Simon Wigg

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]

Simon Wigg
Born(1960-10-15)15 October 1960
Aylesbury, England
Died15 November 2000(2000-11-15) (aged 40)
NationalityEnglish
Career history
1980–1982Weymouth Wildcats
1980Wimbledon Dons
1981–1983Cradley Heathens
1984–1986, 1988–1990Oxford Cheetahs
1987Hackney Kestrels
1990Indianerna (SWE)
1991–1992Bradford Dukes
1992-1993, 1995Vetlanda (SWE)
1993Coventry Bees
1995Long Eaton Invaders
1996Exeter Falcons
1997–1998King's Lynn Stars
Individual honours
1985, 1986Mr Melbourne winner
1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994Long Track World Champion
1988, 1989British Speedway Champion
1989Commonwealth Final winner
1990, 1994, 1995Australian Long track Grand Prix
1994New Zealand Long track Grand Prix
1994Golden Helmet of Pardubice (CZE)
1996Grand Prix Challenge
1984Golden Gala (Italy)
1981, 1984, 1993Ace of Aces Grasstrack Champion
1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990British Masters Grasstrack Champion
Team honours
1989World Team Cup Winner
1982National League Pairs Champion
1983, 1985, 1986, 1989British League Champion
1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992British League KO Cup winner
1985, 1986British League Pairs Champion
1990Swedish Elite League winner

Career

Wigg was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.[2][3] 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.[3]

In 1980 later he joined his first speedway club, Weymouth Wildcats.[3]

In 1982, Wigg won the British League Division Two Pairs Championship with Martin Yeates, and in 1984 qualified for his first World Final.[3] He became the second British World Longtrack Champion in 1985 (Michael Lee was the first in 1981) and went on to win the title a further four times.[3] He was the most successful British grasstrack and longtrack rider ever.[3] When Wigg was riding in Oxford, England he met his wife to be, Charlie, and after a few years together they had two children.[3] He was part of the Oxford Cheetahs title winning team in 1985, 1986 and 1989.[3]

1988 saw him become British Speedway Champion and he retained the title the following year.[3] 1989 also saw him captain the Great Britain speedway team when they won the World Team Cup.[3] In 1989, he finished runner-up to his Cheetahs teammate Hans Nielsen in the World Final at the Olympiastadion in Munich.[3]

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".

Wigg rode in 65 meetings for England.[3]

Death

After suffering epileptic seizures in November 1998 and January 1999, which were originally attributed to head trauma from racing crashes,[4] he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and had surgery to remove it in May 1999.[3][5] 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.[3] Wigg died on 15 November 2000 at the age of 40.

British Grasstrack Championship Record

World Longtrack Championship record

Five Times Champion

Final

Grand Years

1998 Four G.P. 40pts (10th)

World Speedway final appearances

World Championship

World Pairs Championship

World Team Cup

Speedway Grand Prix results

YearPositionPointsBest FinishNotes
199717th1310th-

References

  1. Rogers, G.(2005). Wiggy!: Simon Wigg in His Own Words . ISBN 0-9548336-7-8
  2. Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook. Spotsdata. ISBN 0-948882-00-X
  3. "Simon Wigg" (obit.), Daily Telegraph, 22 November 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2019
  4. Longmore, Andrew (1999) "Speedway: The Interview Simon Wigg: Tracks of a speed star's tears", The Independent, 28 March 1999. Retrieved 22 August 2019
  5. "Speedway: Tumour shock for Wigg", Oxford Mail, 19 April 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2019
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