Ron Preston
{{Short description|American speedway rider}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Ron Preston
| image =
| nationality = American
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|7|15}}
| birth_place = Newport Beach, United States
| years1 = 1979-1981
| career1 = Poole Pirates
| years2 = 1982
| career2 = Eastbourne Eagles
| indivyear1 = 1979
| indivhonour1 = European Junior Champion
}}
Ronald Nunan Preston (born July 15, 1958) is an American former international motorcycle speedway rider who was the European Junior Champion in 1979.Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. {{ISBN|0-948882-81-6}} He earned 14 caps for the United States 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=1 September 2024}}
Career
Born in Newport Beach, California, Preston began his racing career with the Poole Pirates in 1979{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002139/19790621/065/0065 |title=Brummies on way to win - then hoodoo hits |website=Birmingham Mail |date=21 June 1979 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 September 2024}} and spent two years there before moving to the Eastbourne Eagles in 1982.
He was the first American to take part in the World Junior Championships and won the 1979 Individual Speedway Junior European Championship.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/79.htm |title=1979 results |website=Speedway.org |access-date=8 March 2024}}
Preston was slated to ride in the 1979 Speedway World Pairs Championship Final with Bruce Penhall at the Speedway Center in Vojens, Denmark, after first Kelly Moran had to pull out due to injuries suffered in a practice crash and the Moran's replacement Steve Gresham failed to arrive. However, Preston was left stranded at Heathrow Airport in London, England, and could not make it to Denmark in time, which forced Penhall to ride the Pairs Final alone.
won silver medals with the USA team at the 1980 and 1981 Speedway World Team Cup.{{cite book|first1=Robert|last1=Bamford|first2=Glynn|last2=Shailes|title=Poole Pirates: 50 Greats|page=95|publisher=Tempus|year=2004|isbn=0-7524-3257-5}}
He retired from the sport at the end of the 1982 season due to a friend's death.
Personal life
Preston has two children.
World Final appearances
=World Team Cup=
- 1980 - {{flagicon|POL}} Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Bruce Penhall / Scott Autrey / Dennis Sigalos / Bobby Schwartz) – 2nd – 29pts (0)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preston, Ronald Nunan}}
Category:Sportspeople from Newport Beach, California
Category:American speedway riders
Category:Eastbourne Eagles riders
Category:American expatriate speedway riders in England
{{US-speedway-bio-stub}}