Kevin Doolan

{{short description|Australian motorcycle speedway rider|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2014}} {{Infobox Speedway rider | name = Kevin Doolan | image = Speedway Kevin Doolan 2007 Belle Vue.jpg | caption = Doolan riding for Belle Vue in 2007 | nationality = Australian | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|11|30|df=y}} | birth_place = Shepparton, Victoria, Australia | death_date = | death_place =

| indivyear1 = 2003, 2004 | indivhonour1 = Gillman Solo Championship | indivyear2 = 2004, 2008 | indivhonour2 = Jack Young Solo Cup winner | teamyear1 = 2005, 2006 | teamhonour1 = Premier League Knockout Cup | teamyear2 = 2006 | teamhonour2 = Premier Trophy | teamyear3 = 2006 | teamhonour3 = Premier League Champions | teamyear4 = 2009, 2011 | teamhonour4 = Premier League Fours }}

'''Kevin Doolan''' (born 30 November 1980) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider.<ref name=RI>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwaygbarchive.co.uk/riderindex19_d |title=2019 Rider Index |website=British Speedway |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=26 June 2023}}</ref>

==Biography== Born in Shepparton, Victoria, Doolan first raced in Australia, finishing third in the 1996 Australian Under-16 Championship.

He began his British speedway career in 1999 with Belle Vue Aces.<ref name="SGB">"[http://www.speedwaygb.co/riderindex11_d.html Rider Index]", speedwaygb.co, retrieved 2012-04-08</ref> He was a finalist in the Junior World Championship in both 1999 and 2000. He moved on to Berwick Bandits in 2002 and Glasgow Tigers in 2003 before signing for then Premier League King's Lynn Stars as a club asset in 2004.<ref name="SGB" /> Back home in Australia, Doolan was the winner of the 2003 and 2004 Gillman Solo Championships held at the Gillman Speedway in Adelaide and also won the 2004 Jack Young Solo Cup at Gillman.

With King's Lynn he won the Premier League Knockout Cup in both 2005 and 2006 and the Premier Trophy and the Premier League Championship in 2006.<ref name="SGB" /> After also riding in the Elite League for Ipswich Witches and Eastbourne Eagles in 2005 and 2006 respectively, he made the move back to the top flight in 2007 with Belle Vue.<ref name="SGB" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Rider_Index_2008.pdf |title=2008 Rider index |website=British Speedway |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref>

He returned to King's Lynn in 2008 and won the 2008 Jack Young Solo Cup at Gillman, before signing for Workington Comets in 2009, captaining the team in a season in which they won the Premier League Four-Team Championship,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Orxgjx7Us |title=2009 Premier League Fours |website=You Tube |date=20 July 2020 |access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> but that for him was ended by a crash in September.<ref name="SGB" /><ref>"[http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/kevin-doolan-named-workington-speedway-captain-1.516734?referrerPath=2.953 Kevin Doolan Named Workington Speedway Captain] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120904011038/http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/kevin-doolan-named-workington-speedway-captain-1.516734?referrerPath=2.953 |date=4 September 2012 }}", ''Hexham Courant'', 20 February 2009, retrieved 2012-04-08</ref> In 2010 he returned to King's Lynn, and again his season ended early with a broken wrist sustained in July.<ref name="SGB" /> After failing to agree terms with King's Lynn for 2011, he moved to Ipswich on a full transfer, becoming the team captain in the club's return to the Premier League.<ref name="SGB" /><ref>"[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/speedway/9268011.stm Kevin Doolan to lead Ipswich Witches in Premier League]", BBC, 8 December 2010, retrieved 2012-04-08</ref><ref>"[https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/speedway-kings-lynn-stars-put-260203 Speedway: King's Lynn Stars put Kevin Doolan on transfer list]", ''Daily Mirror'', 5 November 2010, retrieved 2012-04-08</ref> With Ipswich he won the Premier Fours for a second time in 2011.<ref name="SGB" /> In July 2012 Doolan lost his place in the Witches team with Taylor Poole returning from injury.<ref name="King">King, Elvin (2012) "Shock axe for Doolan", ''Speedway Star'', 28 July 2012, p. 16</ref> He subsequently signed for Redcar Bears. On 25 November 2012 it was announced that Doolan would ride for Leicester Lions for the 2013 Premier League season.

In 2014, Doolan signed for Berwick Bandits becoming captain in 2015 and 2016. He continued to ride for the Scottish club until his final season during the SGB Championship 2019.<ref name=RI/> He announced his retirement after the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2019/11/speedway-popular-doolan-steps-back-from-full-time-racing/ |title=Doolan steps back from full time racing |website=Edinburgh Reporter |date=22 November 2019 |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref>

==World Final Appearances== ===Individual Under-21 World Championship=== * 1999 - {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens, Speedway Center - 12th - 6pts * 2000 - {{flagicon|POL}} Gorzów Wielkopolski, Edward Jancarz Stadium - 14th - 4pts

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doolan, Kevin}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Australian speedway riders Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen Category:Sportspeople from Shepparton Category:Belle Vue Aces riders Category:Berwick Bandits riders Category:Eastbourne Eagles riders Category:Glasgow Tigers riders Category:Australian expatriate speedway riders in Scotland Category:Ipswich Witches riders Category:King's Lynn Stars riders Category:Australian expatriate speedway riders in England Category:Lakeside Hammers riders Category:Workington Comets riders

Kevin Doolan

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