Chris Harris is a British speedway rider from Truro, England. He is one of the most recognizable riders of his generation, known primarily for his stellar performances in the Speedway Grand Prix series. The popular „Bomber” has also represented as many as eight clubs in the Polish league. What did his international career look like, and do Polish fans miss his performances in more prestigious competitions than the British Premiership?
The Briton began his adventure in the elite series in 2003 when he replaced the indisposed Hans Andersen from the reserve bench, scoring one point in one race. „Bomber” returned to the competition for the Individual World Championship four seasons later – in 2007, when he was nominated by cycle promoter Benfield Sports International (BSI) as a so-called wild card. In his debut season as a full participant of the SGP series, Harris achieved a decent result, finishing in 9th place. A true sensation occurred during the home tournament for the Briton in Cardiff. In front of a large fan base at the Millennium Stadium, the absolute rookie reached the final race, where he defeated speedway stars such as Greg Hancock, Jason Crump, and Leigh Adams, surprising almost the entire speedway community. The fact that the home representative was in last place after the start and snatched the win at the finish line added to the excitement. In the remaining rounds of the Speedway Grand Prix series, Harris didn’t perform as brilliantly but managed to contribute valuable points to the overall standings, resulting in another wild card nomination for the 2008 season.
The year 2008 was not as successful as the previous one. In 9 out of 10 events, „Bomber” scored 58 points, which was 33 points less than in the previous season. His best performance was once again in the Cardiff tournament, where he scored 10 points. He finished the entire SGP series in 13th place. The Briton’s weaker performance did not discourage promoters from awarding him another wild card. Despite scoring 62 points in the series, Harris did not improve his position in the Individual World Championship standings and had to settle for 14th place.
In the 2010 season, another wild card for the English fighter marked the best result in his career in Speedway Grand Prix racing. His phenomenal performance was at the tournament in Gorican, Croatia, where he finished in second place with 21 points. A year later – in 2011, Chris Harris alternated between good and weaker performances but once again showcased his brilliance on the short and technical oval at the Millennium Stadium in Donji Kraljevec, Gorican, where he scored 19 points, repeating his feat from the previous year, finishing second in the final race.
In 2012, „Bomber” was 12th in the SGP, while the following year he only competed with a wild card in the home tournament in Cardiff, where he scored 7 points. The years 2014-15 saw the return of the daring competitor to the series, thanks to his promotion from the Grand Prix Challenge. These were not particularly successful years for the British representative, but in the 2015 season, he managed to secure second place in the Warsaw tournament at the PGE National Stadium, which was interrupted after three series.
In the Polish league, „Bomber” impressed with his highest form in 2007, where he scored points for RKM Rybnik. The Briton achieved a high average of 2.529, while the following season in 2008, when representing the then Motor Club Ostrów, he finished the season with a racing average of 2.253. In the PGE Ekstraliga, the results of the stout representative of Albion were not as stunning as at the lower competition level. In 2011, representing STAL Rzeszów, he achieved a racing average of 1.667, while the following year for WŁÓKNIARZ Częstochowa – 1.120.
To this day, Chris „Bomber” Harris is remembered by many speedway fans as a very charismatic and combative rider who somewhat closes the so-called retro speedway era and old-school approach to speedway. Despite individual episodes in the Polish league, in recent years, he has been rarely seen in team line-ups at any competition level in the country by the Vistula River. „Bomber” still hasn’t forgotten how to race, which he often demonstrates during performances in the English Premiership, and a real highlight of the season was the final race with his participation during last year’s British Individual Championship final. Will „Bomber” surprise us with anything more?
Łukasz Rusiecki
