Dan Gilkes

Dan Gilkes
Born (2002-05-21) 21 May 2002 (age 22)
Northampton, England
NationalityBritish (English)
Career history
Great Britain
2019, 2021Kent Kings/Royals
2022Belle Vue Colts
2022–2023Plymouth Gladiators
2022Peterborough Panthers
2023–2024Sheffield Tigers
2024Redcar Bears
2025Oxford Cheetahs
Poland
2023–2024Piła
Team honours
2023SGB Premiership
2024Knockout Cup

Daniel Gilkes (born 21 May 2002) is a motorcycle speedway rider from England.[1][2]

Career

Gilkes was still a pupil at Campion School, Bugbrooke when he started racing.[3]

In 2019, he signed for the Kent Kings for the 2019 National Development League speedway season, helping them to National Trophy success. He was crowned the supporters rider of the year.[4]

Unable to ride during 2020 because of the COVID-19 cancelled season, he continued to ride for Kent in 2021 but appeared in both the NDL and the higher league of the SGB Championship 2021.[1]

In 2022, he signed for Plymouth Gladiators[5] and his form was so impressive that he was added to the Peterborough Panthers squad in the SGB Premiership 2022 (the highest league in Britain).[6]

He started the 2022 campaign in very good form but his season ended early when he crashed and suffered serious injuries that included five broken ribs, a broken and displaced humorous bone and a collapsed lung.[7]

In 2023, he re-signed for Plymouth for the SGB Championship 2023[8] and also signed for Sheffield Tigers for the SGB Premiership 2023, as their rising star.[9] He helped Sheffield win the league title.[10] In 2024 he re-signed for Sheffield,[11] and won the Knockout Cup with the Tigers.[12]

Gilkes signed for Oxford Cheetahs for the SGB Championship 2025.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Gilkes, Daniel". British Speedway. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  2. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Northampton teenager Dan Gilkes is a speedway demon!". Northampton Chronicle and Echo. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  4. ^ "2019 SOKK RIDER OF THE YEAR RESULTS". Kent Speedway. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Dan Gilkes joins the Gladiators". Plymouth Speedway. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Peterborough Panthers add a talented teenager to their squad for 2022 and 'good value' season tickets remain on sale". Peterborough Telegraph. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  7. ^ "PLYMOUTH'S GILKES INJURED". Speedway Star. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Gilkes back with Plymouth". British Speedway. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Tigers bring in Gilkes". British Speedway. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Tigers champions in Grand Final drama". British Speedway. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Sheffield are complete". British Speedway. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Speedway: Sheffield battle back to draw at Ipswich and lift KO Cup". The Star. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Oxford Cheetahs triple signing completes 2025 line-up". Oxford Mail. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.