Skive Trotting track

Long track

(Credit to John Williams, Aarhus for a comprehensive list of results)

Skive town is located in Jutland at the coast of the Limfjord, which from the North Sea to Kattegat separates the mainland of Jutland from the northern part. Map coordinates are 56° 34? 0? N, 9° 1? 0? E.

July 25. 1948
The North Western Jutland Raceway got inaugurated by the Skive Trotting Society as a 1000 metre long horse trotting track, located at the Southern Boulevard in Skive.

historie_1-2
Air view of the track. The buildings were old wooden houses
from an abandoned wartime refugee’s camp.

Through many years from 1948 up to 1972 the track often hosted motor cycle racing. Organizers were the Motor Club for Skive & Vicinity, Holstebro Motor Club, Herning Motor Sport and the Jutland Branch of the Danish Motor Union (JMU).

The first motor cycle meeting at the track was the Jutland LT Championship 1948 with the results below:

Class                          Name                             Home
 500 cc. Special:       Bent Jensen                    Aarhus
250 cc.Standard:     Preben Pedersen           Silkeborg
350 cc.Standard:     Aksel Jensen                   Aalborg
500 cc. standard:     Knud Nielsen                 Aarhus
Sidecar u. 600cc:     Thorkild Sorensen         Horsens
Sidecar o. 600 cc:     Thorkild Sorensen        Horsens

August 23. 1959. Danish Long Track Championships:

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Holstebro Motor Club was organizer. All heats went over 3 laps. It was not entirely flawless. Most likely nerves confused the start marshal, who in the initial heat in 500 cc special class released the start before the defending champion, Poul Hansen, was ready. The heat got stopped, and a restart with all 6 riders was called.
Later in the 500 cc standard sport class, the starter by mistake unfolded the red flag, which was observed by the flag man at the first bend, who also showed his red flag.
The rider Niels Blumensaadt from Randers noticed the flag and stopped as he should. The other riders in the heat saw nothing and continued to the finish line with Soren Juul in front. The heat got declared invalid, and a restart was called. Once again Soren Juul finished first, this time as the real champion.
Despite these minor incidents the meeting was a success which ended in the night with a prize ceremony in the trotting track’s restaurant.

Riders 500 cc. special 
No.  Name                        Home                Club        Mc.  
27.  Poul Hansen,           Copenhagen       MKO       J.A.P.
28  Jeppe Ussing,            Borkop                 AMK       J.A.P.
29.  Erik Kastebo             Copenhagen       GOMK    J.A.P.
30   H. Erik Hansen,        Kolding                HMS       J.A.P.
31  Kaj Hermansen         Bornholm            MKO      J.A.P.
32  Gunnar Spitfejer,      Fredericia            AMK       J.A.P.
34  Svend Nissen,           Odense                FMS        J.A.P.
36  Kurt W. Petersen,     Ringsted              MSM       J.A.P.
36  Sv. Erik Olsson,         Copenhagen       MKO        J.A.P.
37  Bent Larsen,              Fredericia           FMK        J.A.P.
38  Niels Christensen     Copenhagen       MKO       J.A.P.
39  Henry Kjærgaard      Skive                    RMS        J.A.P.

Danish Champions 1959:
Class                      Name                                   Home                        Mc.
Special 500 cc.:    
Kurt W. Petersen,                Ringsted                    J.A.P  
250 cc. Sport:       
Preben Bollerup,                 Silkeborg                   NSU  
500 cc. Sport:       
Soren Juul,                            Viborg                       Triumph  
500 cc. Sidecar:   
C. Andersen/G. Williams     Aarhus                       Matchless  
750 cc. Sidecar:   
C. Andersen/G. Williams     Aarhus                       Matchless

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The champions from left: Soren Juul, Viborg, 500 cc. sport.
Kurt W. Petersen, Ringsted, 500 cc. special.
Preben Bollerup, Silkeborg, 250 cc. sport.
Carl Andersen/Gunnar Williams, Aarhus,
Double champions 500 cc./750  cc. sidecars.

September 4.  1960, Danish Long Track Championships:
Overcast heaven and a single little shower could not keep 8000 away from Skive Trotting track, where Holstebro Motor Klub once again organized this championship meeting. There were no great surprises, apart from the defending champion in the 750 cc sidecar  class, who got knocked out by a defective gearbox.

Results:
500 cc. special:
1. Kurt W. Pedersen,                                           Ringsted
2. Svend Nissen                                                   Odense
3. Gunnar Spitfejer,                                             Fredericia

500 cc. Sport:
1. Soren Juul,                                                       Viborg
2. Niels Moller,                                                    Viborg
3. Poul Jorgensen,                                               Horsens

250 cc. Sport:
1. Preben Bollerup,                                             Silkeborg
2. Christian Christensen,                                    Randers
3. Erik Thomadsen,                                             Randers

500 cc. Sidecar:
1. Carl Andersen/John Skjodt,                            Aarhus
2. Kurt Larsen/Sv. Hüttemann,                          Odense
3. Egon Walther/ V. Poulsen,                              Copenhagen

750 cc. Sidecar:
1. Kurt Larsen/Sv. Hüttemann,                          Odense
2  Erik Bob Jensen/Preben P. Jensen,                Horsens
3. Egon Walther/ V. Poulsen,                             Copenhagen

Oktober 7.  1962. Danish Long Track Championships:

Skive071062

After the success in 1959 Skive Trotting Track once again hosted the Danish LT Championships in 1962. This time organizing of the meeting was laid in the hands of Herning Motor Sport. The championship classes were 500 cc. special, 500 cc. Standard sports and 250 cc sports. There were no championship in the sidecar classes. Instead of championships the sidecars rode a Nations match between Denmark ans Sweden.

Results:
500 cc. Special:
 Kurt W. Petersen                     Ringsted
250 cc. Sport:     Kurt W. Petersen                      Ringsted
500 cc. Sport:     Soren Juul                                 Viborg

Sidecars Nations match, Denmark – Sweden:
Denmark 50 p.                                                    Sweden 10 p.
Carl Andersen                                                       Gösta Eriksson
Kurt Larsen                                                           Bengt Grönlund
H.C. Callesen                                                         Roland Andersson
Erik Bob Jensen                                                    Sven-Erik Eriksson
Jørn Mortensen                                                    Börje Englen

September 13. 1963. Danish Long Track Championships:
500 cc. Special         
Kurt W. Petersen                                                  Ringsted
250 cc. Sport            
Kurt W. Petersen                                                  Ringsted
500 cc. Sport            
Poul Jørgensen                                                     Horsens
500 cc. Sidecar     
H.C. Callesen /E. Skovshoved                             Aabenraa / Haderslev
750 cc. Sidecar     
H.C. Callesen /E. Skovshoved                             Aabenraa / Haderslev

May 24. 1964, Nordic-Long Track Championship:
Along with the Nordic Championship in 500 cc also heats in the classes 500 cc. sport, 500 cc senior special and 500 cc sidecar, and some automobile heats.
Results:

Nordic Championship.
1. Timo Laine.                                                       Finland
2. Bernt Hörnfeldt,                                               Sweden
3. Agner Stenlund,                                               Sweden
4. Kurt W. Petersen.                                             Denmark

500 cc. Senior special:
1. Niels Christensen,                                            Copenhagen
2. Ole Klaebel,                                                      Copenhagen
3. H.G. Christensen,                                             Vojens

500 cc. Senior sport;
1. Poul Jorgensen,                                                Horsens
2. Preben Bollerup,                                              Esbjerg
3. Soren Juul,                                                        Viborg.

500 cc. Sidecar:
1. Jorgen P. Mortensen/ Hardy Carlsen,            Copenhagen
2. Alex Haucke/Eckhardt Weidling,                     Hamburg
3. Gunnar Maigaard/Ivan Hansen,                     Randers/Viborg.

September 27.  1964. Danish Long Track Championships:
The Jutland branch of the Danish Motor Union organized this meeting with a well composed programme, which was able to gather 6000 spectators. However three nasty looking crashes took some of the joy away.

Just as the final in the 500 cc. special class was ready to start, a heavy shower made the track very slippery, causing the riders  Ejnar Hansen and Sylvest Andersen to collide and fall. Ejnar Hansen got hospitalized with a concussion and Sylvest Andersen withdrew from the restart.
In the sidecar class Verner Poulsen and his passenger crashed, and the passenger needed to go the the traume center with a foot injury. He returned to the track after the meeting.
Drama also hit the automobile classes, when the midget car driver Peder Korgaard got slung out of his racer.  After medical treatment he could return from hospital with minor injuries.
Results: 500 cc.Special:
1. Kurt W. Petersen                                              Ringsted
2. H.P. Boisen.                                                      Fredericia
3. Svend Nissen,                                                   Odense

250 cc. Sport:
1. Finn Pauli Thomsen.                                        Silkeborg
2. Kurt W. Petersen.                                             Ringsted
3 Erik Thomadsen.                                               Randers

500 cc. Sport:
1. Søren Juul                                                          Viborg
2.  Kr. Aarup                                                          Aalborg
3. Finn Jorgensen,                                                Grindsted

500 cc. Sidecar:
1.  H.C. Callesen/E. Skovshoved,                         Aabenraa/Haderslev
2. Erik Bob Jensen / Erik Priis,                             Horsens
3. Søren Terp/Flemming Holst,                           Haderslev

September 19. 1965 Danish Long Track Championships:
This was the very last time Jutland’s Motor Union organized a meeting on the old trotting track before it got acquired by the Danish army.
The track surface was bad, filled with stones an very bumpy. However this could not prevent Kurt W. Petersen from setting an ultimate track record on 1,36,6 minute for 3 laps.
Results.
500 cc special:
1  Kurt W. Petersen,                                             Ringsted
2. Svend Nissen,                                                   Odense
3. Sylvest Andersen,                                             Copenhagen

500 cc Sport:
1. Preben Moller Christensen.                            Odense
2. Erik Jensen,                                                       Herning
3. Bent Svenningsen,                                           Herning

250 cc. Sport:
1. Finn Pauli Thomsen,                                        Silkeborg
2. Carsten Bryde Nielsen,
3. Jens Munkedal,                                                Copenhagen

500 cc. Sidecar:
1. Günther Bomme/Erik Petersen                      Haderslev/Viborg
2. Bent Sorensen/ Svend Hald,                           Frederiksborg AM
3. John Steffensen/Ole Moller,                            Aarhus

June 26.  1966 European Championship Qualification 1966:

The track was moved to the other side of the road and got shortened, which was an advantage for the audience, who better could follow the riders all the way round.
Some of the riders complained over too many loose stones on the surface,what was a nuisance for those who  did not gated first. And because the track had not have time enough to settle properly, a lot of soil and dust got raised and caused some engine stoppages.

The first 6 riders would qualify for the final in Mühldorf; Germany on July 17. July.
It was worth to notice that Ole Olsen rode on his  ESO speedway bike.
John Sylvest Andersen got in his first heat hit from behind by the German Seid, and both fell. Sylvest could limp back to the pit, while Seid got taken to hospital.
A national sidecar class was won by H.C. Callesen / Erik Skovshoved from Aabenraa & Haderslev.
Result:
1.  Kurt W. Petersen                                             Denmark               18 point.
2.  F. Aberl                                                             Germany               16 point.
3,  Josef Unterholtzer                                           Germany               14 point.
4. Willihard Thomsson,                                        Sweden                 14 point.
5. Sven Sigurd,                                                      Sweden                 10 point.
6. Ole Olsen,                                                         Denmark               10 point.
_________________________________________________________________________________
7. Svend Nissen,                                                   Denmark               10 point. qual.  reserve

 

September 18. Danish Championship 1966:
Results:

500.cc.special:                          Kurt W. Petersen                             Ringsted.
500 cc. Sport:                            Preben Moller Christensen            Odense
250 cc. Sport:                            Christian Christensen                     Aalborg.
500 cc. Sidecar:                        H. C. Callesen/Erik Skovshoved      Aabenraa/ Haderslev

Relocation in 1966:
The site of Skive trotting track got expropriated in 1966 to make way for erection of military barracks.
As compensation the trotting society got paid a sum of more than one million DKK.
Some voices spoke for locating of a new track in Herning, but at the end of the day the current location, No. 2 Fly road a few miles south of the former address, got chosen.

Skive trav
Satellite view of the new Skive Trotting track.

 The new track has a length of 830 m., a width of 25 m., and a surface of granite granulate. It stood ready in 1967.

May 28. 1967, European Championship Qualification 1967:
Almost everything that could go wrong did it.
Over night some uninvited guests in white vans had enjoyed themselves by racing wild and ploughing deep ruts in the track surface. Of course  it gave some extra work for the track curator.
Then the entrance controllers came too late, so about 500 fans came though the turnstiles without paying, thus giving an economic loss to the organizing clubs from Herning and Aarhus. The Swede Ove Fundin excused himself for absence.
Ole Olsen came flying from England, but blew his engine during practice and had to start on a borrowed speedway bike on which he despite bravehearted riding could not qualify.
Worst of all. The appointed referee from Sweden Lars von Silfersparre did not show up.

Result:
1. Timo Laine,                            Finland                 19 point.
2. Kurt W. Petersen,                  Denmark              14 point.
3, Matti Ohlin,                            Finland                 13 point.
4. Sven Sigurd,                           Sweden                12 point.
5, Vekko Mesauhone,                Finland                 12 point.
.6. Rudolf Kastl,                         Germany              11 point.

These riders qualified for further participation.

August 17. 1967: Danish Long Track Championships:

Results:
250 cc. Sport:       Finn Pauli Thomsen            Silkeborg.
500 cc. Sport:       Henning Thomadsen          Randers
500 cc.special:     Kurt W. Petersen                 Ringsted.
500 cc.Sidecar:    Kurt Larsen / Leif Larsen    Odense
September 22. 1968, Danish Long Track Championships:
Preben Moller Christensen from Odense made in this meeting  an unusually big effort by participating in both 500 cc. special and 500 cc. sport and take second place in both classes. In the special class with only 1 point lesser than the winner.
Through several years Kurt W. Petersen almost has had patent to the title, but this year he could only give his engine, which was marginally better than Preben’s, credit for the victory.
Another fine effort was shown in the 500 cc. sport by 52 years old Willy Mathiasen, who with third place proved still being able to compete with the younger boys.

Results:
500 cc special:
1. Kurt W. Petersen                                      20 point.
2. Preben Moller Christensen                     19 point.
3. Preben S. Pedersen

500 cc sport:
1. Henning Thomadsen.
2. Preben Moller Christensen.
3. Willy Mathiasen.

250 cc sport:
1. Finn Pauli Thomsen
2. Chr. Christensen.
3. Mogens Christensen

500 cc Sidecar:
1. Kurt Larsen / Leif Larsen.
2. H. C. Callesen / Claus Detlefsen.
3. Günther Bomme / Lauritz Wind.

September 14. 1969, Danish Long Track Championships:

1969

Danish Champions 1969

500 cc. special:
1. Kurt W. Petersen                         Ringsted.
2. Jan Holm Nielsen,                       Ringsted,
3. Preben Moller Christensen,       Odense

500 cc. sport:
1. Henning Thomadsen.
2. Carsten Kühl.
3. Mogens Dam

250 cc. Sport:
1. Carsten Jorgensen.
2. Ernst Jensen.
3. Hans J. Nielsen

500 cc. Sidecar:
1. Kurt Larsen / Leif Larsen.
2. H. C. Callesen / Erik Skovshoved.
3, Th. Damgaard / H. Damsgaard

KurtW
Kurt W. Petersen had hardly a reason to look cross in 1969.

 

September 13. 1970, Danish Long Track Championships:
4500 spectators witnessed at least two remarkable things happen.
Firstly, the through many years invincible Kurt W. Petersen got stripped of his championship and ended disappointingly on fourth place.

Secondly, the first championship in the 500 cc. special sidecar class, with methanol powered engines got inaugurated. Not surprisingly H. C. Callesen from Aabenraa after many years victories in the sports class also took this title.

Skive 1970

Danish Champions 1970:

500.cc.special:
1. Bent Norregaard Jensen.
2. Preben Moller Christensen.
3. Jan Holm Nielsen

250 cc. Sport:
1. Henning Thomadsen.
2. Carsten Jorgensen.
3. Ernst Jensen

500 cc. sport sidecar:
1.  John Havnbo / Fritz Kristensen.
2. Verner Poulsen / J. Aamann.
3. Jorgen Svendsen / A. Hasager

500 cc. special Sidecar:  
1. H. C. Callesen / Th. Callesen.
2. Frank Damgaard / Henning Damsgaard.
3. Leo Ry Hansen / F. Henriksen.

September 12. 1971, Danish Long Track Championships:
The track could welcome a newly crowned Speedway World Champion directly returned home from Nya Ullevi in Gothenburg, where Ole Olsen won the title the night before.
Now the Danish long track title was at stake, which he also secured for himself, but not without a hard fight with the defending champ Bent Norregaard Jensen, who took the lead in the final heat and resisted three attacks before Olsen pipped him on the last lap and bagged maximum 30 points.
Norregaard and Kurt W. tied on 27 points,
By the way, the meting with 4000 spectators was the first without any car class involved.

Results:
500 cc Special:
1. Ole Olsen                                     30 point.
2. Bent Norregaard Jensen            27 point.
3. Kurt W. Petersen                         27 point.

250 cc Sport:
1. Carsten Kühl                                21 point.
2. Poul J. Larsen                               11 point.
2. Ernst Jensen                                   9 point.

500 cc sidecar special:
1. Frank Damgaard / Henning Damsgaard           13 point.
2. H.C. Callesen / Th. Callesen                               10 point.
3. Leo Ry Hansen / Ole Andersen                            6 point.

500 cc sidecar sport:
1. Niels Kjeldsen / Gert Nielsen                             13 point.
2. Verner Poulsen / Jorn Aamann                          11 point.
3. J. Steffensen / Finn Moller                                    5 point.

SkiveNiels Kjeldsen and Gert Nielsen in action

18. Juni 1972: World Long  Track Championship Semifinal:
As the former European Long Track Championship in 1971 by FIM got raised to World Championship, it became extremely important for Denmark to get some Danish riders qualified through the semifinals.
Therefore despite rain and strong wind 4000 spectators appeared at Skive Trotting track, but that more than half of them left early, could not  be blamed to the rain.

The reason was, that Ole Olsen – the greatest hope of Denmark’s – in heat 17 was disqualified for tape touching. It was clear for everybody, that the wet and heavy tape han g low in the middle and lifted unevenly.
The meeting got suspended for 20 minutes, while the race director, the FIM Steward and the referee discussed. The referee stuck to his verdict. The waves went high both on the terraces, the infield and in the pits.
The disqualification meant that Olsen lost a secured place in the final and had to settle with a reserve place.
Later Ole Olsen filed at protest against the Swedish rider Willihart Thomsson’s result. Thomsson got an engine failure 3/4 af a lap to run with his bike to the finish line to get 2 points. Ole argued, that Thomsson did not make it within the 3 minute time limit, and therefore he should not have the points he got.

Results:
1. Bent Norregaard Jensen,                            Denmark         18 point.
2. Matti Olin,                                                     Finland            16 point.
3. Henning Edsberg Hansen,                          Denmark         14 point.
4. Willihardt Thomsson,                                  Sweden            12 point.
5. Jon Ödegaard,                                              Norway            12 point.
6. N. O. Haraldsen,                                          Norway            11 point.
__________________________________
7. Ole Olsen,                                                    Denmark          10 point. (reserve)

National classes:
250 cc. Junior:  Lars Pedersen,                      Aarhus
250.cc. Senior: Jens Munkedal,                     Vanlose
500 cc. Junior Sidecar:  Jens Paulsgård / P. E. Christensen,     Borkop
500 cc. Senior Sidecar:  Niels Kjeldsen / Gert Nielsen,              Aarhus

September 10. 1972, Danish Long Track Championships:
The scandal at the meeting on June 8. is supposed to be the reason for the failing public attention, which gave the organizing club a serious economic loss and caused considerations whether or not it would be feasible to organize the 1973 meeting.
A mere 2500 spectators went through the turnstiles. Was this unsatisfactory,  instead the club could have the joy of welcoming no less than 21 riders in the 500 cc. special class.

In the 500 cc. sidecar class a protest was filed against Erik Bob Jensen, arguing that his engines cylinder volume was too big.
A measurement after the meeting stated that it was not, and hence the victory was OK.

Results:
500 cc special:
1. Ole Olsen                       Haderslev           30 point. + track record 1,44,0 for 4 laps.
2. Jan Holm Nielsen,          Ringsted             25 point
3. Kurt W. Petersen,           Ringsted             22 point

500 cc sidecar sport:
1. Erik Bob Jensen / Thorkild Callesen         16 point.
2. J. Steffensen / Finn Moller                        12 point.
3. J. Svendsen / Alex Hasager                       11 point.

500 cc sidecar special:
1. Victor Larsen / P.E.Nielsson,                                 16 point.
2. Frank Damsgaard / Henning Damsgaard,           14 point.
3. Niels Kjeldsen / Gert Nielsen,                               12 point.

In 1973 The Danish Long track championships got ridden on Aalborg Trotting track.

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