Mark Loram

Mark Loram

File:Mark Loram.jpg
Born	(1971-01-10) 10 January 1971 Mtarfa, Malta
Nationality	England
Current club information
Career status	Retired
Career history
1987-1988 1989, 2006-2009 1990-1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999-2000 2001 2002-2003 2004-2005 1992, 1999-2000 1993-1997 1998, 2007 2001-2003 2004 2005 2006 1992-1997 1999-2000 2001-2004 2005-2006	United Kingdom Hackney Kestrels Ipswich Witches King's Lynn Stars Exeter Falcons Bradford Dukes Wolverhampton Wolves Poole Pirates Peterborough Panthers Eastbourne Eagles Arena Essex Hammers Poland Częstochowa Apator Toruń KM Ostrów Wielkopolski Polonia Bydgoszcz RKM Rybnik Stal Gorzów Unia Leszno Sweden Bysarna Smederna Luxo Stars Piraterna
Individual honours
2000 1989 1994 1997, 1999, 2001 1997 1999 1999	World Champion National League Riders Champ Commonwealth Champion British Champion Danish Grand Prix Winner Overseas Champion Swedish Grand Prix Winner
Team honours
1988 1997 2003	National League Elite League Elite League KO Cup

Mark Roysten Gregory Loram (born 10 January 1971) is a former British motorcycle speedway rider who won the World Speedway Championship in 2000 and won the British Championship in 1997, 1999, and 2001.

Career

Born in Mtarfa, Malta, Mark Loram started his career with the Hackney Kestrels in 1987. In 1999 Loram became the first rider in Speedway Grand Prix history to win a GP whilst being entered as a wild card, a feat only repeated three times since (as at the end of the 2012 season). He won two Grand Prix in his career; 1997 Danish Grand Prix in Vojens and 1999 when he won the Swedish Grand Prix in Linköping.

Loram became the Speedway World Champion in 2000 despite not winning any of the Grand Prix meetings held that year, the only rider to ever do so. However he was the only rider to reach the semi-finals in all six meetings which along with runner-up placings in the opening two rounds in the Czech Republic and Sweden as well as a third in Britain in Round 4 gave him enough points to secure his first and only world title. Loram scored 102 points over the six rounds to defeat 1996 champion Billy Hamill (who won the Czech Republic and European GP's) on 95 and defending champion Tony Rickardsson (who won in Poland) on 94. Loram's win saw him become the 7th British rider to win speedway's ultimate individual prize.

Loram has also been British Champion three times, in 1997, 1999 and 2001. In March 2007 Loram broke his thigh and dislocated his arm whilst riding in the opening fixture of the Elite League season for the Ipswich Witches. This ended his involvement in the sport for 2007, and he was unable to ride in 2008 and 2009. On 17 December 2009, Loram officially announced his retirement from speedway.

World Final Appearances

• 1994 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 8th - 9pts

Speedway Grand Prix results

Year	Position	Points	Best Finish	Notes
1995	6th	77	3rd	Third in British Grand Prix
1996	7th	58	2nd	Second in Danish Grand Prix
1997	5th	81	Winner	Won Danish Grand Prix
1998	10th	52	6th
1999	5th	71	Winner	Won Swedish Grand Prix
2000	1st	102	2nd	Only rider to make every semi-final
2001	9th	54	4th
2002	8th	97	3rd	Third in Polish and Slovenian Grand Prix
2003	18th	32	11th
2004	17th	38	9th