Star-studded turnout at Gary Havelock Farewell Meeting tell the Gazette what makes him such a special guy on and off a speedway bike
View galleryRichard Crease/BNPS
Gary Havelock farewell meeting at Poole
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Teesside legend Gary Havelock attracted a star-studded turn-out, on and off the track, for his grand Farewell Meeting.
And as the Eaglescliffe-born former world champion, 45, enjoyed his richly deserved moment in the spotlight, many of them spoke exclusively to the Gazette to explain why the former Redcar Bears captain is such a special guy on and off a speedway bike.
“Havvy is amazing,” said America’s twice world champion Greg Hancock, one of the star names to take to the track for Havvy at Poole last Friday.
“He was a huge, huge competitor back in the England v America Test match days and in the World Team Cup as well as in the league.
“My fondest memories are riding against him at Odsal, Bradford.
“He was unreal around that track - he’d just sit on the bike and go round that high banking.
“But we go way back and we have become pretty good friends and I have a ton of memories of him.
“I was so stoked when he asked me to come (and ride in his Farewell Meeting) and the biggest thing was I had other things on which I had to work around.
“But it worked out which is great because I didn’t want to miss this.
“We’re from the same era and guys like that try to stick together.”
Havvy was one of the world’s top riders and Britain’s most recent world champion when current Grand Prix star Chris Harris was starting his career, and he admits he looked up to him as he set his own sights on glory.
“We know how good a rider he was because he was world champion,” said the former Great Britain skipper.
“He is a great guy, very passionate about his country and what he has done for the sport over the years is fantastic.
“It was a great line-up for his Farewell Meeting which shows how well liked he is.
“I remember watching him riding for Poole and he was a great professional.
“It’s sad his career ended the way it did but he’s now my team manager at Coventry so it’s going to be good working with him.”
Teessider Stuart Swales rode with Havvy both for Bradford Dukes and Redcar Bears.
He too says Havvy was an inspiration to him when he was carving out his speedway career and was delighted to make the journey to Poole for his big night.
“I rode with Gary at Bradford at the back end of 1992, which was the year he was world champion,” he said
“He was a great influence and throughout the years I have stayed friends with him and rode with him again at Redcar - I can’t speak highly enough of him.
“Right from the off he was the man to beat. He won the National League Fours for us when I was a 10-year-old supporter, so to go on and ride with him in two separate spells in my career is brilliant.”
Current Great Britain manager Alun Rossiter was a domestic rival and international team-mate of Havvy’s.
He said: “We toured Australia in 1987-88 and we were the last official touring side to go and win there.
“It was quite a special time. We spent three-and-a-half months together, we did a lot together and I got to know him very well.
“He’s very passionate, similar to myself, and he’s been a great servant to the sport.”
Havvy spent many of his greatest moments with mechanic Scott Trigg in his pit.
And though Trigg has since moved back to New Zealand, there was no way he was going to miss the big night, and he flew back specially.
“There was no employer/employee relationship,” he said as he looked back at their time together. “It was pretty much like brothers, if not closer.
“I’m quite emotional talking about it. He was absolutely fantastic and that’s why I stayed with him for so long. We’ve done a career together.
“As for memories, where do you start? The 1992 World Final, obviously. Even as a mechanic that was great because a lot of mechanics don’t get to enjoy that success.
“I can’t say enough about him. His whole family took me under their wing - Marje and Brian were like surrogate parents to me.
“When you come over from New Zealand it’s hard to be away from home but I had them to look after me.
“I dread leaving to go back to New Zealand! But hopefully he’ll come out to visit us.”
Team managers for the night at Poole were former world champions Mark Loram and Tony Rickardsson, two of Havvy’s biggest pals in speedway and recently named in his list of top 10 toughest opponents.
“Havvy and I go back some years and we raced together in Sweden and England,” said Rickardsson, “and when he asked me to come over, it was a very easy decision to make.”
And Loram, whose side of Legends beat Rickardsson’s Raiders 43-41 on the night, said: “He’s been one of my true friends in speedway.
“It was a no-brainer coming down to help out.”
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