Jens Rasmussen (speedway rider)

Danish speedway rider

See also: Jens Elmegård Rasmussen

Jens RasmussenBorn|  (1959-05-26) 26 May 1959 (age 65)
Odense, Denmark

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Nationality| Danish
Career history
Denmark
1987| Fjelsted
Great Britain
1981-1983| Hackney Hawks
1984-1985, 1987| Oxford Cheetahs
1986-1987| Ipswich Witches
1988-1993| Rye House Rockets
1994| Middlesbrough Bears
1995| King's Lynn Stars
1995| Peterborough Panthers
Team honours
1985| British League Champion
1985| British League KO Cup winner

Jens Rasmussen (born 26 May 1959 in Odense, Denmark)[1] is a former speedway rider from Denmark. He earned 17 caps for the Denmark national speedway team.[2]

## Career summary

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He started his United Kingdom career in the British League with the Hackney Hawks in 1981 and rode with them until the end of the 1983 season when the Hawks closed.[3] He started practice runs around Oxford Stadium before he was officially signed by the Oxford Cheetahs for the 1984 British League season. The Oxford team had returned to the British League and the other signings to start as the top five riders for the season were Hans Nielsen for a record £30,000, Simon Wigg for £25,000, Marvyn Cox for £15,000 and Melvyn Taylor for £12,000, with Ian Clark and Nigel Sparshott at 6 & 7.[4] After a mid table finish in 1984 he was part of the Oxford team that won the league and cup double during a 1985 British League season.[4]

He moved to and rode for Ipswich Witches in 1986, breakng his collarbone early in the season.[5] He continued to ride for Ipswich in 1987. Then in 1988 the Rye House Rockets announced they wished to use him in the National League. After much debate he was allowed to race due to the fact he had already been living in the United Kingdom for the previous five years and that he had an English wife and child.[6] The move made history when he signed for the Rye House Rockets in the National League because he was the first non-Commonwealth rider to be allowed to ride at that level.

After Rye House he rode for Middlesbrough Bears,[7] King's Lynn Stars and Peterborough Panthers.

## References

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1. ^ Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook. ISBN 0-948882-00-X
2. ^ "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
3. ^ Fenn, C.(2003). Hackney Speedway, Friday at Eight. ISBN 0-7524-2737-7
4. ^ a b Bamford/Shailes, Robert/Glynn (2007). The Story of Oxford Speedway. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. 128–135. ISBN 978-0-7524-4161-0.
5. ^ "Rider hunt is still on for Cradley". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 21 March 1986. Retrieved 31 August 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.
6. ^ Jacobs, Norman (2007). 70 Years of Rye House Speedway. ISBN 978-0-7524-4162-7
7. ^ "Stars move for new man". Lynn Advertiser. 19 July 1994. Retrieved 31 August 2024 - via British Newspaper Archive.