Jürgen Hehlert
| Born | 15 April 1941 (age 83) Cloppenburg |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | |
| 1974 | Hull Vikings |
| Individual honours | |
| 1962, 1966 | East German Champion |
Jürgen Hehlert (born 15 April 1941) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from East Germany.[1][2] He earned international caps for both the East Germany national speedway team and later the West Germany national speedway team, after he defected.
Speedway career
Hehlert was a two times champion of East Germany, winning the East German Championship in 1962 (which was the first post-World War II) German championship) and again in 1966.[3]
He only rode one season in the United Kingdom, riding for Hull Vikings in a challenge match, during the 1972 British League Division Two season.[4][1]
He was credited with being partly responsible for the renovation of the track at the Günter Harder Stadion and in 1970[2] and reached the Continental final of the 1970 Speedway World Team Cup with the East Germany national speedway team after winning both the quarter final and semi final.[5]
In 1972, he defected from the East to the West, settling in Hanau in Hesse and later rode for MSC Rodenbach in the German Team Speedway Championship[2] He would also represent the West German national team.
References
- ^ a b "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ a b c "Jürgen Hehlert: The first German Speedway Champion". Speedweek.com. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
- ^ "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Speedway World Cup". International Speedway. Retrieved 1 February 2024.