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Kelvin Tatum

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Kelvin Tatum
MBE
Born (1964-02-08) 8 February 1964 (age 60)
Epsom, Surrey, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
Great Britain
1983–1984Wimbledon Dons
1985–1990Coventry Bees
1991Berwick Bandits
1992–1993Bradford Dukes
1994, 2002–2004Arena Essex Hammers
1995, 1998Poole Pirates
1996London Lions
1997Peterborough Panthers
Poland
1991–1992Wrocław
Sweden
1989–1998Örnarna
2000–2001Indianerna
Individual honours
1987, 1990British Champion
1987, 1988, 1990, 1992Commonwealth Champion
1989Intercontinental Champion
1991, 1997Overseas Champion
1995, 1998, 2000Long Track World Champion
1991, 1999Australian Long track Grand Prix
1994, 1995Ace of Aces Grasstrack Champion
1995European Grasstrack Champion
1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 (shared)British Masters 500cc Solo Grasstrack Champion
1987, 1990Pride of the East
Team honours
1989World Team Cup winner
1987, 1988, 1995British League champion
1992, 1993British League KO Cup winner
1992, 1993, 1994, 1996Elitserien champion

Kelvin Martin Tatum MBE (born 8 February 1964) is a former British international motorcycle speedway and grasstrack rider.[1] He earned 65 international caps for the England national speedway team.[2]

Career

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Tatum attended Brighton College from 1977 to 1980.[3] He started riding speedway bikes at Hackney's training school at Hackney Wick Stadium in the winter of 1982-83. He was given his first team place at Hackney's London rivals, Wimbledon Dons, riding in the top flight British League in 1983. He finished the season with an average of over six points per meeting.

In 1985, he signed for Coventry Bees from Wimbledon for £18,000,[4] staying there for the next six seasons. While at Coventry Tatum formed a formidable partnership with Tommy Knudsen, starring for the Bees and recording averages of 9.09, 8.69, 10.06, 10.04, 9.49 and 8.93 over the six seasons.[5] He helped Coventry win back to back league titles during the 1987 British League season and 1988 British League seasons.[6]

Stints then followed at Berwick Bandits, Bradford Dukes, Arena Essex Hammers, Poole Pirates, Peterborough Panthers and the ill-fated London Lions, with brother Neville Tatum among his teammates.

Tatum became British Champion twice; in 1987 and 1990. In 1989, he won the Intercontinental Final.[7]

In 1990, Tatum was the highest placed British rider in the World Final at the Odsal Stadium in Bradford, finishing in 7th place with 9 points from his 5 rides. In the 1990 World Final qualifying rounds, Tatum had won the Commonwealth Final at the Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester. It was his third Commonwealth Final win after having done so in 1987 and 1988. Tatum would add a fourth Commonwealth crown to his trophy cabinet in 1992.

Longtrack and grasstrack

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Later in Tatum's career, he turned his attention to grasstrack and longtrack to much success. He won the World Long Track Championship three times, in 1995, 1998 and 2000, and missed out on a fourth title in 2004 when his bike broke down whilst leading the final. Tatum was also the European Grasstrack Champion in 1995 and British Grasstrack Champion four times: in 1996, 1999, 2000 and jointly in 2001, and was almost unbeatable in domestic grasstrack events in the latter stage of his career, winning 4 British Masters Championships. Fittingly, Tatum won his last grasstrack event, the Bonfire Burnup in 2006 at Collier Street in Kent.

Kelvin Tatum also won the Australian Long track Grand Prix in 1991 at the 800 metres (870 yards) Bathurst Showground,[8] and again in 1999 at the Tamworth Showground.

After retirement

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Tatum coached the Lakeside Hammers in 2016[9] before becoming a television presenter, appearing on BT Sport speedway programmes as a presenter and commentator and is currently the lead expert commentator for Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup broadcasts. He began commentating when taking a break from the sport, but continued when he returned to ride for the Arena Essex Hammers in 2002. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours for services to speedway.[3][10]

World Final appearances

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Individual World Championship

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World Pairs Championship

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World Team Cup

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British Speedway Championship

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Finals

  • 1985 @ Brandon Stadium (4th) 12pts
  • 1986 @ Brandon Stadium (6th) 8pts
  • 1987 @ Brandon Stadium (Champion) 13pts
  • 1988 @ Brandon Stadium (Runner-up) 13pts
  • 1989 @ Brandon Stadium (Runner-up) 12pts
  • 1990 @ Brandon Stadium (Champion) 13pts
  • 1991 @ Brandon Stadium (Runner-up) 13pts
  • 1992 @ Brandon Stadium (5th) 10pts
  • 1994 @ Brandon Stadium (11th) 6pts
  • 1996 @ Brandon Stadium (4th) 10pts
  • 1997 @ Brandon Stadium (8th) 8pts
  • 1998 @ Brandon Stadium (6th) 9pts

World Longtrack Championship

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Finals

Grand-Prix

  • 1998 - 5 apps (Champion) 104pts
  • 1999 - 5 apps (Third) 79pts
  • 2000 - 5 apps (Champion) 102pts
  • 2001 - 4 apps (Second) 76pts
  • 2002 - 5 apps (Second) 96pts
  • 2003 - 6 apps (Second) 120pts
  • 2004 - 5 apps (Second) 101pts
  • 2005 - 2 apps (11th) 34pts

World Longtrack Best Grand-Prix Results

European Grasstrack Championship

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Finals

  • 1995 Netherlands - Joure (Champion) 24pts
  • 2004 Netherlands - Eenrum (Did not start)

British Masters Grasstrack Championship

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Podium Finishes

References

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  1. ^ Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
  2. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Kelvin Tatum MBE (B. 1977-80)". Old Brightonian Association. 2004. Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  4. ^ "Bees sign Kelvin Tatum". Rugby Advertiser. 21 February 1985. Retrieved 10 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ^ Bamford, Reg (2004). Speedway Yearbook. Tempus Publishing, Stroud. ISBN 978-0-7524-2955-7.
  7. ^ Oakes, Peter (1990). Speedway Yearbook 1990. Front Page Books. pp. 7–9. ISBN 0-948882-15-8.
  8. ^ 1990/91 Australian Long Track GP Final
  9. ^ "Hammers coach excited about new season". Barking & Dagenham Post. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  10. ^ "No. 56797". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2002. p. 22.
  11. ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
  12. ^ "Danes defeat spirited challenge". Sandwell Evening Mail. 29 June 1987. Retrieved 11 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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