Dennis Gray (speedway rider)
{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Dennis Gray
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{birth-date|19 June 1929}}
| birth_place = Colliers Wood, London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|1|27|1929|6|19|df=y}}
| death_place = Swanage, Dorset
| career1 = Wimbledon Dons
| years1 = 1946–1953
| career2 = Eastbourne Eagles
| years2 = 1947
| career3 = Oxford Cheetahs
| years3 = 1949
| career4 = Leicester Hunters
| years4 = 1954
| career5 = Rayleigh Rockets
| years5 = 1955
| indivyear1 =
| indivhonour1 =
| teamyear1 = 1947
| teamhonour1 = league champion (tier 3)
| teamyear2 = 1950, 1951
| teamhonour2= National Trophy
}}
Dennis Howard Gray (19 June 1929 – 27 January 2021) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from England. He earned one international cap for the England 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=26 November 2023}}
Biography
Gray, born in Colliers Wood, London, began his British leagues career riding for Wimbledon Dons during the 1946 Speedway National League.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1946record.pdf |title=1946 season results |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=26 November 2023}} He was aged just 17 when he made his debut and was the youngest rider in the league.{{cite news |title=Pauline regains U.S Title |work=Daily Mirror |date=9 September 1946 |access-date=26 November 2023 |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19460909/053/0007 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}
A protégé of Norman Parker, Gray was loaned to Eastbourne Eagles at the start of the 1947 season and made an immediate impact becoming their captain.{{cite news |title=Speed Starlet |work=Weekly Dispatch (London) |date=25 May 1947 |access-date=26 November 2023 |url= https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003359/19470525/111/0007 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} He suffered a serious hand injury which curtailed his season but he did contribute to their league success during the 1947 Speedway National League Division Three season.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/yearbyyear.html |title=Year by Year |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=26 November 2023}}
In 1948, he returned to Wimbledon but joined the Royal Air Force, which resulted in him missing the majority of the season. When he returned to speedway he was once again loaned out by Wimbledon but this time to Oxford Cheetahs, where he impressed topping the Oxford averages at 8.20 and was the highlight of a poor Oxford season.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=26 November 2023}} He finally earned a run in the Wimbledon team and was a regular from 1950 and effectively won the National Trophy for the team, after top scoring in both legs of the final.{{cite news |title=Odsal beaten in speedway final |work=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer |date=26 September 1950 |access-date=26 November 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19500926/159/0005 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} He starred again in the 1951 National Trophy final, was capped by England and remained a regular for Wimbledon. He suffered a serious crash in 1952, facturing his skull and then broke his collarbone on his return. His form was never the same, having a poor season in 1953 before he was signed by Leicester Hunters for the 1954 season.{{cite news |title=Winning Trio |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=24 April 1954 |access-date=26 November 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19540424/036/0002 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}
The serious injuries that he had suffered took their toll and his final season was in 1955 with the Rayleigh Rockets.