Born |
Earlwood, New South Wales |
19 August 1941
---|---|
Nationality | Australia |
Current club information | |
Career status | Retired |
Career history | |
1964 | Sunderland Stars |
1964-1965, 1967-1968 | Wolverhampton Wolves |
1969-1971 | Sheffield Tigers |
Individual honours | |
1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974 | NSW State Champion |
1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 | Australian Champion |
1970 | Queensland State Champion |
1971 | Victorian State Champion |
1971 | Northern Riders Champion |
Team honours | |
1971 | World Team Cup Winner |
James Sydney "Jim" Airey (born 19 August 1941 in Earlwood, New South Wales) is a former Australian international motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the 1971 World Final in Göteborg, Sweden and was a member of the Great Britain team that won the 1971 Speedway World Team Cup in Wrocław, Poland. Jim is also a four time Australian Champion having won the title in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1972, as well as a five time NSW State Champion and one time Queensland and Victorian State Champion..
Jim Airey started racing Speedway in the early-1960s, quickly establishing himself as a star rider and won his first NSW Solo Championship at the Sydney Showground in 1966, before going on to win the Australian Championship in 1968, also held at the Showground which was his home track.
Airey became known as the "King of the Royale" as he was near unbeatable on the 509 metres (557 yd) Sydney Showground track (the Showground was known as the "Royale"). At one stage during the late 1960s Airey won a record 33 consecutive scratch races at the Showground. He wasn't totally invincible at the Showground though and regularly faced stiff competition from the likes of Bob Sharp, Gordon Guasco (who lost his life at Sydney's other speedway, Liverpool in 1970), interstate visitors such as Adelaide's John Boulger, and visiting English brothers Nigel and Eric Boocock.