David Norris (speedway rider)
{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| image =
| name= David Norris
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|8|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Eastbourne, England
| career1 = Great Britain
| years2 = 1988–1989, 1993-1994, 1996-2007, 2009
| career2 = Eastbourne
| years3 = 1990, 1991–1993
| career3 = Ipswich
| years4 = 1995
| career4 = Reading
| career5 = Poland
| years6 = 1995–1996
| career6 = Gdańsk
| years7 = 1999
| career7 = Toruń
| career8 = Sweden
| years9 = 2000–2003
| career9 = Valsarna
| years10 = 2005
| career10 = Vargarna
| teamyear1 = 2000
| teamhonour1 = Elite League
| teamyear2 = 1994, 1997, 2002
| teamhonour2 = Knockout Cup winner
| teamyear3 = 1991
| teamhonour3 = British League Fours
}}
David Michael Norris (born 20 August 1972, in Eastbourne, England)Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. {{ISBN|0-948882-81-6}} is a former British international motorcycle speedway rider.{{cite web |url=https://speedway.com.pl/riders/david-norris/ |title=David Michael Norris Wielka Brytania |website=Polish Speedway Database |access-date=31 March 2023}} He earned 20 international caps for the England national speedway team and 8 caps for the Great Britain 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=24 December 2023}}
Career
Norris had stints with Reading Racers and Ipswich Witches, but primarily rode for the Eastbourne Eagles in the British League, Premier League, and Elite League.{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2048/david-norris |title=David Norris |website=WWOS backup |access-date=24 December 2023}} In 2007, he overtook Gordon Kennett as the Eagles' leading scorer, accumulating 5,197 points from just 577 meetings.
As an Eastbourne rider, he twice averaged over 9, in 1994{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19940307/062/0062 |title=Eagles land six of England's best |website=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=7 March 1994 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 September 2024}} (9.18) and 2004 (9.95).{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=24 December 2023}} He won the league title with the club in 2000 and the Knockout Cup with the team on three occasions in 1994, 1997 and 2002.{{cite book |last=Bamford |first=Reg |title=Speedway Yearbook |year=2004 | publisher=Tempus Publishing, Stroud | isbn=978-0-7524-2955-7}}
In 2004, aged 32, when adopting a new 'more professional' attitude towards the sport, he appeared as a wild card in the British Speedway Grand Prix in 2004 and 2005.{{cite book | last = Bamford| first = Robert | title = Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007| publisher = NPI Media Group | date = 2007-03-01| isbn = 0-7524-4250-3 }}
Retirement
A succession of injuries dogged him in 2006 and 2007 though and he announced his retirement from speedway in October 2007. He said: "I'm at a stage now where I can't take another hit on my head or neck. If I didn’t have kids and my wife I might consider carrying on, but you can’t just live for yourself."{{cite web | title = Norris retires from Eagles| publisher = www.elite-eagles.com | date = 31 October 2007 | url = http://www.elite-eagles.com/2007/latest/papers-norris-retires-from-eagles.html| accessdate = 2007-10-31}} However, after holding talks with his doctor and family, Norris came out of retirement and once again rode for the Eastbourne Eagles during the 2009 season, assisted in the pits by Dean Barker.{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/speedway/eaglesnews/3976143.Norris_ready_and_raring_to_go/|publisher=The Argus|title=Norris ready and raring to go|year=2008|accessdate=2009-04-21}}