Torsten Hallman
Torsten Hallman (born 17 October 1939) is a Swedish former professional motocross racer and business entrepreneur. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1959 to 1971.[1][2][3] A four-time world champion, Hallman led a contingent of Swedish riders that dominated the motocross world championships in the early 1960s.[2] His battles with Belgium's Joël Robert were considered some of the best in the history of the championships.[1] Between 1964 and 1968, the pair finished first or second to one another in the world championship four times.
Torsten Hallman | |
---|---|
![]() Torsten Hallman, 1967 | |
Nationality | Swedish |
Born | 17 October 1939 84) Uppsala, Sweden | (age
Motocross career | |
Years active | 1959 - 1971 |
Teams | Husqvarna, Yamaha |
Championships | 250cc - 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967 |
Wins | 37 |
Hallman played an integral role in the introduction of the sport of motocross in the United States.[1] After his racing career, He established a successful off-road racing apparel company.[1] Hallman was recognized for his influential role in the development of American motocross in 2000 when, he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.[1] In 2012, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.[4]
Motorcycling career
Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Hallman was part of a group of Swedish riders such as Bill Nilsson, Rolf Tibblin and Sten Lundin who dominated the sport of motocross in the early 1960s.[2] Perhaps one of the best Swedish riders, Hallman competed in the 250cc motocross Grand Prix world championships.[2] His battles with Belgium's Joël Robert were considered some of the best in the history of the championships.[1][5] Hallman ended his riding career with 37 Grand Prix victories and four 250cc motocross world title for the Swedish Husqvarna factory.[6]
In 1971, Hallman was hired by the Yamaha factory to help them develop new motocross bikes.[7] He was instrumental in Yamaha's decision to purchase the patent for an innovative single shock rear suspension that would eventually be called the monoshock suspension.[7] The suspension design helped Håkan Andersson win the 1973 250cc motocross world championship for Yamaha and would go on to revolutionize the sport.[7]
After his racing career, he began to sell motocross pants and gloves at the races to help supplement his income. Innovative Hallman racing products were available in the mid-1970s via catalogue, and were very popular throughout the United States. This eventually led to the formation of THOR Motocross (Torsten Hallman Original Racewear).[1] THOR grew to become one of the leading off-road racing apparel companies in the world.
In 2000, Hallman was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame along with Joël Robert.[1]
Motocross Grand Prix Results
Points system from 1952 to 1968:
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Points system from 1969 to 1980:
Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Denotes European motocross championship only. |
Year | Class | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pos | Pts | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | |||||
1959 | 250cc | Husqvarna | AUT - |
AUT - |
CH - |
CH - |
BEL - |
BEL - |
GDR - |
GDR - |
CZE - |
CZE - |
POL - |
POL - |
GER - |
GER - |
ITA - |
ITA - |
FRA - |
FRA - |
NED 3 |
NED 7 |
UK - |
UK - |
LUX - |
LUX - |
SWE 2 |
SWE 2 |
9th | 9 | ||||
1960 | 250cc | Husqvarna | CH 1 |
CH - |
BEL 10 |
BEL - |
FRA 2 |
FRA 4 |
CZE - |
CZE - |
POL - |
POL - |
ITA 3 |
ITA 2 |
GDR 3 |
GDR 1 |
FIN 4 |
FIN 2 |
LUX 3 |
LUX 3 |
UK - |
UK - |
SWE - |
SWE - |
GER - |
GER - |
7th | 24 | ||||||
1961 | 250cc | Husqvarna | BEL 6 |
BEL 4 |
FRA 2 |
FRA 3 |
NED 3 |
NED 3 |
CZE - |
CZE 4 |
POL - |
POL - |
LUX 4 |
LUX 2 |
FIN 2 |
FIN 3 |
ITA - |
ITA - |
GER 5 |
GER 1 |
UK 3 |
UK 4 |
CH 2 |
CH 6 |
SWE 3 |
SWE - |
GDR - |
GDR - |
4th | 33 | ||||
1962 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP - |
ESP - |
CH 3 |
CH 5 |
BEL 1 |
BEL 3 |
FRA 1 |
FRA 2 |
CZE 2 |
CZE - |
POL - |
POL - |
NED - |
NED - |
LUX 1 |
LUX 1 |
FIN 7 |
FIN 9 |
USR 1 |
USR 1 |
GER 1 |
GER 1 |
ITA 1 |
ITA 1 |
UK 2 |
UK 2 |
SWE 1 |
SWE 1 |
GDR 1 |
GDR 1 |
1st | 56 |
1963 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP 1 |
ESP 2 |
ITA 1 |
ITA 1 |
FRA 1 |
FRA 1 |
CH 1 |
CH 1 |
GER 1 |
GER 1 |
LUX 1 |
LUX 1 |
NED 7 |
NED 1 |
UK 1 |
UK 1 |
SWE 1 |
SWE 1 |
FIN 1 |
FIN 1 |
USR - |
USR 1 |
POL - |
POL - |
CZE 2 |
CZE 2 |
GDR - |
GDR - |
1st | 56 | ||
1964 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP 1 |
ESP 1 |
BEL 3 |
BEL 2 |
CH 10 |
CH 5 |
CZE 9 |
CZE 2 |
GER 2 |
GER 4 |
LUX 3 |
LUX 5 |
ITA 4 |
ITA 1 |
UK 3 |
UK - |
SWE 2 |
SWE 2 |
FIN 4 |
FIN 4 |
USR - |
USR - |
POL 2 |
POL 1 |
GDR - |
GDR - |
FRA 2 |
FRA 1 |
2nd | 50 | ||
1965 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP 1 |
ESP 8 |
ITA - |
ITA - |
FRA 5 |
FRA 6 |
BEL 4 |
BEL 2 |
CZE 3 |
CZE 3 |
GER - |
GER - |
NED - |
NED - |
LUX 9 |
LUX 7 |
POL - |
POL - |
USR - |
USR - |
GDR - |
GDR - |
UK - |
UK - |
SWE 2 |
SWE 1 |
FIN 1 |
FIN 1 |
AUT - |
AUT - |
4th | 35 |
1966 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP 3 |
ESP 2 |
FRA 2 |
FRA 1 |
BEL 1 |
BEL 3 |
CH 3 |
CH 3 |
CZE 2 |
CZE 2 |
GER 3 |
GER 1 |
NED 1 |
NED - |
LUX - |
LUX - |
ITA 1 |
ITA 1 |
POL 2 |
POL 2 |
GDR 4 |
GDR 8 |
SWE 2 |
SWE 2 |
FIN 3 |
FIN 3 |
USR - |
USR - |
AUT 2 |
AUT 4 |
1st | 58 |
1967 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP - |
ESP 2 |
CH 1 |
CH 2 |
FRA 2 |
FRA 2 |
BEL 3 |
BEL 3 |
GER 2 |
GER 1 |
NED 1 |
NED - |
ITA 2 |
ITA 1 |
UK - |
UK 3 |
SWE 1 |
SWE 1 |
FIN 1 |
FIN 2 |
USR 1 |
USR 1 |
POL - |
POL - |
1st | 52 | ||||||
1968 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP 2 |
ESP 1 |
BEL - |
BEL - |
CZE - |
CZE - |
FRA 2 |
FRA - |
NED 8 |
NED 3 |
GER 3 |
GER 1 |
LUX 1 |
LUX 2 |
POL 7 |
POL 1 |
USR 2 |
USR 1 |
YUG 1 |
YUG 1 |
FIN 3 |
FIN - |
SWE 4 |
SWE 2 |
UK 2 |
UK 2 |
AUT 2 |
AUT - |
2nd | 52 | ||
1969 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP 4 |
ESP 7 |
CH 8 |
CH 6 |
YUG 5 |
YUG 2 |
CZE - |
CZE - |
POL 2 |
POL 5 |
GER - |
GER - |
NED - |
NED - |
FRA - |
FRA - |
UK - |
UK - |
SWE 4 |
SWE - |
FIN - |
FIN - |
USR - |
USR - |
6th | 32 | ||||||
1970 | 250cc | Husqvarna | ESP 6 |
ESP 2 |
FRA 5 |
FRA - |
BEL - |
BEL - |
YUG 10 |
YUG - |
ITA - |
ITA 9 |
USR - |
USR - |
POL - |
POL - |
UK 9 |
UK 5 |
FIN - |
FIN - |
GDR - |
GDR - |
CH 7 |
CH - |
AUT - |
AUT - |
11th | 17 | ||||||
1971 | 250cc | Yamaha | ESP - |
ESP - |
CH - |
CH - |
POL - |
POL - |
GER - |
GER - |
YUG - |
YUG - |
ITA - |
ITA - |
NED 8 |
NED 10 |
GDR - |
GDR - |
FIN - |
FIN - |
SWE - |
SWE - |
UK - |
UK - |
AUT - |
AUT - |
22nd | 4 | ||||||
Sources:[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] |
References
- "Torsten Hallman at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
- "The History of the Swedes". mxgp.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
- Stealey, Bryan (2008). The Powerhouse MX Nations. ISBN 9780778739906. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- "FIM Legends". fim-live.com. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- "Hallman's Fight For The fifth Title". husqvarna-motorcycles.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
- "Torsten Hallman career profile". bestsports.com. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
- "Torsten Hallman 2005". mxworksbike.com. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
- "1959 250cc European motocross championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1960 250cc European motocross championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1961 250cc European motocross championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1962 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1963 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1964 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1965 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1966 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1967 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1968 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1969 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1970 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- "1971 250cc motocross world championship race classifications" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2023.