Raymond 'Ray' Duggan was an international 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...

 first rode in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 with the New Cross Lambs

New Cross Rangers

The New Cross Rangers were a Speedway team which operated from 1937 until their closure in 1953. The track reopened in 1959 under Johnnie Hoskins for a series of open meetings and then in 1960 and 1961 operated in the National League...

. Duggan represented the Australia many times at test level and was the younger brother of five times Aussie champ Vic Duggan

Vic Duggan

Victor 'Vic' Duggan was a Speedway who won the London Riders' Championship in 1947 whilst with the Harringay Racers....

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Career summary

He started his career in 1937 with the New Cross Lambs

New Cross Rangers

The New Cross Rangers were a Speedway team which operated from 1937 until their closure in 1953. The track reopened in 1959 under Johnnie Hoskins for a series of open meetings and then in 1960 and 1961 operated in the National League...

, before a spell with the Bristol Bulldogs

Bristol Bulldogs

The Bristol Bulldogs were a British motorcycle speedway team based in the Knowle Stadium, Bristol, England.The club was formed prior to World War II. The track operated a season of challenge matches in 1946 with the team known as Ex-Bristol. They competed in the National League Division Two from 1947...

 in 1938, returning to the Lambs

New Cross Rangers

The New Cross Rangers were a Speedway team which operated from 1937 until their closure in 1953. The track reopened in 1959 under Johnnie Hoskins for a series of open meetings and then in 1960 and 1961 operated in the National League...

 in 1939. In 1947 he returned to the UK with the Harringay Racers

Harringay Racers (speedway)

The Harringay Racers were a motorcycle speedway team who raced at the Harringay Stadium from 1947 until 1954 in the National League Division One....

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Ray Duggan unfortunately never became Australian National Champion with his best finish being third in 1947 and 1948 behind his brother Vic Duggan and inaugural World Champion

Speedway World Championship

The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...

 Lionel Van Praag

Lionel Van Praag

Lionel Maurice Van Praag, GM was an Australian motorcycle speedway champion, who won the inaugural Speedway World Championship in London on 10 September 1936.-1932 UK National League Champion:...

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Death

On 20 January 1950, Duggan was killed at the Sydney Sports Ground

Sydney Sports Ground

The Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than...

 after being involved in a high speed crash with friend Norman Clay. Clay also died from his injuries.