Motorcycle race at Trondhjems ice rink

July 1923

This event is not as well covered with pictures as other events down south in Norway. But there is a very cool detail in the pic where some of the race heroes line up. To the far right in the picture, in his nice suit and tie, is our then and for many years to come race ace no. 1, Ernst Vaumund out of Christiania (Oslo). When you look close at the picture one notice he has a steel shoe on his left foot, just as todays speedway riders use. This is the very first evidence of steel shoe on track in Norway.

Bjarne Wist no 6 from Trondheim, would in a radio interview in the seventies claim he was the first to race with a steel shoe in Norway, this was supposedly in the late twenties. Well, that was a mild a exaggeration, this is 1923 and by no doubt we see Ernst Vaumund using one.

The Great Race at Hovland horse race track in Larvik

1922 

During the first years after Norsk Motorcycle Klub (Norwegian Motorcycle Club) was founded in 1916 the sport was focusing on endurance and reliability runs, such as Trondhjemsridtet - a four day event from our capitol Christiania (Oslo) to Trondhjem and back.

Those endurance runs was not about speed but about getting "there and back", all routes had preplanned km pr hour speed and when a rider was estimated to arrive at the various intermediate milestones along the way. To fast - points added, to slow - points added. In the early 20ìes the need for speed became more important. Norway had no racing tracks, nor will among our government in having such. The only way to obtain speed was either use the local horse track or on ice during winter. The event covered in the above article is from the very first track event held by the Norsk Motorcycle club. This at Hovlandsbanen in Larvik, a then quite new track with slight banking trough the curves. Macke Nicolaysen rode his Reading Standard machine at just above 100kmh during this event, a speed that was way above the road speed limits in Norway at the time, those where in average 35kmh when out of town and 15kmh as soon as city limit was reached.

 

Hillclimb racing in Korketrekkeren  - Christiania (Oslo)

1924

Both national and international hillclimb racing events were held in the Korketrekkeren sledding hill. The track went trough numerous curves from Frognerseteren tram station to Midstuen tram station. Total length approx 2000 meters and total ascent roughly 250 meters. In the high speed curves there was made plank walls to keep both motorcycle riders and sled riders on track, the riders when going up and sledge riders the opposite. The most frequent years for hillclimbs in Korketrekkeren where from early twenties to mid thirties.

 

1`st Ice-race by Norsk Motorcycle Klubb - Bergen,

arranged at Nordåsvannet in 1922! 

Pics above show a recent article I wrote for NVMC Norsk Veteran Motorcycle Club magazine, Sidevogna a while back.

Will try - eventually, to translate to English.