American Speedway
American Speedway: Scott Autrey is final Team USA Speedway Honoree.
By Admin
Dec 17, 2006, 13:59

Scott Autrey, one of the leading pioneers of America’s resurgence as an international Speedway power in the 1970s and ‘80s, has been named
as the final AMA Team USA Speedway Honoree of 2007.

Scott joins three great names of Speedway – Mike Bast, Barry Briggs and the late Cordy Milne – as a 2007 honoree. . They will be recognized
January 27-28 at the USA Speedway National Awards Banquet and Testimonial Presented by System Edström aboard the Hotel Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.

Autrey had a superb nine-year career  in the British Speedway League from 1973-1982 but among his many achievements his 1978 effort in the FIM World Championship stands out. It had been 30 years since an American stood on a World Speedway Championship podium, but Scott proved himself a contender with third-place finishes in both the Overseas Final and Intercontinental Final.

That put him through to the World Finals at famed Wembley Stadium and he broke America’s long dry spell by scoring 11 points for a stirring third-place finish behind the great Ole Olsen and Gordon Kennett.

Proving he was anything but a one-hit wonder, Scott was also a durable and dependable scorer for Exeter in British League racing. He raced in Exeter colors from 1973- 1979, replacing Ivan Mauger as captain in 1978 and leading the entire league in scoring in 1979 with a stout 10.91 average.

He paved the way for the likes of Bruce Penhall to make their mark on the world scene and is a more than worthy selection as a 2007 AMA Team USA Speedway Honoree. Tickets to the 2007 USA Speedway National Awards Banquet (Saturday evening, January 27) are $75 each and tickets to the Team USA Speedway Testimonial Breakfast and Honoree Ceremonies (Sunday morning, January 28) are $50 each.

Weekend activities at the Queen Mary will end with the Team USA Speedway Fund- Raising Auction and a stunning display of vintage and historic Speedway machines, free to the public on Sunday afternoon.