Danny King (speedway rider)
{{short description|British speedway rider (born 1986)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| image = Danny King-speedway.jpg
| name= Danny King
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|8|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = Maidstone, England
| career1 = Great Britain
| years2 = 2001–2003, 2007–2008
| career2 = Peterborough
| years3 = 2002
| career3 = Swindon
| years4 = 2003, 2014
| career4 = Arena Essex/Lakeside
| years5 = 2003
| career5 = Reading
| years6 = 2003–2004, 2006
| career6 = Mildenhall
| years7 = 2003–2006, 2009–2010, 2015–2025
| career7 = Ipswich
| years8 = 2005
| career8 = Rye House
| years9 = 2011–2014
| career9 = Birmingham
| years10 = 2014
| career10 = Newcastle
| years11 = 2015–2016
| career11 = Coventry
| years12 = 2017–2018
| career12 = Leicester
| years13 = 2019
| career13 = Sheffield
| years14 = 2020–2022
| career14 = Poole
| years15 = 2023–2025
| career15 = Redcar
| career21 = Poland
| years22 = 2008
| career22 = Ostrów
| career24 = Denmark
| years25 = 2015
| career25 = Munkebo
| indivyear1 = 2016
| indivhonour1 = British Champion
| indivyear2 = 2004
| indivhonour2 = British Under 18 Champion
| teamyear1 = 2022
| teamhonour1 = tier 1 Pairs winner
| teamyear2 = 2023
| teamhonour2 = tier 1 KO Cup winner
| teamyear3 = 2005, 2021, 2022
| teamhonour3 = tier 2 league champions
| teamyear4 = 2021, 2022
| teamhonour4 = tier 2 KO Cup winner
| teamyear5 = 2005
| teamhonour5 = tier 2 Premier Trophy
| teamyear6 = 2015
| teamhonour6 = tier 2 Pairs winner
| teamyear7 = 2002, 2003, 2004, 2024
| teamhonour7 = tier 3 league champions
| teamyear8 = 2003
| teamhonour8 = tier 3 KO Cup winner
| teamyear9 = 2007
| teamhonour9 = Elite Shield Winner
}}
Daniel Robert King (born 14 August 1986) is a British speedway rider."[https://www.speedwaygb.co/riderindex17_k Rider Index]", speedwaygb.co. Retrieved 24 March 2017 He earned six international caps for the Great Britain national speedway team.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=21 December 2023}}
Career
Born in Maidstone, King began his career in 2001 with Peterborough Pumas.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Rider_Index_2008.pdf |title=2008 Rider index |website=British Speedway |access-date=17 March 2023}} He has raced for Ipswich Witches, Birmingham Brummies, Lakeside Hammers, and Coventry Bees in the Elite League. His brother Jason was also a speedway rider.
In 2007 he finished fifth in the British Championship and qualified as a reserve for the 2007 British Grand Prix. In September 2007, King was selected to represent Great Britain for the 2007 Under 21-World Cup Final.
King captained the Birmingham Brummies in 2011, when the club were accepted into the Elite League. In 2015, he won the Premier League Pairs Championship partnering Rohan Tungate, for Ipswich Witches during the 2015 Premier League speedway season.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwaygbarchive.co.uk/news.php?extend.29117 |title=PAIR-FECTION FOR WITCHES |website=British Speedway |access-date=30 May 2023}}
On 13 June 2016, King became British Champion for the first time in his career after winning the 2016 British Speedway Championship.Damerell, Richard (2016) "[http://www.skysports.com/speedway/news/12040/10313083/danny-king-wins-british-speedway-final-at-belle-vue Danny King wins British speedway final at Belle Vue]", Sky Sports, 14 June 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2017 During the 2016 Elite League he finished 8th in the division 1 averages riding for Coventry Bees and 2nd in the averages riding for Ipswich Witches.{{cite web |url=https://coventryobserver.co.uk/sport/hard-work-pays-off-for-coventry-bees-star-danny-king-7844/ |title=Hard work pays off for Coventry Bees star Danny King |website=Coventry Observer |access-date=16 October 2022}} The following season he joined the Leicester Lions in division 1 and spent two seasons with them, while still impressing for Ipswich in division 2. In 2019, Ipswich moved up a division to the SGB Premiership 2019, which resulted in King riding for them in the top tier and joining Sheffield Tigers in division 2.
During 2021 and 2022, King rode for the Ipswich Witches in the SGB Premiership and the Poole Pirates in the SGB Championship.{{cite web |url=https://ipswichwitches.co/team_member/danny-king/|title=Danny King|website=Ipswich Witches|access-date=18 June 2021}} His move to Poole resulted in a collection of silverware as he captained the Pirates to league and cup double during the SGB Championship 2021. The following season (with King as captain again) Poole successfully defended their League and British Division 2 KO Cup titles.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/championship/pirates-are-cup-kings/ |title=Pirates are Cup Kings |website=British Speedway |access-date=16 October 2022}} In addition he won the Premiership pairs with Ipswich.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/premiership/witches-win-premiership-pairs/ |title=Witches win Premiership Pairs |website=British Speedway |access-date=5 November 2022}}
In 2023, he signed for Ipswich for the SGB Premiership 2023, it was a 7th consecutive season with the club and he captained the team when they won the Knockout Cup.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/premiership/king-returns-for-witches/ |title=King returns for Ipswich |website=British Speedway |access-date=6 December 2022}} He also signed for Redcar Bears for the SGB Championship 2023 after being released by Poole.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/championship/bears-name-full-side/ |title=Bears name full side |website=British Speedway |access-date=6 December 2022}} He remained the Ipswich captain for 2024.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/sports-insure-premiership/skipper-king-returns/ |title=Skipper King returns |website=British Speedway |access-date=28 November 2023}} He re-signed for Redcar for the 2024 season.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/cab-direct-championship/jorgensen-back-as-bears-name-team/ |title=Jorgensen back as Bears name team |website=British Speedway |access-date=12 December 2023}}
He won the 2024 Pairs Championship with Charles Wright.{{cite web |url=https://cumbriacrack.com/2024/07/06/charles-wright-helps-redcar-bears-pull-off-incredible-comeback/ |title=Charles Wright helps Redcar Bears pull off incredible comeback |website=Cumbria Crack |access-date=22 August 2024}}
Honours and international competitions
- British Under-18 Champion (2004)
- British Champion (2016) – Belle Vue (13 points)
=Speedway Grand Prix=
=Others=
- Individual U-21 World Championship
- 2005 – {{Flagicon|AUT}} Stadion Wiener Neustadt – 15th place (4 points)
- 2007 – {{Flagicon|ITA}} Pista Olimpia Terenzano – 9th place (3 points)
- Team U-21 World Championship:
- 2007 – {{flagicon|GER}} Altes Stadion Abensberg – Silver medal (5 points)
- Speedway World Cup
- 2016 - 2nd"[https://coventryobserver.co.uk/sport/coventry-bees-star-danny-king-helps-great-britain-secure-silver-speedway-world-cup-final/ Coventry Bees star Danny King helps Great Britain secure silver at Speedway World Cup Final]", Coventry Observer, 3 August 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2017
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Danny}}
Category:British speedway riders
Category:English motorcycle racers
Category:Sportspeople from Maidstone
Category:Ipswich Witches riders
Category:Leicester Lions riders
Category:Mildenhall Fen Tigers riders
Category:Peterborough Panthers riders
Category:Rye House Rockets riders