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Darcy Ward

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Darcy Stephen Ward
Born (1992-05-04) 4 May 1992 (age 32)
Nanango, Queensland
NationalityAustralian
Career history
Great Britain
2009King's Lynn Stars
2010–2014Poole Pirates
2015Swindon Robins
Poland
2009–2010, 2012–2014Toruń
2011Gdańsk
2015Zielona Góra
Germany
2009Landshut
Sweden
2011Lejonen
2012–2013Dackarna
2014–2015Piraterna
Individual honours
2009, 2010Under-21 World Champion
2009, 2010, 2011Australian Under-21 Champion
2009Queensland Under-21 Champion
2010NSW State Champion
2013Golden Helmet of Pardubice
Team honours
2011, 2013, 2014Elite League winner
2009Premier League winner
2009,Premier League KO Cup winner

Darcy Stephen Ward[1] (born 4 May 1992 in Nanango, Queensland) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Australia.[2] He won the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Australian Under-21 Championships as well as the 2009 and 2010 World Under-21 Championships.[3]

Career history

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Junior career

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Darcy Ward started his speedway career as a junior in his native Queensland. He qualified for five Australian Under-16 Championships from 2003–2007, with a best finish of second in 2005 and again in 2007.

2009

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In 2009, he rode for Unibax Toruń during the 2009 Polish speedway season and King's Lynn Stars in the 2009 Speedway Premier League.[4] He also appeared for AC Landshut in Germany.[5] Ward's first meeting in the Polish Ekstraliga was the Pomeranian-Kuyavian Derby between Toruń and Bydgoszcz at Polonia Stadium. In this match he scored seven points. Toruń won his meeting 51–39.[6] Unibax Toruń won the regular season and after qualified for the Ekstraliga Final. In the final, Ward scored 11 points but his team lost to Falubaz Zielona Góta 80:88. In total, Ward scoring 63 points and 11 bonus points to record an average of 1.396.[7]

Ward won the 2009 World Under-21 Championship in Goričan, Croatia with 13 points. He also rode for Australia team at the Under-21 World Cup. In a qualifying round he scored a maximum 15 points, but Australia finished third and were knocked out of the competition.

At home in Australia, Ward won the Australian Under-21 Championship in Gosford, the first of three straight Under-21 titles. He also finished ninth in his first run at the senior Australian Championship held over three rounds. Ward also won the Queensland Under-21 Championship in 2009.

With the King's Lynn Stars in Britain's Premier League, Ward won the League Championship, Knockout Cup and Premier Trophy.

2010

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In 2010, Ward signed with Elite League team the Poole Pirates. Poole finished second in the 2010 Elite League.

At home he won his second straight Australian Under-21 title at Mildura's Olympic Park Speedway. Ward finished the meeting in third place on 11 points, but went on to win the 4-lap final. He then finished third in the three round Australian Championship behind Chris Holder and fellow Queenslander Troy Batchelor. Ward also won the New South Wales Championship at the Oakburn Park Speedway in Tamworth.

2011–2012

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In January 2011, Darcy became Australian Under-21 Champion for the third time at his home track, the North Brisbane Speedway, and thus emulating Chris Holder and Leigh Adams in claiming a straight hat-trick of titles. His 2011 win was a carbon copy of his 2010 win - third on 11 points before winning the Final. He then finished a career best second in the four round Australian Championship behind Holder and in front of Davey Watt.

In the 2011 season, starting in March, Ward rode for Poole, Lejonen and Wybrzeże Gdańsk.

On Saturday, 27 August, Ward made his FIM Speedway Grand Prix debut as a Wildcard in Toruń,[8] where he claimed 3rd place.[9] Largely due to his impressive performance at Toruń, Ward was subsequently nominated as the Wildcard for the season's final Grand Prix at Gorzów Wielkopolski on Saturday, 8 October.[10] Ward was classified as sixth in the Grand Prix after the meeting was abandoned due to bad weather and deteriorating track conditions after sixteen of the scheduled twenty-three races had been completed.[11] Ward's successful appearances led to him being offered a permanent place in the 2012 Grand Prix series,[12] however, Ward subsequently rejected the offer in favour of riding for Toruń in the Polish Ekstraliga. He also won the silver medal at the 2011 Speedway Under-21 World Championship.[13]

Ward missed a place in the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix series. He finished second with Poole in the Elite League. He also rode for Australia in the 2012 Speedway World Cup Final at the G&B Stadium in Målilla, Sweden where he scored 7 points to help the Aussies to a second-place finish behind Denmark.

2013–2014

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Ward won his place in the 2013 Speedway Grand Prix as one of the 15 permanent riders. He won his first ever SGP when he took out the Grand Prix of Denmark at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, and two rounds later finished second in the Grand Prix of Latvia. Ward would eventually finish 8th with 106 points from the 12 round series, though he did miss three Grand Prix early in the season after breaking his shoulder in a crash at the Grand Prix of Sweden in Gothenburg.

As part of the Australian team, Ward finished third in the 2013 Speedway World Cup Final. He also rode for the Poole Pirates, winning the Elite League title.

Ward won the 2013 Golden Helmet of Pardubice, joining other Australian's Leigh Adams, Jason Crump and Ryan Sullivan as a winner of the Golden Helmet, the oldest speedway race in the world having been first run in 1929.

On 17 August 2014, Ward was excluded from the Latvian FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Daugavpils after failing an alcohol test prior to the meeting.[14] The FIM would ultimately suspend Ward from all international competitions for 10 months, which saw him lose his place in the Grand Prix series for the 2015 championship.

Although Ward wanted to return to Apator Toruń after his suspension, he did not want to displace any current contracted riders.[15]

2015

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After returning from his FIM suspension, Ward signed up with the Swindon Robins in the British Elite League, Zielona Góra in the Polish Ekstraliga replacing the injured Jarosław Hampel, and Piraterna in the Swedish Elitserien. Despite his lengthy period on the sidelines, Ward would score well for all his clubs, particularly for Swindon where his performances lifted what had been a struggling team prior to his arrival into the league Play-offs.

Ward was riding for his Polish league team Zielona Góra on Sunday 23 August when he suffered a heavy crash in Heat 15 after catching Grudziadz rider Artem Laguta's back wheel. Ward was thrown awkwardly from his bike, landing on the back of his neck as he hit the safety fence. Reports confirmed that the crash left him with no lower body feeling. He was transported to hospital where he underwent spinal surgery.[16] His career came to an end as a result of the injury.

Poole Pirates owner Matt Ford later reported that Ward had been moved to an undisclosed hospital in the UK where he has regained some movement of his arms.[17] Ward left the UK to continue his rehab at the Making Strides rehab centre in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.[citation needed] In Australia, Gillman Speedway promoter Dave Parker also announced a tribute meeting for Ward to be held at the Adelaide speedway on 7 November with the gate proceeds going to Darcy Ward to help with his medical costs.[18]

Promotion

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In February 2021, Ward became a promoter and founded Darcy Ward Speedway Promotions in Australia.[19] He works with other riders to expand his events internationally[20] and also raises money for sick children.[citation needed]

Ward leases the North Brisbane Speedway track from the North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club (NBJMC).[21] The track located on the west side of the Kedron Brook, at (27°23′30″S 153°05′25″E / 27.39167°S 153.09028°E / -27.39167; 153.09028) has hosted important events, including the final of the 2024 Australian Speedway Championship.[22]

Personal life

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His father, George Ward, was also a speedway rider.[23]

In May 2012, Ward was cleared of sexual assault in the United Kingdom after an incident on 17 August 2011.[24][25]

On 20 October 2012, Ward was injured in an altercation outside the Churchill Arms, Sturminster Marshall, whilst out with a group of friends including his Poole Pirates team manager Neil Middleditch. Ward suffered a head injury after hitting his head on the floor following a punch during the fight. The injury caused Ward to miss the second leg of the British Elite League Play-off Final. No charges were pressed.[26]

On 13 February 2013 Ward appeared before Ipswich Magistrates Court, Queensland, to plead guilty to driving under the influence of liquor or a drug, failing to stop for the police, driving without a licence and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle. Ward pleaded guilty and was fined £3275.68 and was disqualified from driving for two years.[27] Ward subsequently issued a public apology.[28]

Major results

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World Final Appearances

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Individual World Championship

World Cup

Individual U-21 World Championship

Under-21 World Cup

Speedway Grand Prix results

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Year Position Points Best finish Notes
2011 16th 22 3rd Third in Polish Grand Prix
2013 8th 106 Winner Won Danish Grand Prix
2014 14th 75 2nd Second in European Grand Prix

Domestic competitions

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Australian Championship

  • 2009 (3 rounds) - 9th - 34pts
  • 2010 (3 rounds) - 3rd - 51pts
  • 2011 (4 rounds) - 2nd - 63pts + 3pts - 1st at Olympic Park Speedway (Rd.4)

Australian Under-21 Championship

  • 2009 - Gosford Speedway - Winner - 14pts
  • 2010 - Olympic Park Speedway - Winner - 11pts (3rd) - 1st in Final
  • 2011 - North Brisbane Speedway - Winner - 11pts (3rd) - 1st in Final

Australian Under-16 Championship

  • 2003 - Bibra Lake Speedway - 13th - 5pts
  • 2004 - Olympic Park Speedway - 14th - 2pts
  • 2005 - Allen Park Speedway - 2nd - 12pts (4th) - 2nd in Final
  • 2006 - Sidewinders Speedway - 5th - 9pts
  • 2007 - Gold Coast Speedway - 2nd - 12pts (3rd) - 2nd in Final

Queensland Under-21 Championship

  • 2009 - North Brisbane Speedway - Winner

New South Wales Championship

  • 2010 - Oakburn Park Speedway - Winner

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Toruń - Bydgoszcz" (PDF) (in Polish). SpeedwayEkstraliga.pl. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  2. ^ "Darcy Ward Australia". Polish Speedway Database. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  3. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  4. ^ Świat Żużla, No 1 (77) 2009, pages 12-13 ISSN 1429-3285
  5. ^ Świat Żużla, No 3 (79) 2009, page 19 ISSN 1429-3285
  6. ^ "Jeden Emil to za mało - relacja z meczu Polonia Bydgoszcz - Unibax Toruń 39:51" (in Polish). SportoweFakty.pl. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  7. ^ Świat Żużla, No 4 (80) 2009, pages 4, 12-14 ISSN 1429-3285
  8. ^ "Ward's Wild Night in Torun". Speedway GP.
  9. ^ "Results from the 2011 FIM Enea Torun Speedway Grand Prix of Poland".
  10. ^ "Wild card Ward set for Gorzow". Sky Sports. 21 September 2011.
  11. ^ "RESULTS FROM THE 2011 FIM ENEA GORZOW SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX OF POLAND".
  12. ^ "Worldspeedway.com may be for sale - PerfectDomain.com".
  13. ^ "WORLD UNDER-21 - RESULT". Swindon Speedway. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Scandal as ex-King's Lynn Stars rider Darcy Ward fails alcohol test at Speedway Grand Prix event". 17 August 2014.
  15. ^ @D_Dublu_racing (16 July 2015). "Sorry to torun fans as I couldn't find an agreement. The team is full and my relationship with a rider is worth more. Next chapter 4 2015" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ "Waiting game to discover if speedway rider Darcy Ward's spinal surgery was a success". Eastern Daily Press.
  17. ^ "Signs of Progress for Ward". Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  18. ^ "Darcy Ward Tribute Meeting at Gillman Speedway". Weekend Notes.
  19. ^ Media, Wirtualna Polska (3 March 2021). "Żużel. Darcy Ward zorganizuje kolejną imprezę. Znane szczegóły". sportowefakty.wp.pl.
  20. ^ Development, PodBean. "Darcy Ward - Motorcycle Speedway | The Torque & Chatter Experience". torqueandchatterexperience.podbean.com.
  21. ^ "Home". NBJMC. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Jack Holder set for Aussie title defence in January". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  23. ^ "Darcy Ward: Mój ojciec był żużlowcem" (in Polish). SportoweFakty.pl. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  24. ^ "Queensland speedway star Darcy Ward 'assaulted drunk teenage girl with bottle and filmed it' court told". news.com.au. 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  25. ^ Australian speedway rider Darcy Ward cleared of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Britain Fox Sports Australia, 23 May 2012
  26. ^ "Poole speedway rider Darcy Ward injured in attack". bbc.co.uk. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  27. ^ "Drunk speedway star hightails it from cops". The Courier Mail.
  28. ^ "Rider Ward says sorry for arrest". BBC Sport.
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