Simon Wigg

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British motorcycle speedway rider

title: "Simon Wigg" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1960-births", "2000-deaths", "british-speedway-riders", "english-motorcycle-racers", "british-speedway-championship-winners", "birmingham-brummies-riders", "bradford-dukes-riders", "cradley-heathens-riders", "exeter-falcons-riders", "hackney-kestrels-riders", "indianerna-riders", "king's-lynn-stars-riders", "oxford-cheetahs-riders", "vetlanda-speedway-riders", "sportspeople-from-aylesbury", "people-educated-at-woodbridge-school", "deaths-from-brain-cancer-in-the-united-kingdom", "individual-speedway-long-track-world-championship-riders", "people-educated-at-john-hampden-grammar-school", "20th-century-english-sportsmen"] description: "British motorcycle speedway rider" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Wigg" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British motorcycle speedway rider ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Speedway rider"]

FieldValue
imageSimon Wigg.jpg
nationalityBritish (English)
birth_date
death_date
birth_placeAylesbury, England
career1Great Britain
years21980–1982
career2Weymouth Wildcats
years31981–1983
career3Cradley Heathens
years41981
career4Birmingham Brummies
years51984–1986, 1988–1990
career5Oxford Cheetahs
years61987
career6Hackney Kestrels
years71991–1992
career7Bradford Dukes
years81993
career8Coventry Bees
years91995
career9Long Eaton Invaders
years101996
career10Exeter Falcons
years111997–1998
career11King's Lynn Stars
career12Sweden
years131990
career13Indianerna
years141992-1993, 1995
career14Vetlanda
indivyear11985, 1986
indivhonour1Mr Melbourne winner
indivyear21985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994
indivhonour2Long Track World Champion
indivyear31988, 1989
indivhonour3British Speedway Champion
indivyear41989
indivhonour4Commonwealth Final winner
indivyear51990, 1994, 1995
indivhonour5Australian Long track Grand Prix
indivyear61994
indivhonour6New Zealand Long track Grand Prix
indivyear71994
indivhonour7Golden Helmet of Pardubice
indivyear81996
indivhonour8Grand Prix Challenge
indivyear91981, 1984, 1993
indivhonour9Ace of Aces Grasstrack Champion
indivyear101981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990
indivhonour10British Masters Grasstrack Champion
teamyear11989
teamhonour1World Team Cup Winner
teamyear21982
teamhonour2National League Pairs Champion
teamyear31983, 1985, 1986, 1989
teamhonour3British League Champion
teamyear41982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992
teamhonour4British League KO Cup winner
teamyear51985, 1986
teamhonour5British League Pairs Champion
teamyear61982
teamhonour6British League Cup Winner
teamyear71990
teamhonour7Swedish Elite League winner
teamyear81983, 1985
teamhonour8Midland Cup Winner
::

| image = Simon Wigg.jpg | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = | death_date = | birth_place = Aylesbury, England

| career1 = Great Britain | years2 = 1980–1982 | career2 = Weymouth Wildcats | years3 = 1981–1983 | career3 = Cradley Heathens | years4 = 1981 | career4 = Birmingham Brummies | years5 = 1984–1986, 1988–1990 | career5 = Oxford Cheetahs | years6 = 1987 | career6 = Hackney Kestrels | years7 = 1991–1992 | career7 = Bradford Dukes | years8 = 1993 | career8 = Coventry Bees | years9 = 1995 | career9 = Long Eaton Invaders | years10 = 1996 | career10 = Exeter Falcons | years11 = 1997–1998 | career11 = King's Lynn Stars | career12 = Sweden | years13 = 1990 | career13 = Indianerna | years14 = 1992-1993, 1995 | career14 = Vetlanda

| indivyear1 = 1985, 1986 | indivhonour1 = Mr Melbourne winner | indivyear2 = 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994 | indivhonour2 = Long Track World Champion | indivyear3 = 1988, 1989 | indivhonour3 = British Speedway Champion | indivyear4 = 1989 | indivhonour4 = Commonwealth Final winner | indivyear5 = 1990, 1994, 1995 | indivhonour5 = Australian Long track Grand Prix | indivyear6 = 1994 | indivhonour6 = New Zealand Long track Grand Prix | indivyear7 = 1994 | indivhonour7 = Golden Helmet of Pardubice | indivyear8 = 1996 | indivhonour8 = Grand Prix Challenge | indivyear9 = 1981, 1984, 1993 | indivhonour9 = Ace of Aces Grasstrack Champion | indivyear10 = 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990 | indivhonour10 = British Masters Grasstrack Champion | teamyear1 = 1989 | teamhonour1 = World Team Cup Winner | teamyear2 = 1982 | teamhonour2 = National League Pairs Champion | teamyear3 = 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989 | teamhonour3 = British League Champion | teamyear4 = 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992 | teamhonour4 = British League KO Cup winner | teamyear5 = 1985, 1986 | teamhonour5 = British League Pairs Champion | teamyear6 = 1982 | teamhonour6 = British League Cup Winner | teamyear7 = 1990 | teamhonour7 = Swedish Elite League winner | teamyear8 = 1983, 1985 | teamhonour8 = Midland Cup Winner

Simon Antony Wigg (15 October 1960 – 15 November 2000) was an English speedway, grasstrack and longtrack rider. He won five World Long Track Championships and finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989. He earned 57 international caps for the England national speedway team.

Education

After relocating with his family several times as a child, he gained a scholarship to Woodbridge School in Suffolk, where he and his brother began their interest in motorcycle racing, attending Ipswich Witches meetings at Foxhall and riding in grasstrack competitions.

Career

Wigg was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. In 1980, he joined his first speedway club, Weymouth Wildcats, and in 1982, Wigg won the British League Division Two Pairs Championship with Martin Yeates with the sea-side town club. After joining Cradley Heath in 1983, he won the treble of league, Knockout Cup and Midland Cup.

In 1984, he was signed by Oxford Cheetahs who bought him from Cradley Heath Heathens for £25,000. The Oxford team had returned to the British League and the other signings to start as the top five riders for the season were Hans Nielsen for a record £30,000, Marvyn Cox for £15,000, Melvyn Taylor for £12,000 and Jens Rasmussen, with Ian Clark and Nigel Sparshott at 6 & 7. It was in 1984 that he qualified for his first World Final.

After a mid table finish in 1984 he was part of the Oxford team that won the league and cup double during a 1985 British League season. Also in 1985, he became the second British World Longtrack Champion (Michael Lee was the first in 1981) and went on to win the title a further four times. He was the most successful British grasstrack and longtrack rider ever.

Wigg while riding in Oxford, met his wife to be, Charlie, and after a few years together they had two children. In 1986, Wigg was part of the Oxford team that won a second consecutive league and cup double during the 1986 British League season.

1988 saw him become British Speedway Champion and he retained the title the following year. 1989 also saw him captain the Great Britain speedway team when they won the World Team Cup. In 1989, he won the Commonwealth Final and then finished runner-up to his Cheetahs teammate Hans Nielsen in the World Final at the Olympiastadion in Munich. His team Oxford also won the league title in the 1989 British League season.

He rode in the Polish League for Unia Tarnów in 1992 (10 matches, CMA 9.89), Unia Leszno (1994, 2 matches, 6.80), Stal Rzeszów (1997, 1 match, 11.00) and Falubaz Zielona Góra (1998, 1 match, 6.40). In 1993, he joined Coventry Bees for the season.

In October 1996, during the Speedway Grand Prix Qualification he won the GP Challenge, which ensured that he claimed a permanent slot for the 1997 Grand Prix.

During his career, Wigg was a frequent visitor to Australia and always enjoyed success on the larger Showground tracks down under such as the Brisbane Exhibition Ground, the 510 m Wayville Showground in Adelaide, the Claremont Speedway in Perth, and the Melbourne Showgrounds. During his time riding in both Australia and New Zealand, Wigg won the Australian Long track Grand Prix in 1990, 1994 and 1995, as well as the New Zealand Long track Grand Prix in 1994.

Wigg was also famous for his bright green leathers and bikes, being nicknamed "The Lean Green Racing Machine". He rode in 65 meetings for England.

Death

After suffering epileptic seizures in November 1998 and January 1999, which were originally attributed to head trauma from racing crashes, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and had surgery to remove it in May 1999. After recovering, he moved with his family to Gold Coast, Queensland, but after falling ill again in February 2000, returned to the UK for further surgery after discovering that the tumour had regrown. Wigg died on 15 November 2000 at the age of 40.

World Longtrack Championship record

Five Times Champion

Final

Grand Years

1998 Four G.P. 40pts (10th)

World Speedway final appearances

World Championship

World Pairs Championship

World Team Cup

Speedway Grand Prix results

::data[format=table]

YearPositionPointsBest finishNotes
199717th1310th-
::

British Grasstrack Championship Record

References

References

  1. Rogers, G.(2005). ''Wiggy!: Simon Wigg in His Own Words ''. {{ISBN. 0-9548336-7-8
  2. Montague, Trevor. (2004). "The A-Z of Sport". Little, Brown.
  3. "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022".
  4. Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). ''1986 Speedway Yearbook''. Spotsdata. {{ISBN. 0-948882-00-X
  5. "[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1375205/Simon-Wigg.html Simon Wigg]" (obit.), ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'', 22 November 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2019
  6. (29 August 1982). "Bruce snubs star event". Sunday Mirror.
  7. (15 January 1983). "Cradley poised to sign £25,000 Wigg from Weymouth".
  8. (22 January 1983). "Wigg poised to join Cradley's title hunt".
  9. (25 October 1983). "Cradley's treble glory!". Birmingham Mail.
  10. Bamford/Shailes, Robert/Glynn. (2007). "The Story of Oxford Speedway". Tempus Publishing Ltd.
  11. Oakes, Peter. (1990). "Speedway Yearbook 1990". Front Page Books.
  12. (8 March 1993). "Coventry announce signings".
  13. "HISTORICAL LIST OF RESULTS 1995-2013 Speedway Grand Prix - Qualifications".
  14. Longmore, Andrew (1999) "[https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/speedway-the-interview-simon-wigg-tracks-of-a-speed-stars-tears-1083634.html Speedway: The Interview Simon Wigg: Tracks of a speed star's tears]", ''[[The Independent]]'', 28 March 1999. Retrieved 22 August 2019
  15. "[https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6632799.speedway-tumour-shock-for-wigg/ Speedway: Tumour shock for Wigg]", ''[[Oxford Mail]]'', 19 April 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2019
  16. (29 June 1987). "Danes defeat spirited challenge". Sandwell Evening Mail.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1960-births2000-deathsbritish-speedway-ridersenglish-motorcycle-racersbritish-speedway-championship-winnersbirmingham-brummies-ridersbradford-dukes-riderscradley-heathens-ridersexeter-falcons-ridershackney-kestrels-ridersindianerna-ridersking's-lynn-stars-ridersoxford-cheetahs-ridersvetlanda-speedway-riderssportspeople-from-aylesburypeople-educated-at-woodbridge-schooldeaths-from-brain-cancer-in-the-united-kingdomindividual-speedway-long-track-world-championship-riderspeople-educated-at-john-hampden-grammar-school20th-century-english-sportsmen