9 7 9 ▁Wh ipp s ▁Cross , ▁London ) ▁was ▁a ▁motor cycle ▁speed way ▁r ider . ▁ ▁Career ▁Hard ing ▁began ▁at ▁the ▁R ye ▁House ▁training ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁run ▁by ▁Len ▁Silver ▁and ▁spent ▁several ▁seasons ▁trying ▁to ▁break ▁into ▁a ▁league ▁team . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁the ▁S under land ▁Glad i ators ▁handed ▁him ▁the ▁chance . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁We ym outh ▁W iz ards . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁Len ▁Silver ▁signed ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁H ack ney ▁Haw ks ▁from ▁We ym outh ▁and ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁that ▁season ▁as ▁reserve . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁he ▁began ▁impro ving ▁so ▁much ▁that ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁heat ▁leader . ▁ ▁Death ▁T rag edy ▁struck ▁on ▁ 8 ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁when ▁Hard ing ▁was ▁killed ▁whilst ▁r iding ▁for ▁H ack ney ▁at ▁H ack ney ▁W ick ▁Stadium , ▁Water den ▁Road . ▁He ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁heat ▁as ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁Bo ▁Peters en ▁but ▁during ▁the ▁race ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁terrible ▁crash ▁with ▁Steve ▁We ather ley . ▁Hard ing ▁was ▁killed ▁and ▁We ather ley ▁was ▁left ▁with ▁a ▁broken ▁back ▁and ▁par ap leg ia . ▁▁ ▁Following ▁this ▁trag ic ▁accident , ▁the ▁Haw ks ▁hosted ▁a ▁Vic ▁Hard ing ▁Memorial ▁Tro phy ▁every ▁season ▁in