| Clubname: | Buxton Hitmen |
| Track: | Buxton Raceway Dale Head Lane Axe Edge Buxton Derbyshire |
| Country: | England |
| Founded: | 1994 |
| Closed: | 2018 |
| League: | National League |
| Colours: | Gold, Red and Black |
| Tracksize: | 240 metres |
| Track Record Time: | 52.9 |
| Track Record Date: | 27 June 2004 |
| Track Record Holder: | James Wright |
| Honour1: | National League KO Cup |
| Year1: | 2002, 2010 |
| Year2: | 2010 |
| Year3: | 2010 |
The Buxton Hitmen were a motorcycle speedway team in the British National League (formerly the Conference League) from 1994 to 2018. The club stopped racing in the National League after the 2018 speedway season.[1] [2] [3] [4]
In 1994, a team called Hi-Edge Hitmen began racing on the Buxton Raceway. Promoted by Barry Watson and former England rider Chris Morton,[5] the team's inaugural season was in the 1994 British League Division Three in which they finished in sixth place.[6] [7] The following year they finished third in the 1995 Academy League before joining the Conference League (division 3).
The speedway promotion agreed with the stock car promotion that a separate speedway track could be built adjacent to the main circuit. The team was then renamed the Buxton Hitmen from the 1996 Speedway Conference League season.[8] The first season on the new track in 1996 ended with an eighth-place finish.[9] [10]
Two Buxton riders, Mike Hampson[11] and Jon Armstrong won consecutive Riders' Championships in 1996 and 1997 respectively.[12]
During the 2002 Speedway Conference League season the team won their first silverware when winning the Conference League Knockout Cup.[13] They comfortably defeated the Rye House Raiders 99–81 on aggregate in the final, with William Beveridge scoring a 15-point home leg maximum and Aidan Collins scoring 17 in the away leg.[14]
The remainder of the decade was spent in mid-table positions, with the highlight being the Riders' Championship successes by James Wright in 2004[15] Adam Roynon in 2006[16] and Craig Cook in 2009.[17]
Their best season was 2010, when they achieved the treble. After finishing second in the regular season table behind Dudley Heathens during the 2010 National League speedway season they won the playoffs, defeating Newport Wasps in the final. They also won the Knockout Cup and National Trophy.[18] The treble winning team included riders such as Craig Cook, Nick Morris, Robert Branford and Jason Garrity.
The Hitmen struggled to compete in the league in the following years, finishing last in 2016 and enduring a disastrous campaign during 2018. After the 2018 season, the speedway club chairman Jayne Moss withdrew the club at the National League AGM, following financial struggles. The speedway team has not raced since.[19] In the 25 years that the team raced they always competed in the third division.
| width=350 | Year and league | width=50 | Position | width=350 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | As the Hi-Edge Hitmen | ||||
| 3rd | As the Hi-Edge Hitmen | ||||
| 8th | |||||
| 4th | |||||
| 5th | |||||
| 3rd | |||||
| 8th | |||||
| 6th | |||||
| 5th | Knockout Cup winners | ||||
| 6th | |||||
| 6th | |||||
| 11th | |||||
| 6th | |||||
| 7th | |||||
| 6th | |||||
| 4th | |||||
| 2nd | Champions (PO winners) & Knockout Cup winners | ||||
| 8th | |||||
| 7th | |||||
| 6th | |||||
| 8th | |||||
| 8th | |||||
| 12th | |||||
| 10th | |||||
| 10th |
2007 team
2008 team
Also rode:
2009 team
Also Rode:
2010 team
2018 team