Erik Gundersen
Encyclopedia
Erik Gundersen was a speedway
rider in the late 1970s and 1980s. Gundersen was the Speedway World Championship
on three occasions, a two time Long Track World Champion and a seven time World Team Cup
winner with Denmark
.
from 1979 until 1989 when he almost died in a racing accident. He began his career at Cradley with Bruce Penhall
but after Penhall's premature retirement in 1982, Gundersen became the club's number one rider – a position he held until his crash.
Gundersen won the Speedway World Championship
three times: in 1984, 1985 and 1988. His career was ended when he was involved in an accident whilst riding for Denmark
at the Odsal Stadium
on the 17 September 1989, in the World Team Cup
final. His motorcycle locked up on the first bend and he was knocked off by the rider behind. As he lay on the race track he was hit in the head by another rider's rear wheel. After the accident he was not expected to live and he remained in coma for a period of time but he eventually regained consciousness. Gundersen had to learn to walk again and raised a large amount of money for the hospital which saved his life. He later went on to manage the Danish national speedway team
.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
rider in the late 1970s and 1980s. Gundersen was the Speedway World Championship
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
on three occasions, a two time Long Track World Champion and a seven time World Team Cup
Speedway World Team Cup
The Speedway World Team Cup was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The competition started in 1960 and was replaced with the Speedway World Cup in 2001.-Format:From 1960 until 1985 each team consisted of four riders and a reserve...
winner with Denmark
Denmark national speedway team
Denmark are one of the major teams in international speedway. They are managed by former rider Jan Stæchmann and the current captain is Peterborough Panthers' Hans Andersen...
.
Career
Gundersen rode for the Cradley Heath HeathensCradley Heath Heathens
Cradley Heath Heathens are a defunct motorcycle speedway team from Dudley, England.-History:Cradley Heath speedway team was formed in 1947 and first raced at Dudley Wood Stadium on 21 June 1947 after a number of away appearances prior to the opening of the newly built stadium...
from 1979 until 1989 when he almost died in a racing accident. He began his career at Cradley with Bruce Penhall
Bruce Penhall
Bruce Lee Penhall is a retired American motorcycle speedway racer who also starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Heathens speedway team in the United Kingdom...
but after Penhall's premature retirement in 1982, Gundersen became the club's number one rider – a position he held until his crash.
Gundersen won the Speedway World Championship
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
three times: in 1984, 1985 and 1988. His career was ended when he was involved in an accident whilst riding for Denmark
Denmark national speedway team
Denmark are one of the major teams in international speedway. They are managed by former rider Jan Stæchmann and the current captain is Peterborough Panthers' Hans Andersen...
at the Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium
Odsal Stadium is a stadium situated in Odsal, Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The venue is used for rugby league and has been the home ground of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934...
on the 17 September 1989, in the World Team Cup
Speedway World Team Cup
The Speedway World Team Cup was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The competition started in 1960 and was replaced with the Speedway World Cup in 2001.-Format:From 1960 until 1985 each team consisted of four riders and a reserve...
final. His motorcycle locked up on the first bend and he was knocked off by the rider behind. As he lay on the race track he was hit in the head by another rider's rear wheel. After the accident he was not expected to live and he remained in coma for a period of time but he eventually regained consciousness. Gundersen had to learn to walk again and raised a large amount of money for the hospital which saved his life. He later went on to manage the Danish national speedway team
Denmark national speedway team
Denmark are one of the major teams in international speedway. They are managed by former rider Jan Stæchmann and the current captain is Peterborough Panthers' Hans Andersen...
.
World final appearances
- 19811981 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1981 Individual Speedway World Championship.1981 was the last of a record 26 times that London's famous Wembley Stadium hosted the World Final.-World final:*September 5, 1981 London, Wembley Stadium*Referee: Sam Bass-Heat Results:...
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United Kingdom LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wembley Stadium - 4th - 11pts - 19831983 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1983 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 4, 1983 Norden, Motodrom Halbemond*Referee: Rolf RandborgKarl Maier replaced the injured Petr Ondrašík-Classification:...
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Germany NordenNorden, Lower SaxonyNorden is a town in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea shore, in East Frisia.-External links:* *...
, Motodrom Halbemond - 4th - 10pts - 19841984 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 1, 1984 Göteborg, Ullevi...
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Sweden Göteborg, UlleviUlleviUllevi is a stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The stadium was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then Ullevi has also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1983 and 1990, the UEFA Euro 1992...
- Winner - 13pts + 4pts - 19851985 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1985 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 31, 1985 Bradford, Odsal Stadium...
- United Kingdom BradfordBradfordBradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Odsal StadiumOdsal StadiumOdsal Stadium is a stadium situated in Odsal, Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The venue is used for rugby league and has been the home ground of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934...
- Winner - 13pts + 3pts - 19861986 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1986 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 30, 1986 Chorzów, Silesian Stadium...
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Poland ChorzówChorzówChorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
, Silesian Stadium - 10th - 7pts - 19871987 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1987 Individual Speedway World Championship was contested for the one and only time over two days. The scores from both meetings were combined to produce the eventual winner.-Day 1:*September 5, 1987 Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium-Day 2:...
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Netherlands AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Olympic Stadium - 2nd - 24pts + 3pts - 19881988 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1988 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 3, 1988 Vojens, Vojens Speedway Center...
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Denmark VojensVojensVojens Municipality , was a municipality in the former South Jutland County on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality, which existed from 1970 to 2006, covered an area of 298 km², and had a total population of 16,792...
, Speedway Center - Winner - 14pts + 3pts - 19891989 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1989 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 2, 1989 Munich, Olympic Stadium*Referee: Henry van den Boomen* Troy Butler replaced the injured Jan O. Pedersen-Classification:...
- Germany MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Olympic StadiumOlympic Stadium (Munich)Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics....
- 4th - 11pts