Bengt Brannefors (31 May 1936 – January 2008) was a Swedish motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 20 international caps for the Sweden national speedway team.[1]
| Born | 31 May 1936 Gothenburg, Sweden |
|---|---|
| Died | January 2008 (aged 71) |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Career history | |
| Sweden | |
| 1953–1971, 1974 | Kaparna |
| 1972–1973 | Vargarna |
| Great Britain | |
| 1961 | Oxford Cheetahs |
| 1961 | New Cross Rangers |
| 1962 | Ipswich Witches |
| 1970–1971 | Newport Wasps |
| 1971 | Wolverhampton Wolves |
| Team honours | |
| 1968, 1970 | Swedish league championship |
Biography
editBrannefors began his speedway career racing for Kaparna during the 1953 Swedish speedway season.[2] He was part of the Kaparna team that secured two league championships in 1968 and 1970.[3]
His performances in Sweden were noticed by the British teams, which resulted in New Cross Rangers signing him for the 1961 Speedway National League season.[4] However, his time at New Cross was short because promoter Johnnie Hoskins dropped him.[5] He moved to ride a couple of times for Oxford Cheetahs before joining Ipswich Witches for the 1962 season but again only rode a few matches because Ipswich withdrew from the league.[6]
He continued to ride in Sweden and made several attempts to return to Britain but league restrictions and issues over overseas riders caused various problems in securing a team,[7] despite interest from clubs. He finally returned to ride for Newport Wasps during the 1970 British League season.[8] Unfortunately he continued to have issues with external matters and was subject to work permit problems during the season.[9] The problems he encountered were somewhat responsible for being unable to gain consistency in Britain, which affected his average.[10]
The following season in 1971, he rode for Newport and Wolverhampton Wolves,[11] which was his last in the United Kingdom. He rode for Vargarna before completing one more season with Kaparna in 1974.
Family
editHis son Pierre Brannefors was also a professional speedway rider.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "1953 Swedish season". Speedway.org. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "HISTORICAL RESULTS 1948-2015". Speedway History. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "1961 season". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Speedway by Don Clarke". Sunday Mirror. 30 April 1961. Retrieved 19 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Things should buzz". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 6 June 1962. Retrieved 7 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Ban on trio of Sweden's star riders". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 17 March 1966. Retrieved 26 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Star Sweden in Newport side". Bristol Evening Post. 14 August 1970. Retrieved 19 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Speedway by Richard Frost". Sports Argus. 19 February 1972. Retrieved 19 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.