Special thanks to Czech Road Racing statistician Jan Vavra for putting together another fascinating stats based article, which revolves around 20th/21st Century Swedish racers circulating around the Czech Republic’s most acclaimed real roads circuit, Horice.
Jan’s recently compiled piece, reads as follows:
The first Swedish riders participating in non-yesteryear races at Horice towards the end of the 1960s, were Morgan Radberg and Bengt Grondahl.
To the present times unofficially 21 riders in total from Sweden have participated at Horice (not on classics machinery).
Five times overall, the sound of ´Du gamla, Du fria´ national anthem arose at Horice for winning a race.
Roland Nilsson as a newcomer to Horice in 1973, captured wins times two (250cc/350cc race victories). In that year Bjorn Carlsson had one win in the 125-cc race.
Roland Nilsson demonstrated similar style during his second Horice visit in 1975, collecting again the 250cc and 350cc race crowns.
Added podium finishers from Sweden in the 1970’s we’re Per Edward Carlsson, Rustan Corneliusson and Per Yngve Zachrisson.
Rising IRRC star Markus Karlsson set in 2021, quickest lap time (2.21.170) of all time by a Swedish competitor at Horice and only one year later he significantly improved this personal best! His new lap time value (2.16.967) means 18th fastest lap in history.
IRRC regular or wild card Swedish participants which have also competed at Horice are Patrik Andersson, Rasmus Lindstrom, Morgan Rejnas and Pontus Roestlinger.
Johan Nilsson was the first Swedish racer astride modern era four-stroke Supersport bikes, at 300 Curves of Gustav Havel.
Twenty, nineteen years before this in 1990, 1991, Dick Hedegard ensured Sweden representation within the 250cc category.
Anders Richnau, known from his starts at Armoy, the Ulster GP in 2018 and 2019 Scarborough Gold Cup, has additionally sampled Horice just like fellow Lightweight specialists Anders Larsson (Ulster GP starter in 2013-250cc class participant in 2010), Tommy Bergstedt and George Carlsson.
There are some added racers from Sweden who have tackled Classic machinery races at Horice like Borje Andersson or Helge Hallin with steeds including a beautiful Matchless G50.
Horice participants 2010-2023
(Personal best lap time located near racers name)
Markus Karlsson – 2.16.967
Pontus Roestlinger – 2.21.677
Patrik Andersson – 2.26.170
Morgan Rejnas – 2.26.933
Rasmus Lindstrom – 2.29.181 (only practice) / 2.34.444
Anders Larsson – 2.40.844
Johan Nilsson – 2.41.871
Anders Richnau – 2.43.014
Tommy Bergstedt – 2.43.040
George Carlsson – 2.52.733
Horice participants before 2010 (unofficially)
(personal bests are not known – year of participation near racer’s name)
Morgan Radberg – 1968
Bengt Grondahl – 1969
Sven Gunnarsson – 1972
Bjorn Carlsson – 1972, 1973
Rustan Corneliusson – 1973, 1974
Roland Nilsson – 1973, 1975
Per Edward Carlsson – 1974, 1975
Ingemar Larsson – 1976
Per Yngve Zachrisson – 1976, 1978, 1979
Bengt Elgh – 1979
Dick Hedegard – 1990, 1991
Words by Jan Vavra