Torsten Hallman

Torsten Hallman (born 17 October 1939) is a Swedish former professional motocross racer.[1][2][3] During the 1960s, he was one of the top motocross racers competing in the Motocross World Championships, winning the 250cc class four times.[2] His battles with Belgium’s Joël Robert were considered some of the best in the history of the championships.[1]

Torsten Hallman
Torsten Hallman, 1967
NationalitySwedish
Born17 October 1939 (1939-10-17) (age 80)
Uppsala, Sweden
Motocross career
Years active1957 - 1971
TeamsHusqvarna, Yamaha
Championships250cc - 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967
Wins37

Between 1964 and 1968, the pair finished first or second to one another in the world championship four times.

Hallman played an integral role in the introduction of the sport of motocross in the United States.[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 USA. 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

European Motocross Championship
Year Class Team Rank
1959 250cc Husqvarna 9th
1960 250cc Husqvarna 7th
1961 250cc Husqvarna 4th

Motocross World Championship
Year Class Team Rank
1962 250cc Husqvarna 1st
1963 250cc Husqvarna 1st
1964 250cc Husqvarna 2nd
1965 250cc Husqvarna 4th
1966 250cc Husqvarna 1st
1967 250cc Husqvarna 1st
1968 250cc Husqvarna 2nd
1969 250cc Husqvarna 6th
1970 250cc Husqvarna 11th
1971 250cc Yamaha 22nd
gollark: It's not by the same people.
gollark: > <@!258639553357676545> yes, it's inevitable<@!309787486278909952> Like heævserver?
gollark: Energy mass currency.
gollark: You can just set that option initially.
gollark: > you're friends with gollark so you'll probably get banned*You're* friends with me, gibson.

References
  1. "Torsten Hallman at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
  2. "The History of the Swedes". mxgp.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  3. "The Powerhouse MX Nations". Google Books. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  4. "FIM Legends". fim-live.com. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  5. "Hallman's Fight For The fifth Title". husqvarna-motorcycles.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  6. "Torsten Hallman career profile". bestsports.com. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
  7. "Torsten Hallman 2005". mxworksbike.com. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.