The 38-year-old Niels Kristian Iversen has been cast in a leading role when the Esbjerg Vikings are visited by SES in the Metal Speedway League on Wednesday. Iversen, who suffered a shoulder injury in a Polish test match a month ago, will strengthen Esbjerg Vikings, who lost big to Holsted in last week's opening round.
By Ib Søby
SES - Sønderjylland Elite Speedway makes a single replacement in relation to the debut victory against Fjelsted. The young Jesper Knudsen gets the chance instead of his three year older brother Jonas Knudsen.
Find interview with Jesper Knudsen at the bottom.
At the same time, the showdown also offers the fact that SES Team Leader Ib Pedersen is now returning to Granly Arena, but this time as an opponent to the team that under his leadership has become Danish champions twice in 2012 and 2013.
Esbjerg Vikings also has veteran Bjarne Pedersen on the team. He has turned 42, but is still doing well in England, where he is a teammate in Plymouth with the three-time Australian world champion Jason Crump. Bjarne Pedersen would actually have stopped as a professional, but in light of the corona pandemic, Pedersen chose to extend his career in order to set his own end date.
Last week, SES - Sønderjylland Elite Speedway brought Vojens back into the best Danish league. As mentioned, it happened with a nerve-wracking fight against the reigning Danish champions from Fjelsted. The two teams followed each other at Vojens Speedway Center, before Mads Hansen took a surprising victory in heat 10, against the Funen top drivers Peter Kildemand and Ulrich Østergaard. Then SES pulled the team off and won 45-39.
Since 1975, Vojens Speedway Klub has not been victorious in the best Danish league. It has only become a single bronze medal in 2010.
Esbjerg, on the other hand, has a long and traditional history in Danish two-wheeled motorsport. The club was founded at a restaurant in Hjerting in 1929 and arranged both car and motorcycle races. When the Danish Motor Union founded the Danish tournament in 1967, Esbjerg - led by the fiery Jørgen Holm - was sovereign, and won the first championship with a team consisting of Finn Rasmussen, Bent Nørregaard Jensen, Preben Bollerup, Kaj Ove Larsen, Søren Schelde, Kurt Bøgh and Poul Vissing.
In total, Esbjerg Vikings have won nine Danish championships.
Esbjerg Vikings
A - Niels Kristian Iversen
B - Bjarne Pedersen
B - Sam Masters
C - Jye Etheridge
D - Mathias Nielsen
Team leader, Tom Pårup Madsen
SES - Sønderjylland Elite Speedway
A - Anders Thomsen
B - Kai Huckenbeck
B - Nicolai Klindt
C - Mads Hansen
D - Jesper Knudsen
Team leader, Ib Pedersen and Claus Ørts
The match begins on Wednesday, April 28 at. 18.30
Listen to Jesper's big brother Jonas, who was past Ib in the studio last time: