Mark Lemon (speedway rider)

Mark Lemon
Born (1973-02-12) 12 February 1973 (age 51)
Bairnsdale, Victoria
NationalityAustralian
Career history
1990, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2004Poole Pirates
1992–1993Middlesbrough Bears
1996, 2000, 2002Oxford Cheetahs
1999Eastbourne Eagles
2003Somerset Rebels
2012Belle Vue Aces
2004–2005Exeter Falcons
2006Stoke Potters
2006–2008Reading Racers
2009Newport Wasps
2009Swindon Robins
2009–2012Newcastle Diamonds
2013Plymouth Devils
2014Redcar Bears
2014Glasgow Tigers
Individual honours
1993, 1996, 2012Victorian Champion
Team honours
1990British League Div 2
2004, 2010Premier Trophy
2010Premier League
2011Premier Shield

Mark The Bitter Lemon (born 12 February 1973) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider. He won the Victoria State Championship on three occasions and is currently the Manager of both the Senior and Under-21 Australian speedway teams. He is also the manager of the Belle Vue Aces in the SGB Premiership.[1]

Biography

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Born in Bairnsdale, Victoria, Mark Lemon took up speedway at the age of twelve.[2]

He began his career in British speedway in 1990, riding for Poole Pirates in the team that won the British League Division Two.[2] He rode for Poole again in 1991 but more regularly and successfully for Middlesbrough Bears,[3] for whom he also rode in 1992. Swindon Robins attempted for the next three seasons to sign Lemon, but he was denied a work permit.[4] He won the Victoria State Championship in 1992/93, winning again in 1995/96 and 2011/12, and after finishing in sixth place in the Australian Championship in the 1995/96 season was granted a work permit for 1996, signing for Oxford Cheetahs.[4][5] He rode three seasons with Oxford in 1996, 2000 and 2002.[6]

He went on to ride for several teams in the years that followed, and by 2003 improved to heat leader standard with Somerset Rebels. Successful seasons followed with Exeter Falcons (with whom he won the Premier Trophy) and Stoke Potters (where he won the Pride of the Potters individual meeting in 2004) before signing for Reading Racers in 2006, going on to act as team captain.[7][8] He captained Newport Wasps in 2009 before losing his place in the team mid-season.[4][9] More recently he has been one of the top riders in the Newcastle Diamonds Premier League team (also captaining the team) as well as having spells in the Elite League with Swindon and Belle Vue Aces.[4] Initially on loan form parent club Poole Pirates, lemon was signed on a full transfer by Diamonds in 2010.[10] With Newcastle he won the Premier Trophy and the League play-offs in 2010 and the Premier Shield in 2011.[4] He suffered several injuries in his time with the Diamonds, including several crushed vertebrae sustained in the 2009/10 Australian final, and several shoulder injuries.[4][11] In December 2012 he signed to ride for Plymouth Devils in 2013.

In 2009 a 20th anniversary testimonial meeting was held at Somerset's Oaktree Arena between an Australia Select and a Rest of the World Select.[12][13]

Lemon has represented Australia on several occasions, making his debut for his country in July 1997 against England.[2]

In 2022, Lemon managed the Belle Vue Aces to their first league title since 1993.[14]

Family

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Lemon's father-in-law is the former rider Tom Owen.[4]

Major titles and placings

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Individual

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Team

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References

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  1. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Oakes, Peter (1999) British Speedway Who's Who 1999, Sportsdata, pp. 61-2
  3. ^ "Steve goes out in grand style". Middlesbrough Herald & Post. 16 October 1991. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Rider Index", speedwaygb.co, Retrieved 21 December 2012
  5. ^ "Mark Lemon wins his third Victorian solo speedway title", Mildura Independent, 4 December 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  6. ^ "Lemon squeezed out from the Cheetahs". Bicester Review. 5 January 2001. Retrieved 15 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Speedway: Lemon makes his mark in thrilling Smallmead finale", getreading.co.uk, 23 October 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  8. ^ "Lemon takes Pride of place", Crewe Chronicle, 27 October 2004. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  9. ^ "Lemon squeezed into New Year Classic line-up", South Wales Argus, 17 December 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  10. ^ "Speedway: Poole agree to let Mark Lemon join Newcastle on a permanent basis", Daily Mirror, 25 November 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  11. ^ "Mark Lemon injury is no fear for Newcastle Diamonds", BBC, 11 January 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  12. ^ "Stars shine at Oak Tree", thisissomerset.co.uk, 24 September 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  13. ^ "Star-studded line-up set for Lemon testimonial", thisissomerset.co.uk, 17 September 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2012
  14. ^ "2022 Premiership Grand final results". British Speedway. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
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