R
onnie Moore indeed created a remarkable
spark in this small land down in the southern
seas. A spark which would be re-ignited with
equal ferocity by equally determined chaps like
Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger.
As well as an inspired line-up of young riders
who watched in awe as the world championship
trio ruled the tracks and who gave them the
spark to give it a shot.
Ronnie Moore never sought fame or accolades.
He was just a straight-down-the-line bloke, until
it came to firing the bike up and hitting the track.
A determined Kiwi bloke who wanted to win the
races he took on, although he was actually born
in Australia, but New Zealand was always his
home. He was, he declared, a Kiwi.
EARLY DAYS
Moore took to the ovals tracks early, although
his initial circuits had no soil upon them.
His introduction to two fast wheels was riding
the “track” of his father’s “Wall of Death”, which
they toured across the agricultural and pastoral
shows of Australia. They eventually brought the
show across the ditch to Christchurch, where
dad and the lad both rode the cylindrical walls
at shows.
They liked Enzed and decided to stay here,
and by 1949 Ronnie’s dad had set up the Aranui
Speedway course in Christchurch’s eastern
suburbs, and that was where Ronnie kickstarted
his speedway journey.
He did well, and speedway was locked into his
focus to the point where in 1950 he packed his
gear and headed to the UK where speedway was
a massive part of the motorsport landscape. His
ability was recognised smartly by the Wimbledon
Dons team in the British Speedway League, and
he would stay with them until 1963.
KIWI RIDER 27