Earth track
September 7. 1952, Opening meeting:
In front of 4000 spectators a new speedway opened in Kolding at Tved road, located neighbor to the Agricultural Fair ground. In the opening programme classes 500 cc special, 500 cc standard, 350 cc sport and sidecars were listed.
In a contemporary report it can be read, that the track had a length of 340 metres and the race distance was 5 laps per heat. That was very unusual as on most tracks – also the former tracks in Kolding – the riders rode only 4 laps.
The same report tells that the rider Lindegaard Petersen in the special class crashed when his bike fell in two parts due to a broken weld. A sidecar passenger fell off and got run over by the following machine, but escaped unhurt.
A crashed special rider got hospitalized with a concussion.
A peculiar race format called Australian pursuit chase was very popular then. A number of riders were evenly distributed around the track at the start. A rider had to retire on the infield when he got overtaken by another rider, and so on until only the winner was left on the track. Hence the racing distance was initially unknown, but because the heavy standard bikes were used, the riders’ physical condition gave an upper limit.
Results:
Ekspert 500 cc:.
1. Aksel Müller 17 point.
2. K. Lindegaard Petersen 15 point.
3. V. Langkjaer Christensen 9 point..
Sport 500 cc.
1. Borge Morch 6 point.
2. Ernst Osterlund 5 point.
3. Niels E. Nielsen 4 point.
Sport 350 cc.
1. Soren Juul 9 point.
2. Egon Nielsen 6 point.
3. Gunnar Williams 2 point.
4. Niels. H. Andersen 1 point.
Sidecars 1.
1. Thorkild Thy 5 point.
2. Hans Nielsen 4 point.
3. Kresten A. Krestensen 0 point.
Sidecars 2.
1.Vagn Poulsen 9 point.
2. Villy Baasch 6 point.
3. Arne Mikkelstrup 2 point.
4 John LIndberg 1 point.
Sidecars handicap.
1. Hans Nielsen, +110 m.
2. Villy Baasch +80 m.
3. Arne Mikkelstrup +20 m
Australian persuit.
1. Ernst Østerlund
2. Niels E. Nielsen
Consolation handicap.
1. Gunnar Williams +0 m.
2. Niels H. Andersen +0 m.
3. Ernst Osterlund +125 m.
4. T. Chr. Larsen +120 m.
List of riders at the august 22 meeting. Unfortunately
the programme contains no results
Programme cover from a meeting in 1954, kindly made available
by Kaj Hermansen, Bornholm, who himself
participated in the meeting.
Kaj tells us, that he rode in Kolding in two meetings, one with an acceptable result, and another one with a broken collarbone as result.
The track is listed in the calendar for 1955 with meetings on April 17. and June 12.
12. June 1955:
4000 spectators watched the main event, which was the race about Vitus Kelvang’s Memorial Trophy in Senior standard 500 cc. It was won by Borge Morch, Kolding ahead of Arne Svendsen, Silkeborg.
The trophy got presented by Mrs. Kelvang.
Further results:
Special 500 cc.
1. Crone Jørgensen, Copenhagen
2. Robert Kastebo, Copenhagen
Senior std, B.
1. Jorgen Jensen, Naesby
2. Jorgen Iversen, Odense.
Junior std. A
1. Johannes Nedergaard, Silkeborg
2. Oluf Kilstofte Jensen, Vejle
Junior std. B.
1. Henning Jensen, Copenhagen
2. Niels Wissing, Vejle
Sidecar A:
1. Leo Petersen, Glostrup
2. Willy Baasch, Odense
Sidecar B:
1. Borge Thy, Copenhagen
2. H.C Callesen, Aabenraa
Handicap special:
1. Robert Kastebo, Copenhagen
Handicap standard:
1. Arne Svendsen, Silkeborg
Handicap sidecar:
1. Borge Thy, Copenhagen
Nothing is listed for 1956 or later.
The reason probably lies in an old case from 1947. Back then rider Hans J. Skov crashed at a meeting in Kolding, and due to a double femur fracture declared 60 % disabled. As the motor club had not taken out the statutory accident insurance for the riders, the Directorate of Accident Insurance had to pay a compensation on 38,000 DKK. to Skov.
The Directorate appealed to the High Court against the club to get this money back, which it so long time after still was justified to. However, the club’s board members were not made personally responsible.
But the club got judged to pay the amount, which in 1955 still was a lot of money – which the club did not have.
If you posses any information, stories, pictures or other material regarding this track,
you kindly would make available for this website, Please do so by proceeding
to the contact page or by using the e-mail address: sk@speedwaylife.com
Thank you very much in advance.
