Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen (born 8 October 1959 in Esbjerg, Denmark) is a former motorcycle speedway rider. Gundersen is one of the most successful speedway riders of all time, having won the Speedway World Champion on three occasions, the Long Track World Championship twice and the World Pairs Championship five times. He is also a seven-time World Team Cup winner with Denmark, and earned 91 international caps for the country.

Gundersen won the World Pairs Championship a record five years in succession from 1985 to 1989, and won the World Team Cup a record six years in succession from 1983 to 1988. His 17 World Championship wins see him sit second for the most World Championships won behind fellow Dane and Gundersen's long time Danish teammate and rival Hans Nielsen.

Career

1979

Gundersen rode for his home town club Esbjerg and joined the British leagues with Cradley Heath Heathens during the 1979 British League season. He also rode in the qualifying rounds of the 1979 Speedway World Team Cup and gained a silver medal despite not actually riding in the final.

1980

Gundersen enjoyed a solid season for Cradley Heath and helped them win the Knockout Cup. In addition he rode for Denmark in his second World Cup.

1981

Gundersen first appeared in the Speedway World Championship Final in 1981 at Wembley Stadium where in front of 92,500 fans he finished 4th with 11 points. On the night he set a new 4 lap record for the track of 66.8 seconds, a record that will stand forever as this was the last time that speedway was raced at the famous venue. He also won the World Cup with Denmark for the first time and was a league champion with Cradley.

1982

His 1982 title chase ended on a sour note when he failed to qualify for the final held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after finishing a surprising 16th and last in the 1982 Intercontinental Final in Sweden. However, the year resulted in two medals, a silver in the World Cup and a bronze in the Speedway World Pairs Championship, (appearing in the semi final). Additionally he won two cup competitions with Cradley.

1983

He made amends for his 1982 failure, easily qualifying for the 1983 World Final in West Germany where he would again finish in a strong 4th place. He won the British League Riders' Championship, held at Hyde Road on 15 October 1983. He won a second World Cup gold medal with Denmark and a bronze in the World pairs, partnering Hans Nielsen. In Britain, he won the league and cup double with Cradley and topped the Midlands' team averages.

1984

1984 was a hugely successful year for Gundersen; he went on to win the 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship at Ullevi in Gothenburg and became the World champion for the first time. He also won another World Cup with Denmark, the Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship and a silver medal in the World Pairs.

1985

Gundersen successfully defended his World title, winning the 1985 Individual Speedway World Championship at the Odsal Stadium in Bradford. He achieved the treble of World titles by winning the World Cup and World Pairs again, in arguably greatest ever season. He also won the British League Riders' Championship for the second time.

1986

Despite a 10th place finish (engine failure during the heats ended his chances of winning) at the 1986 World Final, he won a fifth World Cup gold medal in a Denmark team that dominated world speedway at the time. He also won the World pairs with Hans Nielsen and a second Long Track World Championship.

1987

Gundersen was pipped by great rival Nielsen in the 2-day 1987 World Final at the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium. He once again made amends by winning the World Pairs (with Nielsen) and a sixth World Cup. Domestically, he won another Knockout Cup with Cradley and was already regarded as one of their greatest ever riders.

1988

At a packed to capacity Vojens Speedway Center in what was the first ever World Individual Final held in his home country of Denmark, Gundersen claimed his third World Championship in the 1988. He won his fourth consecutive World pairs and a seventh World Cup gold medal.

1989

1989 started much as usual, he would win the World Pairs again and suffered an engine failure during the final of the 1989 at the Munich Olympic Stadium in West Germany, which ended any chances of a fourth World crown.

Gundersen's career was ended just a few weeks after the 1989 World Final 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. Starting from the outside in Gate 4, he won the start but 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 a coma for three days, but he eventually regained consciousness. He was then confined to a bed in hospital for the next month with grim prospects for resuming a normal life as doctors reported he had no neurological function below his neck.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing.

After racing

Gundersen defied the experts though and was determined to walk again. He 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.

During his career, Gundersen never finished off of the podium in the final of either the Speedway World Team Cup or the Speedway World Pairs Championship, though he was unable to take the podium of the 1989 World Team Cup in which Denmark finished in second place.

World final appearances

Individual World Championship

* 1981 - London, Wembley Stadium - 4th - 11pts
* 1983 - Norden, Motodrom Halbemond - 4th - 10pts
* 1984 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - Winner - 14pts
* 1985 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - Winner - 13pts + 3pts
* 1986 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 10th - 7pts
* 1987 - Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium - 2nd - 24pts + 3pts
* 1988 - Vojens