Baltzer Hansen
Born30 November 1908
Frederikssund, Denmark
DiedUnknown
NationalityDanish
Career history
1936Hackney Wick Wolves
Team honours
1936London Cup winner

Alfred Hansen (30 November 1908 – date of death unknown), better known as Baltzer Hansen was a motorcycle speedway rider from Denmark, who rode in the first ever Speedway World Championship competition in 1936.[1][2]

Career

Hansen was born in 1908, to Lars Christian and Rasmine and was one of three brothers who all went into dirt-track racing (later motorcycle speedway). He won the Danish Individual Speedway Championship (500cc special class) in 1937 and 1938, having previously won Danish Championships in other classes.[3][4]

He followed his older brother Morian Hansen into the British speedway leagues in 1936.[5] West Ham Hammers attempted to sign him in May 1936, but the Speedway Control Board blocked the transfer.[6]

However, later that year, he and another brother Kaj Hansen, also known as Kalle, were due to travel to London to compete in the inaugural 1936 World Championship.[7] Baltzer impressed in the qualifying round and progressed to the Championship round.[8]

To the annoyance of the other British teams (especially West Ham) the Hackney Wick Wolves were given permission to sign him in June 1936, because of their injury problems.[9] The transfer started a season long campaign by clubs to ban overseas riders and West Ham unsuccessfully applied to the Control Board to recall Baltzer's brother Morian (who was still on their retained list). Meanwhile, Baltzer and Morian helped Hackney win the 1936 London Cup.[10]

In 1937, he returned to Denmark to race, following an initial ban on overseas riders and did not return to race in Britain.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
  2. ↑ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "Frederikssund long and grasstrack". Speedway Life. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "DANISH CHAMPIONS 1930 – 1951". Speedway Life. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "First Speedway League Match". Daily News (London). 21 April 1936. Retrieved 31 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "West Ham Speedway". Nottingham Evening Post. 6 May 1936. Retrieved 31 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "The Speedway Championship of the World". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 4 June 1936. Retrieved 31 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Rider from Denmark". Daily News (London). 8 June 1936. Retrieved 31 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Swedish riders at Wembley". Daily Herald. 26 June 1936. Retrieved 31 December 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Hackney Speedway". Speedway Museum Online. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
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