Tony Lomas
{{short description|British former motorcycle speedway rider (born 1943)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Tony Lomas
| image = File:Tony Lomas, Leicester Lion.jpg
| caption = Lomas in action during 1975
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|05|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Coventry, Warwickshire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| years1 = 1968
| career1 = Weymouth Eagles
| years2 = 1969
| career2 = Long Eaton Rangers
| years3 = 1968-1972
| career3 = Coventry Bees
| years4 = 1973
| career4 = Oxford Rebels
| years5 = 1973-1974
| career5 = Exeter Falcons
| years6 = 1975-1976
| career6 = Leicester Lions
| years7 = 1978-1979
| career7 = Stoke Potters
| teamyear1 = 1974
| teamhonour1 = British League Winner
| teamyear2 = 1969, 1970, 1971
| teamhonour2 = Midland Cup Winner
}}
Anthony Carl Lomas (born 10 May 1943) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=21 December 2023}} He earned 12 international caps 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=21 December 2023}}
Biography
Born in Coventry, Lomas took up speedway at a Coventry training school in 1967 and after being signed by Coventry Bees was loaned out to Weymouth Eagles in Division Two of the British League in 1968, also riding for his parent club in one league match that year.Oakes, Peter & Mauger, Ivan (1976) Who's Who of World Speedway, Studio Publications, {{ISBN|0-904584-04-6}}, p. 76 He averaged over 9 points in his first season, in which he also finished eighth in the Second Division Riders Championship, and in 1969, riding for Long Eaton Rangers, his average rose to almost 10.5 in division two and over 4.7 for Coventry in division one.
From 1969 to 1971, he helped Coventry win three consecutive Midland Cup titles.{{cite news |title=Big crowd at Speedway final |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=13 October 1969 | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19691013/564/0037 | via = British Newspaper Archive| access-date=21 October 2023 |url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Boulger on form for Lions |work=Nottingham Evening Post |date=14 October 1970 | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003893/19701014/019/0019 | via = British Newspaper Archive| access-date=21 October 2023 |url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Fifth heat settles Lions |work=Leicester Daily Mercury |date=13 October 1971 | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000760/19711013/028/0028 | via = British Newspaper Archive| access-date=21 October 2023 |url-access=subscription }}
By 1971, he had improved further and made his debut for England against Scotland, and for the British Lions against Australia, and was also reserve in the World Final. In 1972 he averaged over 8 points per match for Coventry and rode in further test matches for England. In 1973 he left Coventry, riding for Oxford Rebels before moving on to Exeter Falcons and riding in the championship-winning team of 1974. In 1975 he signed for Leicester Lions where he spent two seasons, but with his level of performance dropping, he dropped down to the National League in 1978 with Stoke Potters.Jones, Alan (2010) Speedway in Leicester: The Lions Roar, Automedia, p. 157 He rode for Stoke again in 1979, retiring before the season ended.Oakes, Peter (1980) 1980 Speedway Yearbook, Studio Publications, {{ISBN|0-86215-007-8}}, p. 263
World Final appearances
=Individual World Championship=
- 1971 - {{Flagicon|SWE}} Gothenburg, Ullevi - Reserve - Did not ride