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Have been chatting to Terry Stone about writing a brief biography however knowing he is a busy man I thought I would try and produce this having gleaned some detailed information from Terry.

 

Born in Rainham, Essex in 1938, he first took to the oval track at the age of 14 riding for Longbridge Leopards on a cycle before adding an engine and beginning training at Rye House Speedway school in 1958-1959 following his demob. from the Army. Terry says “Pete Lansdale asked me to appear in Southend Carnival with my bike to which I replied "If you give me a second half ride next week"  he agreed and this was the start of my speedway career” and so Terry joining Rayleigh Rockets in 1960 took his first ride in the second half. He recalls that at his first away meeting, at Stoke,  “I scored 2 points - fantastic as I was then riding in the team.”

Terry continued listing his career moves as follows - 1961 saw him riding for Rayleigh Rockets and Exeter Falcons, both teams being run by Pete Lansdale and Wally Mawdesley who allowed the riders to chop and change between the tracks,  then in 1962 Terry  was sold to Wolverhampton Wolves where he rode for one season, this was where he collected is first injury a broken collar bone whilst riding at Edinburgh.

1963 saw his return to Rayleigh Rockets, the track being under new management, Ruth and Gordon Cox, however he left Rayleigh half way through the season to ride for Pete and Wally at New Cross Rangers. Terry smiled and said “when riding at Hackney I broke my left leg landed in Hackney Hospital where I met Nurse Jean and the rest is history!”

In 1964 Terry was asked by Pete and Wally to ride at Exeter but in May he was asked if he would change teams with Ray Wickett as he lived in the Exeter area and it was then  Terry headed off to ride for Glasgow Tigers for the rest of the season.

He continues “1965 I rode at West Ham Hammers and managed to get into the team a few times then in 1966 I was in the West Ham team and Poole requested me to ride for them for 4-5 meetings, 1967 saw meagre pickings, spent the season riding second half  at Swindon. In 1968, the beginning of the second division, I returned to Rayleigh where I remained until I ended my career in 1973.” During this last period at Rayleigh Terry had what he would probably consider his worse year 1970, he broke his right leg and says that only due to the skills of an Australian doctor at Southend Hospital that he managed to keep his horribly damaged leg.

Something I have no need to ask Terry about is the amount of work and effort he has put into speedway since his retirement notably with the Men in Black, a group of riders who travel round the country with their vintage bikes, racing on circuits for the delight of speedway fans and supporters, their competitive displays featuring the Douglas, Rotrax, J.A.P., Jawa and Rudge, most of the riders wearing black leathers as their name suggests and using period personal equipment such as goggles, boots and gloves.  He is also still riding vintage grass track and hill climb with the vintage motor cycle club section.

Then, of course, he is a longstanding and hardworking committee member of the World Speedway Riders’ Association being elected President for the year 2009 Terry tells me he felt very honoured and privileged to be voted President of WSRA and he and wife Jean had such an enjoyable year travelling the world, visiting our speedway rider friends in Australia and New Zealand. Terry retired from the committee in 2012.

True to form he took this appointment to heart and spent the year attending many, many events both here and abroad spreading the Association name far and wide and supporting as many speedway occasions as he possibly could.

And let’s not forget the work he has put into the National Speedway Museum, from the inception he has worked solidly to offer support and muscle to the project as well as his vast knowledge of the equipment and riders of the past, it seems to me Terry is a solid rock with speedway written right through the middle.

Before I stop I have to tell you how helpful Terry and his wife Jean have been and still are to me in the production and maintenance of this site, producing photographs from almost every event.

To give Terry the last word “Tell them I am 74 years young and enjoy every minute. As always keep the wheels turning and the plugs sparking.” That being Terry’s very apt sign off sentence.