Gunnar Kalen
the quiet man with immense talent and speed
GOOD OLD TIMES BLOG words : Kenneth Olausson photos : Husqvarna
Swede Gunnar Kalén was contracted to Husqvarna in 1930 . The quiet man from Bettna , Sweden did most of his talking on the racetrack where he was almost unbeatable . His success story lasted for five years before tragedy struck in 1934 . The brilliant Kalén was as fast on ice as he was on the track - his wins and records were second to none during the peak of his career .
The night sky on December 4 , 1927 was crisp and clear - there were sparkles from the snow in
the freezing cold weather . On the calendar the date was marked in red , which meant it was Sunday . A new day on the track for Gunnar Kalén on a lake in the vicinity of Hedemora , a town in the district of Dalarna . The previous day , Gunnar had been driving north from the southernmost city of Malmö - a distance of around 850 kilometres , in order to make the start on this chilly day .
Straddling his 500cc Saroléa , Gunnar had to compete with a wellknown rider who was riding a big twin-cylinder Husqvarna 750cc . The
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 174