Long track
Facts:
Track name: Fyn’s Travbane
Track owner: The Trotting Society of Funen
Track address: 51 Prins Haralds Alle, DK 5250 Odense SV.
Length: 1000 m.
Track surface: Granite granulate
Straight width: 25 m.
Bends width: 30 m.
Track record: 1,38,9 min.
Record holder: Harald Wiik Hansen, Norway, July 1950
Opened year/date: 1946
Closed year/date: Ca. 1960
Soon after the end of WW2 the horse trotting track located in the south western outskirt of Odense, known as Sanderum, got opened for motor cycle racing with and without sidecars. The meetings were organized by Fyens Motor Sport, occasionally in cooperation with another club dealing with automobile racing.
Various car classes joined from time to time the meetings. Here in particular Robert Nellemann from Randers excelled driving his Allard racer or in the Midget Class his self constructed Silver Bird powered by a 500 cc JAP engine. Also in the larger car class Svend E. Kronsbjerg called for attention with his brilliantly home built racer based on chassis and motor from an Opel Kapitän.
Around 1959 – 1960 the motor sports activities on the track faded out in respect of the increasing residential developments around the track.
An attempt to re-vitalize the long track motorcycle racing on the horse track was made in 2005. A couple of well known speedway riders together with a trotting trainer, who earlier had been a speedway rider himself, made some test rides. The Danish Motor Union was positive to the project. But with the preparations more than halfway the board of the Trotting Society declined.
Due to the residential areas in close vicinity to the track it is unlikely that any future permission to motor racing there ever will be granted.
Satellite view of the Trotting track in Odense SW.
May 30. 1948 Nordic meeting:
Results:
Expert 500 cc.
Rolling start in 3 heats over 3 x 1000 m. The aggregate of each rider’s two fastest times decided the result.
Place Name Nation. Aggr. time
1. Leif ”Basse” Hveem Norway 3,36,3 min.
2. Orla Knudsen Denmark 3,42,0 min.
3. Harald Wiik Hansen Norway 3.44.4 min.
4. Aage Andersen Denmark 3,54,4 min.
Ekspert & Special 500 cc. 1 heat with rolling start
Place Name Nation. Time.
1. Leif ”Basse” Hveem Norway 1,52,6 min.
2. Orla Knudsen Denmark 1,53,0 min.
3. Bent Jensen Denmark 1.54.0 min.
The picture above describes more than words the terrible accident that hit the sidecar pilot Knud E. Mogensen and his passenger caused by a front tyre burst which blocked the front wheel when entering a bend at full throttle and more 100 kmh. The motor cycle looped high up in the air. Mogensen seriously injured and his passenger with minor bruises got rushed to hospital.
For Knud E. Mogensen the crash spelled the end of a fine career which since 1925 brought him 230 wins and a long row of second and third places home and abroad.
May 1. 1949 Nordic meeting:
Results:
Expert 500 cc:
Rolling start behind master in 3 heats over 3 x 1000 m.
The aggregate of each rider’s two fastest times decided the result.
Place Name Nation. Aggr. time.
1. Orla Knudsen Denmark 3,33,0 min.
2. Harald Wiik Hansen Norway 3,38,8 min.
3. Bent Jensen Denmark 3.39.5 min.
4. Verner Lorentsen Norway 3,40,4 min.
5. Aage Jacobsen Denmark 3,48,5 min.
6. Stelland Strand Sweden 3,50,0 min.
Special 500 cc.
Place Name Hometown Aggr. time.
1. C. O. Jensen Ejby 3,41,0 min.
2. Svend Jensen Odense 3,44,8 min.
3. Svend Nissen Odense 3.59,2 min.
Standard 500 cc:
Standing start with running engine.
Place Name Hometown Aggr. time.
1. Leif Bech Copenhagen 4,06,8 min.
2. Ejvind Hansen Ejlstrup 4,08,9 min.
3. Poul Kalor Odense 4.13,6 min. *)
*) Poul Kalor rode a 350 cc bike.
Sidecar over 500 cc:
Standing start with running engine.
Place Name Hometown Aggr. time.
1. Gösta Sandberg Sweden 4,15,5 min.
2. Svend Knudsen Odense 4,16,4 min.
3. Knud Groenild Copenhagen 4.59,4 min.
September 25. 1949 Nordic Long Track Championship:
All heats got ridden over 5 x 1000 m. Really a tough turnout for riders and bikes.
The method of calculating the results was meticulously described inside the programme.
It was all about fastest time. No points considered.
Nations Championship:
1. Norway Leif ”Basse” Hveem, Werner Lorentsen, Harald Wiik Hansen and Ingvard Varkold.
2. Denmark Orla Knudsen, Bent Jensen, Uno Jensen and Aage Andersen.
3. Finland P. Koskela, L. Reivonen, I. Terjia and Y. Heikillä.
“Basse” Hveem
Individuel Championship: Plac. Navn Nation.
1. Leif ”Basse” Hveem Norway
2. Harald Wiik Hansen Norway
3. Aage Andersen Denmark.
Very unusually no Swedish rider rode in this meeting.
May 7. 1950:
The meeting had the motor cycle classes Special 500 cc, Standard 500 cc, Sidecars and a junior class. Further a class for Midgetracers with Kaj O. Hansen, Carl Amelung and Axel Hansen all from Copenhagen, against Robert Nellemann from Randers and Svend E. Andersen from Aarhus.
9000 spectators witnessed a dramatic incident in the sidecar handicap, when Thorkild Sorensen from Horsens for full throttle on his Vincent HRD tried to overtake the Aarhusian Carlo Sejer Jensen in the final bend. The bike highsided and took a high loop in the air, when the passenger Henrik Briesemeister fell off. A breathtaking crash was the result, but both men ecscaped with minor bruises.
Also the midgetcars spelled drama. In the first heat Robert Nellemann from Randers lost a front wheel, but luckily kept the car rolling until clear of danger. In the second heat Kaj O. Hansen took a couple of spins and hit a pole in the fence, but both car and driver escaped unhurt.
Finally in the last lap Robert Nellemann lost a rear wheel, which flew up in the air and ended in a tree at trackside.
Results: Aggregate of two best times.
Midgetcars,
1. Kaj O Hansen, 3,59,7 min.
2. Carl Amelung, 4,05,0 min.
3. Axel Hansen, 4,25,6 min.
Special 500 cc.
1. Svend Aage Rasmussen, Odense, 3,40,0 min.
2. Svend Nissen, Odense, 3,40,5 min.
3. Bent Jensen, Aarhus, 3,43,8 min.
Standard 500 cc.
1. Borge Morch, Kolding, 3,55,8 min.
2. Aage Iversen, Sonderborg, 4,02,2 min.
3. Robert Nellemann, Randers, 5,02,4 min.
Sidecars.
1. Carlo S. Jensen, Aarhus, 3,54,9 min.
2. Thorkild Sorensen, Horsens, 4,00,4 min.
3. Thorkild Thy, Copenhagen, 5,02,8 min.
Junior Standard 500 cc.
1. Johannes Mygind, Odense, 4,15,9 min.
2. Erik Krogh, Odense, 4,35,6 min.
3. Erik Marcussen, Kerteminde, 5,27,4 min.
Handicaps. 1. heat.
Standard 500 cc.
1. Borge Morch, Kolding, 2,08,5 min.
2. Ejvind Hansen, Korup, 2,09,2 min.
3. Robert Nellemann, Randers, 2,09,7 min.
Special 500 cc.
1. Carl Otto Jensen, Ejby, 1,53,7 min.
2. Villy Andersen, Kolding, 1,55,0 min.
3. Jorgen Nielsen, Copenhagen, 2,01,0 min.
Sidecars.
Carlo S. Jensen, Aarhus, 1,56,2 min.
Midgetcars.
1. Svend E. Andersen, 2,11,7 min.
2. Kaj O. Andersen, 2,12,0 min.
September 28. 1958 Danish Long tr ack Championship:
The riders list had entries from 50 solo riders and 26 sidecar pairs.
Results:
All heats over 3 x 1000 m. Standing start with running engine.
Place Name Hometown
500 cc. special:
1. Poul Hansen, Copenhagen. 1.43.7 = 104 km/h.
2. Svend Nissen, Odense.
3. Erik Kastebo, Copenhagen.
Kurt W. Petersen, Ringsted won his initial heats but retired with engine failure in the final.
500 cc. Standard:
1. Knud Nielsen, Aarhus.
2. Soeren Juul, Viborg
3. Peter Soby, Randers.
250 cc. Standard:
1. Henry Vorre, Viborg.
2. Harry Kristensen, Randers.
3. Thorkild Kirk, Aalborg.
175 cc. Standard:
1. John Arendtsen, Copenhagen.
2. Aksel Jensen, Aalborg.
3. Svend Larsen, Stenlose.
500 cc. Sidecar:
1. Egon Walther, Copenhagen.
2. Johannes Hansen, Odense.
3. Carl Andersen, Aarhus.
750 cc. Sidecar:
1 Johannes Hansen, Odense.
2. Kaj Christensen, Fjellerad
3. Leo Petersen, Valby.
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