Patrick Ahlund
? - March 2003
April 14, 2003
It has been a couple of weeks since it was posted that Canadian / Swedish Speedway rider, Patrick Ahlund was killed in an auto accident. I was devastated to hear the news as Patrick was a good friend and I was surprised that nothing more was said. Now that some time has passed and I have had a chance to think about it, I wanted to say a few words...Patrick was a great guy who dearly loved Speedway. He called me often and we usually had the chance to get together and have some fun at least once or twice a Speedway season. He raced at Owego a few times and came down to watch quite a few. He usually came down to the US Open and stayed in my hotel with us . He visited Costa Mesa several times also and was there to help us in the pits at the 2001 Costa Mesa National. He was a good junior rider in Sweden as I understood and when I had the chance to see him ride, was a fine rider here. I remember one night at Paris when he was very smooth and fast and won the Scratch Main. He was a good all round guy who was fun to talk to and hang with. He was always there to help other riders when needed and was a fair rider. I am sure he was a good family man as well. At the time Patrick was killed, he was in Sweden acting as a JAWA distributor and involved in the sport he loved so much. It wasn't mentioned but his friend Peter Anderson, who had also come to Owego a couple times, was also lost in the accident. I did not know Peter but I was saddened to hear of his loss also. I was happy to call Patrick my friend and will greatly miss his calls and seeing him. My deepest condolences go out to both of their families.
Jason Bonsignore
Article below is from the Speedway Star Magazine - March 2003
Patrick Ahlund
Rider Number: 66
Hometown: Sherbrooke, Quebec - Canada
Place of Birth: Sweden
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E-mail: sonab66@hotmail.com
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Patrick came to Canada from Sweden and rode here from 1994 - 1998 and also 2001 - 2002. He was based in Quebec so wasn't a regular at Ontario meetings but always a welcome visitor.
He began racing Mini Speedway (80cc) in Sweden as a boy, and progressed to a top quality speedway driver, and team captain. Patrick dropped out of speedway for a season due to a bad crash, and found it hard to return to his former glory. He married, moved to Sherbrooke, Quebec, and discovered there is speedway in Canada! He took up the sport again, and always places in the top of Division One. He organized a Canadian Speedway Team to compete in Sweden in April 1996 and traveled with the team for two weeks revisiting his former tracks. He flew off to Australia to compete in Ivan Mauger's Long Track Series in 1998.
Bike: GM Laydown
Tracks Ridden:
Canada: Niagara Speedway - Paris Speedway - C.C. Speedway
Sweden: Everywhere!
USA: Fort Wayne Coliseum
Achievements:
1998 - Paris Speedway Event Sep 6
1998 - New Champion Speedway Event Jul 11
1998 - Trois-Rivieres, Quebec 1/2 Mile May 9
1998 - Canada Cup Ice Racing Feb 8
1997 - Paris Speedway Event Aug 31
1997 - Eagles Nest Speedway Event Aug 30
1997 - Niagara Raceway Speedway (Welland) Event Jul 26
1997 - 15th Annual Speedway ICE Racing National Championships - Fort Wayne, Indiana Mar 22
1997 - Canada Cup Ice Racing Champion Feb 9
1996 - CSRA Speedway Riders Points
1996 - Niagara Raceway Speedway (Welland) Events Jul 13, Jul 27
1996 - Paris Speedway Event Jul 12
1996 - 2nd Place - C.C. Speedway - Quebec Event Jun 8
1996 - 2nd Place - Canadian Dirt Track National Series - Hippodrome - Quebec City, Quebec Feb 3
1995 - Niagara Raceway Speedway (Welland) Event Jul 8
1995 - Woodstock 1/2 Mile National Round #1 May 21
1982 - 1984 Team Sweden
1982 - Junior Champion - West Sweden
SPONSORS
Sonab Loudspeakers
Sponsor of the 1996 Canadian Speedway Team
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