Tom Brennan (speedway rider) explained

Tom Brennan
Nationality:British (English)
Birth Date:2 July 2001
Birth Place:Swindon, Wiltshire, England
Career1:Great Britain
Career2:Eastbourne Eagles
Years2:2017–2021
Career3:Cradley Heathens
Years3:2019
Career4:Glasgow Tigers
Years4:2021–2023
Career5:Belle Vue Aces
Years5:2021–2023
Career6:Birmingham Brummies
Years6:2024
Career7:Poole Pirates
Years7:2024
Career9:Poland
Career10:Łódź
Years10:2021
Career11:Rawicz
Years11:2022
Career12:Gdańsk
Years12:2024
Career15:Sweden
Career16:Indianerna
Years16:2024
Indivhonour1:British Under-21 Champion
Indivyear1:2021
Teamyear1:2021
Teamhonour1:World team champions
Teamyear2:2023
Teamhonour2:Speedway World Cup silver
Teamyear3:2022
Teamhonour3:British champions
Teamhonour4:Div 2 winner
Teamyear4:2023
Teamyear5:2018
Teamhonour5:Div 3 winner
Teamyear6:2017, 2018
Teamhonour6:Div 3 KO Cup winner

Thomas Brennan (born 2 July 2001) is a British Motorcycle speedway rider.[1]

Career

In 2016, Brennan made a number of guest appearances at reserve for Eastbourne Eagles after he turned 15 and was eligible to ride in the National League. He made his debut for Eastbourne on his 15th birthday against Birmingham Brummies,[2] however he crashed in his first ride and suffered a broken collarbone.[3]

Brennan retained his spot for Eastbourne for the 2017 season.[4] A good start to the season saw him move from reserve to number 1,[5] before he moved to number 4 for the majority of the season. He scored his first paid maximum scoring 9+3 from 4 rides in the National League Knockout Cup Final against Mildenhall Fen Tigers.[6] Brennan finished the season with an average of 7.21, making him the most improved rider in the National League in 2017, with an increase of 4.21 from his starting average of 3.00.[7] He also helped Eastbourne win the Knockout Cup for the third successive season, beating Mildenhall in the final.[8]

For the 2018 season he started in the number 3 position and scored his first full maximum and moved back to number 1 by the end of June.[9] [10] [11] On 5 July, Brennan competed in the European U19 semi-final in Pardubice, scoring 11 points from his five rides finishing 5th and qualifying for the final.[12] In the final at Varkaus he finished 9th overall with a total of 7 points.[13] Brennan also made a guest appearance in the SGB Premiership.[14] [15] Brennan helped Eastbourne win the National League and cup double, winning the playoff and Knockout Cup, defeating Mildenhall in both.[16] [17]

Brennan continued with Eastbourne despite their move up to the SGB Championship 2019[18] and this allowed Brennan to sign for the Cradley Heathens in the lower division as well.[19]

In 2021, he became a world champion after the Great Britain national speedway team secured the 2021 Speedway of Nations (the world team title) and signed for the Belle Vue Aces.[20] He returned to ride for Belle Vue in the SGB Premiership 2022, where he won the league title[21] and for the Glasgow Tigers in the SGB Championship 2022.[22] He finished runner-up to Dan Bewley in the 2022 British Speedway Championship[23] and finished in 9th place during the World Under-21 Championship in the 2022 SGP2.[24]

In 2023, he re-signed for Belle Vue for the SGB Premiership 2023[25] and for Glasgow for the SGB Championship 2023,[26] where he won the league title.[27] Also in 2023, he was part of the British team that won the silver medal in the 2023 Speedway World Cup final.[28]

At the end of the 2023 season he was released by both Belle Vue and Glasgow due to point limitations[29] but was able to sign for two new teams in Birmingham Brummies and Poole Pirates for the 2024 season.[30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 . British Speedway . 28 June 2023.
  2. Web site: Schoolboy racer Tom Brennan set for Eastbourne Eagles debut. The Argus . 2016-06-22 . 2018-07-15.
  3. Web site: Eastbourne Eagles win thriller but Tom Brennan suffers debut agony. The Argus . 2016-07-02 . 2018-07-15.
  4. Web site: Speedway ace Brennan, 15, signs for Eagles. Eastbourne Herald . 2016-11-21 . 2018-07-15.
  5. Web site: 2017 National Development League Issue 11. Speedway GB . 2017-05-31 . 2018-07-15.
  6. Web site: Eastbourne v Mildenhall. Speedway GB . 2017-10-22 . 2018-07-15.
  7. Web site: 2017 National Development League Final Averages Issue 33. Speedway GB . 2017-11-09 . 2018-07-03.
  8. Web site: Eagles Retain KO Cup. Speedway GB . 2017-10-30 . 2018-07-03.
  9. Web site: Brennan back with Eagles. Speedway GB . 2017-12-15 . 2018-07-15.
  10. Web site: Tom's first 15-pointer. Eastbourne Eagles . 2018-04-14 . 2018-07-15.
  11. Web site: 2018 National Development League Issue 17. Speedway GB . 2018-06-26 . 2018-07-15.
  12. Web site: European U19 Individual Speedway Cup - Semi-Final 1. SpeedwayLive.eu . 2018-07-05 . 2018-07-15.
  13. Web site: The U19 European Cup final in Varkaus. sportowefakty . 2018-08-11 . 2018-12-23.
  14. Web site: Swindon v Poole. Speedway GB . 2018-08-27 . 2018-12-23.
  15. Web site: 2018 National Development League Issue 31. Speedway GB . 2018-08-24 . 2018-12-23.
  16. Web site: We Win Again!. Eastbourne Eagles . 2018-10-13 . 2018-12-23.
  17. Web site: Just Champion. Eastbourne Eagles . 2018-10-25 . 2018-12-23.
  18. Web site: Eagles are Go!. Eastbourne Eagles . 2018-12-06 . 2018-12-16.
  19. Web site: Heathens sign League Champion. Cradley Heathens . 2018-12-20 . 2018-12-23.
  20. Web site: Speedway: Great Britain claim first world title since 1989 with win over Poland. BBC Sport. 18 October 2021.
  21. Web site: 2022 Premiership Grand final results . British Speedway . 13 October 2022.
  22. Web site: Brennan, Tom . British Speedway . 28 September 2022.
  23. Web site: British Final Roll of Honour. Speedway GB. 19 September 2022.
  24. News: World Under 21 SGP2. FIM . 6 October 2022.
  25. Web site: Bewley back as Aces declare team . British Speedway . 9 December 2022.
  26. Web site: Tigers confirm first three . British Speedway . 1 December 2022.
  27. Web site: Tigers take title glory . Glasgow Tigers Speedway . 14 October 2023.
  28. Web site: POLAND WIN SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP AHEAD OF GREAT BRITAIN AS MACIEJ JANOWSKI BEATS ROBERT LAMBERT IN DECISIVE HEAT 20 . Eurosport . 31 July 2023.
  29. Web site: Aces duo released . British Speedway . 23 November 2023.
  30. Web site: Brummies move for Brennan . British Speedway . 27 November 2023.