Facts:
Track name: Riis Speedway
Track owner: Vejle Motor Sport
Track address: Riis pr. Givskud DK 7323 Give
Length: 333 m.
Track surface: Cinders
Straight width: 10 m.
Bends width: 13,5 m.
Opened year/date: May 19. 1955
Closed year/date: April 12. 1959
Riis is a very little village located approx. 20 km. northwest of the larger town Vejle at the old A18 road between Vejle and Herning, nowadays route No. 442.
Vejle Motor Sport ran from 1955 through 1959 a speedway there, which was the home track for club’s team named Team Australia in the Danish Speedway Tournament. The name of the team referred to Hotel Australia in midtown Vejle. No meetings of greater significance like international or Danish Championships have been recorded. Nevertheless the meetings usually attracted 4- to 5.000 fans.
On this aerial photo a bit of the village Riis at the highway 18 can be seen
together with the location of the track west of the village,
To keep the construction costs below DKK 7.000 the members of the club gave a vast, yet unknown number of voluntary working hours Only the most specialized work was left to professional engine power. This in particular was building was of the banks for the spectators, where a bulldozer was needed. See picture below.
Other technical equipment was a since long time discarded and worn out lorry, proudly named “Queen of the Moor”, which lacked both the bonnet and a door in the cabin Although somewhat asthmatic she managed most transportation of the great heaps of soil that needed to be moved.
The track was laid out on a hired site of approx. 33.000 m2 of uncultivated moorland. Samples showed that the ground was hard and gave an ideal base for a top layer of cinders, apart from a soft spot that needed to be digged deeper and filled with clay to stabilize it.
The programmes from the Riis track were not always inspiring.
But anyway this meeting in October 1955 attracted 4000 spectators.
Sidecars in close fight on Riis Speedway
Between 1955 and 1957 Vejle Motor Sport had to share the public attendance with the motor club “Speed” in Vejle, who ran a track at the Traedballe Inn due west and just outside Vejle town Vejle Motor Sport of today is fully focused on automobile sport.
Some selected results:
May 19. 1955, Inauguration meeting:
The weather was wet and cold. Nevertheless 4000 spectators attended the meeting. The rain made the track deep and difficult, but only a couple of harmless falls occurred. The riders did not save the throttle but gave the fans a good show.
Results.
Expert 500 cc
1. Erhardt Fisker, Copenhagen.
2. Aksel Müller, Aarhus.
The riders tied on points, but Fisker was with a 1,24,0 min. track record 0,1 sec. faster.
Jorgen Stabirk, Copenhagen. retired with engine failure.
Special 500 cc.
1. Henning Serup Olsen, Vejle
2. Leif Laursen, Kolding
Egon Nielsen, Horsens crashed and retired
Senior sport 500 cc
1. Knud Nielsen, Aarhus
2. Borge Morck, Kolding
Junior sport 500 cc
1. Niels Wissing, Vejle
2. Daniel Nielsen, Vejle
Sidecars
1. Villy Baasch, Odense
2. Harry Pedersen, Aarhus.
July 24, 1955. Jutland Championships qualification:
7000 fans went through the turnstiles . Drama began already in heat 2, Egon Nielsen from Horsens and Kaj Jensen from Viborg collided and fell. The Vejle rider Daniel Nielsen, coming from behind hit the fallen bikes and fell too.
Then the line was laid and through the rest of the day no less than ten more fall occurred, luckily without personal injuries. One of those who stayed on the wheels was Arne Pander from Herning,who outstandingly was able to cut 5,5 seconds of Erhardt Fisker’s track record and set a new on 1,18,5.min.
Results.
Special 500 cc.
1. Arne Pander, Herning 12 point.
2. Jeppe Ussing, Borkop 11 point.
3. Henry Kjaergaard, Skive 8 point.
Special 500 cc in the bend.
The track fence did not provide too much safety for the fans.
Sport 350 cc:
1. Ib Nielsen, Skive 14 point.
2. Harry Hansen, Viborg 12 point.
3. Henry Kjaergaard, Skive 10 point.
Sidecars:
1. Kresten Kristensen, Aarhus
2. Harry Pedersen, Aarhus
3. Erik Dalsgaard, Vejle
Handicap:
1. Harry Hansen, Aarhus
2. Chr. Christensen, Aalborg
3. Ib Nielsen, Skive
May 6. 1956.
Special 500 cc.
1. Aksel Müller 11 point.
2. Jeppe Ussing 10 point.
3. Hans Otto Nielsen 6 point.
4. Henry Kjaergaard 3 point.
5. Robert Jandriska 0 point.
Special B 500 cc.
1. Leif Laursen 10 point.
2. Henning Serup Olesen 9 point.
3. Tage Hansen 7 point.
4. Kaj Jensen 4 point.
5. J. Momme Petersen 0 point.
Senior Std. 500 cc.
1. Soeren Juul 12 point.
2. Jorgen Jensen 8 point.
3. Johannes Nedergaard 4 point.
4. O. Kilstofte Jensen 4 point.
5. Niels Wissing 2 point.
Junior Std. 500 cc.
1. Bent Kjeldsen 10 point.
2. Erik Bob Jensen 8 point.
3. Poul Sorensen 6 point.
4. Daniel Nielsen 2 point.
5. Vagn Stevnhoved 1 point.
6. Jorn Vincent 0 point.
Senior Std. 350 cc.
1. Soeren Juul 6 point.
2. Henry Kjaergaard 6 point.
3. Harry Hansen 6 point.
4. Elman Olsen 2 point.
5. Ove Floor 0 point.
Sidecars 500 cc.
1. Willy Baasch/Preben Larsen 6 point.
2. Harry Pedersen/Henning Krogh 4 point.
3. Kaj Voigt/ Robert Jorgensen 1½point.
4. Erik V. Andersen/Borge Madsen ½ point.
September 30. 1956:
Expert 500 cc.
1. Arne Pander 8 point.
2. Erik Wincentz 5 point.
3. Aksel Müller 3 point.
4. Jorgen Stabirk 0 point.
Special 500 cc.
1. J. Momme Petersen 9 point.
2. Gunnar Spitfejer 8 point.
3. E. Jorgensen 6 point.
4. Hans E. Hansen 3 point.
5. Mogens Jensen 0 point.
Senior Std. 500 cc.
1. Soeren Juul 14 point.
2. H. P. Boisen 12 point.
3. Borge Morck 10 point.
4. Bent Thomsen 7 point.
5. Bent Kjeldsen 2 point.
6. O. Kilstofte Jensen 2 point.
Junior Std. 500 cc.
2. Per E. Jorgensen 10 point.
3. Etlar Faurholt 8 point.
4. Knud Pedersen 8 point.
5. Preben Larsen 5 point.
6. Arne Pedersen 0 point.
Sidecars 500 cc.
1. Willy Baasch/Preben Larsen 9 point.
2. H.C. Callesen/Heinz Hermann 4 point.
3. Gutfeld Lehd/ Kurt Skov 4 point.
4. Erik V. Andersen/Borge Madsen 1 point.
Sidecars 650 cc.
1. Erik Bob Jensen/Preben Mortensen 6 point.
2. Erik From/Preben Petersen 6 point.
3. Kaj Uffe v. Qualen/ Kurt Skov 3 point.
4. Kaj Voigt/Robert Jorgensen 3 point.
Handicap Std.
1. Borge Morck.
2. H. P. Boisen.
3. Bent Thomsen.
April 22. 1957:
League team meeting:
Australia Vejle 28 point.
Fynboerne Odense 26 point.
Senior Std. 500 cc.
1. Arne Svendsen 7 point.
2. Bent Kjeldsen 5 point.
3. Soeren Juul 4 point.
4. Bent Svenningsen 2 point.
5. Henry Kjaergaard 0 point.
Sidecars 500 cc.
1. Harry Pedersen/Henning Krogh 5 point.
2. Willy Baasch/Preben Larsen 4 point.
3. Kaj Voigt/Robert Jorgensen 2 point.
4. Kaj Uffe v. Qualen/ Svend Hansen 1 point.
June 16. 1957:
The newspaper wrote, that the track was dangerous, because it was short, and the bends were narrow. The punchline above tells there were only 3 falls. The riders were not affected. This may be a poorly hidden hint, that the races were not very exiting.
Senior Special 500 cc.
1. Aksel Müller 12 point.
2. Leif Laursen 8 point.
3. Tage Hansen 7 point.
4. J. Momme Petersen 2 point.
5. Gunnar Spitfejer 1 point.
Junior Special 500 cc.
1. Svend Nielsen 12 point.
2. Hans E. Hansen 9 point.
3. Kristen Karger 4 point.
4. Ejner Mikkelsen 3 point.
5. Mogens Jensen 1 point.
Senior Std. 500 cc.
1. H. P. Boisen 10 point.
2. Soeren Juul 10 point.
3. Bent Thomsen 6 point.
4. Bent Kjeldsen 4 point.
Junior Std. A 500 cc.
1. Th. Thomsen 10 point.
2. Etlar Faurholt 9 point.
3. Knud Pedersen 6 point.
4. Egon Jacobsen 3 point.
5. Preben Larsen 2 point.
Junior Std. B 500 cc.
1. Preben Bollerup 10 point.
2. Jorn. Sorensen 9 point.
3. Knud Nielsen 6 point.
4. Ove B. Svendsen 3 point.
5. Jens Jensen 2 point.
Sidecars 650 cc.
1. H. C. Callesen/Ludvig Schmidt 7 point.
2. Erik Bob Jensen/Preben Mortensen 7 point.
3. Leo Petersen/ John Osterholt 3 point.
4. Willy Baasch/Preben Larsen 1 point.
Sidecars 500 cc.
1. Robert Jorgensen/Kaj Voigt 8 point.
2. Bent Ovesen/Preben Jeppesen 5 point.
3. Kaj Uffe v. Qualen/Borge Bjerg Pedersen 4 point.
4. Leif Petersen/V.R. Nielsen 1 point.
April 12. 1959. Season opening:
This meeting is besides the season opening also the last meeting we have found recorded. There was no more meetings there in 1959, and the track was not listed in the 1960 meeting calendar.
Results.
Senior Special 500 cc:
1. Aksel Müller, Skanderborg
2. Jorgen Momme, Horsens
3. Erik Kastebo, Copenhagen
Senior Standard
1. Bent Thomsen, Struer
2. Bent Svenningsen, Herning
3. Etlar Faurholt, Silkeborg
Junior A.
1. Bent Jensen, Horsens
2. Kruse Laursen, Silkeborg
3. Karl Anker Jensen, Hobro
Junior B.
1. Jorgen Dorchseus, Hobro
2. Knud H. Nielsen, Esbjerg
2. Finn Thomsen. Silkeborg
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to the contact page or by using the e-mail address: sk@speedwaylife.com
Thank you very much in advance.
