On August 28, 1987, Jack Ellis Young passed away in the Modbury Hospital in
Adelaide, succumbing to a lung problem. He was 62 years of age.
Jack Young has a special place in the history of World Championship finals. In
1951 he became the first rider from a Second Division British club to become
World Champion. With his success again the following year, he became the first
rider to win the prestigious event a second time.
Young commenced his speedway career at the Kilburn track in Adelaide in 1947. In
1949, the Second Division Scottish club Edinburgh decided to give Young a trial
and paid his fare to Britain. There have been some wonderful performances on
debut in British speedway and Jack Young’s would have to be one of the finest.
His debut meeting was at his home track, and he won all six races he contested.
Those responsible for bringing him to Edinburgh were ecstatic, and rightly so.
Young stayed at Edinburgh for three seasons before moving up to race in the
First Division with West Ham in 1952. He was a prolific scorer for that famous
club for four consecutive seasons. Having taken a two year break from overseas’
racing, Young returned to England in 1958 to race for First Division team
Coventry. He stayed in Australia in 1959, but returned to Coventry again in 1960
and 1961.
Jack Young spent ten seasons racing in England and made the World Final starting
field in seven of those years. He finished equal eighth at his first World Final
appearance in 1950, won in both 1951 and 1952, finished fifth in 1953, fourth in
1954 and equal fifth in 1955.
He wasn’t in the field in 1958, but did qualify in his next English season in
1960. He finished equal eighth that year. In 1961 he was a reserve for the World
Final, but wasn’t called on to ride.
While racing in Great Britain he represented both Australia and Scotland in
International matches.
In addition to his numerous South Australian State Championship victories, Jack
Young also won the Queensland and Victorian titles. Although he is undoubtedly
one of the finest speedway riders Australia has produced, he never won an
Australian Championship. During the period he competed in Australia, nearly all
of the National title meetings were held in either New South Wales or
Queensland. He much preferred to be out on the water fishing than travelling
around Australia racing speedway.
Jack Young's retirement from speedway was announced at Rowley Park on the
December 1963 evening when he won his final South Australian Championship.
Those present at Jack Young’s funeral service in Adelaide on Tuesday, September
1, heard the following words read by former Rowley Park promoter Kym Bonython: -
"Today we have come here to honour our good friend Jack Young. To bid him
farewell, and to share in the sorrow of his grieving family whose loss surpasses
our own. Jack was a legend in his own time. He brought glory not only to this
State but also to this country. He fought the good fight and he always fought it
cleanly.
"Personally, I first met Jack over 30 years ago now, by which time his speedway
career was already well established. He had won one world title and was to
repeat that success yet again the following year in 1952. Speedway was then at
its zenith. His victories at Wembley Stadium in England were achieved before
audiences of nearly 100,000 wildly cheering fans, against the very best that the
rest of the world could muster.
"I think he was Australia’s only double World Champion motorcycle racer in our
history, a distinction he still holds. The fact he won this prestigious title in
two successive years confirmed Jack’s greatness. It was no fluke.
"He started his speedway career in 1948. He won his first world title in 1951
when he was still a Second Division rider, a feat never repeated in the years
that followed. He was three times Scottish Champion, 11 times South Australian
Champion, twice Victorian Champion, once Queensland Champion, 12 times in
succession British Match Race Champion over a two-year period, unbeaten in 33
successive meetings in Britain. He is still the holder of a record for the
highest points won in a season in Britain. These are but a few of his
innumerable claims to fame in the world of speedway. And he won those highest
obtainable accolades in the same modest spirit in which he lived his life. I can
recall no other speedway competitor who reached such heights, who still remained
so unaffected by the honours heaped upon him.
"His rivals may have been more spectacular. Certainly questionable tactics were
occasionally used against him in the heat of the fray, but with his smooth,
skilful style of riding, he carried all before him, and continued to do so
throughout the world for all the years he remained as a competitor.
"Who will forget his legendary matches against the likes of Bob Leverenz, Merv
Harding, and later against the English world champion Peter Craven at Rowley
Park? This was speedway at its breathtaking best, and Jack always gave 100 per
cent.
"From a promoter’s point of view, unlike a number of his contemporaries, Jack
was a pleasure to deal with. No tantrums, no threats such as one learned to
expect from some other Australians or overseas stars whom I had the privilege,
if not always the pleasure, to bring to Adelaide during my 21 years at the helm
at Rowley Park.
"He lived life off the track in the same honest, down-to-earth manner that all
who knew him recognised to be his true character. He had no airs and graces that
his successes on the track surely entitled him to assume. Unlike so many of his
contemporaries and successors, he never chose to capitalise on his stature as a
sportsman on the global scene of speedway. Indeed, he preferred the more simple
pleasures of life. I think that anecdote that appeared in last Saturday’s
Advertiser about him using his World Championship trophy to store his fishing
sinkers epitomised his attitude to fame and fortune that was so eagerly sought
by others.
"Not for Jack the high life of a World Champion beloved literally by millions.
Instead, he preferred a quiet day out in the gulf with his line in the water
hoping to tempt the passing fish.
"At 62 he died too soon, and he faced death predictably with that same
matter-of-factness and courage that marked his life. All of us here today, as
well as the many, many from across the world who cannot be here, recognise the
irreplaceable loss that Joan, her children and grandchildren, together with
other members of the family, must feel. We hope their grief will at least to
some slight degree be diminished by our feelings of loss also.
"Jack Young lived a great life, unmatched in his chosen field. In death he was
the same champion we who knew him remember in life. His record will live on for
posterity, unblemished, and we who remember him so fondly will continue to
recall his spirit and his achievements with affection and pride so long as we
ourselves continue to live in this world that is so much better for what he gave
to it."
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