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Leigh Lanham

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Leigh Lanham
Born (1977-08-15) 15 August 1977 (age 47)
Ipswich, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
1993-1997, 2002-2003, 2009, 2012-2013Ipswich Witches
1997Exeter Falcons
1997Bradford Dukes
1997King's Lynn Stars
1998-2006Arena Essex Hammers
2007-2008Lakeside Hammers
2010Belle Vue Aces
2010-2011Newport Wasps
2012Coventry Bees
2014Sheffield Tigers
2015Somerset Rebels and Scunthorpe Scorpions
2016Rye House Rockets
Individual honours
1997British Under 21 Champion

Leigh Stefan Lanham (born 15 August 1977 in Ipswich, Suffolk)[1] is an English former motorcycle speedway rider.[2]

Career

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Son of former rider Mike, Lanham joined Ipswich Witches in 1994[3] and won the British Under 21 Championship in 1997.[4][5] He reached the World Under 21 Final in 1996 and 1998 and has finished in the top six of the British Speedway Championship.

Lanham riding for Lakeside in 2007

In December 2011, he signed to ride for Coventry Bees in the Elite League as a double-up rider, sharing a team place with Aaron Summers.[6] Following the closure of the Premier League Newport Wasps team, Lanham rode for the Rye House Rockets for a short period, before re-joining his home town club Ipswich Witches, following an injury to Morten Risager. Leigh retired from speedway in January 2017 at the age of 39.

On 14 September 2018, Lanham was chosen to ride the final 4 laps at the Arena Essex raceway. During his ten years with the Arena Essex Hammers and Lakeside Hammers, Lanham became the club's all-time leading appearance maker and highest points scorer.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
  2. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Panthers swoop to sign Lanham". Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. 3 May 1994. Retrieved 27 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007. NPI Media Group. ISBN 0-7524-4250-3.
  5. ^ "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Four Complete Bees", speedway365.com, 23 December 2011, retrieved 2011-12-23
  7. ^ Hammers legend Lanham ‘honoured’ to ride final laps at Arena-Essex Raceway, romfordrecorder.co.uk, 20 September 2018