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Bruce Penhall
Bruce Lee Penhall (born May 10, 1957) is an American former professional motorcycle speedway racer who later starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Heathens speedway team in the United Kingdom. He retired from speedway racing the night he won his second World Championship in 1982 in front of his home crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
In his relatively short career, Penhall appeared in seven World Finals in all speedway competitions, including riding for the United States in the World Pairs Championship and the World Team Cup. He would win four World Championships in total, adding the 1981 World Pairs and 1982 World Team Cup to his individual titles.
Penhall first rode speedway when he was 16 at Irwindale Raceway on the American west coast. From novice status, he quickly established himself in the US National Championships, twice finishing in the top three positions. In 1976 he toured Israel and in 1977 Australia and New Zealand, before being lured to Cradley Heath Heathens in 1978 by Dan McCormick and Derek Pugh.
On his Dudley Wood debut against Sheffield in a challenge match, Penhall notched just a single point. Never again in his British career would he score less than four for the Heathens. In his second match - his league debut - he scored nine; within a month he clocked double figures and topped the scorechart for the first time with 13; in July he took over as club captain following the departure of Bruce Cribb and hit his first Heathens maximum; and by the end of the year he had achieved a season average of over 9.00 points per match.
In 1979 Penhall won the Master of Speedway competition around Europe, as well as becoming the first American holder of the Golden Helmet match race championship. He was runner-up to John Louis in the British League Riders' Championship and led Cradley to Inter-League Cup success and their highest-ever league position. By 1980 there were more cup victories, along with SWAPA Overseas Rider of the Year, American National Champion, a first World Final appearance (scoring nine points).
Also in 1979, Penhall rode in the World Pairs Championship Final at the Vojens Speedway Center in Denmark. Originally to be partnered by Kelly Moran (the pair had finished second in their semi-final round to qualify) until Moran had to withdraw due to injuries from a practice crash, Steve Gresham was called in as Moran's replacement. However, Gresham was left stranded at the Heathrow Airport in London (as was a hurried third replacement Ron Preston), Penhall was forced to ride the meeting with the reserve riders as teammates. He would score 14 out of a possible 18 points with four wins and two third places to finish in 5th place.
The 1981 season was Penhall's all-conquering year. At the last World Final held at the famous Wembley Stadium, 92,500 people witnessed Penhall come from behind to pip both former World Champion Ole Olsen of Denmark and later another Dane Tommy Knudsen on the finish line. His only loss of the night was finishing second to England's Kenny Carter when he only needed to finish third to clinch the title. Penhall became the first American to win the World Championship since Jack Milne had won the second ever title at Wembley in 1937. As a previous World Championship winner at Wembley, Milne was a special guest of the meeting and saw Penhall break America's 43-year drought.
Also in 1981, Penhall partnered with fellow American Bobby Schwartz to win the World Pairs Championship in Chorzów, Poland, and alongside fellow 1981 World Finalist Erik Gundersen of Denmark (himself a future multiple World Champion), led Cradley all the way to their first ever league title victory, topping the individual league averages on the way. On top of a clean sweep of all the SWAPA personality awards was a special citation from US President Ronald Reagan.
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Bruce Penhall
Bruce Lee Penhall (born May 10, 1957) is an American former professional motorcycle speedway racer who later starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Heathens speedway team in the United Kingdom. He retired from speedway racing the night he won his second World Championship in 1982 in front of his home crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
In his relatively short career, Penhall appeared in seven World Finals in all speedway competitions, including riding for the United States in the World Pairs Championship and the World Team Cup. He would win four World Championships in total, adding the 1981 World Pairs and 1982 World Team Cup to his individual titles.
Penhall first rode speedway when he was 16 at Irwindale Raceway on the American west coast. From novice status, he quickly established himself in the US National Championships, twice finishing in the top three positions. In 1976 he toured Israel and in 1977 Australia and New Zealand, before being lured to Cradley Heath Heathens in 1978 by Dan McCormick and Derek Pugh.
On his Dudley Wood debut against Sheffield in a challenge match, Penhall notched just a single point. Never again in his British career would he score less than four for the Heathens. In his second match - his league debut - he scored nine; within a month he clocked double figures and topped the scorechart for the first time with 13; in July he took over as club captain following the departure of Bruce Cribb and hit his first Heathens maximum; and by the end of the year he had achieved a season average of over 9.00 points per match.
In 1979 Penhall won the Master of Speedway competition around Europe, as well as becoming the first American holder of the Golden Helmet match race championship. He was runner-up to John Louis in the British League Riders' Championship and led Cradley to Inter-League Cup success and their highest-ever league position. By 1980 there were more cup victories, along with SWAPA Overseas Rider of the Year, American National Champion, a first World Final appearance (scoring nine points).
Also in 1979, Penhall rode in the World Pairs Championship Final at the Vojens Speedway Center in Denmark. Originally to be partnered by Kelly Moran (the pair had finished second in their semi-final round to qualify) until Moran had to withdraw due to injuries from a practice crash, Steve Gresham was called in as Moran's replacement. However, Gresham was left stranded at the Heathrow Airport in London (as was a hurried third replacement Ron Preston), Penhall was forced to ride the meeting with the reserve riders as teammates. He would score 14 out of a possible 18 points with four wins and two third places to finish in 5th place.
The 1981 season was Penhall's all-conquering year. At the last World Final held at the famous Wembley Stadium, 92,500 people witnessed Penhall come from behind to pip both former World Champion Ole Olsen of Denmark and later another Dane Tommy Knudsen on the finish line. His only loss of the night was finishing second to England's Kenny Carter when he only needed to finish third to clinch the title. Penhall became the first American to win the World Championship since Jack Milne had won the second ever title at Wembley in 1937. As a previous World Championship winner at Wembley, Milne was a special guest of the meeting and saw Penhall break America's 43-year drought.
Also in 1981, Penhall partnered with fellow American Bobby Schwartz to win the World Pairs Championship in Chorzów, Poland, and alongside fellow 1981 World Finalist Erik Gundersen of Denmark (himself a future multiple World Champion), led Cradley all the way to their first ever league title victory, topping the individual league averages on the way. On top of a clean sweep of all the SWAPA personality awards was a special citation from US President Ronald Reagan.
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