Scott Nicholls

Scott Karl Nicholls (born 16 May 1978)[2] is a British speedway rider, who has won the British Championship seven times,[3] and was a full participant in the Speedway Grand Prix series between 2002 and 2008.

Scott Nicholls
Born (1978-05-16) 16 May 1978
Ipswich, England
NationalityEnglish
Websitewww.nichollsracing.com
Current club information
British leaguePeterborough Panthers
Kent Kings
Career history
Great Britain
1994, 2018–Peterborough Panthers
1995–1998, 2001–2003, 2009–2010Ipswich Witches
1999–2000Poole Pirates
2004–2007, 2009, 2012–2013Coventry Bees
2008Eastbourne Eagles
2011Swindon Robins
2014–2016Belle Vue Aces
2017–2018Rye House Rockets
2018–2019Leicester Lions
2019Wolverhampton Wolves
2020–Kent Kings
Sweden
1998–2006Smederna
2007–2008Hammarby
2009–2013Vargarna
Poland
1999, 2011-12Gniezno
2000Leszno
2001-03, 2009Wrocław
2005-06Tarnów
2007-08, 2014, 2016Rzeszów
2013Grudziądz
2017Arge Speedway Wanda Kraków
Hungary
2010Miskolc
Germany
2010MC Gustrow
Czech Republic
2013Pardubice
Speedway Grand Prix statistics
SGP Number9
Starts67[1]
Podiums5 (0–4–1)
Finalist9 time
Individual honours
1998, 1999British Under-21 Champion
2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012British Champion
2005Golden Helmet of Pardubice (CZE)
Team honours
1998, 2005, 2007Elite League Champion
1998, 2006, 2007, 2008Elite League KO Cup Winner
1998, 2007Craven Shield Winner
2019SGB Championship

Career

Born in Ipswich,[4] Nicholls began his speedway career in grasstrack racing becoming National Schoolboy champion in 1993. His first international appearance came in 1996 when he was selected to ride for Great Britain in the Speedway World Cup final. He then became British Under-21 Champion in 1998 and again in 1999.[4]

His first experience of the Speedway Grand Prix series came with a wild card ride in Britain, with similar rides following in 2000 and 2001. He qualified as a full-time Grand Prix rider in 2002 and capped that season with a second place in the season ending event in Australia. That year he also won the first of his six British Championships. His sixth British Championship win occurred in 2011.[5]

Nicholls was the most successful ever Coventry Bees captain, skippering them to five trophies in three seasons between 2004 and 2007, including two Elite League championships.[4] He rode for Eastbourne Eagles in 2008. Despite quitting the British Elite League to reduce his racing schedule in 2009, Nicholls returned to the Coventry Bees in May 2009 as temporary cover for the injured Olly Allen.[6]

Nicholls led his home club, the Ipswich Witches for the 2010 Elite League season, as well as riding for Vargarna in the Swedish league and Miskolc, a Hungarian team in the Polish league. With Ipswich dropping down a division, Nicholls signed for Swindon Robins for 2011.[6] After an unsuccessful spell with the Robins, Nicholls returned to parent club Coventry Bees for the 2012 season, in which he won the Olympique individual meeting at Monmore Green Stadium,[3] staying with the Bees in 2013.[6] From 2013 he made himself unavailable for the Great Britain team, but reversed his decision in 2016.[7] He signed to ride for Belle Vue Aces in 2014 and extended his contract in 2015.[8] After spending 2017 with Rye House Rockets, he started the 2018 SGB Premiership season with them, and rode for Peterborough Panthers in the SGB Championship, but after the Rockets folded mid-season, he was signed by Leicester Lions, with whom he stayed for 2019 after they dropped down to the SGB Championship.[9]

Speedway Grand Prix results
Year Position Points Best finish Notes
1999 27th 3 19th A single wild card ride in Coventry
2001 33rd 4 17th Wild card ride in Cardiff
2002 13th 72 2nd First podium in Australia (2nd place)
2003 7th 102 2nd Second in Sweden
2004 12th 66 6th Missed Czech GP through injury
2005 9th 72 5th
2006 11th 83 2nd Missed Czech GP through injury, 2nd in Italy
2007 8th 91 2nd Finished 2nd in Slovenia, qualified for 2008 GPs after a race-off
2008 9th 77 4th
2007 Speedway Grand Prix - 8th place
Final Championship standings: 8th 91+2 Riding No (11)
Grand Prix Pos. Pts. Heats Draw No
1 /11 Italian SGP 13 4 (1,1,2,X,0) 15
2 /11 European SGP 13 6 (1,1,2,1,1) 14
3 /11 Swedish SGP 14 3 (2,0,0,0,2) 7
4 /11 Danish SGP 11 7 (2,1,2,1,1) 13
5 /11 British SGP 7 9 (1,1,2,2,3) 4
6 /11 Czech Rep. SGP 4 12 (0,3,2,3,2) +2 +0 9
7 /11 Scandinavian SGP 7 8 (1,1,1,3,1) +1 6
8 /11 Latvian SGP 4 13 (1,3,2,3,2) +2 +0 9
9 /11 Polish SGP 14 4 (0,0,2,0,2) 14
10 /11 Slovenian SGP 2 16 (2,1,2,3,2) +2 +2 2
11 /11 German SGP 10 8 (2,1,2,2,1) 16
2008 Speedway Grand Prix - 9 place
Final Championship standings: 9 77 Riding No (8)
Grand Prix Pos. Pts. Heats Draw No
1 /11 Slovenian SGP 11 7 (1,1,1,2,2) 3
2 /11 European SGP 16 2 (1,1,0,0,ef) 15
3 /11 Swedish SGP 9 7 (1,2,2,F/ex,2) 4
4 /11 Danish SGP 11 7 (0,1,2,2,2) 5
5 /11 British SGP 4 12 (1,3,2,2,2) +2 +0(T) 3
6 /11 Czech Rep. SGP 12 6 (0,1,2,1,2) 14
7 /11 Scandinavian SGP 14 4 (1,1,1,1,X) 8
8 /11 Latvian SGP 9 7 (2,3,0,X,2) 13
9 /11 Polish SGP 4 10 (3,3,1,1,0) +2 +0 5
10 /11 Italian SGP 9 8 (T,3,1,2,2) 11
11 /11 German SGP 11 7 (1,2,1,2,1) 6
  permanent speedway rider
  wild card, track reserve or qualified reserve
  rider not classified (track reserve who did not start)

See also

References
  1. Świat Żużla, No 2 (78) 2009, page 15, ISSN 1429-3285
  2. Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
  3. "Scott Nicholls sees off Wolves legends", Express & Star, 17 October 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2018
  4. "2018 Rider Index: N", speedwaygb.co.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2018
  5. "Nicholls wins British crown". Sky Sports. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  6. "Friendly Rivalry", speedwaygp.com, 4 November 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2018
  7. "Buster Chapman plays a key role as Scott Nicholls bids for a Great Britain return", Norwich Evening News, 25 February 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2018
  8. Bromley, Hayley (2014) "Scott Nicholls signs new deal with Belle Vue Aces", Manchester Evening News, 1 December 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2018
  9. Łapczyńska, Katarzyna (2018) "Scott Nicholls z nowym kontraktem. Wciąż jest wielką marką", sportowefakty.wp.pl, 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018
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