Steven Grae Regeling (born 2 October 1959) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the British League for Leicester Lions in the early 1980s and later for Kings Lynn Stars, before riding for several years in the National League for the Exeter Falcons and Middlesbrough Bears. He won the Australian Championship in 1987.[1][2]

Steve Regeling
Born (1959-10-02) 2 October 1959 (age 65)
Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Current club information
Career statusRetired
Career history
1980-1983Leicester Lions
1980Workington Comets
1981Boston Barracudas
1984-1988Kings Lynn Stars
1988Ipswich Witches
1988-1991Exeter Falcons
1992-1993Middlesbrough Bears
Individual honours
1987Australian Champion
1985, 1987, 1988Queensland State Champion
Team honours
1985, 1986Australian Best Pairs Champion

Biography

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Regeling was born in 1959 in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia.[3] His initial experience was in short track racing, in which his father and older brother had also competed.[4] He then moved into speedway in Brisbane in the late 1970s with the famous Brisbane Exhibition Ground being his home track.[4]

He was signed by Martin Rogers for the Leicester Lions in 1980, but suffered a broken leg at Swindon at the start of the season.[4] After recovering he was loaned out to the National League team Workington Comets, and impressive performances saw him recalled to ride for the Lions before the season ended.[4] After being loaned out to Boston Barracudas in 1981, where he averaged 8.51 from 18 matches, he became a regular rider for the Lions in the two years that followed, until the club folded.[4][5]

He then moved on to the King's Lynn Stars in 1984[6] and also represented Australia at international level.[7]

After finishing fourth in 1986, Regeling won the Australian championship in 1987 and finished runner-up to Phil Crump the following year.[8]

He later rode for the Exeter Falcons, for whom he was the number one rider for the whole of the 1990 season.[9] At the end of the 1991 season he requested a transfer and moved to Middlesbrough, where his success continued, averaging over 8.7 in the 1992 season with two full maximum scores.[3] His final season in Britain was in 1993.

Regeling represented Australia on numerous occasions in test matches at both home and abroad, and also in World Championship competitions such as the World Pairs Championship and World Team Cup.

Career record

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British leagues

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Year Team League Matches Rides Points Bonus Total Average
1980 Workington Comets National 13 39 14 4 18 4.51
1980 Leicester Lions British 6 13 11 2 13 4.00
1981 Boston Barracudas National 42 179 341 38 379 8.47
1981 Leicester Lions British 12 30 20 5 25 3.33
1982 Leicester Lions British 39 147 154 33 187 5.09
1983 Leicester Lions British 42 168 208 42 250 5.95
1984 Kings Lynn Stars British 54 221 334 31 365 6.61
1985 Kings Lynn Stars British 38 148 198 31 229 6.19
1986 Kings Lynn Stars British 37 137 136 25 161 4.70
1987 Kings Lynn Stars British 40 165 240 25 265 6.42
1988 Kings Lynn Stars British 1 4 4 2 6 6.00
1988 Ipswich Witches British 15 60 71 10 81 5.40
1988 Exeter Falcons National 14 80 144 14 158 7.90
1988 Sheffield Tigers British 3 13 16 1 17 5.23
1988 Bradford Dukes British 1 6 7 0 7 4.67
1989 Exeter Falcons National 42 227 514 39 553 9.74
1990 Exeter Falcons National 34 184 458 11 469 10.20
1991 Exeter Falcons British League Div 2 21 97 199 13 212 8.74
1992 Middlesbrough Bears British League Div 2 22 121 269 7 276 9.12
1993 Middlesbrough Bears British League Div 2 41 207 378 23 401 7.75

World Final Appearances

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World Pairs Championship

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World Team Cup

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Regeling was part of the Australia team in 1991. They finished second to eventual runners-up Sweden in the group stage, with Regeling top scorer for the team with 11 points.

References

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  1. ^ "Individual Australian Championship". Historia Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b Oakes, Peter (1993) 1993 Speedway Yearbook, Front Page Books, ISBN 0-948882-16-6, p. 131-2
  4. ^ a b c d e Jones, Alan (2010) Speedway in Leicester: The Lions Roar, Automedia, p. 176
  5. ^ Oakes, Peter (1982) 1982 Speedway Yearbook, Studio Publications, ISBN 0-86215-072-8, p. 205
  6. ^ "Internationals". Lynn Advertiser. 6 January 1984. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ Oakes, Peter (1986) 1986 Speedway Yearbook, Sportsdata, ISBN 0-948882-05-0, p. 78-81
  8. ^ "Motorcycle Racing", The Age, 27 January 1987, p. 37, retrieved 2011-10-09
  9. ^ Oakes, Peter (1991) Speedway Yearbook 1991, Front Page Books, ISBN 0-948882-20-4, p. 137