Daniel Gilkes (born 21 May 2002) is a

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

rider from England.

Career

Gilkes was still a pupil at Campion School, Bugbrooke when he started racing. In 2019, he signed for the

Kent Kings The Kent Eagles (formerly the Kent Kings and Kent Royals) are a British motorcycle speedway team formed in 2013. They currently race in the 2025 National Trophy, based at the Iwade Speedway. History Origins & 2010s Kent Kings joined th ...

for the

2019 National Development League speedway season The National League speedway 2019 now known as the National Development League for the 2019 season was the third tier/division of British speedway. There were several team changes for the 2019 league season with reigning league champions and KO ...

, helping them to National Trophy success. He was crowned the supporters rider of the year. Unable to ride during 2020 because of the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

cancelled season, he continued to ride for Kent in 2021 but appeared in both the NDL and the higher league of the

SGB Championship 2021 The SGB Championship 2021 was the second tier division, called the SGB Championship, of the British speedway championship in 2021. Changes from the last edition of the Championship (held in 2019) were the addition of three teams and the loss o ...

. In 2022, he signed for

Plymouth Gladiators The Plymouth Gladiators are a Motorcycle speedway, speedway team in the British SGB Championship. The team competed during various seasons from 1932 to 1969, before reforming after a gap of thirty-six years in 2006. In 2021, the club successful ...

and his form was so impressive that he was added to the

Peterborough Panthers The Peterborough Panthers were a British motorcycle speedway team based in Peterborough, England from 1970 to 2023. They were three times List of United Kingdom speedway league champions, champions of the United Kingdom, winning the highest lev ...

squad in the

SGB Premiership 2022 The 2022 SGB Premiership was the 87th season of the top tier of British speedway and the 5th known as the SGB Premiership. Sheffield Tigers topped the regular season table and met Belle Vue Aces in the play off final but Belle Vue ran out the ...

(the highest league in Britain). He started the 2022 campaign in very good form but his season ended early when he crashed and suffered serious injuries that included five broken ribs, a broken and displaced humorous bone and a collapsed lung. In 2023, he re-signed for Plymouth for the

SGB Championship 2023 The 2023 SGB Championship season (sponsored by Cab Direct) was the 76th season of the second tier of Speedway in the United Kingdom, British Speedway and the 6th known as the SGB Championship. The British Speedway Network (BSN) streamed 35 match ...

and also signed for

Sheffield Tigers The Sheffield Tigers (sponsored by Tru Plant) are a motorcycle speedway team based in Sheffield, England. They currently race in the British SGB Premiership, and their home meetings take place at Owlerton Stadium. They were founded in 1929 an ...

for the

SGB Premiership 2023 The 2023 Sports Insure SGB Premiership was the 88th season of the top tier of British speedway and the 6th known as the SGB Premiership. There was an increase of one team after the Leicester Lions opted to move up from the SGB Championship. ...

, as their rising star. He helped Sheffield win the league title. In 2024 he re-signed for Sheffield, and won the Knockout Cup with the Tigers. Gilkes signed for

Oxford Cheetahs The Oxford Cheetahs are a British Motorcycle speedway, speedway teamLawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. based at Oxford Stadium, in Oxford, England. They were founded in 1939 and are five times champions of Britain, in 1964 Speed ...

for the

SGB Championship 2025 The 2025 SGB Cab Direct Championship season will be the 78th season of the second tier of British Speedway and the 8th known as the SGB Championship. Poole Pirates are the defending league champions, Knockout Cup champions and BSN Series cham ...

and then was brought in for the Leicester Lions to race in the Premiership.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilkes, Dan 2002 births Living people British speedway riders Kent Kings riders Oxford Cheetahs riders Peterborough Panthers riders Plymouth Gladiators riders Sheffield Tigers riders 21st-century English sportsmen