Martin Ashby
{{Short description|English speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Martin Ashby
| image = Martin Ashby Swindon.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1944|2|5}}
| death_date =
| birth_place = Marlborough, England
| nationality = British (English)
| years1 = 1961-1967, 1971-1979
| career1 = Swindon Robins
| years2 = 1968-1970
| career2 = Exeter Falcons
| years3 = 1980
| career3 = Reading Racers
| indivyear1 = 1968
| indivhonour1 = Scottish Open Champion
| indivyear2 = 1966, 1974
| indivhonour2 = Pride Of The Midlands Winner
| indivyear3 = 1975
| indivhonour3 = Superama
| indivyear4 = 1976
| indivhonour4 = The Laurels
| teamyear1 = 1968, 1975
| teamhonour1 = World Team Cup Winner
| teamyear2 = 1967, 1980
| teamhonour2 = British League Champion
| teamyear3 = 1967
| teamhonour3 = Midland Cup
}}
Henry Martin Ashby (born 5 February 1944)
{{cite book | last = Oakes | first = Peter |author2=Mauger, Ivan OBE, MBE |authorlink2=Ivan Mauger | title = Who's Who of World Speedway
| publisher = Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd | year = 1976 | isbn = 0-904584-04-6 }} is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from England,Lawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. {{ISBN|978-0-244-72538-9}} who reached the final of the Speedway World Championship in 1968. He also finished third in the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1969, with Nigel Boocock and was a member of the Great Britain team that won the World Team Cups in 1968 and 1975.{{cite book|last=Montague|first=Trevor|title=The A-Z of Sport|year=2004|pages=514|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=0-316-72645-1}}
Family
His brother David Ashby was a teammate for several years at Swindon
Career
Ashby began his career with the Swindon Robins in 1961 but was moved on to the Exeter Falcons in 1968 by the speedway rider control committee. Three years later he returned to Swindon, and remained there for the rest of his career, apart from a short spell at Reading Racers in 1980 where he helped secure the title. Ashby was a regular England international. Ashby held the club record for most appearances (641) and points total (5,4765½) until 2008 when Leigh Adams overtook the points record.{{cite web|url=http://www.swindon-speedway.co.uk/name-News-article-sid-1560.phtml |title=The History Man |year=2008 |publisher=www.swindon-speedway.co.uk |accessdate=2008-09-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120095956/http://www.swindon-speedway.co.uk/name-News-article-sid-1560.phtml |archivedate=20 November 2008 }}
He was a British Finalist on ten occasions (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977). He won the Speedway World Team Cup in 1968, with Great Britain and 1975, with England. He earned 49 England caps and 21 Great Britain caps.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=9 August 2023}}
His last season in the British leagues was a league winning season with the Reading Racers, during the 1980 British League season.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=9 August 2023}}
Since retiring, has been running a motorcycle workshop: repairs, and tuning etc.
World Final Appearances
=Individual World Championship=
- 1968 – {{Flagicon|SWE}} Gothenburg, Ullevi – 11th – 5pts
- 1975 – {{Flagicon|ENG}} London, Wembley Stadium – Reserve – did not rideBamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7524-2402-5}}
=World Pairs Championship=
- 1969* –{{flagicon|SWE}} Stockholm, Gubbängens IP (with Nigel Boocock) – 3rd – 21pts (10)
* Unofficial World Championships.
=World Team Cup=
- 1968* –{{Flagicon|ENG}} London, Wembley Stadium (with Ivan Mauger / Nigel Boocock / Barry Briggs / Norman Hunter) – Winner – 40pts (8)
- 1969* -– {{Flagicon|POL}} Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Nigel Boocock / Ivan Mauger / Barry Briggs) – 2nd – 27pts (5)
- 1975 – {{Flagicon|FRG}} Norden, Motodrom Halbemond (with Malcolm Simmons / Peter Collins / John Louis) – Winner – 41pts (10)
* 1968 and 1969 for Great Britain. All others for England.