John Titman

John Titman
Born (1951-01-26) 26 January 1951 (age 73)
Brisbane, Queensland
NationalityAustralian
Career history
1972–1973Halifax Dukes
1975–1977Exeter Falcons
1978–1981Leicester Lions
1982–1983Hackney Hawks
1984Wimbledon Dons
Individual honours
1977Australian Champion
1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983,
1984, 1986		Queensland State Champion
Team honours
1986Australian Best Pairs Champion

John Charles Titman (born 26 January 1951) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who was Australian Champion in 1977.[1]

Biography

Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Titman initially worked as a mechanic, making his speedway debut at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in April 1968.[2] He made his British League debut with Halifax Dukes in 1972,[3] and also made his international debut for Australia that year against the British Lions.[2] In 1973 he averaged 6.92 from 38 matches, and became a regular member of the Australian team.[2] In 1973 he finished in 7th place (with John Boulger) in the Australian qualifying round of the World Pairs championship. He also raced in Poland and New Zealand. He moved on to the Exeter Falcons in 1975.[2]

Titman won the Australian Solo Championship in 1977 on his home track, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. He also finished runner-up in the Australian championship to Phil Crump in 1975 at the Sydney Showground Speedway, and again in 1986 at the Pioneer Park Speedway in Ayr behind fellow Queenslander Troy Butler.

He signed for the Leicester Lions in 1978, becoming club captain in 1979.[4] After falling to third in the Lions averages in 1981 and being stripped of the captaincy, he was transfer listed at the end of the season, and moved on to the Hackney Hawks in 1982.[5] He moved on again in 1984 to the Wimbledon Dons, and this was his final season in British speedway.

During his career, Titman made the World Final on two occasions, finishing 8th in 1978 and 9th in 1979. Titman also rode in longtrack speedway, reaching the world final in 1983 and 1984. After returning home at the end of 1984, Titman continued to ride, captaining the Australian national team for a further three years.

In 2022, he was inducted into the Speedway Australia's Hall of Fame.[6][7]

Career record

All figures relate to the British League.

Year Team Matches Rides Points Bonus Total Average Full
Maximum 		Paid
Maximum
1972 Halifax Dukes 34 119 101 19 120 4.03
1973 Halifax Dukes 38 167 274 15 289 6.92
1975 Exeter Falcons 32 127 165 22 187 5.89 1
1976 Exeter Falcons 37 155 251 20 271 6.99
1977 Exeter Falcons 40 177 327 38 365 8.25 1 4
1978 Leicester Lions 40 175 375 16 391 8.94 6 2
1979 Leicester Lions 35 163 326 19 345 8.47 1 1
1980 Leicester Lions 31 129 227 21 248 7.69 1
1981 Leicester Lions 47 227 376 46 422 7.44 1 1
1982 Hackney Hawks 36 145 215 24 239 6.59
1983 Hackney Hawks 41 167 233 28 251 6.25 1 1
1984 Wimbledon Dons 47 187 238 34 272 5.82

World Final Appearances

Individual World Championship

World Pairs Championship

World Longtrack Championship

Finalist

References

  1. ^ "John Titman". Grasstrack GB. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Oakes, Peter & Mauger, Ivan (1976) Who's Who of World Speedway, Studio Publications, ISBN 0-904584-04-6, p. 136-7
  3. ^ "Six Dukes entered". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 7 March 1972. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ Jones, Alan (2010) Speedway in Leicester: The Lions Roar, Automedia, p. 179
  5. ^ Oakes, Peter (1982) 1982 Speedway Yearbook, Studio Publications, ISBN 0-86215-072-8, p. 173
  6. ^ "Off the Beaten Track". Speedway Star. 23 July 2022. p. 14.
  7. ^ "Hall of Fame". Speedway Australia. Retrieved 1 January 2023.