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Hammers career : 1994-1995
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MIKAEL TEURNBERG first caught British speedway promoters' eyes in 1992 when he rode as a member of touring Swedish Elite League side Rospiggarna. He made sufficient impact during a series of challenge fixtures to be offered a contract with second division Mildenhall where he made an immediate impression.
When mid-season financial troubles caused the Fen Tigers to close, Mikael found himself on the sidelines - until he was picked up by then Rockets boss Ronnie Russell to bolster a Rockets team aiming for their best season for many a year. Mikael had performed well at Hoddesdon during his Mildenhall stint and he was a lively performer for the Rockets.
A spell in the reserve berth during the Knockout Cup final between the Rockets and Peterborough saw Mikael make his first appearance at Arena-Essex during a neutral second leg. He showed an instant liking for the track and racked up a sixteen point haul for the Rockets. He returned to ride at Hoddesdon the following season and saw out the year until their closure at the end of 1993.
He switched with Russell - who became Hammers' team boss - to the Arena-Essex Raceway in 1994 where he was a steady reserve / second string in speedway's top division. His fast gating saw him earn some good points at home and claim some very notable scalps in the form of Hans Nielsen, Chris Louis and Mikael Max.
Come 1995 and Mikael failed to make the necessary progress against very slightly easier opposition in the combined, one-league era. He was decent enough at home but was the first to admit he struggled away from the confines of Purfleet. He stayed at home in 1996 when the Hammers dropped leagues.
Mikael returned to British shores in 1997 to ride for Oxford in the Premier League, a season that was to be his last in British Speedway. He continued to ride in Sweden and was a stalwart in the Rospiggarna team that he continued to serve into the new millennium.
When Mikael hung up his leathers he went into the classroom to teach - but he is still very much actively involved in speedway as part of the team behind current Hammer Andreas Jonsson. He can be seen helping the Swedish star out at Grand Prix meetings across Europe and was in the crew that saw AJ take victory at the Danish Grand Prix in Copenhagen back in May.
Mikael is just one of many riders who have appeared for both the Hammers and this evening's opposition Rye House. We featured other notables like Andrew Silver, Martin Goodwin and Jan Pedersen in this article earlier in the season and of course, Chris Neath rode so well as Hammers' number eight in the first half of this year.
Year |
Matches |
Rides |
Points |
Bonus |
Total |
Average |
Full Max |
Paid Max |
1994 |
41 |
168 |
164 |
34 |
198 |
4.71 |
0 |
0 |
1995 |
42 |
183 |
199 |
35 |
234 |
5.11 |
0 |
0 |
TOTAL |
83 |
351 |
363 |
69 |
432 |
4.92 |
0 |
0 |
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