Leigh Adams

Infobox Speedway rider


ridername= Leigh Adams
nationality = flagicon|Australia Australia
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|4|28
cityofbirth = Mildura
countryofbirth = Australia
britishleague = Swindon Robins
polishleague = Unia Leszno
swedishleague = Masarna
years =
1990-1992, 1997-1998, 2004-
2001-2002
1999-2000
1996
1993-1995
1989, 2003

1991-1992, 1994-1995
1993
1996-

1995-1996
1998-1999
2000-
career = Great Britain
Swindon Robins
Oxford Cheetahs
King's Lynn Stars
London Lions
Arena-Essex Hammers
Poole Pirates
Poland
Lublin
WTS Wrocław Unia Leszno
Sweden
Elit Vetlanda
Indianerna
Masarna
indivhonour = World Under-21 Champion
Australian Champion

Scandinavian Grand Prix Winner
Slovenian Grand Prix Winner Swedish Grand Prix Winner
Latvian Grand Prix Winner
Speedway Grand Prix of Europe
indivyear = 1992
1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000
2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
2002, 2007, 2008
2003
2004, 2007
2007
2008
teamhonour = World Cup Winner
Elite League Champion
Elite League KO Cup Winner
Elite League Pairs Winner
British League Cup Winner
Elite Shield Winner
Ekstraliga Champion
teamyear = 1999, 2001, 2002
2001, 2003
2003
2004, 2005
2003
2008
2007

Leigh Scott Adams (born April 28 1971 in Mildura, Australia)Oakes, P.(2004). "British Speedway Who's Who". ISBN 0-948882-81-6] is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix winner and World Team Champion. [Oakes, P.(2006). "Speedway Star Almanac". ISBN 0-9552376-1-0]

Career

Leigh first came to England in 1988 and completed four matches for Poole in the National Junior League.cite book | last = Bamford | first = Robert | coauthors = Shailes, Glynn | title = 50 Poole Pirates Greats | publisher = Tempus Publishing | date = 2004 | pages = 9-11 | isbn = 0-7524-3257-5 ] Adams had originally been recommended to Poole their by Australian team manager Neil Street, and it was Poole he subsequently joined for their National League Championship winning season of 1989, when he rode alongside riders such as Craig Boyce and Alun Rossiter.cite web | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Leigh Adams profile | work = | publisher = Swindon Speedway | date = 2008 | url = http://www.swindon-speedway.co.uk/mod-htmlpages-display-pid-59.phtml | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-06-06 ]

To further his career, Leigh then moved up a league to join Swindon for the 1990 season. He made his Robins’ debut when scoring 8+2 points from six rides against Oxford 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 after beating Mark Loram in a race-off at Pfaffenhofen, Germany. With Swindon relegated to the British League Division Two after the 1992 season, Leigh moved on to spend three years with Arena Essex (1993-95), followed by a single season at London in 1996. He then returned to Swindon in 1997 and recorded a 9.96 average in the inaugural season of the Elite League. 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. 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 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 won the treble; winning the League Championship, the Knock-Out Cup and the British League Cup. The year also saw him awarded a testimonial, 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 to victory in the Elite League Pairs Championship. In 2005, Adams partnered new Swindon signing Lee Richardson to the Elite League Pairs Championship at Peterborough. On the world stage, Leigh ended his tenth season of Grand Prix 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 in the Elite League Play-Offs final, Knock-Out Cup final and Craven Shield final. Adams completed his best ever Grand Prix campaign in 2007, finishing second overall to Nicki Pedersen. 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 in August 2008 took him onto 5,482.5 points, surpassing the previous record set by Martin Ashby who scored 5,476.5 during his time with the Robins. [cite web | url = http://www.swindon-speedway.co.uk/name-News-article-sid-1560.phtml | title = The History Man | publisher = Swindon Speedway | year = 2008 |accessdate = 2008-08-11]

Career honours

* 1992 World Under-21 Champion, Australian 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, British Elite League (Oxford), & Czech Golden Helmet Champion
* 2002 Scandinavian GP, Speedway World Cup & 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

Speedway Grand Prix results

SGP Career|2007|P|POS=2nd |PTS=153 |No=5 |event=SGP Career|2008|P|POS= |PTS= |No=2 |event=

References

External links

* [http://www.speedwayworld.tv/en/rider/a4329 Speedway GP rider profile]
* [http://www.leighadams.com Leigh Adams Official Website]