain the Great Britain speedway team when they won the World Team Cup.[5] In 1989, he won the Commonwealth Final[10] and then finished runner-up to his Cheetahs teammate Hans Nielsen in the World Final at the Olympiastadion in Munich.[5] His team Oxford also won the league title in the 1989 British League season.
He rode in the Polish League for Unia Tarnów in 1992 (10 matches, CMA 9.89), Unia Leszno (1994, 2 matches, 6.80), Stal Rzeszów (1997, 1 match, 11.00) and Falubaz Zielona Góra (1998, 1 match, 6.40).
In October 1996, during the Speedway Grand Prix Qualification he won the GP Challenge, which ensured that he claimed a permanent slot for the 1997 Grand Prix.[11]
During his career, Wigg was a frequent visitor to Australia and always enjoyed success on the larger Showground tracks down under such as the 450 metres (490 yd) Brisbane Exhibition Ground, the 510 metres (560 yd) Wayville Showground in Adelaide, the 520 metres (570 yd) Claremont Speedway in Perth, and the 610 metres (670 yd) Melbourne Showgrounds. During his time riding in both Australia and New Zealand, Wigg won the Australian Long track Grand Prix in 1990, 1994 and 1995, as well as the New Zealand Long track Grand Prix in 1994.
Wigg was also famous for his bright green leathers and bikes, being nicknamed "The Lean Green Racing Machine". He rode in 65 meetings for England.[5]
Death
After suffering epileptic seizures in November 1998 and January 1999, which were originally attributed to head trauma from racing crashes,[12] he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and had surgery to remove it in May 1999.[5][13] After recovering, he moved with his family to Gold Coast, Queensland, but after falling ill again in February 2000, returned to the UK for further surgery after discovering that the tumour had regrown.[5] Wigg died on 15 November 2000 at the age of 40.
World Longtrack Championship record
Five Times Champion
Final
- 1982
Esbjerg 5pts (13th)
- 1983
Marianske Lazne 11pts (7th)
- 1985
Esbjerg 22pts (Champion)
- 1987
Mühldorf 21pts (Second)
- 1988
Scheeßel 21pts (8th)
- 1989
Marianske Lazne 38pts (Champion)
- 1990
Herxheim 37pts (Champion)
- 1991
Marianske Lazne 10pts (9th)
- 1992
Pfarrkirchen 0pts (19th)
- 1993
Mühldorf 22pts (Champion)
- 1994
Marianske Lazne 25pts (Champion)
- 1995
Scheeßel 20pts (Second) * After run-off with Kelvin Tatum
- 1996
Herxheim 11pts (7th)
Grand Years
1998 Four G.P. 40pts (10th)
World Speedway final appearances
World Championship
- 1984 -
Göteborg, Ullevi - 6th - 9pts
- 1988 -
Vojens, Speedway Center - 6th - 9pts
- 1989 -
Munich, Olympic Stadium - 2nd - 12pts + 3pts
World Pairs Championship
- 1986 -
Pocking, Rottalstadion (with Jeremy Doncaster) - 7th - 23pts (11)
- 1987 -
Pardubice, Svítkov Stadion (with Kelvin Tatum) - 2nd - 44pts (20)[14]
World Team Cup
- 1984 -
Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Chris Morton / Peter Collins / Phil Collins / Neil Collins) - 2nd - 24pts (9)
- 1986 -
Göteborg, Ullevi,
Vojens, Speedway Center and
Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Kelvin Tatum / Neil Evitts / Jeremy Doncaster / Chris Morton / Marvyn Cox) - 3rd - 81pts (24)
- 1987 -
Fredericia, Fredericia Speedway,
Coventry, Brandon Stadium and
Prague, Marketa Stadium (with Kelvin Tatum / Jeremy Doncaster / Simon Cross / Marvyn Cox) - 2nd - 101pts (29)
- 1988 -
Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Simon Cross / Kelvin Tatum / Chris Morton / Gary Havelock) - 4th - 22pts (0)
- 1989 -
Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Jeremy Doncaster / Kelvin Tatum / Paul Thorp / Simon Cross) - Winner - 48pts (11)
- 1990 -
Pardubice, Svítkov Stadion (with Kelvin Tatum / Jeremy Doncaster / Marvyn Cox / Gary Havelock) - 2nd - 34pts (8)
Speedway Grand Prix results
Year | Position | Points | Best finish | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | 17th | 13 | 10th | - |
British Grasstrack Championship Record
- 1981 - British 500cc Grasstrack @ Coxwold, Clyst St. Mary & Uckington
- 1982 - British Masters Grasstrack @ Condover & Exeter
- 1983 - British Masters Grasstrack @ Clyst St George & Long Marston
- 1985 - British Masters Grasstrack @ Eaton
- 1989 - British Masters Grasstrack @ Chetton & Winterbourne Gunner
- 1990 - British Masters Grasstrack @ Sturminster Marshall & Chetton
References
- ^ Rogers, G.(2005). Wiggy!: Simon Wigg in His Own Words . ISBN 0-9548336-7-8
- ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 532. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "People educated at John Hampden Grammar School". Famous Fix. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Simon Wigg" (obit.), Daily Telegraph, 22 November 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2019
- ^ Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook. Spotsdata. ISBN 0-948882-00-X
- ^ "Bruce snubs star event". Sunday Mirror. 29 August 1982. Retrieved 23 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Cradley's treble glory!". Birmingham Mail. 25 October 1983. Retrieved 21 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c Bamford/Shailes, Robert/Glynn (2007). The Story of Oxford Speedway. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. 128–135. ISBN 978-0-7524-4161-0.
- ^ Oakes, Peter (1990). Speedway Yearbook 1990. Front Page Books. p. 10. ISBN 0-948882-15-8.
- ^ "HISTORICAL LIST OF RESULTS 1995-2013 Speedway Grand Prix - Qualifications". Speedway History. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Longmore, Andrew (1999) "Speedway: The Interview Simon Wigg: Tracks of a speed star's tears", The Independent, 28 March 1999. Retrieved 22 August 2019
- ^ "Speedway: Tumour shock for Wigg", Oxford Mail, 19 April 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2019
- ^ "Danes defeat spirited challenge". Sandwell Evening Mail. 29 June 1987. Retrieved 11 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.