Hans Andersen my speedway schedules.”
Hans’ two sons, August and Noah, are 10 and eight respectively and he admits: “I don’t want to miss them growing up! I have done plenty of laps through my career and it’s quite easy not to do any more and see them grow up rather than miss out. Time just flies and it’s important not to miss being with the family and doing the things most normal fathers do.
“I had some conversations with a nonspeedway person who doesn’t know anything about speedway, which is probably a good thing. I was probably going to do another season before calling it a day, but it made sense, it made my mind up.
“God forbid, but anyone can be injured, and it didn’t make any sense (to carry on taking the risk) the more I thought about it. It doesn’t matter whether it is Denmark, or it is England, there is always that chance.
“I always thought it would be nice to have ended where I started if it was possible and if I could have done a season at Poole, I probably would have done that.
“But I am pretty happy with my decision, I feel pretty calm within myself saying I have retired. I have had offers, but I sort of turned them down without telling them why. I always had this idea that I was going to pack it in.”
Hans confesses that he might have been tempted to go back to Poole for his last hurrah but admits: “I think I have been pretty lucky, there have been some serious injuries and lately there has been quite a lot of riders who got injured in some ways, riders like Thomas and Patrick, it made my head clear. I have had a long career and I wake up feeling okay.
Pictures: JEFF DAVIES and MIKE PATRICK
“Speedway, even though it’s the sport we love, it is still a dangerous sport. We have done it for so long, it’s been a big risk of being injured every time you go out on the track. That’s another thing I have promised myself and my family – now that I’ve retired from speedway, I’m not going to take up any dangerous sports! It would be wrong to go and take up anything dangerous.
“I have had a few injuries; I don’t think many people go through their careers without being injured and that’s what makes my decision the right one.
“I have got a little bit of metal plate in one of my hands, but it’s not something I feel except when it’s very cold and I am not actually a person who is fond of the cold anyway, so I normally stay indoors.”
Holstebro in 1997, Brovst in 2000, Fredericia in 2005 and Region Varde (Outrup) in 2018 – but he’s spent every single racing day of his life as a member of Vissenbjerg where he first started racing as a nine-yearold.
N his homeland, Hans Andersen has been a one-club man…even though he’s ridden for eight different Danish teams! He’s won the league with four of them – I
He explained: “Fjelsted, my local track, is about six minutes from where I live, but that’s not the track I grew up riding at, and that’s even closer, maybe eight minutes away!
CHEERS, HANS!
February 10, 2024 speedway star 3
