For international races, Jacob Olsen always has one particular phrase; that the audience must remember to sing along to the Danish national tune - both times. First to the presentation and finally to the victory ceremony! But it is actually a bit of a rarity that we experience a Danish grandprix victory at home. It's only happened six times.
By Ib Søby
For any sportsman or woman, winning a big triumph in front of a home crowd is the ultimate dream. It is the wings of sport history and the victory will place the athlete in the consciousness of all Danes.
Erik Gundersen won the individual championship in 1988 in Vojens, even ahead of Hans Nielsen and Jan O. Pedersen. The biggest Danish triumph in speedway history.
In return, dear Ole Olsen won his three individual titles in Gothenburg and London.
In teams and pairs we have seen several Danish World Cup victories in Vojens, but in order to stay with the individual stellar times, we must until September 9, 1995 to find a new Danish home team victory. It was the same year that FIM introduced the grandprix system. The Danish Grand Prix in 1995 was the penultimate of the year before ending the season in British Hackney.
The current country coach Hans Nielsen had a stable season, and before Vojens had been in four finals out of four. With the victory in Vojens, Nielsen actually secured his fourth and final individual World Cup title.
9.9. 1995 Vojens
1. Hans Nielsen, Denmark
2. Sam Ermolenko, USA
3. Tony Rickardsson, Sweden
4. Tomasz Gollob, Poland
The following year, in 1996, Hans Nielsen was back at stake. He reached the first three finals and won in German Pocking. In Vojens, Hans was second to Jason Crump, but Nielsen lost the gold in Hackney by just two points. American Billy Hamill became world champion.
Hans Nielsen, however, had a more Danish victory before stopping his career in 1999. In 1998 he reached two finals. The last in Bydgoszcz and before in Vojens, where he won.
19. 6. 1998 Vojens
1. Hans Nielsen, Denmark
2. Chris Louis, England
3. Tony Rickardsson, Sweden
4. Jason Crump, Australia
After that, eight more years would have to pass before a new Danish home game victory. The Danish grand prize was now - quite large - moved to the Park in Copenhagen. Nicki Pedersen was in the finals of 2003, 2004 and 2005, but without getting on the podium! It turned into his then Danish rival, Hans Andersen, who in 2006 put the capital on the other end. Hans Andersen had a wild card that night, and acknowledged with a surprising victory.
24.6. 2006 The park in Copenhagen
1. Hans Andersen, Denmark
2. Jason Crump, Australia
3. Bjarne Pedersen, Denmark
4. Antonio Lindbäck, Sweden
For four years, Denmark had two grand prix races. In the Park and in Vojens, where the department was christened the Nordic Grand Prix. So also in 2012, when Nicki Pedersen finally had to win at home, but in the last lap Pedersen was cheated by tonight's wildcard Michael Jepsen Jensen. Jepsen Jensen had a terrific season as team world champion in Swedish Målilla and later U21 world champion in Argentine Bahia Blanca.
22.9. 2012 Vojens
1. Michael Jepsen Jensen, Denmark
2. Nicki Pedersen, Denmark
3. Emil Saytfudinov, Russia
4. Jason Crump, Australia
In 2014, the last grand prix was run in the Park in Copenhagen. It had become too expensive, but the party was closed at the same time as Denmark's Motor Union celebrated its 100th anniversary. Therefore, Crown Prince Frederik was at speedway and could hand over the trophy to Niels Kr. Iversen.
28. 6. 2014 The park in Copenhagen
1. Niels Kr. Iversen, Denmark
2. Troy Batchelor, Australia
3. Greg Hancock, USA
4. Peter Kildemand, Denmark
After the loss of the Danish national stadium, the World Cup grand prix division moved to CASA Arena in the sporting city of Horsens. It turned into four editions in the old prison town before returning to Vojens with this edition this year. But the period in Horsens started quite well.
8. 8. 2015 CASA Arena Horsens
1. Peter Kildemand, Denmark
2. Matej Zagar, Slovenia
3. Michael Jepsen Jensen, Denmark
4. Tai Woffinden, England
The other three wins in Horsens were won by Polish Maciej Janowski in 2016 and 2017, while Woffinden finished top last year.
On Saturday in Vojens, Denmark has five gunshots. Leon Madsen, Niels Kr. Iversen and Mikkel Michelsen, who are on the wild card. But Michelsen went all the way in the European Championships in August! Finally, the two lane reserves also have little chance if they enter early in the race. It is Michael Jepsen Jensen and Anders Thomsen, who have to share heats between them, so it is theoretical that one of them should reach the semi-finals, but not quite impossible.