Masarna

{{Infobox motorcycle speedway team

|clubname = Masarna Avesta

|image = File:Masarna.png

|track = Avesta Motorstadion
Avesta, Sweden

|country = Sweden

|founded = 1937

|closed =

|manager =

|captain =

|league = Allsvenskan (in 2024)

|website = [https://www.masarna.nu/ Official website]

|colours = Blue and yellow

|tracksize = 315 metres

|track record time= 57.0 seconds

|track record date= 8 August 2006

|track record holder= Leigh Adams

|honour1 = Team Championship

|year1 = 2000, 2020

|honour2 = Second tier

|year2 = 1959, 1960, 1974, 1998, 2015

|honour3 = Third tier

|year3 = 1990, 2023

}}

Masarna are a Swedish motorcycle speedway team based in Avesta, Sweden. They last rode in the Elitserien during the 2022 Swedish Speedway season but are currently not racing due to financial problems.{{cite web |url=https://fimspeedway.com/news/masarna-forced-out-of-swedish-league |title=MASARNA OUT OF SWEDISH LEAGUE |website=FIM |access-date=6 February 2023}}{{cite magazine |author= |title=Speedway Around The Globe - Sweden |url=|magazine=Speedway Star |pages=38–39 |location= |publisher= |date=23 July 2022 |access-date=}} They are two times champions of Sweden.{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/dmszwecji.php |title=HISTORICAL RESULTS 1948-2015 |website=Speedway History |access-date=1 January 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://en.elitspeedway.com/lag |title=Masarna |website=Elit Speedway |access-date=2 February 2023}}

History

=1937 to 1964=

The club was founded in 1937 as the Folkare Motorklubb but their first track at Nordanö (between Jularbo and Krylbo) was built in 1948. The club joined the Swedish second division in 1958 (which was known as the Allsvenskan from 1982). Led by Sören Sjösten, they gained success in 1959 by winning division 2 and the successfully defended the title in 1960.{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/dmszwecji.php |title=HISTORICAL RESULTS 1948-2015 |website=Speedway History |access-date=28 March 2023}}

=1965 to 1978=

Folkare changed their name to Masarna for the 1965 Swedish speedway season{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/1965.htm |title=1965 season |website=Speedway.org |access-date=28 March 2023}} and for the remainder of the 1960s struggled in division 2. They won their first honours 'as Masarna' by winning division 2 again in 1974.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/1974.htm |title=1974 season |website=Speedway.org |access-date=28 March 2023}} The team left the Nordanö track circa.1969 and raced at the Avestavallen but because the stadium was near the centre of Avesta, it was not a permanent solution as a home.

=1979 to 1981=

In 1979, Masarna moved to the Avesta Motorstadion from the Avestavallen.{{cite web |url=https://www.masarna.nu/sida/?ID=425254 |title=About the Association |website=Masarna Speedway Club |access-date=26 November 2023}} They remained in division 2 until 1982.

=1982 to 1998=

The introduction of the Elitserien in 1982 saw the team pushed into the third tier of the league system.{{cite web |url=http://gislavedsmotorklubb.nu/elitserien-i-speedway/ |title=The elite series in speedway |website=Gislaved MotorKlubb |access-date=24 March 2023}} It was not until 1990 that the club experienced any success and that was winning division 2 (the third tier).{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/1990.htm |title=1990 season |website=Speedway.org |access-date=28 March 2023}} Eight years later the club won division 1 and finally gained promotion to the Elitserien in 1999.

=1999 to 2019=

File:Arena Avesta 1.jpg

The club intended to make a serious challenge for the Elitserien and signed world champion Tony Rickardsson and Antonín Kasper Jr. They finished runner up to Valsarna but then the following year they won their first Swedish Speedway Team Championship. The 2000 season had seen Leigh Adams and Gary Havelock added to the squad.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/2000.htm |title=2000 season |website=Speedway.org |access-date=28 March 2023}}

Masarna continued to compete in the highest division until they were relegated in 2008 to the Allsvenskan, after finishing bottom of the Elitserien table although they had already announced their intention to drop a division for the 2009 season.{{cite web | url = http://www.masarnaavesta.nu/historia.cgi | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080513080206/http://www.masarnaavesta.nu/historia.cgi | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2008-05-13 | title = History | year = 2008 | publisher = MasarnaAvesta | accessdate = 2008-09-15 | language = Swedish }}{{cite web | url = http://www.speedwayworld.tv/en/swedishleague/a9368 | title = Elite League review | year = 2008 | publisher = Benfield Sports International (BSI) | accessdate = 2008-09-15 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} They later returned to the Elitserien after winning the 2015 Allsvenskan.

=2020 to present=

File:Antonio Lindback 2009.jpg

The team won a second Swedish title in 2020, despite finishing fifth in the regular season table; the team peaked at the right time and went on to defeat Indianerna in the final.{{cite web |url=http://speedwayfansite.com/ligi/dmswe/index.html |title=2020 Swedish season |website=Speedway Fansite |access-date=30 January 2023}} the successful team included Antonio Lindbäck, Nicki Pedersen and Kim Nilsson.

Despite the success experienced in 2020, the club withdrew from the league for the 2023 season due to financial problems. In 2023, they did however run a team in the third tier of Swedish speedway (known as Division 1) and won the competition that season. For the 2024 Swedish speedway season, the team would return to the Allsvenskan.{{cite web |url=https://www.avestatidning.com/2023-09-04/masarnas-plan-allsvenskan-2024-ekonomin-ar-stabil |title=Masarna's plan - Allsvenskan 2024: "The economy is stable |website=Avesta Tidning |access-date=1 December 2023}}