Chris Pusey, 51, one of Speedway's toughest competitors

[Michael Rhodes]

Chris Pusey, who died 14 October, 2002, aged 51, after a long illness,
was one of Speedway's toughest competitors, one-time captain of the
touring English Lions.

Pusey, who captained Halifax in the British League, was an ideal build
for a speedway rider [5ft 4ins tall, 10 and a half stone in weight],
was a son of Fred Pusey, a former grass tracker, road racer and
speedway rider.

In the 1970s Chris Pusey captained the touring English Lions who
thrashed Australia in the winter of 1975-6.

He had ridden in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United
States, and on the Continent.

Beacuse of his father's involvement in Speedway young Chris was
brought up in the pits. He began grass tracking when he was 15 and got
a speedway trial with Belle Vue two years later.

In his first race at Belle Vue he fell off in every lap. He once said:
"In fact, I used to fall off so much I used to miss the gate
deliberately so that if I fell I wouldn't be in front of anyone.

He described himself as a "poor gater" and claimed he won 60 per cent
of his races from behind.

Despite his falling off he soon made captain of the Belle Vue team. He
was then transferred to Halifax, West Yorkshire, by the speedway
authorities because Belle Vue was becoming too strong. Pusey claimed
that this was done because the authorities wanted to keep a balance in
ths sport.

He wasn't too pleased at the time but later realised it was a good
move.

Pusey's first bike was an old Langton which once belonged to the world
champion, Peter Craven. He then discovered a hybrid Jap-Jawa on which
the Swede Ove Fundin won the world title. Then a Jawa, and later a
Westlake.

Pusey told reporters in 1976: "I usually have a new back tyre every
other meeting because you need the bite of a new tread." But in the
British final of the world championships in 1975 he used a new back
tyre in every race to get more traction.

--

Michael Rhodes.