CLUB DEBUT: 16 April 1965 versus Cradley Heath (Home) British League; 0 points (2 rides).
FRANKLIN JOHN SHUTER moved with his parents to Christchurch in 1952, and it was there some years later that he took up speedway racing. In 1965, having ridden but a few meetings, he decided to try his luck in England where, with the formation of the British League, there were opportunities for young riders to make good.
With fellow countryman Barry Briggs - who had been a regular visitor to the Shuters garage in Christchurch - riding for Swindon, it made sense for Frank to head for the Wiltshire town. And it was on Good Friday, 16 April, that he made his club debut in a home league fixture versus Cradley Heath. He wore the No. 7 race-jacket and was mustard keen, but an inauspicious start saw him end the meeting pointless from his two starts.
According to reports "he was quite sharp from the gate, but once away he proved to be something of a fence scraper" and provided the Blunsdon faithful with plenty of thrills. What the public - and probably the Swindon management - didn't realize at the time was just how little racing experience Shuter actually had. If truth be told, he was only just starting his career on shale, although one thing was crystal clear, the lad was full of guts and determination.
At the time, Bob Kilby was recovering from an injury to one of his fingers, whilst the Rider Control Committee had demanded that the Swindon bosses release Roy Bowers, otherwise Frank would have probably been limited to just second-half outings. As it was, his opportunities were spasmodic in the first half of the season as Kilby quickly recovered fitness, and Bowers was surprisingly allowed to return.
In fact, Shuter had to wait until 5 June before he got his first points for the Robins in a home league match against Edinburgh. This occurred in heat four, and although visiting rider Bill Landels won the race, Frank, amid great cheers from the crowd, managed to hang on for second place ahead of Kevin Torpie.
The keen Kiwi was to enjoy two extended runs in the side as the year moved on, but despite continually working hard, the points were tough to come by and he ended the campaign with a meagre tally of just 14 from eighteen league matches. A few years later in an interview, he admitted: "I'd hardly ridden speedway before and I wasn't good enough to make a league team."
Back with Swindon in 1966, he had to fight for a team place as both Clive Hitch and Pete Munday had been signed. With true grit, he overcame a shaky start to become a regular teamster and, as his riding improved, so did his scoring. He upped his haul to 97 points and, with it, his league average rose to 4.46, compared with a 1.53 figure the season before.
The undoubted highlight of his year took place at Blunsdon on 14 September, when he gleaned 10 points from four starts as Belle Vue were dispatched 53-25 in a league match. Briggo and Shuter often travelled to meetings together and Frank learned a lot about setting up his bike from Barry.
In 1967, Swindon won the British League Championship and Shuter remained ever-present in a side that used just eight riders over the entire campaign. He was a steady and reliable member of the winning combination, often chipping in with telling contributions, none more so than when the Robins went to King's Lynn for their final match on 20 October.
Swindon needed to win the meeting in order to secure the title and, amid great tension, they managed to eke out a 44-34 success, with Frank netting 6+1 points. His final total for the year was 105 league points, which was sufficient for a slightly increased average of 4.52.
He really began to go places with the Robins in 1968, as reflected in a final league average of 5.44, only to be rewarded with a posting to Poole by Rider Control. He never really realized his potential with the Dorset side, but he remained a very good reserve cum second-string rider as he helped the Pirates to league title glory in 1969.
Shuter stayed with Poole the following season, prior to spending a year at home in New Zealand in 1971. After returning to these shores, he again linked with Poole in 1972, prior to being posted on again to Exeter. Riding alongside the likes of Ivan Mauger and Scott Autrey, he enjoyed two seasons at the County Ground, culminating in another League Championship success in 1974.
Frank gave up British speedway after that and moved to Israel to take a lucrative engineering job. In 1976, he rode for a Rest of the World line-up against an American team. He later made his home in the United States, where he established an engineering business in California.
There was to be one final episode in Shuter's speedway career. On 8 October 1988, he made a nostalgic trip back to Blunsdon to register 2 points for the re-formed Swindon side of 1967 against the Soft Water Centre All-Stars. He endured an eight-hour flight to take part, but happily stated: "I would not want to have missed such an occasion."
It was very sad for all Swindon Speedway followers when, in 1997, it was reported that Frank had been killed in a motorcycle accident in California on 12 July, when a car hit his motorbike at an intersection. He was just fifty-four years of age and was widely considered one of speedway's gentlemen, who always did his best for each team he represented.
Although, perhaps, best known for his exploits on the speedway circuits, he was also an accomplished racing car driver. His father, Frank Shuter snr, was a top car racing competitor, and Shuter jnr raced his dad's Edelbrock V8 Special on several circuits, including those at Waimate and Ruapuna, and also at the Tahunanui Beach races. In 1965, Frank had also raced his father's Ferrari at the Lady Wigram Trophy Race meeting.
However, he preferred the challenge offered by speedway and earned the distinction of representing three British League Championship-winning teams - Swindon, Poole and Exeter - between 1965 and 1974.
On the individual front, in 1968, Shuter finished as runner-up in the New Zealand Championship to double World Champion Ronnie Moore, before going one better in 1971, when he took the title at Ruapuna, ahead of Allan Brown, Roger Wright and Gary Peterson. During his career, he also represented his country on fourteen occasions.
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DATE OF BIRTH: 17 June 1943, Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand.
In fact, Shuter had to wait until 5 June before he got his first points for the Robins in a home league match against Edinburgh. This occurred in heat four, and although visiting rider Bill Landels won the race, Frank, amid great cheers from the crowd, managed to hang on for second place ahead of Kevin Torpie.
He really began to go places with the Robins in 1968, as reflected in a final league average of 5.44, only to be rewarded with a posting to Poole by Rider Control. He never really realized his potential with the Dorset side, but he remained a very good reserve cum second-string rider as he helped the Pirates to league title glory in 1969.
