Ronnie Moore

Tasmanian born RONNIE MOORE passed away in a Christchurch hospice on August 18, aged 85. Twice World Speedway Champion, Moore was born into a motorcycling family where his father Les rode the ‘Wall of Death” at shows and circuses around Australia, and young Ronnie followed suit when aged just 13. After the family moved to New Zealand in 1947, Ronnie took up speedway on an ancient Rudge, having his first race at the track his father built at Aranui in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch. By the age of 17, Ronnie was in UK, riding for the Wimbledon team, and became the youngest ever World Champion in 1954, riding with his left leg in a partial cast after breaking it in five places ten weeks prior. For the next two years he was runner-up in the World Final, but quit the sport to race cars in Britain, South Africa and back in New Zealand for two years. It was a dangerous period for open-wheeler racing and his wife persuaded him to stop, so Ronnie returned to speedway and picked up a second World title in 1959. A broken leg in 1963 sent him home to consider his future, which included opening a motorcycle business and reactivating the Wall of Death at fairgrounds. He still couldn’t get speedway out of his system however, and again pulled on his leathers in 1968, adding two more New Zealand titles. In 1975 he suffered serious head injuries in a crash at Jerilderie Park (Newcastle NSW) and never raced again. He was awarded and MBE in 1985, and the Canterbury speedway track was renamed Moore Park in his honour. He continued to coach youngsters at the track for the next 20 years.