Jan O. Pedersen
Encyclopedia
Jan Osvald Pedersen is a former Speedway
rider who became Speedway World Champion
in 1991 after finishing runner-up in 1986 and in third place in 1988 behind fellow Danes Erik Gundersen
and Hans Nielsen
. He also won the Speedway World Pairs Championship
in 1990 and 1991, both times partnered by Hans Nielsen
.
In 1983 Pedersen signed for the Cradley Heath Heathens
. His first British meeting heralded a five point return in Birmingham's Second City individual Trophy on 18 March. His future had been plotted for Dudley Wood
almost a year earlier when he was recommended to Heathens team manager Peter Adams by his countryman, Bent Rasmussen. The ensuing months brought three more clubs knocking on his door but in August, Pedersen publicly pledged his future to Cradley.
Pedersen finished his debut season with a 7.20 league average
and Cradley's team total soared over 60-plus points as they won the British League again. The decision was then made by new manager Colin Pratt
to loan the Dane out and he spent 1984 with Sheffield
. Despite that season being marred by a broken arm, he did enough to convince Tigers’ promoter Maurice Ducker that he was worth buying. However, Pratt refused to sell and Pedersen's return to Dudley Wood for 1985 saw the start of an uninterrupted 8-year stint with the club. Pedersen achieved success for club, country and individually. He picked up World Individual
medals of bronze, silver and won the World Championship in 1991.
His speedway career was brought to a premature end in his testimonial
year. Less than a fortnight after Pedersen's 10 year testimonial at Cradley, he crashed in Denmark and suffered a serious back injury and never raced competitively again. Since 1993 he has been doing some saloon car racing in Denmark and won a championship in his first season. He has also had one year spells as team manager with Oxford and promoter with Cradley when they spent the 1996 season riding at Stoke.
In 1999, he raced in the 25th Anniversary meeting at Denmark's Vojens track. A series of competitive races were held involving old and current international stars, including Ivan Mauger
, Peter Collins
and Anders Michanek
. Pedersen managed to win every one of his races in his first track return since his career-ending accident in 1992.
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 who became Speedway World Champion
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...
in 1991 after finishing runner-up in 1986 and in third place in 1988 behind fellow Danes Erik Gundersen
Erik Gundersen
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.-Career:Gundersen rode for the Cradley Heath Heathens from 1979 until 1989...
and Hans Nielsen
Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)
Hans Hollen Nielsen - a prominent speedway rider active from the 1970s to the late 1990s; a former World Champion....
. He also won the Speedway World Pairs Championship
Speedway World Pairs Championship
The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994 it was merged with the World Team Cup.- Rules :...
in 1990 and 1991, both times partnered by Hans Nielsen
Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)
Hans Hollen Nielsen - a prominent speedway rider active from the 1970s to the late 1990s; a former World Champion....
.
In 1983 Pedersen signed for the Cradley Heath Heathens
Cradley 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...
. His first British meeting heralded a five point return in Birmingham's Second City individual Trophy on 18 March. His future had been plotted for Dudley Wood
Dudley Wood Stadium
Dudley Wood Stadium on Dudley Wood Road in Dudley, West Midlands, England was opened in 1947 and was mainly used for greyhound racing and speedway. The stadium was demolished in 1998 by the new owners , despite not receiving planning permission for their home development project.-Speedway:Cradley...
almost a year earlier when he was recommended to Heathens team manager Peter Adams by his countryman, Bent Rasmussen. The ensuing months brought three more clubs knocking on his door but in August, Pedersen publicly pledged his future to Cradley.
Pedersen finished his debut season with a 7.20 league average
Calculated Match Average
Calculated Match Averages are calculated for every motorcycle speedway rider.The CMA is calculated from the following:\left \times4...
and Cradley's team total soared over 60-plus points as they won the British League again. The decision was then made by new manager Colin Pratt
Colin Pratt
Colin Pratt in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire) is a former motorcycle speedway rider and current promoter of the Coventry Bees who compete in the British Elite League.-Early career and retirement:...
to loan the Dane out and he spent 1984 with Sheffield
Sheffield Tigers
The Sheffield 'Window Centre' Tigers are a speedway team based in Sheffield, England. They currently race in the British Premier League and their home meetings take place at Owlerton Stadium which is the fastest track in British speedway...
. Despite that season being marred by a broken arm, he did enough to convince Tigers’ promoter Maurice Ducker that he was worth buying. However, Pratt refused to sell and Pedersen's return to Dudley Wood for 1985 saw the start of an uninterrupted 8-year stint with the club. Pedersen achieved success for club, country and individually. He picked up World Individual
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...
medals of bronze, silver and won the World Championship in 1991.
His speedway career was brought to a premature end in his testimonial
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
year. Less than a fortnight after Pedersen's 10 year testimonial at Cradley, he crashed in Denmark and suffered a serious back injury and never raced competitively again. Since 1993 he has been doing some saloon car racing in Denmark and won a championship in his first season. He has also had one year spells as team manager with Oxford and promoter with Cradley when they spent the 1996 season riding at Stoke.
In 1999, he raced in the 25th Anniversary meeting at Denmark's Vojens track. A series of competitive races were held involving old and current international stars, including Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger, OBE, MBE, is a retired motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships, a feat only equalled by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden...
, Peter Collins
Peter Collins (speedway rider)
Peter Spencer Collins MBE is a former Speedway rider who spent his whole career with the Belle Vue Aces, the team he supported as a child...
and Anders Michanek
Anders Michanek
Anders Michanek is a Speedway rider. In 1974 he won the Speedway World Championship in his Swedish homeland with a maximum score of 15 points. He also won the World Pairs Championship with the late Tommy Jansson in 1973 and 1975 and with Sören Sjösten in 1974.Michanek had a very successful career...
. Pedersen managed to win every one of his races in his first track return since his career-ending accident in 1992.
World Final Appearances
- 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...
- 9th - 7pts - 19861986 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1986 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 30, 1986 Chorzów, Silesian Stadium...
-
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 - 2nd - 13pts - 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:...
-
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 - 7th - 19pts - 19881988 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1988 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 3, 1988 Vojens, Vojens Speedway Center...
-
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 - 3rd - 13pts - 19901990 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1990 Individual Speedway World Championship.-Continental Final:*August 12, 1990 Norden, Motodrom Halbemond-North American Final:*June 2, 1990 Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium-Scandinavian Final:*June 9, 1990 Linköping, Motorstadium...
- 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...
- Reserve - Did not ride. - 19911991 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1991 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*August 31, 1991 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 - 15pts