Aarhus Trotting track

The Jutland Raceway.
Long Track

Facts:
Track name: Jysk Vaeddeloebsbane Aarhus
Address: Observatorievejen 2, 8000 Aarhus C.
Length: 1080 m.
Surface: Granite granulate
First meeting: 1946
Last meeting: 1967

“Jysk Vaeddeloebsbane” is officially the Danish name of the trotting track in Aarhus. It opened on June 29. 1924, solely designed for horse racing.

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Satellite view of the trotting Aarhus track, located in the Marselisborg
forest as neighbor to Aarhus  Athletic Stadium, where in the same
period many speedway meetings were held.

In 1946 permission got given to motor racing on the track, which proved well suited for motor cycles as well as for cars. However we have no record of meetings before 1951.
The fans – sometimes more than 10.000 – appreciated the fine grandstand and the excellent view from all over the bankings around the track.

jv2The picture is from the track’s 50 years jubilee edition.
Overlooking the track from the grandstand.

The meetings got organized by the Aarhus Motor Klub AMK, occasionally by Aarhus Motor Klub Auto sport (AMKA) or the Automobilsports Klubben (ASK). Sometimes the meetings was a mix of motor cycle heats and cars.

jv14Programme cover from an AMK/AMKA cooperative meeting 1966

July 24.1966
Results:
Junior sport 500 cc. No. 1. Mogens Dam. Aarhus.
Junior sport sidecar 500 cc:  No. 1. Poul Kristensen/Jens Poulsgaard. Fredericia.
Senior spec. sidecar 500 cc: No. 1. Kurt Larsen/Leif Larsen. Odense.

AMK organized a total of 7 Danish Long track Championships, always with a great number of riders in various classes. Furthermore the club hosted a qualification meeting for the European Long track Championship in 1962 and the Nordic Championship finals in 1959 and 1967, which was the last year with motor racing on the track. Some results are brought below. Non – championship meetings may not be listed.

jv4This characteristic programme cover got copied at many of AMK’s meetings.

September 23. 1951: Danish Long track Championships:
Open for the classes 50 cc, 175 cc, 350 cc, 500 cc standard, 500 cc special, 500 cc sport, 500 cc sidecar. In total 78 riders, among them 11 in the 50 cc class riding on Diesella (5), BFC (5) and Bantam (1).
Possibly this was the first Danish Championship in this class. It is known that in 1950 the same class rode on the Fangel track near Odense, and in the same period of time also on some other tracks.
It is doubtful whether these meetings were recognized as Danish Championships. Unlike today the 50 cc bikes were not specialized racing bikes, but street pedal bikes mounted with small engines. The riders were not youngster but adults fully equipped in leather suits. The top speed might have been approx, 25 mph.

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One name on this list appears well known. Bent Jensen,
who already before WW2 was experienced dirt track rider.

Results:
Sport 50 cc:
No. 1. Bent Jensen.
No.2. Thor Petersen.
No.3. Otto Pedersen.

Standard 175 cc: Henrik Wozny,             Odense
Standard 350 cc: Arne Svendsen,           Silkeborg
Standard 500 cc: Johannes Mygind,       Odense
Std. Sport 500 cc: Niels Blumensaadt,   Randers
Sidecar 500 cc: Axel Wang Hansen.

Special 500 cc: (4 laps).
No. 1. Kiehn Berthelsen,                           Ringsted         2,31,0.
No. 2 Morian Hansen,                               Copenhagen  2,32,6.
No. 3 Orla Knudsen,                                  Copenhagen  2,32,8..


September 27. 1953: Danish Long track Championship.
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Kiehn Berthelsen leading the 250 cc class ahead of Gunnar Williams.

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Gunnar Williams with the laurels

Results:
Sport 175 cc: Kiehn Berthelsen
Sport 250 cc: Gunnar Williams
Sport 350 cc: Henrik Baekgaard.
Sport 500 cc. Johannes Mygind.
Special 500 cc: Kiehn Berthelsen.
Sidecar 500 cc: Hans Th. Jacobsen.
Sidecar 750 cc: Kresten A. Krestensen.

scan0001The winners’ parade.

September 4. 1955. Danish Long track Championship.
Champions: Fastest time for 5 laps.
Sport 175 cc:
No. 1. Henrik Baekgaard                           4,00,3 min.
No. 2 Kjeld Jensen                                     4,01,3. min.
No. 3. Gunnar Andersen                           4,03,1 min.
.
Sport 350 cc:
No. 1. Mogens Kjaer Hansen                   3,41,4. min.
No. 2. Harry Hansen                                 3,44,3. min.
No. 3. Johannes Mygind                           3,44,8. min.

Sport 500 cc:
No. 1. Soren Juul                                       3,23,6. min.
No. 2. Arne Svendsen                               3,24,3. min.
No. 3. Borge Morch                                  3.24,9. min.

Special 500 cc:
No. 1. Kiehn Berthelsen                           3,04,4. min.
No. 2 Arne Pander                                    3,04,8. min.
No. 3. Otto Nielsen                                   3,08,6. min.

Sidecar 500 cc:
No. 1. Willy Baasch                                   3,51,9. min.
No. 2. Harry Pedersen                              3,52,8  min.
No. 3. Leo Bakmann Skovsen                  3,58,3. min.

Sidecar 650 cc:
No. 1. Hans Th. Jacobsen                         3, 42,4  min.
No. 2. Niels Andersen                               3,42,7  min..
No. 3. Egon Walther                                  3,49,5 .min.

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1955, Arne Svendsen in front and Borge Morch fiercely fighting.

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Hans Th. and Gilbert Jacobsen leading Harry Pedersen and Gunnar Williams.

 

August 26. 1956: Danish Long track Championship.

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Same programme cover got reused a couple of times in 1956.

The programme cover depicted a flexible Sidecar, where the passenger with a steering wheel could alter the inclination of the bike in the bends. Such design got banned by FIM. The bike’s inclination must be securely fixed during the ride.

Results:
Sport 175 cc, fastest time:
No. 1. Axel Jensen                                    3,55,7.  min.
No. 2 Kjeld Jensen                                    3,55,9. min.
No. 3. Erhard Fisker                                  3,56,4. min.

Sport 250 cc, fastest time:
No. 1. Arne Pander                                   3,43,0. min.
No. 2. Niels Blumensaadt                        3,49,5. min.
No. 3. Chr. Christensen                            3,53,0. min.

Sport 350 cc, fastest time:
No. 1. Harry Hansen                                 3,35,0. min.
No. 2. Bent Rasmussen                            3,35,2. min.
No. 3. Henry Kjaergaard                           3,36,0. min.

Sport 500 cc, Final heat:
No. 1. Knud Nielsen
No. 2. Soren Juul.
No. 3. Niels Moller.

Sidecar 500 cc, Final heat:
No. 1. Willy Baasch.
No. 2. Egon Walther.

Sidecar 750 cc, Final heat:
No. 1. Egon Walther.
No. 2. Orla Nielsen.
No. 3. Willy Baasch.

September 29. 1957, Danish Long track Championship:

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From 1957 and on AMK began selling the cover lay-out to advertisers.

Results:
Sport 175 cc, fastest time:
No. 1. Kjeld Jensen                                    3,02,0. min.
No. 2. Leif Hansen                                     3,12,0. min.
No. 3. Svend Larsen                                  3,14,4. min.

Sport 250 cc, fastest time:
No. 1. Arne Pander                                   3,00,0. min.
No. 2. Harry Christensen                         3,03,0. min.
No. 3. Henry Vorre                                    3,06,0. min.

Sport 500 cc, Final heat:
No. 1. H.P. Boisen
No. 2. Knud Nielsen.
No. 3. Bent Thomsen.

Sidecar 500 cc, fastest time
No. 1. Willy Baasch                                    2,59,6. min.
No. 2. Carl Andersen                                 3,01,4. min.
No. 3. Leo Bakmann Skovsen                   3,04,3 .min.

Sidecar 750 cc, fastest time
No. 1. Leo Petersen                                   2,56,9. min.
No. 2. H. Kyndby Christensen                  3,08,4. min.
No. 3. John Lindberg                                 3,09,0. min.


September 13. 1959, Nordic Long track Championship:

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The conduct of this meeting was by no means a success for Aarhus Motor Klub. However the club was not alone to be blamed.
The nations teams as well as their leaders, and not least the Norwegian referee should carry their parts of the responsibility.
Despite the four Nordic unions all had agreed upon the rules, the Finnish team met with megaphone exhausts on their bikes, which was expressively forbidden, and they were much unwilling to take them off. Furthermore the same team came without nation jackets.
Sweden and Norway both had nation jackets but without rider numbers.
Even worse the Swedish team last minute before meeting opening withdrew their two great attractions Olle Nygren and Ove Fundin from the team, doubtfully explained by military service.
The president of DMU Mr. H. Damkjaer Pedersen should have given an opening speech, but the club had forgotten to inform him, and also forgot to give him an all area entrance card.
Caused by delayed heats and some foolish crashes on a hard, bumpy and very dusty track, which sent five riders to hospital, the meeting lasted 3½ hour.
15.000 spectators were polite enough to detain their whistling and booing until the last heat.

Results:
Nordic Team  Champions:
No.1. Finland                     37 p.
No. 2. Norway                   15 p.
No.3. Sweden                    11 p.
No.4. Denmark.                   6 p.

Individual Nordic Champion:
No. 1. Rune Sörmander,                           Sweden.
No.2 Aulis Tuominen,                               Finland,
No. 3. Kurt W. Petersen,                           Denmark.
September 17. 1961, International meeting:

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Results:
500 cc. Special:
No. 1. Josef Hoffmeister.                           W. Germany.
No. 2. Kurt W. Petersen.                           Denmark.
No. 3. Kauko Jousanen.                            Finland.

500 cc Sport.
No. 1. Soren Juul,                                     Viborg.
No. 2. Niels Moller,                                    Viborg.
No. 3. Bent Thomsen,                               Struer.

Sidecar 500 cc Sport.
No. 1. Leo Bakmann Skovsen/ Peter Korsgaard,                   Randers.
No. 2. Hermann J. Knappenstein,                                           W. Germany.
No. 3. Kurt Larsen/ Svend Hüttemann,                                   Odense.

1962  Danish Long track Championship Sidecars. 
and European Long track qualification 1. leg:
Organizer: Esbjerg Motor Sport.
500. cc. sidecar.
No. 1: Carl Andersen/Carsten Braedder.              Aarhus.

750. cc. sidecar.
No. 1: Carl Andersen/Carsten Braedder.              Aarhus.

scan0008

Double sidecar Champions. Passenger Carsten Braedder,
Sidecar pilot Carl Andersen 
The gentleman to right is Chairman
of the Sports Commission, E. Elmstrom Larsen

EC. qualification.
No.1. Erling Simonsen.                             Norway.
No.2. Fred Aberl.                                      W. Germany.
No.3. Kauko Jousanen.                            Finland.
No.4. Svend Nissen.                                 Denmark.

1965 Danish Junior Long track Championship.
Sport 250 cc. No.1. Mogens Christensen,                                  Aalborg.
Sport 500 cc. No.1. Preben Moller Christensen,                       Odense.
Special 500 cc. No.1. Ole Olsen,                                                 Haderslev.
Sport sidecar 500 cc. No.1. Svend. O. Nielsen/Henry Holm,  Esbjerg.

1967 Nordic Long track Championship:
Nordic  Team Champions: 
No.1. Finland.
No. 2. Sweden.
No. 3. Norway.
No. 4. Denmark.

Individual Nordic Champion:
No. 1: Kurt. W. Petersen. Denmark.

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