{{Short description|Speedway club in Fredericia, Denmark}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox motorcycle speedway team |clubname = Fredericia Speedway |image = |track = Various |country = Denmark |founded = 1945 |closed = 2005 |manager = |captain = |league = [[Danish Speedway League|Danish Super League]] |website = |colours = |nickname = |tracksize = |track record time= |track record date= |track record holder= |honour1 = [[Danish Speedway League|Team champions]] |year1 = [[1968 Danish speedway season|1968]], [[1974 Danish speedway season|1974]], [[1975 Danish speedway season|1975]], [[1987 Danish speedway season|1987]], [[1989 Danish speedway season|1989]], [[1993 Danish speedway season|1993]], [[2005 Danish speedway season|2005]] }}
'''Fredericia Speedway''' was a [[motorcycle speedway]] club from [[Fredericia]] in Denmark, which competed in the [[Danish Speedway League]] until the end of their league winning 2005 season.<ref name=FMK>{{cite web |url=https://fmk-speedway.dk/ |title=Official home page |website=Fredericia Motor Klub |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> They are seven times champions of Denmark, having won the title in [[1968 Danish speedway season|1968]], [[1974 Danish speedway season|1974]], [[1975 Danish speedway season|1975]], [[1987 Danish speedway season|1987]], [[1989 Danish speedway season|1989]], [[1993 Danish speedway season|1993]] and [[2005 Danish speedway season|2005]].<ref name=SH>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/dmdanii.php |title=Danish Team Championships |website=Speedway History |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.danskspeedway.dk/statistik.html |title=Danish Superliga |website=Dansk Speedway |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref>
==History== ===1945 to 1971=== [[File:Hans Andersen (9273416509).jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hans Andersen helped the club win their last title in 2005]] Fredericia Speedway's origins started with the founding of the Fredericia Motor Klubb in 1945<ref name=FMK/> and with a speedway track being built in 1958. The home venue of the club was the [[Vejlby Speedway Center]], which is still located on the northern outskirts of Fredericia.<ref name=SL>{{cite web |url=http://speedwaylife.com/danske-baner/fredericia-vejlby/ |title=FREDERICIA VEJLBY |website=Speedway Life |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> In 1967, a new organised tournament was formed with seven teams being registered, one of which was the team called '''Faestningsdrengene''' (the Fortress Boys) and they won the league in [[1968 Danish speedway season|1968]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://speedwaylife.com/danmarksturneringen-i-speedway/ |title=1. div. 500 cc. 1956 – 1985 |website=Speedway Life |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> The track at Vejlby was used until 1971 and three years later (1974) it was rebuilt exclusively as a smaller track for machines of the 50cc and 80cc.
===1972 to 1985=== The need for a larger track resulted in the speedway team using the 370 metre [[Fredericia Speedway Stadium]] (the old Fredericia Stadion), owned by the Fredericia Municipality but events being organised by the Fredericia Motor Klub. After five second places in the [[Danish Speedway League]] they finally won division 1 again in 1974, to become the Danish champions for the second time.<ref name=FMK/> The club ran other teams in the lower divisions called Skansedrengene, Volddrengene and Brodrenene.
Further success was experienced in [[1975 Danish speedway season|1975]], before the introduction of the professional Danish Speedway League (which was established in 1986).<ref name=SH/>
=== 1986 to 1996 === The team had issues with the Municipality over the limited access to the stadium. It could not be used more than once a week due to it being in a residential area. Therefeore the decision was made to lease the Frederikslyst Motorbane for the new professional league. The team finished 2nd in the inaugural Super League in [[1986 Danish speedway season|1986]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dmusport.dk/organisation/dmu-historie/#tab-id-28 |title=Speedway Danish champions for teams |website=Danish Motor Union |access-date=9 April 2023}}</ref> They then won their fourth title in [[1987 Danish speedway season|1987]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.danskspeedway.dk/statistik.html |title=Danish Superliga |website=Dansk Speedway |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/dmdanii.php |title=Danish Team Championships |website=Speedway History |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref>
The team continued their success by winning the [[1989 Danish speedway season|1989]] Superliga.<ref name=SH/> The team included riders such as [[Jan O. Pedersen]], [[Gert Handberg]], [[Brian Karger]] and [[Frede Schött]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://speedwaylife.com/trophies-and-champions/the-danish-speedway-league/ |title=Super League |website=Speedway Life |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.danskspeedway.dk/statistik.html |title=Danish Superliga |website=Dansk Speedway |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/dmdanii.php |title=Danish Team Championships |website=Speedway History |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> Continuing to challenge at the highest level they signed riders like [[Tommy Knudsen]] and [[Brian Andersen]] and won another league title in [[1993 Danish speedway season|1993]].<ref name=SH/> Unfortunately, after the [[1995 Danish speedway season|1995]] season the club ran into financial difficulties and were unable to field a team during 1997.<ref name=SL/>
=== 2004 to 2005=== After seven years dormant, the team returned for the [[2004 Danish speedway season]] and won their seventh Championship during the [[2005 Danish speedway season]].<ref name=SH/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dr.dk/sporten/fredericia-vandt-dm-hold |title = Fredericia won the DM for team |publisher=DR Sport |access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref> However, 2005 turned out to be the last season for the team as they once again folded and remain closed today. The reason for closing were quoted as a result of not having their own track and the financial issues caused by renting the [[Fjelsted Speedway Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bt.dk/sport/de-danske-speedway-mestre-lukker-butikken |title = The Danish speedway champions are closing shop |publisher=B.T |access-date=7 April 2023}}</ref>
==Notable riders== * {{player||DEN|[[Brian Andersen]]}} * {{player||DEN|[[Hans Andersen (speedway rider)|Hans Andersen]]}} * {{player||DEN|[[Godtfred Andreasen]]}} * {{player||DEN|[[Hans Peter Boisen]]}} * {{player||DEN|[[Gert Handberg]]}} * {{player||DEN|[[Brian Karger]]}} * {{player||DEN|[[Tommy Knudsen]]}} * {{player||DEN|[[Jan O. Pedersen]]}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Danish speedway teams}}
[[Category:Speedway teams in Denmark]] [[Category:1945 establishments in Denmark]] [[Category:Fredericia]] [[Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1945]] [[Category:2005 disestablishments in Denmark]] [[Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 2005]] [[Category:Defunct sports clubs and teams in Denmark]] [[Category:Sport in the Region of Southern Denmark]]