Rune Holta (born 29 August 1973 in Stavanger, Norway) is a speedway rider.[2] He grew up in Randaberg, Norway,[3] but has been a Polish citizen since 2002.

Rune Holta
Born (1973-08-29) 29 August 1973 (age 50)
Stavanger, Norway
NationalityNorwegian & Polish
Career history
Norway
1991-2001NMK Sandnes & Jæren
Poland
1994Grudziądz
1996, 2012Zielona Góra
1997-1998, 2007Tarnów
1999-2000, 2002-2005, 2010, 2013-2014, 2017, 2020Częstochowa
2006Rzeszów
2008-2009Gorzów
2011, 2018-2019Toruń
2015Ostrów
2016, 2021Rybnik
2022Poznań
2023Łódź
Denmark
1997–2004, 2013Outrup
2008Grindsted
Sweden
1995-2002Valsarna
2003-2008, 2015, 2021Vetlanda
2009, 2012-2013Indianerna
2010-2011, 2016Dackarna
2014Västervik
Speedway Grand Prix statistics
SGP Number7
Starts74[1]
Podiums5 (2–1–2)
Finalist8 time
Winner2 times
Individual honours
1994, 1996, 1997, 2000Norwegian Champion
2003, 2007Polish Champion
1999, 2000Nordic Champion
2009, 2011Golden Helmet of Pardubice
2008Swedish Grand Prix
2010Scandinavian Grand Prix
Team honours
2005, 2007, 2010World Cup Winner
2003Polish Team Champion
2007Polish Pairs Champion
1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2015Swedish Elitserien Champion
1999, 2001Danish League Champion
1999Polish Div Two Champion

Career edit

In 1994, Holta finished runner-up to Mikael Karlsson in the final of the 1994 Speedway Under-21 World Championship following a run-off for the title.[4] This was the same year that Holta won the first of his four Norwegian Individual Speedway Championships.[5]

In 2002, he took Polish citizenship, allowing him to represent Poland in international competitions and was a member of their Speedway World Cup winning teams in 2005, 2007 and 2010. He has also won the Polish Championship in 2003 and 2007.

In 2020, he rode for Dackarna Malilla in the Swedish Elit League and for Włókniarz Częstochowa in the Polish Ekstraliga. In 2022, he helped PSŻ Poznań win the 2022 2.Liga.[6]

Awards edit

For his sport achievements, he received:
  Golden Cross of Merit in 2007.

Plane crash edit

 
Place of 2007 plane crash.

In 2007 Holta survived a plane crash with fellow rider Tomasz Gollob. The plane, flown by Władysław Gollob, crashed on the way to a meeting at Tarnów. Holta escaped with cuts and bruises.[7]

On his official website, Holta stated "In spite of the circumstance I'm doing OK but I'm very shaken. We have been very lucky, and I'm just glad that I'm still alive."[8]

Major results edit

Speedway Grand Prix edit

Year Position Points Best Finish Notes
2000 26th 8 9th 1 wild card ride
2001 14th 41 5th
2002 11th 80 4th
2003 8th 98 4th
2004 14th 60 4th
2005 20th 6 1 wild card ride
2006 Did not participate
2007 7th 91 3rd
2007 Speedway Grand Prix Final Championship standings
(Riding No 14)
Race no. Grand Prix Pos. Pts. Heats Draw No
1 /11   Italian SGP 15 2 (X,0,X,2,0) 4
2 /11   European SGP 11 6 (1,F,2,3,X) 6
3 /11   Swedish SGP 6 9 (3,1,1,1,3) +0 1
4 /11   Danish SGP 12 5 (0,2,3,F,0) 4
5 /11   British SGP 11 5 (3,1,E,1,0) 7
6 /11   Czech Rep. SGP 3 16 (1,2,3,2,3) +3 +1 11
7 /11   Scandinavian SGP 11 5 (0,0,1,1,3) 10
8 /11   Latvian SGP 10 7 (1,1,2,3,0) 16
9 /11   Polish SGP 6 10 (0,3,2,2,3) +0 11
10 /11   Slovenian SGP 3 17 (2,3,3,3,2) +2 +1 13
11 /11   German SGP 6 10 (1,2,3,1,2) +1 15
1
2008 Speedway Grand Prix Final Championship standings
(Riding No 7)
Race no. Grand Prix Pos. Pts. Heats Draw No
1 /11   Slovenian SGP 13 5 (3,1,0,1,0) 1
2 /11   European SGP
3 /11   Swedish SGP
4 /11   Danish SGP
5 /11   British SGP
6 /11   Czech Rep. SGP
7 /11   Scandinavian SGP
8 /11   Latvian SGP
9 /11   Polish SGP
10 /11   Italian SGP
11 /11   German SGP
  permanent speedway rider
  wild card, track reserve or qualified reserve
  rider not classified (track reserve who did not start)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Świat Żużla, No 2 (78) 2009, page 14, ISSN 1429-3285
  2. ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 521. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
  3. ^ Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
  4. ^ "Wolves' Karlsson trumphant as King of the Under-21s". Birmingham Daily Post. 15 August 1994. Retrieved 10 March 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Speedway History Info - Historia Zuzla". Historia Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  6. ^ "2022 Liga 2 results". Flash Score. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Holta survives plane crash drama". Evening Star. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  8. ^ "Holta in airplane crash". www.holta-racing.com. 1 June 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
2011 Speedway Grand Prix riders
1   Gollob 2   Hampel 3   Crump 4   Holta 5   Hancock
6   Harris 7   Bjerre 8   Holder 9   Jonsson 10   Pedersen
11   Lindgren 12   Sayfutdinov 13   Laguta 14   Lindbäck 15   Kołodziej