Zdeněk Kudrna
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox Speedway rider
Zdeněk Kudrna (2 September 1946 – 1 June 1982)[1] was a Czech speedway rider. He reached the Speedway World Championship final in 1979 and also finished third in the Individual Ice Racing World Championship twice, in 1977 and 1979.[2] Kudrna was Czech Ice Racing champion six times, after the last of which he was awarded title Sportsman of the Year by the Czech Motorcycle Federation.
Career
In 1974, he represented his country in a test series against England.[3]
Kudrna was subject to several failed signing attempts with Cradley Heath Heathens and Bristol Bulldogs when he was due to race in Britain for the 1978 season.[4] He eventually rode in the UK for the Exeter Falcons in 1979 with compatriots Aleš Dryml Sr., Jan Verner and Václav Verner. Also in 1979 he finished seventh Speedway World Championship final and was a member of the Czechoslovak team that finished third in the Speedway World Team Cup.
1980 saw him move to the Birmingham Brummies[5] where he was nicknamed Kermit due to his bright green leathers. The Czechoslovak authorities refused him permission to ride in the UK in 1981 but in 1982 he returned to the Brummies.
World Final Appearances
Individual World Championship
- 1978 – Template:Flagicon London, Wembley Stadium - Reserve - did not ride
- 1979 – Template:Flagicon Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 7th - 8pts
World Team Cup
- 1979 – Template:Flagicon London, White City Stadium (with Jiří Štancl / Aleš Dryml Sr. / Václav Verner) - 3rd - 19pts (4)
- 1980 – Template:Flagicon Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Jiří Štancl / Aleš Dryml Sr. / Václav Verner / Petr Ondrašík) - 4th - 12pt (1)
World Longtrack Championship
- 1976 – Template:Flagicon Mariánské Lázně 6th 14pts
- 1977 – Template:Flagicon Aalborg 12th 8pts
- 1978 – Template:Flagicon Mühldorf 15th 7pts
- 1979 – Template:Flagicon Mariánské Lázně 16th 2pts
- 1980 – Template:Flagicon Scheeßel 8th 9pts
- 1981 – Template:Flagicon Gornja Radgona 14th 4pts
Individual Ice Speedway World Championship
- 1974 – Template:Flagicon Nässjö 13th 4pts
- 1975 – Template:Flagicon Moscow 9th 12pts
- 1976 – Template:Flagicon Assen 7th 18pts
- 1977 – Template:Flagicon Inzell 3rd 24pts
- 1978 – Template:Flagicon Assen 11th 10pts
- 1979 – Template:Flagicon Inzell 3rd 26pts
- 1980 – Template:Flagicon Kalinin 4th 22pts
- 1981 - Template:Flagicon Assen 4th 25pts
- 1982 - Template:Flagicon Inzell 4th
Death
On 31 May 1982 Kudrna was racing in a grasstrack meeting in Stadskanaal, the Netherlands. He had already qualified to go through to the next round when midway through the final race, his throttle stuck open and he crashed full speed into the barrier. A wooden stake holding the fence impaled him. Despite being rushed to hospital, Kudrna died the next day from his injuries.[6]
See also
References
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- ↑ Buck, B (2007) Brummies Legends, Pendragon Books. Template:ISBN
- ↑ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. Template:ISBN
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- ↑ "From the Archives: Speedway star killed by wooden stake", Birmingham Mail, 16 February 2011, retrieved 2011-11-27
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