Newport Wasps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newport Wasps |
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| Club information | |||||||||||
| Track address | Hayley Stadium Queensway Meadows Newport NP19 4SZ |
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| Country | United Kingdom | ||||||||||
| Founded | 1964 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 2012 | ||||||||||
| League | Premier League | ||||||||||
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| Colours | Black and amber | ||||||||||
| Track size | 285 metres (312 yd) | ||||||||||
| Track record time | 57.37 seconds | ||||||||||
| Track record date | 19 September 2010 | ||||||||||
| Track record holder | Kim Nilsson | ||||||||||
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The Newport Wasps were a British motorcycle speedway team. They were based in Newport, South Wales. The team raced from 1964 until 2012. They were champions of the Conference League in 1999. The Wasps' logo featured a wasp. It used the traditional black and amber colors of the City of Newport.
The History of the Newport Wasps
Early Days: 1964 to 1977
The Newport Wasps first competed in 1964. They joined the 1964 Provincial Speedway League. This was a second-tier league. The team finished in a good fourth place. They also won the Knockout Cup for their division. This was a great start for their first season!
The next year, in 1965, they moved up. They joined the very first British League season. This was the top division for speedway. The Wasps stayed in this top league until 1977. Their home stadium was Somerton Park. This stadium was also used for football and greyhound racing. The speedway track was quite tight. This meant grass had to be moved for football games.
After 1972, the team stopped using the 'Wasps' nickname. They were simply called Newport. A famous rider from this time was Phil Crump. He was an Australian rider. Phil is the father of Jason Crump, who became a world champion. In 1975, the team finished third in the British League.
In 1977, the team's management moved to Bristol. They became the Bristol Bulldogs. However, speedway continued at Somerton Park. For one more season, in 1977, the team raced as the Newport Dragons. They had moved down to the National League.
The Wasps Return: 1997 to 2011
The Newport Wasps team was started again in 1997. They joined the Premier League. A junior team was also formed. They were called the Western Warriors. This team combined riders from Newport and Exeter. They competed in the Conference League.
Both teams raced at the Hayley Stadium. This stadium was built just for speedway. In 1998, a new junior team was created. They were called the Newport Mavericks. The Mavericks joined the Conference League. They went on to win the 1999 Speedway Conference League championship!
The Wasps continued to compete in the Premier League. In 2008, they had to stop racing for a short time. Their promoter, Tim Stone, sadly passed away. But the Mallett family stepped in to help. They saved the club. The team was relaunched for the 2009 season. They even had a new junior team, the Newport Hornets. Steve Mallett was the promoter. His son, Nick Mallett, became the youngest promoter in British speedway history.
In 2009, the Hornets won the National League Pairs event. This was thanks to veteran rider Tony Atkin and New Zealander Grant Tregoning. The next season, Newport beat Somerset. They won the Severn Bridge trophy. The Hornets also finished third in their league. They just missed out on the title by a few points.
The Wasps' very last season was in 2011. They ended it by winning a trophy! They won the 2011 Premier League Knock-Out Cup. They beat Glasgow in the final match.
After this success, the club faced some difficulties. An agreement could not be reached with a potential buyer. So, on February 17, 2012, the club's promoter confirmed the team would close. Sadly, the stadium was later damaged. It had to be taken down. Speedway was lost to the city of Newport once again.
