View source for Jeremy Doncaster

{{Short description|British speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| image = Jeremy Doncaster.jpg
| name= Jeremy Doncaster
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|6|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Grimsby]], England

| career1 = [[Ipswich Witches]]
| years1 = 1982–1988, 1995–2002
| career2 = [[Reading Racers]]
| years2 = 1989–1994

| indivyear1 = 
| indivhonour1 =
| teamyear1 = 1989
| teamhonour1 = [[Speedway World Team Cup|World Team Cup]]
| teamyear2 = 1984, 1990, 1992
| teamhonour2 = [[List of United Kingdom speedway league champions|League champion]]
| teamyear3 = 1984, 1990
| teamhonour3 = [[Knockout Cup (speedway)|KO Cup winner]]
}}

'''Jeremy Doncaster''' (born 16 June 1961 in [[Grimsby]], England)<ref>Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). ''1986 Speedway Yearbook''.  {{ISBN|0-948882-00-X}}</ref> is a former international [[motorcycle speedway]] rider, who won the [[Speedway World Team Cup|World Team Cup]] with England.<ref name=URI>{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=10 November 2023}}</ref>

==Speedway career==
Doncaster began riding for the [[Ipswich Witches]] during the [[1982 British League season]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/780/jeremy-doncaster |title=Jeremy Doncaster |website=WWOS Backup |access-date=10 November 2023}}</ref> He quickly built up his average and became a heat leader for the Suffolk club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=10 November 2023}}</ref> He was instrumental in helping Ipswich seal the league and cup double during the [[1984 British League season]].<ref name=Bamford>{{cite book |last=Bamford |first=Reg |title=Speedway Yearbook |year=2004 | publisher=Tempus Publishing, Stroud | isbn=978-0-7524-2955-7}}</ref>

His good form continued and by 1985 was considered one of the league's leading riders, during 1986 he recorded a 10.38 average.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1986fixtures.pdf |title=1986 season results |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=10 November 2023}}</ref> Ipswich dropped down to the second tier National League in 1988, resulting in Doncaster joining the [[Reading Racers]], where he topped the team averages.

In [[1989 Speedway World Team Cup|1989]], he top scored for the [[England national speedway team]] with 13 points.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.speedway.org/history/ |title=HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK |website=Speedway.org |access-date=10 November 2023}}</ref> He also finished in third place in the [[1989 Individual Speedway World Championship|1989 World Final]]. Doncaster finished equal on 12 points with countryman [[Simon Wigg]] who defeated him in a run-off for second place.<ref>Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7524-2402-5}}</ref>

He also rode in the [[Elitserien (speedway)|Swedish League]] for [[Bysarna]]. He had also twice won the [[Golden Helmet of Pardubice (CZE)]] in 1989 and 1990.

He experienced more success, this time with Reading, when the team won the league and cup double during the [[1990 British League season]] and the league title during the [[1992 British League season]].<ref name=Bamford/> In 1994, he rejoined Ipswich and despite being considered a veteran he continued to compete as a heat leader from 1994 to 1996. After 1997, his average had dropped to around the six mark and he took a break from conventional speedway to concentrate on longtrack. He returned to race for Ipswich for three more seasons from 2000 to 2002 and was considered an Ipswich legend when he retired.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/22006066.speedway-star-goes-back-classroom/ |title=Speedway star goes back to the classroom |website=Ipswich Star |access-date=10 November 2023}}</ref>

At retirement he had earned 52 international caps for England.<ref name=URI/>

==World Final appearances==
===Individual World Championship===
* [[1987 Individual Speedway World Championship|1987]] – {{Flagicon|NED}} [[Amsterdam]], [[Olympic Stadium (Amsterdam)|Olympic Stadium]] – 6th – 20pts
* [[1989 Individual Speedway World Championship|1989]] – {{Flagicon|GER}} [[Munich]], [[Olympic Stadium (Munich)|Olympic Stadium]] – '''3rd''' – 12pts + 2pts
* [[1991 Individual Speedway World Championship|1991]] – {{Flagicon|SWE}} [[Gothenburg]], [[Ullevi]] – 15th – 2pts

===World Team Cup===
* [[1985 Speedway World Team Cup|1985]] – {{flag|USA}} [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]], [[Veterans Memorial Stadium (Long Beach)|Veterans Memorial Stadium]] (with [[Phil Collins (speedway rider)|Phil Collins]] / [[Kelvin Tatum]] / [[Richard Knight (speedway rider)|Richard Knight]] / [[John Davis (speedway rider)|John Davis]]) – '''3rd''' – 13pts (6)
* [[1986 Speedway World Team Cup|1986]] – {{Flagicon|SWE}} [[Gothenburg]], [[Ullevi]], {{Flagicon|DEN}} [[Vojens]], [[Vojens Speedway Center|Speedway Center]] and {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Bradford]], [[Odsal Stadium]] (with [[Simon Wigg]] / [[Neil Evitts]] / Kelvin Tatum / [[Chris Morton]] / [[Marvyn Cox]]) – '''3rd''' – 81pts (10)
* [[1987 Speedway World Team Cup|1987]] – {{Flagicon|DEN}} [[Fredericia]], [[Fredericia Speedway]], {{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Coventry]], [[Brandon Stadium]] and {{Flagicon|TCH}} [[Prague]], [[Marketa Stadium]] (with Kelvin Tatum / Simon Wigg / [[Simon Cross]] / Marvyn Cox)  – '''2nd''' – 101pts (24)
* [[1989 Speedway World Team Cup|1989]] – {{flagicon|ENG}} Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Kelvin Tatum / [[Paul Thorp]] / Simon Wigg / Simon Cross) – '''Winner''' – 48pts (13)

==World Longtrack Championship==
'''Finalist'''
* 1984 {{flagicon|FRG}} [[Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz|Herxheim]] 11th – 7pts
* 1985 {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Esbjerg]] 9th – 9pts
* 1995 {{flagicon|GER}} [[Scheeßel]] 11th – 9pts
'''Grand-Prix Years'''
* 1997 54pts – 10th (Five Rounds)
* 1999 42pts – 11th (Five Rounds)
* 2001 0pts – 21st (One Round)

==European Grasstrack Championship==
* 1982 {{Flagicon|BEL}} [[Damme]] '''Winner'''
* 1983 {{Flagicon|FRG}} [[Nandlastadt]] '''5th'''

==British Grasstrack Championship==
500cc
* 1980 – Third
* 1988 – Third
* 1991 – Second
* 1992 – Third
* 1996 – Third
250cc
* 1979 – Second
* 1980 – First

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doncaster, Jeremy}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British speedway riders]]
[[Category:English motorcycle racers]]
[[Category:Ipswich Witches riders]]
[[Category:Reading Racers riders]]
[[Category:Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship riders]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]