1. Darcy Ward won the 2009,2010 and 2011 Australian Under-21 Championships as well as the 2009 and 2010 World Under-21 Championships.
31 Facts About Darcy Ward
1. 2.
Darcy Ward started his speedway career as a junior in his native Queensland.
3.
In total, Darcy Ward scoring 63 points and 11 bonus points to record an average of 1.396.
4.
Darcy Ward won the 2009 World Under-21 Championship in Gorican, Croatia with 13 points.
5.
Darcy Ward rode for Australia team at the Under-21 World Cup.
6.
At home in Australia, Darcy Ward won the Australian Under-21 Championship in Gosford, the first of three straight Under-21 titles.
7.
Darcy Ward finished ninth in his first run at the senior Australian Championship held over three rounds.
8.
In 2010, Darcy Ward signed with Elite League team the Poole Pirates.
9.
Darcy Ward finished the meeting in third place on 11 points, but went on to win the 4-lap final.
10.
Darcy Ward then finished third in the three round Australian Championship behind Chris Holder and fellow Queenslander Troy Batchelor.
11.
Darcy Ward won the New South Wales Championship at the Oakburn Park Speedway in Tamworth.
12.
In January 2011, Darcy Ward became Australian Under-21 Champion for the third time at his home track, the North Brisbane Speedway, and thus emulating Chris Holder and Leigh Adams in claiming a straight hat-trick of titles.
13.
Darcy Ward's 2011 win was a carbon copy of his 2010 win - third on 11 points before winning the Final.
14.
Darcy Ward then finished a career best second in the four round Australian Championship behind Holder and in front of Davey Watt.
15.
Darcy Ward was classified as sixth in the Grand Prix after the meeting was abandoned due to bad weather and deteriorating track conditions after sixteen of the scheduled twenty-three races had been completed.
16.
Darcy Ward won the silver medal at the 2011 Speedway Under-21 World Championship.
17.
Darcy Ward missed a place in the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix series.
18.
Darcy Ward finished second with Poole in the Elite League.
19.
Darcy Ward won his place in the 2013 Speedway Grand Prix as one of the 15 permanent riders.
20.
Darcy Ward won his first ever SGP when he took out the Grand Prix of Denmark at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, and two rounds later finished second in the Grand Prix of Latvia.
21.
Darcy Ward rode for the Poole Pirates, winning the Elite League title.
22.
Darcy Ward won the 2013 Golden Helmet of Pardubice, joining other Australian's Leigh Adams, Jason Crump and Ryan Sullivan as a winner of the Golden Helmet, the oldest speedway race in the world having been first run in 1929.
23.
On 17 August 2014, Darcy Ward was excluded from the Latvian FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Daugavpils after failing an alcohol test prior to the meeting.
24.
Darcy Ward was thrown awkwardly from his bike, landing on the back of his neck as he hit the safety fence.
25.
Darcy Ward was transported to hospital where he underwent spinal surgery.
26.
Darcy Ward's career came to an end as a result of the injury.
27.
Poole Pirates owner Matt Ford later reported that Darcy Ward had been moved to an undisclosed hospital in the UK where he has regained some movement of his arms.
28.
Darcy Ward left the UK to continue his rehab at the Making Strides rehab centre in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.
29.
On 20 October 2012, Darcy Ward was injured in an altercation outside the Churchill Arms, Sturminster Marshall, whilst out with a group of friends including his Poole Pirates team manager Neil Middleditch.
30.
Darcy Ward suffered a head injury after hitting his head on the floor following a punch during the fight.
31.
On 13 February 2013 Darcy Ward appeared before Ipswich Magistrates Court, Queensland, to plead guilty to driving under the influence of liquor or a drug, failing to stop for the police, driving without a licence and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.