Sønderjylland Elite Speedway

Sønderjylland Elite Speedway (SES) (English Southern Jutland Elite Speedway) is a motorcycle speedway club from Vojens in Denmark, who compete in the Danish Speedway League. The Vojens speedway team was formerly known as Vojens Speedway Klub.[1][2][3]

Sønderjylland Elite Speedway
Club information
Track addressVojens Speedway Center
Tinglykke 9, 6500 Vojens
CountryDenmark
Founded1976–2011 (as VSK)
2020 (as SES)
Team managerClaus Ørts
Team captainAnders Thomsen
LeagueDanish Super League
WebsiteOfficial Website
Club facts
Track size300 metres
Track record time57.1
Track record date17 August 2011
Track record holderMichael Jepsen Jensen
Major team honours
Team champions2022

Track edit

The club's home venue is the Vojens Speedway Center, which is located about 3 kilometres in a south westerly direction from the centre of Vojens, on Tinglykke 9.[4]

History edit

Vojens Speedway edit

Ole Olsen and Aage Sondergaard formed a company called Speedsport Ltd and in the Spring of 1975, they started construction on a speedway stadium that would meet international specifications. The Vojens Speedway Center was opened on 21 September 1975 and would become an international venue for major speedway events.[4] The following year the mini adjacent speedway track (50 and 80cc machines) was opened by the Vojens Speedway Klub.[4]

The two organisations naturally formed a relationship and a team was created by the Vojens Speedway Klub to race in the Danish Tournament at the Vojens Speedway Center. The leagues were of an amateur nature at the time, the Geopards (Cheetahs) and Goodyear-drengene (Goodyear Boys) were the names of the first team. Other teams were the Fighters and Hunters.[5]

In 1986, the professional Danish Speedway League or Superliga was created, of which Vojens Speedway Klub (VSK) were a founder member.[6] They competed in the Super League from 1986 until 1989, with their first major star being Tommy Knudsen. The team lost their place after finishing last in 1989.[5]

VSK would make further appearances in the Super League in 1996, 1999 and 2002 but could never cement their place in the league.[5] Another attempt started in 2009 and the club managed a third place finish in 2010 but following the 2011 season, the club suffered financial problems and withdrew from the league.[4] VSK only continued to run 50cc and 80cc mini speedway.

2020 to present edit

A new team by the name of Sønderjylland Elite Speedway was created to race at the Vojens Speedway Center in 2020 and replaced the Vojens Speedway Klub.[7]

The team won the Danish Speedway League title during the 2022 Danish speedway season. Riders included Anders Thomsen and Matej Žagar.[8][9] They topped the table in 2023 but lost in the Super Final.[10]

Notable riders edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Teams, 2022 table and results". Speedway Ligaen. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Speedway Around The Globe - Denmark". Speedway Star page 429. 3 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Speedway from Around the Globe". Speedway Star page 41. 23 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Vojens Speedway Stadium". Speedway Life. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "HISTORICAL RESULTS 1956-2022". Speedway History Info. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Speedway Danish champions for teams". Danish Motor Union. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  7. ^ "SEE YOU IN VOJENS". Vojens Speedway Center. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ^ "HISTORICAL RESULTS 1956-2022". Speedway History Info. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Danish Team Championship". Speedway Fan Site. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Becker leads Vikings' Danish title charge". FIM. Retrieved 24 September 2023.