With some of his former rivals now trying out the English speedway scene, we acknowledge the achievements of fellow rider Dale Finch who had the potential to foot it with some of the best New Zealand speedway riders.

Dale made  the front page of The Christchurch Press because of a serious speedway injury. The sport at the time was in the spot light because of a series of incidents on and off the track. Speedway struggles to get coverage for their racing activities. If  the media latch onto to you, its really like fighting off bees around a honey pot and  it sometimes can be at the detriment of the sport.

Dale Finch was described as a “Whiz Kid”. “A genuinely nice guy who could light up a room with his smile”. He was and probably could still be a very talented solo speedway rider if he contemplated a return to the sport. Dale had made a name for himself in junior road racing and after watching some of the kids race at Ruapuna, decided to have a go and joined the Canterbury Motor Cycle Speedway Club at Moore Park.

Dale Finch should have had his photo in a local paper because of his outstanding achievement. In only his second year in senior speedway, at the age of 16, he finished 2nd in the NZ Solo Championship for the 06-07 season. An outstanding feat when you consider the winner, Andrew Bargh had had two seasons racing in England. Finch out rode and beat the experienced English rider, Jason Bunyan who was then the three time defending New Zealand Champion, when they met in the first heat. He rode in a controlled consistent manner  for the rest of the meeting which saw him out score two of his more experienced local rivals, Andrew Aldridge and Grant Tregoning. The young rider made a  number of people sit up and take a second look wondering “ where the hell has this lad come from”. 

Dale started speedway racing on a 125cc bike in the junior class in 1999. He moved onto a 200cc bike and throughout both classes he began featuring regularly at the top of the field. He suddenly grew and struggled when riding the 200 and did not enjoy it much. He came out in what was a rear appearance in the 2005 season for the MNZ Short Track Championships at Moore Park. He won  the New Zealand MNZ 200cc title. With the support of his parents, Dale obtained a dispensation to ride as a senior at 15 years of age. Tim and Sharlene Jordan came on board as sponsors. Tim picked up sponsorship from Hype, Elf Oils, R O Jones Paint and Panel and Leeding Sign and Design to assist Dale in his racing.
 
In no time at all Dale was up on the pace of more senior riders. He teamed up with Andrew Aldridge for the Moore Park Best Pairs and they had the title in the bag after a great fight back where he came from the back of the field to gain the 3rd place which would give them thewin. Be it a little inexperience or what, he tried a little too hard to move up another spot, one he did not need. He drifted wide and this allowed the late  Andrew Tree through and he won the Best Pairs title that year with Grant Tregoning.

Dale was the 2007 Canterbury champion. He was the top points scorer in the 2007 Ivan Mauger Inter Island Challenge meeting. He was runner up to Aldridge in the Robin Mackinnon Memorial Challenge meeting, and in fact became  Aldridge’s closest rival. Overseas web sites marked Dale Finch as a name to watch.

Dales accident was no more than a racing one. Thankfully the incident did not take down any other riders. It was however severe. He suffered both a collapsed and punctured lung, broke ribs off his back bone and fractured his back in three places. After a few very worrying days, Dale was stabilised and his recovery began.

Dale can still be seen around the Moore Park speedway track and in fact is back riding a motor cross bike. What would it take for him to come back to speedway?. He had a close call and it needs to be his decision alone. Should he do so, a sponsorship package would certainly help and it is one Dale would well and truly repay both on and off the track. He demonstrated some outstanding potential that needs to be refined and developed further. However,  if he decides to stay on the outside the speedway fence, there are those of us in the sport, that acknowledge the skill and potential he had while he was racing. Thanks Dale for lightening up our local speedway scene at a time when interest was falling.

Courtesy of Warrick Korstanje