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OVE 'The
Fox' Fundin is one of the giants of speedway racing. A
combination of tenacity, temperament and talent carried
him to the very top in the sport and a unique World
Championship record.
They called him The Fox because he had flaming red hair,
and he was hot enough to win the supreme individual
title five times - one fewer than his great New Zealand
rival Ivan Mauger. But he stood on the World Final
rostrum for ten consecutive years following his first
title win in 1956. No other rider in the history of the
sport has yet been able to match that.
He came from a family of furriers in Tranas, central
Sweden, and began to emerge as a world pospect in 1953
during a tour of England with the Swedish side
Filbyterna. The following year he made his World Final
debut at Wembley, finishing last with two points on a
bike that was virtually home-made. And painted fire
engine red. But his potential was spotted by the veteran
stars Aub Lawson of Australia and Jack Parker of England
and, after a winter's season in Australia with them, he
joined Lawson at Norwich in 1955, rapidly becoming a
star.
After his first world title in 1956, he won again in
1960, 1961, 1963 and finally in 1967 following a brief
retirement. He was the first Continental European to
become World Champion, and it was largely due to him
that the speedway World Final was staged out of England
for the first time in 1961. That year's championship
final took place at Malmo, and he led a clean Swedish
sweep, with his fellow countrymen Bjorn Knutsson and
Gote Nordin filling the minor placings.
His ruthless pursuit of success - no one hated to lose
more than Fundin - often upset the British crowds, but
at Norwich he was adored. The legend grew up around him
that, though he was utterly brilliant astride a speedway
machine, he knew nothing about the mechanics of the
game. And it was true. He also never owned a bike. Most
tracks in those days had a spare machine for anyone to
use, so Fundin's was christened Norwich Track Spare No.2
- and it was on that bike that he rode to so much glory.
He freely admits that his ruthless determination to be,
and remain, the very best made him 'hell' to be around
when he was racing. He says: 'I had red hair, and
red-haired people are aggressive and hot-tempered, which
I certainly was. But you have got to be ruthless, and
like in any individual sport you've got to be selfish. I
am the first one to admit I am very selfish.'
It swept him to the pinnacle. As well as his world
titles, he was European Champion five times, Swedish
Champion nine times and the first Swedish rider to top
1,000 points in internationals.
He quit when Norwich closed at the end of 1964, but he
was tempted away from his flourishing haulage business
three times after that - to ride briefly at Long Eaton,
Belle Vue and Wembley. He is still remembered within the
sport of speedway racing with awe and presently lives in
some luxury in the South of France.
But at the age of 71, he is still not above climbing
back into the saddle to give exhibition races, or take
part in Golden Greats meetings. When he competes, of
course he still likes to win. But not, he will tell you
now, at any cost. |
