Danish ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฐ Speedway's Future, with Paw Kristensen

Paw Kristensen is clearly not only a very astute man, he is also a very determined guy when it comes to getting his message across. If you've been watching Polish speedway on TV since the start of the season, you can't fail to have noticed how riders he sponsors are displaying his 3P Logistics brand on kevlars and caps. He held a highly successful pre-season camp in Zarnovica, attended by some of his stable, including Rasmus Jensen, Martin Vaculik, Nicki Pedersen, Nicolai Klindt, Rene Bach, Claus Vissing, Luke Becker, Jan Kvech and Rune Thorst, as well as hosting a very intimate and well attended evening locally in his company's base town of Kolding where attendees met and listened to stories from Danish legends Nicki Pedersen and Erik Gundersen. On our TV screens, his logos are everywhere - Patrick Hansen is another 3PL rider who is now commentating on Canal+ weekly while advertising the brand, and there are other riders such as Przemek Pawlicki who are part of his group. 

But Paw has bigger ideas still. He has an ambitious vision for speedway in Denmark, to not only ensure its very survival, but to see it grow into the future. I caught up with him again and he kindly agreed to share his ideas with me below...
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Paw, what are your general ideas about the current state of speedway in Denmark?

The sport in Denmark has a large amount of issues that need to be addressed in order for the sport to survive. Investment and wisely made strategies have to be made by DMU, but also among the clubs and in each of the clubs. Danish speedway is, in my opinion, a kind of "wild west", where the clubs live from day to day with no actual future planning. 

If Danish speedway is going to have the chance to survive, the sport needs to make itself attractive for companies and groups of people with the proper funds to spend and invest. 

This is where I have learned that the clubs mostly live a very conservative life with what they know is best and that we stay with what we know only. This reluctance to change is very unfortunate for the sport as it keeps away the new ideas from new people who see the sport with fresh eyes. 

If the sport is going to survive, and have the chance to grow, rethinking and new thinking is needed - very soon.

What is the idea behind your drawing plans of Grindsted Speedway Center?(see video below)

My idea with these illustrations was to give the world an idea about a newer and smarter thinking of the speedway stadiums. 

That any speedway stadium should be a place where it is nice to be, no matter how many spectators are in the stands. A stadium that can be used for music concerts and much more in order to grow the income possibilities for the clubs. 
Well, even a place where people would wish to go for a walk and feel good. 

The idea has been presented to the Mayor in Grindsted Billund Kommune and the club has been presented with it also. I do think there is a good chance that my massive investment in the centre will be followed up with investment from the municipality. 

My ideas are also embracing the need for a little greener profile for the sport overall.

What worries you about Danish Speedway's future?

What worries me the most is that if clubs and their managements are resistant or reluctant to change things, and decide they want to keep the sport in an old fashioned and non developing mode. This is slowly, but surely killing the sport. 

The worries that I've described here are not only my own. Practically everyone that I speak to is of the same opinion. 

You are a massive sponsor in the world of speedway, and we all see your logos everywhere. Do you envisage running your own team one day and who will be riding in Team3PL?
Patrick Hansen, with 3PL logos, on Polish TV weekly.

Nicki Pedersen, speaking on his debut with Grindsted.

My companies spend millions in the sport and public relations within the sport are pretty good. Especially in Poland we see good and reasonable support for each other through my sponsoring. 

However in Denmark it is another thing, as sponsors are not good enough at working with each other towards building a greater future together and at the same time working to build a strong platform under speedway. 

Having my own team someday is not unlikely to happen, but it may be a little bit into the future yet. In terms of riders there are many things to be taken into consideration, but something like this below would be a great team in the Danish League. 

๐Ÿ‘Š Przemo Pawlicki 
๐Ÿ‘Š Rasmus Jensen 
๐Ÿ‘Š Andลพejs Lebedevs 
๐Ÿ‘Š Claus Vissing or Paco Castagna 
๐Ÿ‘Š Rune Thorst 
๐Ÿ’ช Team Manager: Nicki Pedersen 
๐Ÿ’ช Team Owner: Paw Kristensen 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Paw. Very thought provoking for me especially, as I have seen the exact same reluctance to change lead to the very serious decline of speedway in the UK over the past three decades. Good luck with your future thoughts and plans!
 
See below for photos of how Paw's investment at Grindsted has evolved...this project took 6 months to complete in late 2022 to early 2023.













Meanwhile, the photos below show how the same area looked prior to the investments. 




Michael Purves, 01.05.2024



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