Ray Cresp
{{Short description|Australian speedway rider (1928–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Ray Cresp
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = Australian
| birth_date = 25 August 1928
| birth_place = Melbourne, Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|8|20|1928|8|25|df=y}}
| death_place = Australia
| career1 = Eastbourne Eagles
| years1 = 1956
| career2 = Wembley Lions
| years2 = 1956
| career3 = Oxford Cheetahs
| years3 = 1957
| career4 =Ipswich Witches
| years4 = 1958, 1960-1962
| career5 =Poole Pirates
| years5 = 1959
| career6 = Norwich Stars
| years6 = 1962
| career7 =St Austell Gulls
| years7 = 1963
| career8 =West Ham Hammers
| years8 = 1964
| career9 =Long Eaton Archers
| years9 = 1965, 1966
| indivyear1 = 1961
| indivhonour1 = Speedway World Championship finalist
}}
Raymond Maurice Cresp (25 August 1928 - 20 August 2022) was an international speedway rider from Australia.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/worldfinal_c|title=WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX|website=British Speedway|access-date=8 July 2021}}{{cite magazine |author= |title=Obituaries |url=|magazine=Speedway Star |page=21|location= |publisher= |date=27 August 2022 |access-date=}} He earned 4 international caps for the Australia national speedway team and 6 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=23 December 2023}}
Speedway career
Cresp was a professional boxer as a teenager before taking up road racing and moto cross. He was mentored by Jack Biggs before he moved to the UK in 1956.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001928/19560502/145/0016 |title=Big Speedway victory for the Eagles |website=Eastbourne Gazette |date=2 May 1956 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=23 August 2024}} He rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1956 to 1966, riding for various clubs.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/historyarchive|title=History Archive|website=British Speedway|access-date=7 July 2021}} He gained four Australian caps and six British caps (when riders from Oceania were allowed to represent Britain.{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/688/ray-cresp|title=Speedway riders, history and results|website=wwosbackup|access-date=8 July 2021}}
Cresp reached the final of the Speedway World Championship in the 1961 Individual Speedway World Championship.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/worldchamps1936to94.pdf|title=World Speedway finals|website=Speedway Researcher|access-date=8 July 2021}}
He was a builder by trade and when he returned to Australia he enjoyed fly-fishing. He died in 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayillustratednews.com.au/2022/08/23/ray-cresp-dies/ |title= Ray Cresp dies|website=Speedway Illustrated News |access-date=6 January 2023}}
World final appearances
=Individual World Championship=
- 1961 – {{Flagicon|SWE}} Malmö, Malmö Stadion - 14th - 3pts