| Nationality | British (English) |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 26 March 1945 |
| Death date | 7 August 1995 (aged 50) |
| Birth place | Wakefield, England |
| Years 1 | 1962-1963 |
| Career 1 | Belle Vue Aces |
| Years 2 | 1962-1970 |
| Career 2 | Sheffield Tigers |
| Years 3 | 1971-1972 |
| Career 3 | Wimbledon Dons |
| Years 4 | 1973-1975 |
| Career 4 | Oxford Rebels |
| Years 5 | 1976 |
| Career 5 | White City Rebels |
| Teamyear 1 | 1962, 1963, 1964 |
| Teamhonour 1 | Provincial Northern League Champion |
| Teamyear 2 | 1975 |
| Teamhonour 2 | Midland Cup winner |
John Dews (26 March 1945 – 7 August 1995) was a motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1][2]
Career
Born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, Dews started his speedway career as a trainee at Belle Vue Aces, had his longest team history with Sheffield Tigers, scoring over 1,300 points for the club. Speedway rules required a change of team due to his averages and he moved to Wimbledon Dons for two years,[3] before Oxford in 1973, as a replacement for Dave Hemus,[4] He won the Radio Oxford Best Pairs match at Oxford in May 1974,[4] partnering Richard Greer.
He was a member of the Midland Cup winning team in 1975, after drawn matches with Swindon Robins in the first round requiring reruns.[5] He then moved with the Rebels under promoters Danny Dunton and Bob Dugard to White City Stadium in 1976,[6][7] where he ended his racing career as a popular rider.[8]
He rode 270 matches in his career, having 1033 rides, with a match average of 6.29. He went back to Sheffield to be the team manager in 1977 until 1980.
John Dews died in August 1995, aged only 50, after a short illness.
References
- ^ Lawson, K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. ISBN 978-0-244-72538-9
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022". British Speedway. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "John Dews". WWOS Backup. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ Bamford, R & Shailes, G (2007). The Story of Oxford Speedway. ISBN 978-0-7524-4161-0
- ^ Lawson, K (2018) “Rebels 1975 – The Last Season”. ISBN 978-0-244-99725-0
- ^ "John Dews". Acton Gazette. 18 March 1976. Retrieved 22 September 2024. – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "John Dews to move?". Acton Gazette. 1 April 1976. Retrieved 20 September 2024. – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 10 August 2023.