John Robert Thompson Beaton (born 14 May 1952) is a former international

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...

rider from Scotland.

Speedway career

Beaton rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1968 to 1985, riding for various clubs. He reached the final of the British Speedway Championship in 1980. In 1982, he helped the Newcastle Diamonds win the Fours Championship during the

1982 National League season In 1982 the National League, also known as British League Division Two, was the second tier of speedway racing in the United Kingdom. Summary The league champions were Newcastle Diamonds. Milton Keynes rider Brett Alderton was killed in an acci ...

and he repeated the success the following year during the

1983 National League season The 1983 National League was the second tier of motorcycle speedway racing in the United Kingdom. Summary The winning team was Newcastle Diamonds. After the tragedy of losing a rider the previous season Milton Keynes endured a second loss when ...

Family

His younger brother Jim Beaton was a speedway rider and his older brother George Beaton was a junior rider before he was killed in a car crash in 1972. His father Jimmy Beaton Sr. was a promoter at Glasgow Tigers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaton, Bobby 1952 births British speedway riders Scottish speedway riders Belle Vue Aces riders Edinburgh Monarchs riders Glasgow Tigers riders Hull Vikings riders Newcastle Diamonds riders People from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire Living people