Throughout the eighties and nineties, Simon Wigg was one of the countries most successful motorcycle racers. Although he was a speedway rider of the highest order, it was on the super fast grasstrack's and continental "longtrack's" where he really excelled. He won the World Longtrack Championship five times between 1985 and 1994.
His career was cut short at the end of 1998 when a brain tumor was diagnosed and it tragically claimed his life two years later.
As well as being incredibly successful as a racer, Simon was also one of the sports true characters off track, a real showman who lit up the speedway scene at a time when the sport was losing the high profile it had enjoyed in the seventies and early eighties.
Simon was always ultra professional with his bikes and general set up and he was always looking for ways to improve the sport and the way it was presented. His trademark bright green leathers meant that he and his sponsors always stood out on track and in many ways he was genuinely ahead of his time.
We highly recommend the book "Wiggy!" published by Retro Speedway.
I can't believe it's been 10 years. I first met Wiggy when he was at a Lew Coffin training school at weymouth. My cousin and I were having a go on the same day, but we were hopeless!!! He was already a really good grasser by that time, but hadn't tried speedway. With Lew's tutoring he was soon in the Weymouth team and ripping up the National league. I was so chuffed when he arrived at Cradley Heath and made a name for himself with the big boys and I also saw him finish on the Rostrum at the World Speedway final in Munich. He will always feature in my top 10 motorcycling heroes, an incredible racer and an interesting and entertaining guy to hang out with too... I still miss him.
ReplyDeleteHi Ade, thanks for your comments. Thats interesting to hear that you were there when Simon took his first rides on shale.
ReplyDeleteWhen my dad took me to speedway for the first time, Simon was the number one rider at our local track, Hackney. He made a real impression (mainly due to his bright green leathers, which made him stand out a mile on the track) and although he only spent one season at Hackney, he became my favorite rider in the sport.
It was interesting to read many years later that he didn't particularly enjoy his time at Hackney, where he was always under a lot of pressure to lead what was in all honesty a weak and inexperienced team. As an eleven year old, none of that mattered to me, I just wanted to cheer for the rider in the green leathers!
great style, is that a bike magazine patch on his leathers?.
ReplyDeleteits not often you see an article on grasstrack in the main press these days is it?.
for shame!!!!.
In the opinion of Armando Castagna, Wigg is the best ever...
ReplyDeleteAfraid not Steve, although from that angle it does look like it. Its actually for BJM who used to make speedway leathers - on his knee as well. I'll get me anorak...
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