Sergey Darkin (speedway rider)

Sergey Alexandrovich Darkin (born 18 June 1973^[1][2]) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Uzbekistan, who was a two time Russian Champion.^[3][4] He earned 17 caps for the Russia national speedway team.^[5]

Sergey Darkin

Born	(1973-06-18) 18 June 1973 (age 51) Fergana, Uzbekistan
Nationality	Russian/Uzbek
Career history
Russia
1992–2005, 2009–2011, 2014–2017	Togliatti
2006–2007	Balakovo
2008, 2012–2013	Salavat
Poland
1996, 1999	Ostrów
1997	Rybnik
1998	Kraków
2000	Rzeszów
2001	Grudziądz
2002-2003	Tarnów
2006, 2008	Daugavpils
2007	Gniezno
2009	Miskolc
2010	Lublin
Great Britain
2001	Eastbourne Eagles
2004	Coventry Bees
2005	Arena Essex
2007	Poole Pirates
2011	Leicester Lions
2011	Swindon Robins
Individual honours
2000, 2002	Russian Champion
Team honours
1996	World Cup silver

Biography

Born in Fergana, Uzbekistan, Darkin has been a regular member of the Russian World Team Cup squad.^[6] He was Russian individual champion in 2000 and 2002.^[6] In 1996, Darkin won a silver medal at the Speedway World Team Cup held on 15 September at the Rhein-Main Arena in Diedenbergen.^[7]

After riding in the UK for Eastbourne Eagles in 2001,^[8] he joined Coventry Bees in the middle of the 2004 season, riding in 15 matches in the Elite League and scoring 111 points at an average of 6.68.^[9] He also rode for Arena Essex in 2005 and Poole Pirates in 2007.^[10] In September 2005 he suffered serious head injuries in a crash at Togliatti in the European Club Team Champions Cup and was able to return to racing the following year.^[10]

He rode for KMZ Lublin in the Polish league, Togliatti in Russia, and signed for Leicester Lions for the 2011 British season, leaving mid-season.^[6] He subsequently rode for Swindon Robins in the Elite League.^[11]

Career record

British leagues

Year	Team	League	Matches	Rides	Points	Bonus	Total	Average
2001	Eastbourne Eagles	Elite
2004	Coventry Bees	Elite	15	73	111	11	122	6.68
2005	Arena Essex	Elite	16	68	87	14	101	5.94
2007	Poole Pirates	Elite	2	6	0	0	0	0.00
2011	Leicester Lions	Premier	21	96	156	10	166	6.92
2011	Swindon Robins	Elite	8	32	23	6	29	3.63

References

1. Świat Żużla, No 1 (74) / 2008, pages 44-45, ISSN 1429-3285
2. Świat Żużla, No 2 (75) / 2008, page 24, ISSN 1429-3285
3. "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
4. "Darkin, Sergey". Polish Speedway Database. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
5. "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
6. "Sergey Darkin Archived 2011-03-21 at the Wayback Machine", Leicester Speedway, retrieved 2011-03-27
7. "World Team Cup final". Shropshire Star. 16 September 1996. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. "The Russians are coming to Eagles". Mid Sussex Times. 13 September 2001. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
9. Bamford, Robert (2005) Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2005, Tempus, ISBN 0-7524-3396-2, p. 40-42, 365
10. "Riders - D: Sergey Darkin", speedwaygb.co, retrieved 2011-10-02
11. "Speedway: Swindon Robins sign Sergey Darkin as reserve", BBC, 1 August 2011, retrieved 2011-10-02

See also

• Russia national speedway team