Andrew Appleton

{{short description|British motorcycle racer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}

{{Infobox Speedway rider

| image = Andrew Appleton 2007 grasstrack speedway.jpg

| caption = Appleton in 2007

| name= Andrew Appleton

| nationality = British (English)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1982|6|18}}

| birth_place = Reading, England

| years1 = 1998–2000

| career1 = Newport Wasps

| years2 = 1998

| career2 = Arena Essex Hammers

| years3 = 1998

| career3 = Edinburgh Monarchs

| years4 = 2000

| career4 = Wolverhampton Wolves

| years5 = 2000

| career5 = Eastbourne Eagles

| years6 = 2000–2002

| career6 = Oxford Cheetahs

| years7 = 2000–2005

| career7 = Reading Bulldogs

| years8 = 2002

| career8 = Coventry Bees

| years9 = 2003

| career9 = Poole Pirates

| years10 = 2004

| career10 = Peterborough Panthers

| indivyear1 = 2002

| indivhonour1 = New Zealand Speedway Champion

| indivyear2 = 2010

| indivhonour2 = European Grasstrack Champion

| indivyear3 = 2006, 2010, 2011, 2014

| indivhonour3 = British Masters Grasstrack Champion

| teamyear1 = 2015

| teamhonour1 = World Longtrack Team Champion

| teamhonour2 = World Longtrack Team bronze

| teamyear2 = 2023

}}

Andrew Appleton (born 18 June 1982) is an English motorcycle racer.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=Ultimtae rider index, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=15 September 2024}}

Career

Appleton competes in grasstrack,{{cite web|url=http://grasstrackgb.co.uk/appleton-andrew/|title=Andrew Appleton – Grasstrack GB|publisher=}} longtrack and speedway.

=Speedway=

Appleton's first full season in the British leagues was when he rode for Newport Wasps during the 1999 Premier League speedway season. The Welsh team enjoyed a good season finishing runner-up to Sheffield Tigers.{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/speedway-wasps-class-99-reunited-1932670 |title=Speedway: Wasps class of '99 are reunited |website=Wales Online |access-date=14 February 2023}}

He was part of the Oxford Cheetahs title winning team during the 2001 Elite League speedway season.{{cite web|url=http://www.speedwaygb.co/history/leaguetables2001.php|title=2001 league tables|publisher=Speedway GB}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005283/20010105/623/0078 |title=Lemon squeezed out from the Cheetahs |website=Bicester Review |date=5 January 2001 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 September 2024}}

=Longtrack=

In 2015, Appleton was part of the British team with Richard Hall, Glen Phillips and James Shanes that won the world championship gold medal at the 2015 Team Long Track World Championship.{{cite web |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/sport/speedway/hall-wins-world-long-track-championship-with-gb-2217280 |title=Hall wins World Long Track Championship with GB |website=The Southern Reporter |access-date=23 September 2024 }} It was the first time that Britain had won the event.{{cite web|url=https://grasstrackgb.co.uk/world-longtrack-team-cup/|title=World Longtrack Championship|website=GrasstrackGB|access-date=17 July 2021}}{{cite web|url=http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/2014/12/world-team-longtrack.html|title=World Team Long Track Championship|website=Edinburgh Speedway|access-date=17 July 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.acu.org.uk/news/2015/06/fim-team-world-long-track-championship/ |title=FIM Team World Long Track Championship |website=ACU |access-date=14 February 2023}}

In 2023, he was part of the British longtrack team, along with Chris Harris and Zach Wajtknecht, that won the bronze medal at the 2023 Team Long Track World Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.baansportfansite.nl/uitslagen/3078/long-track-of-nations-roden|publisher=Bahn Sport (In Dutch)|title=24 September 2023 in Roden|access-date=25 September 2023}}

=Grasstrack=

His biggest solo honour to date was his Gold medal success in the European Grasstrack Championship in 2010 and the winning Grand Prix in Eenrum the same year, along with 4 time British Master championships titles (2007, 2010,1011,2014)

Major results

=Longtrack=

World Individual Championship

  • 2003 4 app (18th) 18pts
  • 2004 5 app (6th) 59pts
  • 2005 4 app (10th) 34pts
  • 2006 2 app (16th) 12pts
  • 2007 3 app (5th) 41pts
  • 2008 4 app (4th) 62pts
  • 2009 4 app (14th) 37pts
  • 2010 4 app (6th) 102pts
  • 2011 6 app (15th) 48pts
  • 2012 4 app (12th) 53pts
  • 2014 4 app (13th) 28pts
  • 2015 4 app (15th) 21pts
  • 2016 4 app (13th) 28pts

Best Grand-Prix results

World Team Championship

=Grasstrack=

European Championship

  • 2003 {{flagicon|FRA}} La Réole (13th) 7pts
  • 2004 {{flagicon|NED}} Eenrum (6th) 12pts
  • 2005 {{flagicon|GER}} Schwarme (Third) 12pts
  • 2006 {{flagicon|FRA}} La Réole (6th) 18pts
  • 2007 {{flagicon|ENG}} Folkestone (Third) 20pts
  • 2008 Semi-final
  • 2009 {{flagicon|GER}} Berghaupten (16th) 6pts
  • 2010 {{flagicon|FRA}} La Réole (Champion) 18pts
  • 2011 {{flagicon|ENG}} Skegness (Third) 15pts
  • 2012 Semi-final
  • 2013 Semi-final
  • 2014 {{flagicon|FRA}} Saint-Macaire (8th) 12pts
  • 2015 {{flagicon|NED}} Staphorst (6th) 12pts
  • 2016 {{flagicon|ENG}} Folkestone (Third) 15pts
  • 2017 {{flagicon|GER}} Hertingen (Second) 16pts
  • 2023 {{flagicon|GER}} Werlte (third) 15pts

British Masters

Podium Finishes

References