Leigh Adams
Encyclopedia
Leigh Scott Adams is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...

 rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix are a series of stand-alone speedway events over the course of a season used to determine the Speedway World Champion. As of 2008, all of the events take place in Europe.- Event format :...

 winner and World Team Champion
Speedway World Cup
The Speedway World Cup is an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first edition of the competition in the current format was in 2001 and it replaced the old World Team Cup competition.-Format:...

. He also won a record 10 Australia Solo Championships
Individual Speedway Australian Championship
The Australian Individual Speedway Championship is a Motorcycle speedway championship held each year to determine the Australian national champion...

, four Australian Under-21 Championships, the 1992 Individual Speedway Junior World Championship
1992 Individual Speedway Junior World Championship
-World final:*August 23, 1992 Pfaffenhofen...

 and was the 1986 Australian Under-16 Champion.

Australia

Leigh Adams, a product of junior speedway in his home town of Mildura, started racing in 1984, quickly proved himself as one of Australia's best junior solo riders. He won the Australian Under-16 Championship in 1986 at the age of 15 before joining the senior ranks in 1987. He would win the first of four Australian Under-21 Championships in 1988, going on to win again in 1990, 1991 and 1992.

Adams won the Australian Solo Championship in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and finally 2009
2009 Individual Speedway Australian Championship
The 2009 Individual Speedway Australian Championship was the 2009 version of the Individual Speedway Australian Championship organised by Motorcycling Australia. The three final rounds took place between 3 January and 10 January. The championship was won by Leigh Adams, who beat the defending...

. He won his first national title at the North Arm Speedway
North Arm Speedway
North Arm Speedway was the first dedicated motorcycle speedway ever built in Adelaide, South Australia and was located in the industrial suburb of Gillman...

 in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

 with a 15 point maximum from his 5 rides and his tenth and last championship also in Adelaide at Gillman Speedway
Gillman Speedway
Gillman Speedway is a purpose built motorcycle speedway located in the Adelaide suburb of Gillman in South Australia.The closure of the nearby North Arm Speedway at the end of the 1996-97 season left Adelaide without a venue for motorcycle speedway for the first time in almost 80 years. David...

 after dominating the three-round championship with 15 wins from 15 rides.

Adams won his first Victorian State Championship
Victorian Individual Speedway Championship
The Victorian Individual Speedway Championship is a Motorcycle speedway championship held annually in Australia's southernmost mainland state of Victoria to determine the State champion...

 in 1989 in only his third season of senior riding, beating 13 time champion Phil Crump
Phil Crump
Philip John "Phil" Crump in Mildura, Victoria is a retired Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who attained 3rd place in the 1976 World Championship...

 at the Olympic Park Speedway in Mildura. He would also win the Victorian title in 1990, 1992, 1992, 1994 and 1995.

In 1992 Leigh Adams became the first rider to win both the Australian senior and Under-21 championships in the same season.

International

Leigh first came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 in 1988 and completed four matches for Poole
Poole Pirates
Poole Pirates are a motorcycle speedway team based in Poole, England, competing in the British Elite League...

 in the National Junior League. Adams had originally been recommended to Poole their by Australian
Australia national speedway team
Australia are one of the major teams in international speedway. The team is managed by former rider, three time Australian Champion and 1994 World #3 Craig Boyce and captained by three time Speedway World Champion Jason Crump...

 team manager Neil Street
Neil Street
Neil Street, OAM was an international motorcycle speedway rider, manager and engineer, who first came to Britain in 1952 to ride for the Exeter Falcons. Street was born in Melbourne, Australia....

, and it was Poole he subsequently joined for their National League
Speedway National League
The National League was the top division of Speedway in the United Kingdom from 1932 until 1965 when it became known as the British League. Prior to 1932 there were only small regional leagues competing within the sport in the UK. The National League was re-incarnated in 1975 as the second division...

 Championship winning season of 1989, when he rode alongside riders such as Craig Boyce
Craig Boyce
Craig Boyce was a motorcycle speedway rider who primarily rode for the Poole Pirates in the British Elite League...

 and Alun Rossiter
Alun Rossiter
Alun John Rossiter is a retired speedway rider, and team manager of British Elite League team the Swindon Robins.-Career:...

.

To further his career, Leigh then moved up a league to join Swindon
Swindon Robins
The Swindon Speedway team, also known as the Swindon Robins, are an English Motorcycle Speedway team established in 1949 that competes in the Elite League....

 for the 1990 season. He made his Robins’ debut when scoring 8+2 points from six rides against Oxford
Oxford Cheetahs
The Oxford Cheetahs were a British Speedway team based in Oxford, England. From 1972 to 1975 they were known as Oxford Rebels, which was the name the team took to White City in 1976 as White City Rebels. The new Oxford team, in the National League, took back the name of Cheetahs...

 in a Gold Cup match at Blunsdon on 24 March. Adams won the first of his nine Australian national titles in 1992, and also captured the World Under-21 Championship
Individual Speedway Junior World Championship
The Individual Speedway Junior World Championship is an annual speedway event held each year organized by the International Motorcycling Federation since 1977...

 after beating Mark Loram
Mark Loram
Mark Roysten Gregory Loram is a former British motorcycle speedway rider who started his career with the Hackney Kestrels in 1987. He is a former World Speedway Champion. In March 2007 Loram broke his thigh and dislocated his arm whilst riding in the opening fixture of the British Elite League...

 in a race-off at Pfaffenhofen
Pfaffenhofen
Pfaffenhofen is the name ofin Germany:* Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, a town in Bavaria* Pfaffenhofen , in Bavaria* Pfaffenhofen an der Glonn, a municipality in Dachau, Bavaria* a part of the municipality of Altomünster in Dachau, Bavaria...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. With Swindon relegated to the British League Division Two
Speedway British League Division Two
The British League Division Two was created in 1968 and was the second tier of speedway racing in the United Kingdom up until 1975, and then from 1991 to 1995. After the formation of the British League in 1965, riders wanting to break into teams found it more difficult to do so...

 after the 1992 season, Leigh moved on to spend three years with Arena Essex (1993–95), followed by a single season at London
London Lions
The London Lions based out of London, England was an independent professional ice hockey team that played 72 games during the 1973-74 season against the top European hockey teams. It was started by Detroit Red Wings owner Bruce Norris with a vision of building a league to be affiliated with the...

 in 1996. He then returned to Swindon in 1997 and recorded a 9.96 average
Calculated Match Average
Calculated Match Averages are calculated for every motorcycle speedway rider.The CMA is calculated from the following:\left \times4...

 in the inaugural season of the Elite League
Speedway Elite League
The Elite League is the top division of Speedway league competition in the United Kingdom and is governed by the Speedway Control Bureau , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . It is sponsored by Sky Sports...

. Adams was again back with the Robins in 1998 but with Swindon again dropping down a league in 1999, he left and signed for the King's Lynn Stars
King's Lynn Stars
King's Lynn Stars are a motorcycle speedway team who compete in the British Elite League. The nickname "Stars" comes from the defunct Norwich Stars team...

. Adams remained at King’s Lynn for the 2000 campaign and topped the Elite League riders averages, finishing the season on 10.24.

In 2001, Adams signed for Oxford
Oxford Cheetahs
The Oxford Cheetahs were a British Speedway team based in Oxford, England. From 1972 to 1975 they were known as Oxford Rebels, which was the name the team took to White City in 1976 as White City Rebels. The new Oxford team, in the National League, took back the name of Cheetahs...

 and won the Elite League Championship. He remained with Oxford in 2002 and the 2003 season saw Adams register a 9.97 league average back with Poole in a year which the Pirates
Poole Pirates
Poole Pirates are a motorcycle speedway team based in Poole, England, competing in the British Elite League...

 won the treble; winning the League Championship, the Knock-Out Cup
Elite League Knockout Cup
The Elite League Knockout Cup is a speedway cup competition in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The teams from the top division of league racing, the Elite League, take part...

 and the British League Cup. The year also saw him awarded a testimonial
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

, which took place at Swindon.

Adams returned to Swindon in 2004 and again finished top of the Elite League averages on 10.94 and partnered Charlie Gjedde
Charlie Gjedde
Charlie Rasmussen Gjedde is an international motorcycle speedway rider who won the Speedway World Cup with Denmark in 2006...

 to victory in the Elite League Pairs Championship
Speedway Elite League Pairs Championship
The Elite League Pairs Championship is a contest between the top two riders from each club competing in the Speedway Elite League in the UK. The meetings comprise ten teams of two riders drawn into two qualifying groups.-Gate positions:...

. In 2005, Adams partnered new Swindon signing Lee Richardson
Lee Richardson (speedway rider)
Lee Stewart Richardson is a British international motorcycle speedway rider. Richardson has represented Great Britain at senior and under-21 level, and has featured in several World Cup tournaments. He was also a fully fledged Grand Prix rider for four seasons from 2003 until 2006...

 to the Elite League Pairs Championship at Peterborough. On the world stage, Leigh ended his tenth season of Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix are a series of stand-alone speedway events over the course of a season used to determine the Speedway World Champion. As of 2008, all of the events take place in Europe.- Event format :...

 activity with his highest ever ranking by winning the bronze medal after being the World No. 4 for the previous three years.

Adams put together another successful season for Swindon in 2007, as the club finished runners-up in all three major domestic finals, being beaten by Coventry
Coventry Bees
The Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team based at Brandon near Coventry, England. A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the Southern League and then the National League in the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. There were also meetings at a stadium in Lythalls Lane...

 in the Elite League Play-Offs final, Knock-Out Cup final and Craven Shield
Craven Shield
The Craven Shield is a Speedway cup competition in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association...

 final. Adams completed his best ever Grand Prix campaign in 2007, finishing second overall to Nicki Pedersen
Nicki Pedersen
Nicki Pedersen is a Danish motorcycle speedway rider. He has won the World Championship in 2003, 2007 and 2008 and was a World Cup winner with Denmark in 2006 and 2008. His brother, Ronni Pedersen, has also ridden in the Speedway Grand Prix and World Cup.-Domestic teams:Pedersen began speedway...

. In a consistent Grand Prix campaign, he took victory in three rounds and completed the series with 153 points. In 2008 Adams became the Swindon Robins all time top points scorer. His paid maximum at Lakeside
Arena Essex Raceway
Arena Essex Raceway is a stock car and speedway racing track located near Purfleet, Essex. The Lakeside Shopping Centre was built alongside the venue.-The stadium:...

 in August 2008 took him onto 5,482.5 points, surpassing the previous record set by Martin Ashby
Martin Ashby
Martin Ashby is a former international speedway rider who reached the final of theSpeedway World Championship in 1968...

 who scored 5,476.5 during his time with the Robins.

Retirement

In 2010 Leigh Adams announced his retirement from speedway after 20 years of international competition which saw him win 10 Australian Solo championships, 4 Australian Under-21 Championships as well as the World Under-21 Championship
Individual Speedway Junior World Championship
The Individual Speedway Junior World Championship is an annual speedway event held each year organized by the International Motorcycling Federation since 1977...

 in 1992
1992 Individual Speedway Junior World Championship
-World final:*August 23, 1992 Pfaffenhofen...

. He also finished a career best second in the 2007 Speedway Grand Prix
2007 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2007 Speedway Grand Prix season was the thirteenth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion...

 after finishing third in 2005
2005 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2005 Speedway Grand Prix season is the 11th season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and is used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :...

.

In 2011 Adams entered the Finke Desert Race
Finke Desert Race
The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is an off road, multi-terrain two-day race in Northern Territory, Australia through desert country from Alice Springs to Aputula Community. The race crosses the Finke River, believed to be the oldest river in the world...

 in Australia's Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

 near Alice Springs. On 6 June, while on a training ride with his brother and other riders, Adams crashed his motorbike into rocky terrain and sustained multiple injuries including fractured vertebrae, extensive spinal cord damage, punctured lungs, broken ribs, a broken scapula and a small fracture in his neck. He was flown from Alice Springs to Royal Adelaide Hospital
Royal Adelaide Hospital
The Royal Adelaide Hospital is Adelaide's largest hospital, with 680 beds. Founded in 1840, the Royal Adelaide provides tertiary health care services for South Australia and provides secondary care clinical services to residents of Adelaide's city centre and inner suburbs.The hospital is situated...

 where he underwent a six-hour operation to stabilise and strengthen his badly injured spine. Leigh Adams remains in hospital facing a long and intensive recovery from his injuries and it is unknown if he will be able to walk again.

Career honours

  • 1986 Australian Under-16 Champion
  • 1988 Australian Under-21 Champion
  • 1989 Victorian State Champion
  • 1990 Australian Under-21 Champion, Victorian State Champion
  • 1991 Australian Under-21 Champion, Victorian State Champion
  • 1992 World Under-21 Champion
    1992 Individual Speedway Junior World Championship
    -World final:*August 23, 1992 Pfaffenhofen...

    , Australian Champion
    Individual Speedway Australian Championship
    The Australian Individual Speedway Championship is a Motorcycle speedway championship held each year to determine the Australian national champion...

    , Australian Under-21 Champion & Australian Longtrack Champion
  • 1993 Australian Champion
  • 1994 Australian Champion
  • 1995 GP Challenge
  • 1998 Australian Champion & GP Challenge
  • 1999 World Team Cup Champion & Czech Golden Helmet Champion
  • 2000 Australian Longtrack Champion, Czech Golden Helmet Champion & Australian Champion
  • 2001 Speedway World Cup
    2001 Speedway World Cup
    The 2001 Speedway World Cup was the 1st FIM Speedway World Cup season. The Final took place on 7 July 2008 in Wrocław, Poland. The tournament was won by Australia and they beat host team Poland , Sweden , Denmark and United States in the Final.-Qualification:The two group winners and runners-up...

    , British Elite League (Oxford), & Czech Golden Helmet Champion
  • 2002 Scandinavian GP, Speedway World Cup
    2002 Speedway World Cup
    The 2002 Speedway World Cup was the 2nd FIM Speedway World Cup season. The Final took place on August 10, 2002 in Peterborough, Great Britain...

     & Australian Champion
  • 2003 British Elite League, KO Cup, British League Cup (Poole), Slovenian GP & Australian Champion
  • 2004 Czech Golden Helmet Champion, British Elite League Best Pairs, & Swedish GP
  • 2005 Australian Champion, British Elite League Best Pairs
  • 2006 Australian Champion
  • 2009 Australian Champion
    2009 Individual Speedway Australian Championship
    The 2009 Individual Speedway Australian Championship was the 2009 version of the Individual Speedway Australian Championship organised by Motorcycling Australia. The three final rounds took place between 3 January and 10 January. The championship was won by Leigh Adams, who beat the defending...


World Final Appearances

  • 1993
    1993 Individual Speedway World Championship
    The 1993 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 29, 1993 Pocking, Rottalstadion...

     -   Pocking
    Pocking
    Pocking is a town in the district of Passau, in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is situated about 30 km south-west of Passau, close to the Austrian border.-History:...

    , Rottalstadion - 15th - 4pts

Speedway Grand Prix results

Year Position Points Best Finish Notes
1996
1996 Speedway Grand Prix
The 1996 Speedway Grand Prix season was the second season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion. Grand Prix series was won by Billy Hamill; it was his first and only World Champion title.- Event format :...

15th 28 8th
1997
1997 Speedway Grand Prix
The 1997 Speedway Grand Prix season was the third season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :During 1997 the initial SGP scoring system was used for the final time...

10th 42 9th
1998
1998 Speedway Grand Prix
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix season was the fourth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :The system used was a new one for the 4th SGP season with 24 riders, divided into two classes...

11th 51 5th
1999
1999 Speedway Grand Prix
The 1999 Speedway Grand Prix season was the fifth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :The system first used in 1998 continued to be adopted with 24 riders, divided into two classes...

7th 67 4th Made 4 semi-finals but only reached final once
2000
2000 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2000 Speedway Grand Prix season was the sixth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :The system first used in 1998 continued to be adopted with 24 riders, divided into two classes...

6th 65 4th
2001
2001 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2001 Speedway Grand Prix season was the seventh season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and is used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :The system first used in 1998 continued to be adopted with 24 riders, divided into two classes...

5th 69 3rd
2002
2002 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2002 Speedway Grand Prix season is the eighth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and is used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :The system first used in 1998 continued to be adopted with 24 riders, divided into two classes...

4th 127 Winner Winner in Gothenburg
2003
2003 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2003 Speedway Grand Prix season is the ninth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and is used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :The system first used in 1998 continued to be adopted with 24 riders, divided into two classes...

4th 126 Winner Won Slovenian GP
2004
2004 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2004 Speedway Grand Prix season is the tenth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and is used to determine the Speedway World Champion.-Event format:The system first used in 1998 continued to be adopted with 24 riders, divided into two classes...

4th 131 Winner Won in Sweden
2005
2005 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2005 Speedway Grand Prix season is the 11th season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and is used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :...

3rd 107 2nd
2006
2006 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2006 Speedway Grand Prix season is the twelfth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and is used to determine the Speedway World Champion.- Event format :...

5th 106 3rd Highest placed rider not to win a GP
2007
2007 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2007 Speedway Grand Prix season was the thirteenth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion...

2nd 153 Winner Won Swedish GP, Scandinavian GP and Latvian GP.
2008
2008 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix season was the fourteenth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era used to determine the Speedway World Champion. It was the second under the promotion of IMG.- Event format :...

6th 125 Winner Won European and Scandinavian GPs

External links

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