Peter Craven

Infobox Speedway rider
ridername= Peter Craven


nationality = flagicon|ENG England
dateofbirth = birth date|1934|6|21
dateofdeath = death date and age|1963|9|20|1934|6|21
cityofbirth = Liverpool
countryofbirth = England
website =
britishleague = -
polishleague =
swedishleague =
years = 1951
1952-1963
career = Liverpool Chads
Belle Vue Aces
indivhonour = World Champion
British Champion
indivyear = 1955, 1962
1962, 1963
teamhonour =
teamyear =

Peter Theodore Craven [http://freespace.virgin.net/pete.craven/career.htm Peter Craven, a great little speedway champion"] , fansite biography by Jim Blanchard. (accessed July 12, 2006).] (June 21, 1934 – September 20, 1963) [http://www.bellevuespeedway.co.uk/P_Craven.htm "Peter Craven Belle Vue & England 1952 - 63"] by Trevor James on official Belle Vue site (accessed July 12, 2006).] was an English motorcycle racer. He was a finalist in each FIM Speedway World Championship from 1954 to 1963 and he won the title twice (in 1955 and 1962). He was also British Champion in 1962-1963. [http://www.bellevuespeedway.co.uk/honors.htm Belle Vue Aces 1928-2004] on official Belle Vue site (accessed July 12, 2006).]

Personal life

Craven was born in Liverpool and had four sisters and an older brother, Brian. He also had a twin brother who died at an early age. He got his first racing experience when he started participating in cycle speedway.

Career

Peter Craven got his first taste of motorcycle speedway racing in 1949 at the Stanley Park Stadium. He visited the stadium a day after his sixteenth birthday and drove a few laps on his brother's bike, before hitting the safety fence and sustaining a concussion. He was later given another chance to show his abilities to the Liverpool Chads, but after just one lap he hit the fence again. Despite this, he was included as a reserve in the team's away match against the Leicester Hunters.

He made eight league appearances for the Liverpool Chads in Division II during 1951, scoring eight points. and he was with the Chads when they finished thirteenth in Division Two. [http://www.exeter-falcons.demon.co.uk/1951.html "About Exeter Speedway 1951"] ] He also rode for the Fleetwood Flyers. The next year, he made 10 league appearances equally divided between Manchester’s Belle Vue and the Liverpool Chads.

Craven made his Belle Vue debut on May 17, 1952 when he scored two points in a race against the visiting Norwich Stars. That season, he made four more league appearances for Belle Vue, but he only managed to score one point in those races combined.

In 1953, Peter became a regular Aces rider and scored 70 points in 12 matches, but the British Army required his services, and he missed several matches.

He continued racing for Belle Vue during his national service. During 1954 he made 24 league appearances and top-scored for his club. He qualified for his first Wembley World final and scored one point more than the brilliant Swedish rider Ove Fundin. About this time as a young man he owned his Jowett Jupiter road car which still exists. In 1955, on his second try, Peter sensationally won the first of his two FIM World Championships at Wembley.

In 1958, Peter captained the English team against Sweden in Sweden, finishing top scorer; he also top-scored in the five-test series against Australasia.

In 1959 he took on Ove Fundin and won the Golden Helmet Match Race Championship, the Champions of Champions Cup at Poole; the Northern Cup at Belle Vue; the Internationale Derby at Ipswich; the Pride of the East at Norwich; the Tom Farndon Memorial Trophy at New Cross; the Champagne Derby again at Belle Vue, the CTS Trophy at Norwich and the Pride of the Midlands, at Leicester.

In 1960 Peter came third in the World Championship final staged at Wembley when Ove Fundin beat Ronnie Moore into second place after a thrilling run off, all three riders having scored an equal number of points after their five rides. During 1961 he captained the Lions on a tour to Austria. He came third in the first Internationale individual championship meeting at the Haringey stadium and was second in the British Final at Wembley.

World Final Appearances

* 1954 - Flag|GBR Wembley - 15th - 3pts
* 1955 - Flag|GBR Wembley - Winner - 13pts
* 1956 - Flag|GBR Wembley - 4th - 11pts + 2pts
* 1957 - Flag|GBR Wembley - 3rd - 11pts + 3pts
* 1958 - Flag|GBR Wembley - 4th - 11pts + 2pts
* 1959 - Flag|GBR Wembley - 9th - 7pts
* 1960 - Flag|GBR Wembley - 3rd - 14pts + 1pt
* 1961 - Flag|SWE Malmö - 10th - 6pts
* 1962 - Flag|GBR Wembley - Winner - 14pts
* 1963 - Flag|GBR Wembley - 10th - 6pts [Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). "A History of the World Speedway Championship". Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5]

Death

1962 was another good year for Peter. He followed his three British Championship victories by carrying off his second World Individual Championship at Wembley in front of 62,000 fans. But in 1963 he died as a result of a freak racing accident at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium on September 20, 1963. While taking evasive action to avoid hitting fallen race leader George Hunter who suffered engine failure, Craven hit a fence. The unconscious Craven was rushed to hospital where his family remained at his bedside until he died at 21:10.

There is some confusion as to whether or not Craven had started ten yards behind the other riders by way of a handicap. Craven was actually at the tapes with the other riders but allowed the others to pull away ahead of him to make the racing more exciting.

References