Ryan Fisher

He was once described as ‘the next Billy Hamill’ and it is fair to say that Ryan Fisher has that American flare and entertainment factor which can dazzle on a speedway track.
That is what first attracted the Coventry Bees to the teenage star five years ago, as he was fast becoming a success across the pond. But after a taste of British speedway, things turned sour for Ryan and he returned to his California home. In 2007, Fisher will return after two years out of Elite League racing, with a new found attitude and ethic to show English fans what they have been missing.
Born in the West coast town of Bloomington , Ryan began racing in 1991 as a junior at the age of eight. Despite his age, Ryan had already started to collect both state and national trophies. In 1996 he was crowned the California State Junior Champion, which he held on to until 1998. He also won the U.S. Junior National Championship, which he defended in ’97 and ’98.
At 16, Ryan progressed to the professional circuits where he continued his success. In his first year, he took the Rookie of the Year title and was the Auburn 25-Lap Champion in 1999 and 2000.
By the end of 2001, his name had spread to the British shores and he was invited to compete in the Brighton Bonanza indoor meeting alongside fellow countryman Billy Janniro. By this time, his name was already being touted and speculation was mounting that he was about to break into British Speedway with Coventry . And Fisher couldn’t have asked for a better introduction, upstaging his Californian buddy Janniro to take the trophy in Brighton on his debut. He had also collected trophies as the San Bernardino Points Champion and the San Bernardino track champion in the same year.
With that, 18 year old Ryan was snapped up by the Bees ahead of the 2002 season to ride alongside Billy Hamill, but was forced to ride against Greg Hancock who was shown the door at Brandon.
Ryan spent two years with the Bees during which he continued his quest for silverware in his home country. He finished third in the AMA National Championship in 2002, but 2003 was a better year for him. He finished second in the same competition when he pushed Greg Hancock to a sudden death run-off, he was a World Under-21 finalist, a German Pairs Champion, third in the U.S. Under 21 Invitational and was also third in the World Grand Prix Qualifier. He also took the path to Sweden , riding for Rospiggarna for a year.
Fisher completed 86 meetings for the Bees in 2002 and 2003, racing in 402 heats and scoring 478 points to earn him an overall average of 5.60 whilst at Coventry.
In 2004, Ryan found himself in the same position as Hancock had twelve months previous, when he was dropped from Coventry ’s team building. Ironically, he decided to follow in Greg’s tyre tracks by joining him on loan at Oxford . He had first impressed the Sandy Lane management with a string of strong performances for Coventry and two excellent guest appearances for the Silver Machine. Former Oxford boss Nigel Wagstaff admitted that recruiting the young and wild Ryan ‘was a risk,’ but one worth taking. Ryan’s first meeting as an Oxford rider would turn out to be against his former club Coventry . After a season with the Silver Machine, Ryan made it into the top 50 riders in the British Elite League, whilst on the continent he defended his German Pairs title.
Fisher was absent from the British scene in 2005 and 2006 and openly admits that his young, wild, party animal reputation has since subsided. He hasn’t stayed too far away from the shale though. Last year he beat former Ace Charlie Venegas in the Industry Hills Speedway meeting in May, whilst also winning the Scratch Main at the 2006 Season Opener for Costa Mesa 's world famous bullring oval at the Orange County Fairgrounds.
Now married to Daelyn, the 23 year old has also recently become a father to Abby, proving a new found maturity as he returns to British speedway with the Aces in 2007.