Zbigniew Raniszewski

Raniszewski started his speedway career with TKM Toruń (Toruński Klub Motocyklowy), the club in the city he was born and bred in. In 1951, he joined Gwardia Bydgoszcz and his first league season was during the 1951 Polish speedway season.^[1] It turned out to be his breakthrough season because he won the bronze medal behind Włodzimierz Szwendrowski and Alfred Spyra in the Polish Individual Speedway Championship^[3] and also won the silver medal in the Team Speedway Polish Championship.^[4]

As a member of the Gwardia Bydgoszcz team he went on to win a silver medal in 1953. He was also twice winner of the Criterium Aces at his home track in 1951 and 1953.^[5]

In 1955, he won another bronze medal at the Individual Polish Championship and won the Polish league title with Gwardia Bydgoszcz.^[6]

On 21 April 1956, he was representing Poland against Austria at the Praterstadion in Vienna, when he lost his life in a crash. On the first bend he hit a set of stairs that had not been protected by a safety fence.^[7] Before the news of his death reached England he had been named in the Polish team to tour the United Kingdom in May of 1956.^[8]

After his death the KS Apator Stadium was prefixed with his name as a mark of respect.

Rider deaths in motorcycle speedway