Introduction
Bjarne Aagaard Pedersen (born 12 July 1978 in Holstebro, Denmark) is an internationalmotorcycle speedway rider who has represented Denmark in the Speedway World Cup, winning it on two occasions: in 2006 and 2008.
Career summary
Pedersen began his speedway career in 1990.He won his first title in 1994 winning a Danish junior pairs championship with Charlie Gjedde. However, he did not ride as a full-time professional until 2000. Pedersen began his UK racing career with the Newcastle Diamonds in the Premier League. He took part in his first two Speedway Grand Prix events in 2002, both as a wild card. His first full Speedway Grand Prix season came in 2003, but it was not until 2004 when Pedersen won his only Grand Prix to date at the European GP in Wrocław. In 2004 he also won the Elite League Riders' Championship.
Pedersen admitted at the end of the 2007 season that he had lost enthusiasm for riding in Speedway Grand Prix series until he qualified for the 2008 series in the race off in Vojens.
Pedersen was retained by Poole for the 2008 season over former world champion Jason Crump when it was announced the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA) that the points limit for team building purposes was to be reduced drastically. Poole promoter Matt Ford stated that Pedersen was chosen due to his loyalty to Poole over the previous six seasons.
Speedway Grand Prix results
| Year | Position | Points | Best Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 26th | 10 | 12th | 2 Wild card rides |
| 2003 | 14th | 51 | 3rd | Finished 3rd in the Norwegian GP |
| 2004 | 10th | 78 | Winner | Won the European GP |
| 2005 | 6th | 90 | 2nd | Finished 3rd in the Swedish GP, 3rd in the British GP and 2nd in the Czech GP |
| 2006 | 12th | 82 | 3rd | Finished 3rd in the Danish GP |
| 2007 | 12th | 77 | 5th | |
| 2008 | 11th | 69 | 2nd | Missed European and Swedish GPs through injury. Finished 2nd in the Italian GP. |
| Final Championship standings: | 12th | 77 | Riding No (12) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix | Pos. | Pts. | Heats | ||
| 1/11 | Italian SGP | 12 | 5 | (1,E,3,1,1) | 5 |
| 2/11 | European SGP | 7 | 8 | (3,1,0,2,1) +1 | 12 |
| 3/11 | Swedish SGP | 16 | 3 | (0,0,2,1,0) | 4 |
| 4/11 | Danish SGP | 13 | 5 | (X,3,1,0,1) | 11 |
| 5/11 | British SGP | 10 | 7 | (2,3,1,1,0) | 15 |
| 6/11 | Czech Rep. SGP | 11 | 6 | (3,1,0,0,2) | 1 |
| 7/11 | Scandinavian SGP | 9 | 7 | (0,1,2,2,2) | 7 |
| 8/11 | Latvian SGP | 9 | 8 | (2,2,2,1,1) | 15 |
| 9/11 | Polish SGP | 8 | 8 | (3,1,3,1,0) +0 | 12 |
| 10 /11 | Slovenian SGP | 7 | 9 | (0,0,2,3,3) +1 | 9 |
| 11 /11 | German SGP | 5 | 11 | (0,3,2,2,3) +1 | 12 |
| Final Championship standings: | 11 | 69 | Riding No (11) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix | Pos. | Pts. | Heats | ||
| 1/11 | Slovenian SGP | 16 | 4 | (0,0,2,0,2) | 5 |
| 2/11 | European SGP | - | - | Injured* | - |
| 3/11 | Swedish SGP | - | - | Injured* | - |
| 4/11 | Danish SGP | 9 | 7 | (1,2,3,0,1) | 1 |
| 5/11 | British SGP | 5 | 14 | (2,3,3,3,3) +0(X)) | 16 |
| 6/11 | Czech Rep. SGP | 9 | 7 | (F/x,2,2,0,3) | 7 |
| 7/11 | Scandinavian SGP | 10 | 6 | (0,2,0,1,3) | 12 |
| 8/11 | Latvian SGP | 8 | 7 | (0,0,2,2,3) +0 | 9 |
| 9/11 | Polish SGP | 14 | 4 | (1,1,0,2,1) | 15 |
| 10 /11 | Italian SGP | 2 | 17 | (3,0,2,3,3) +2 +4 | 5 |
| 11 /11 | German SGP | 14 | 3 | (1,1,1,0,0) | 15 |
*