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Jan O. Pedersen

{{Short description|Danish speedway rider}}

{{For-multi|the speedway rider born in 1967|Jan Pedersen (speedway rider)|the footballer|Jan Ove Pedersen}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox Speedway rider

| name = Jan O. Pedersen

| image =

| caption =

| nationality = Danish

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|11|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Middelfart, Denmark

| britishleague =

| career1 = Cradley Heathens

| years1 = 1983, 1985-1992

| career2 = Sheffield Tigers

| years2 = 1984

| career3 =

| years3 =

| career4 =

| years4 =

| indivhonour1 = World Individual Champion

| indivyear1 = 1991

| indivyear2 =

| indivhonour2 =

| teamhonour1 = World Team Cup winner

| teamyear1 = 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991

| teamhonour2 = World Pairs Champion

| teamyear2 = 1990, 1991

| teamyear3 = 1983

| teamhonour3 = British League Champion

| teamyear4 = 1983

| teamhonour4 = British League KO Cup winner

| teamyear5 = 1983

| teamhonour5 = Midland Cup winner

}}

{{CompetitionRecordTableTop|}}

{{CompetitionRecordCountry | {{DEN}} }}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|Speedway World Championship}}

{{MedalGold| 1991|}}

{{MedalSilver| 1986|}}

{{MedalBronze| 1988|}}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|Speedway World Team Cup}}

{{MedalGold| 1986|}}

{{MedalGold| 1987|}}

{{MedalGold| 1988|}}

{{MedalGold| 1991|}}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|Speedway World Pairs Championship}}

{{MedalGold| 1990|}}

{{MedalGold| 1991|}}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|Intercontinental Cup}}

{{MedalGold| 1988|}}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|Speedway Champions Cup}}

{{MedalGold| 1989|}}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition|Long Track World Championship}}

{{MedalBronze| 1991|}}

{{CompetitionRecordBottom}}

Jan Osvald Pedersen (born 9 November 1962 in Middelfart, Denmark)Johnson S. Speedway Star magazine (30 August 1986) is a former Speedway rider who became Speedway World Champion in 1991 after finishing runner-up in 1986 and in third place in 1988 behind fellow Danes Erik Gundersen and Hans Nielsen. He also won the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1990 and 1991, both times partnered by Hans Nielsen.{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2238/jan-pedersen|title=Speedway riders, history and results|website=wwosbackup|access-date=27 June 2021}}{{cite book|last=Montague|first=Trevor|title=The A-Z of Sport|year=2004|page=527|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=0-316-72645-1}} He earned 42 caps for the Denmark national speedway team.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=31 August 2024}}

Career

In 1982 Pedersen signed for the Cradley Heathens{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003126/19830122/517/0038 |title=Wigg poised to join Cradley's title hunt |website=Wolverhampton Express and Star |date=22 January 1983 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=31 August 2024}} but did not ride until the following season when his first British meeting heralded a five-point return in Birmingham's Second City individual Trophy on 18 March. His future had been plotted for Dudley Wood almost a year earlier when he was recommended to Heathens team manager Peter Adams by his countryman, Bent Rasmussen. The ensuing months brought three more clubs knocking on his door but in August, Pedersen publicly pledged his future to Cradley.{{cite web |url=http://www.cradleyspeedway.co.uk/riders/jano.htm|title=Jan O Pedersen|website=Cradley Speedway|access-date=27 June 2021}}

Pedersen finished his debut season with a 7.20 league average and Cradley's team total soared over 60-plus points as they won the British League and cup double again and the Midland Cup.{{cite news |title=Cradley's treble glory! |work=Birmingham Mail |date=25 October 1983 | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002139/19831025/035/0035 | via = British Newspaper Archive| access-date=21 October 2023 |url-access=subscription }} The decision was then made by new manager Colin Pratt to loan the Dane out and he spent 1984 with Sheffield. Despite that season being marred by a broken arm, he did enough to convince Tigers' promoter Maurice Ducker that he was worth buying. However, Pratt refused to sell and Pedersen's return to Dudley Wood for 1985 saw the start of an uninterrupted 8-year stint with the club. Pedersen achieved success for club, country and individually.

In 1985 he was a heat leader for the Heathens and became part of the dominant Danish national team of the era. In the Cradley team he was second only to Erik Gundersen and won three consecutive Speedway World Team Cups in 1986, 1987 and 1988, riding alongside the Danish greats of Hans Nielsen, Gundersen and Tommy Knudsen. He won the British League Riders' Championship, held at Belle Vue Stadium on 9 October 1988.{{cite news |title=Pedersen powers to title joy |work=Sandwell Evening Mail |date=10 October 1988 |access-date=5 June 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002487/19881010/425/0041 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}

He topped the Cradley team averages in 1989 and then led the team during the 1990 British League season, following Cradley's loss of Gundersen. That season he also won his first Speedway World Pairs Championship riding with Nielsen but it was the 1991 season that became the pinnacle of Pedersen's career. He won the ultimate prize of winning the Speedway World Championship{{cite web |url=https://www.worldspeedwayriders.org/rider/42/jan-o-pedersen-1991|title=JAN O PEDERSEN 1991|website=World Speedway Riders|access-date=27 June 2021}} in addition to the winning a second World pairs title with Nielsen and Knudsen{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002137/19910721/321/0036 |title=Speedway World Pairs |website=Sunday Mirror |date=21 July 1991 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=13 September 2024}} and a fourth World Cup win.

Still aged only 29 his speedway career was brought to a premature end in his testimonial year. Less than a fortnight after Pedersen's 10-year testimonial at Cradley, he crashed in Denmark and suffered a serious back injury and never raced competitively again. Since 1993 he has been doing some saloon car racing in Denmark and won a championship in his first season. He has also had one year spells as team manager with Oxford and promoter with Cradley when the Cradley team spent the 1996 season riding at Stoke.

In 1999, he raced in the 25th Anniversary meeting at Denmark's Vojens track. A series of competitive races were held involving old and current international stars, including Gary Havelock, Henrik Gustafsson and Jesper B. Monberg. Pedersen managed to win every one of his races in his first track return since his career-ending accident in 1992.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/14053943|title=Dudley Heathens comeback for Jan O Pedersen|website=BBC Sport|access-date=27 June 2021}}

In 2012, he joined the Dudley Heathens Speedway team as their team coach. Dudley Heathens has roots with Cradley Heathens who currently ride at Perry Barr Stadium with the Birmingham Brummies.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/_mobile/news.php?extend.14285|title=Jan O rejoins Heathens|website=British Speedway|access-date=27 June 2021}}

World Final Appearances

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

| colspan="20" style="text-align:center;"|World Championship Final results timeline

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | 1983

! scope="col" | 1984

! scope="col" | 1985

! scope="col" | 1986

! scope="col" | 1987

! scope="col" | 1988

! scope="col" | 1989

! scope="col" | 1990

! scope="col" | 1991

style="text-align:center;"

! scope="row" |Finishing position

| 1983 Individual Speedway World Championship

| 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship

| 9

| style="background:silver;"|2

| 7

| style="background:orange;"|3

| 1989 Individual Speedway World Championship

| 1990 Individual Speedway World Championship

| style="background:gold;"|1

style="text-align:center;"

= Individual World Championship =

* Pedersen qualified for the 1989 and 1990 World Final's but withdrew injured on both occasions.

= World Pairs Championship =

= World Team Cup =

= Individual Under-21 World Championship =

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Speedway World Champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedersen, Jan O.}}

Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Middelfart Municipality

Category:Danish speedway riders

Category:Individual Speedway World Champions

Category:Speedway World Pairs Champions

Category:Speedway promoters

Category:Cradley Heathens riders

Category:Danish expatriate speedway riders in England

Category:Sheffield Tigers riders

Category:Motorcycle races from the Region of Southern Denmark