Copenhagen Speedway
Facts:
Track name: Copenhagen Speedway
Track owner: Copenhagen City
Track Address: Ved Slusen 2. DK 2450 København SV.
Length: 400 m. Moped track 200 m.
Track surface: Cinders
Straigth width: 11 m.
Bends width: 16 m.
Opened year/date: August 26 – 27 1978
Closed year/date: 2008.
Satellite view of the speedway on Amager Common.
The old Amager Speedway in the infield of Amager Trotting track closed on June 27. 1963.
After that day all important speedway meetings in Denmark got staged outside Copenhagen, some on Selskov Speedway at Hilleroed or Fredericia Stadium, after 1975 also at Vojens. One annual Long track meeting (the Gold Bar races) got staged on Charlottenlund raceway until 1976 and in 1983 and 1984. But a real speedway stadium did not exist in Copenhagen
The City council of Copenhagen made an area available in the southern part of Amager Common near the locks of Copenhagen’s south port. In the past the area had served as a city dump. The aim was to build a motor sports center less than 6 miles away from the center of Copenhagen. The area was administrated by Copenhagen Youth Center (KUC) from 1986 to 2001 and later by the Culture- & Leisure administration of Copenhagen.
Amager Motor Cycle Club (AMCK) opened a moto cross trail there in 1977 and a speedway in 1978. Around the speedway a 10 m. high noise abating wall got erected. The inside built in terraces to provide standings for the spectators, who had a fine view all over the track.
The quality of the track surface did not match that of the old Amager track. It could be very rutted and slick too. From time to time reminders of the old dump penetrated the surface.
From 1980 to 1986 Amager Motorsports Club cooperated with Danish Sidecar & Sand track union to host a number of great sidecar meetings and unofficial sidecar championships on short track.
At the general assembly 1988 Amager Motor Cycle Club decided to change name to Amager Moto cross Club, keeping the initials AMCK, to emphasize that the club’s sole interest was – and still is – moto cross.
Running of the speedway had to find new frames. A new club named “Københavns Speedway Klub” (Copenhagen Speedway Club took over headed by the well known rider and motor cycle dealer Jens Munkedal. The team in the Danish tournament continued under the name of “København”
The attention from the public and the riders diminished. The club ran into financial troubles and closed. Between 1994 and 2001 Copenhagen Speedway does not figure neither in the lists of official results nor the meeting calendars.
A new club named ”Københavns Speedway KBH” got formed late in 1999 and took over with Micro Speedway in 2000, later with 80 cc when the club hosted the Championship of Sjaelland in 2002 and 500 cc where the club participated in 2. Division of he Danish Tournament. But it never reached the former level of activity.
A new semi-roofed pit area got inaugurated in the Easter of 2003 when the club held a well attended training School for 80 cc. and 500 cc. riders with Danish, Swedish and Polish international riders as teachers. The training school got repeated in 2004
With only 3 riders left the club had to withdraw mid season 2007 from 2. Division 500 cc.
An increasing number of riders from Copenhagen and vicinity turned towards Slangerup Speedway where conditions were better.
With only 3 riders left the club had to withdraw mid season 2007 from 2. Division 500 cc.
An increasing number of riders from Copenhagen and vicinity turned towards Slangerup Speedway where conditions were better.
Following a development plan for Amager Common from 2003 residential areas came closer and closer to the Motor Sports centre, and calculations proved that reducing the noise level by 10 to 20 dB was impossible, there was no option but in 2008 to close the area, where AMCK since 1977 has had its moto cross trail and the speedway since 1978. The latter abandoned already in 2007 and converted to a BMX piste.
That spelled the obituary of permanent speedway tracks in Copenhagen.
Some results:
Sidecar meetings 1980 – 86
September 12. 1982. International sidecar best pairs:
12 pairs each put together of a senior team and a junior team.
1 Niels Munk Nielsen / Jens Pedersen, DK, Walther Kossmann / Regine Schwartz, D 13 point.
2 Frank Damgaard / Erik Dam, DK, Kurt Yndgaard / Steen Andersen, DK 9 point.
3 Ditmar Hans / Hauge Jacobsen, D, Jorgen Baumgaard / Jan Johnsen, DK 8 point.
Danish Champion Jan Rasmussen with Lars Vinding in the sidecar
leading Walther Kossmann / Regine Schwartz..
1984
1. Niels Munk Nielsen / Finn Schmidt DK.
2. Jan Rasmussen / Remi Kruse DK.
3. Örnulf Aasen / Erik Bentzen N.
4. Oscar Lagoni / Leif Nyström S.
Close race. Team no. 10, Niels Munk Nielsen/ Finn Schmidt
came out the better from this fight.
June 2.1985. National sidecar meeting 6 laps final heat:
1. Jan Rasmussen / Remi Kruse.
2. Jens Mikkelsen / Frank Hansen.
3. Svend O Nielsen / Erik Haarkær.
4. Karl Erik Nielsen / Ulrik Nielsen.
5. Villy Lund / Freddy Lund.
6. Kurt Yndgaard / Nick Nielsen.
August 11.1985. International sidecar meeting.
1 Jan Rasmussen / Remi Kruse, DK 14 point.
2 Oscar Lagoni / Kenneth Nyström, S 13 point.
3 Örnulf Aasen / Erik Bentzen, N 11 point.
4 Svend O Nielsen / Erik Haarkaer, DK 10 point.
5 Niels Munk Nielsen / Finn Schmidt, DK 9 point.
6 Jens Mikkelsen / Frank Hansen, DK 7 point.
On the podium: No. 1. Jan Rasmussen and Remi Kruse,
No. 2. Oscar Lagoni and Kenneth Nyström,
No. 3: Örnulf Aasen and Erik Bentzen
Jan Rasmussen and Remi Kruse in action on the low riding ”Banana sidecar”.
In 1985 the Amager team won 2. Division in the speedway
tournament, and advanced to 1. Division.
From left. Ole Madsen, Heine Sorensen, Jens Munkedal,
Benny Thögersen and Kjeld Munkedal.
Team manager Lissie Laursen in the middle.
September 14. 1986. International sidecar meeting.
Cancelled due to heavy rain and not later re-staged.
1986 was a year when the silence on the track got broken only by the team’s practice meetings and home matches. The team finished second last in 1. Division.
1987
Two scheduled sidecar meetings both got cancelled by decision of the club management.
July 4. 1987 U.21 Nations match Denmark 1, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark 2.
1. Denmark 1 33 point.
2. Hungary 31 point.
3. Sweden 23 point.
4. Denmark 2 21 point.
Danish top scorer was Henrik Kristensen from Esbjerg.
The day after a second match in Slangerup was won by Hungary.
June 26.1988 80 cc Nations match Denmark – Sweden.
1. Denmark 69 point, Sweden 39 point.
The nations match was a part of a series of four, staged at Skærbæk DK, Amager DK, Eskilstuna S and Linköping S. Denmark won all 4.
June 8. 1989 500 cc Nations match Denmark – Sweden.
1. Denmark 66 point. 2. Sweden 42 point.
Jan O. Pedersen 16 point. Per Jonsson 14 point.
Erik Gundersen 14 point. Henka Gustafsson 9 point.
Hans Nielsen 10 point. Jimmy Nilsen 7 point.
John Jorgensen 10 point. Erik Stenlund 5 point.
Brian Karger 9 point. Mikael Blixt 3 point.
Peter Ravn 5 point. Tony Olsson 3 point.
Allan Johansen 3 point. Peter Nahlin 1 point.
Ole Hansen Dnr.
June 24. 1990 U.21 Nations match Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Poland.
1. Denmark 40 point. 2. Poland 26 point.
Claus Jacobsen 10 point. Miroslaw Kovalik 4 point.
Brian Andersen 9 point. Robert Sawina 7 point.
Jacob Olsen 9 point. Janusz Slaczka 0 point.
Hans Clausen 9 point. Thomasz Faifer 8 point.
Heinrich Nielsen 4 point. Jarek Olszewski 7 point.
3. Sweden 25 point. 4. Norway 15 point.
Joakim Karlsson 10 point. Lars Gunnestad 9 point.
Jimmy Engmann 7 point. Odd Pettersen 3 point.
Robert Johansson 2 point. Rolf Netland 1 point.
Tony Rickardsson 0 point. Jorn Aardal 2 point.
Göran Flood 6 point. Nils Mellomstrand 0 point.
July 22. Danish Amateur Championship Finale.
1. Bo Petersen 15 point.
2. Jens Peter Nielsen 11 point.
3. Per Sorensen 10+3 point.
4. Hans Clausen 10+2 point.
5. Gert Handberg 10+1 point.
August 11.1991 Nordic U-21 Championship, teams and og individual.
1. Denmark 47 point. 2. Finland 30 point.
Morten Andersen 11 point. Petri Nurmesniemi 9 point.
Hans Clausen 11 point. Niklas Finne 6 point.
Jacob Olsen 11 point. Tomi Havu 5 point.
Brian Andersen 9 point. Jarno Kosonen 5 point.
Claus Jacobsen 5 point. Petri Vaatsio 5 point.
3. Sweden 23 point. 4. Norway 8 point.
Jimmy Engmann 8 point. Jörn Aardal 2 point.
Mikael Karlsson 8 point. John Pollestad 2 point.
Stefan Andersson 4 point. Roger Sundvor 2 point.
Nicklas Klingberg 3 point. Rolf Netland 1 point.
Joakim Karlsson 0 point. Kjetil Tveitdal 1 point.
Individual Championship
1. Morten Andersen Denmark
2. Mikael Karlsson Sweden
3. Hans Clausen Denmark
4. Petri Nurmesniemi Finland
1992
The speedway team from Copenhagen did not ride in the 1992 tournament after 5 years in the 1. Division.
September 30. 1992: Promotion meeting.
After a summer with almost no activity an the speedway a promotion meeting got staged with participation from 80 cc and 500 cc speedway riders together with moto cross riders and cross carts.
It was a special experience for some to ride the heavier moto cross bikes around a speedway, but after a short practice it went OK. After the meeting a broad stream of prizes got distributed, but no prize list has ever been issued.
April 24. 1993 Danish Junior World Championship qualification:
1. Bo Larsen 12+3 point.
2. Allan Nielsen 12+2 point.
3. Ronni Pedersen 11+3 point.
4. Kim Pedersen 11+2 point.
5. René Madsen 10+3 point.
6. Carsten Hansen 10+2 point.
The riders below proceeded to the WC quarter finals:
Ronni Pedersen and Allan Nielsen to Brockstedt (Germany)
Carsten Hansen, Bo Larsen and Jacob Olsen (seeded) to Fjelsted (DK).
René Madsen and Kim Petersen to Pfaffenhofen (Germany)
May 9.1993 Danish Championship semifinal and Nordic qualification.
This meeting was staged at Copenhagen Speedway but organized vy Slangerup Speedway Club
1. Kenneth Arnfred 15 point.
2. Jacob Olsen 14 point.
3. Ronni Pedersen 12 point.
4. Allan Johansen 11 point.
5. Morten Andersen 10 point.
6. Ole Hansen 9 point.
7. Jan Staechmann 8 point.
7 riders proceeded to the finals in Randers and Fjelsted, while Brian Andersen and Jan Andersen had to settle with the reserve berths.
August 21. Danish Junior Championship semifinal.
1. Carsten Hansen 14 point.
2. Anders Nielsen 11 point.
3. Klaus Rasmussen 10 point.
October 13. 2002. 80 cc Championship of Sjaelland.
1. Michael Melchiorsen 15 point.
2. Mark Lund Jensen 14 point.
3. Nicolaj Carlsen 13 point.
2003 Danish tournament 80 cc 3. division
Gold. Copenhagen KBH
Silver. Mid Sjaelland Motor Sport
Bronze. Grindsted Speedway Klub.
2006. Danish tournament 500 cc 2. Division.
Mixed team, Brovst/ Copenhagen place 9
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