Martin Yeates (born 24 November 1953 in

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

, England) is a former

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

Yeates prominently rode for the Poole Pirates, Weymouth Wildcats and Oxford Cheetahs. In 1980 he signed for Weymouth from Poole for a National League record at the time of £7,000. In 1982, he won the National League Pairs, partnering Simon Wigg for Weymouth, during the 1982 National League season. The following season he helped Weymouth retain the pairs title, but this time rode with Simon Cross. In 1984, he reached the 1984 Overseas final round of the Speedway World Championship, becoming the first National League rider to reach that stage. His involvement with Speedway continued with association with Swindon Robins as Team Manager and Co-Promoter.

Personal life

Retiring at the end of the 1987 season, he set up his own business - Martin Yeates Caravans - just outside

, later renamed as Salisbury Caravan Centre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yeates, Martin 1953 births Living people British speedway riders English motorcycle racers Stoke Potters riders Eastbourne Eagles riders Oxford Cheetahs riders Poole Pirates riders Reading Racers riders Swindon Robins riders Weymouth Wildcats riders Sportspeople from Salisbury 20th-century English sportsmen