John Chaplin

This is the first book to the reveal the complex personality behind the public image that is Ivan Mauger, the dedicated and often ruthlessly efficient speedway multi- World Champion. Driven by uncompromising determination and naked ambition he became, to terrace fans and on-track rivals alike, a virtual sporting automaton. His motorcycle racing achievements - 15 world titles on speedway and long track - are testament to his pursuit of excellence. He elevated a minority sport to a new and higher dimension with professionalism that made him at once envied and feared, admired and hated. And it launched him from the obscurity of his small-town New Zealand origins to worldwide acclaim, which continues to enjoy. Here, renowned speedway historian and journalist John Chaplin reveals, through the words of opponents, friends, enemies, business associated, fans, rivals and his own family, the real Ivan Mauger... the man behind the myth.

Ove Fundin is one of the giants of speedway racing. A combination of tenacity, temperament and sheer talent carried him to the very top in the sport and a unique World championship record, winning the supreme individual title five times, in 1956, 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1967, and standing on the World Final rostrum for ten consecutive years following his first title win.His ruthless pursuit of success - no one hated to lose more than Fundin - often upset the British crowds who, because of his red hair, called him The Fox. But he was adored in Norwich, where he rode for ten seasons - and many who saw him compete still insist that Ove was the most fantastic speedway rider who ever lived. He was European Champion four times, Swedish Champion nine times and the first foreign rider to hold the Golden Helmet British Match Race Championship.Drawing on the thoughts and recollections of Fundin himself, and of the people who know him and have raced alongside him, this authorised biography gives a searingly vivid insight into the complicated and volatile personality behind the world-renowned speedway superstar. Neither he nor his contemporaries have held anything back in this intimate portrait of an extraordinary life.

Tom Farndon, a shy young man from Coventry, set out on the road to speedway stardom in 1929. Within five years he had reached celebrity status matched only by today's sporting idols. His skill, daring and remarkable ability had seen him achieve a fame and fortune unsurpassed on the speedway track. His good looks and sheer charisma brought him a huge fan following, particularly among young women, and his incredible talent for speedway racing brought him not only the admiration of his peers but the solid achievement of winning every dirt-track championship there was to be won. In 1935, just as he had reached the height of his fame, tragedy struck; he was killed in a track accident at the age of just twenty-four. To this day, Farndon is still revered throughout the speedway world as arguably the greatest rider of all time.Written by respected speedway historians Norman Jacobs and John Chaplin, and with the support and aid of his family, this is the story of Tom Farndon’s remarkable life and his unquenchable spirit of adventurous youth; a must-have for any fan of speedway and its heroes.