Kevin Juhl Pedersen: Wybrzeże Gdańsk have a lot of good riders (interview)

Kevin Juhl Pedersen is one of the new riders of the Polish club – Wybrzeże Gdańsk. Dane in interview with twojportalzuzlowy.pl tells among others reason last season in its performance and why signed contract in first polish league.

Konrad Cinkowski (twojportalzuzlowy.pl): You’re not a well known rider in Poland. Before we start, tell us something about you.
Kevin Juhl Pedersen: I’m 19 years old, I live in Bramming between Holsted and Esbjerg in the south of Denmark.

– Why you decided to try speedway?
– I was only 4 years old at the time and I tried several different sports so I could figure out what was fun.

– How did your family react to your decision? Was it tough to convince your parents?
– Both my parents think it’s great to see me race and they still support me a lot in my continued career.

– You have a well-known name in speedway. There are often questions about are you with Nicki and Bjarne family?
– No, I’m not related to them, I’m the first in my family to ride speedway, my dad has raced Jet-Ski and Rallycross in Europe and my Granddad has ridden go-cart and motocross, so my whole family loves motorsport.

– What can you say about the past season?
– 2020 was a good season for me, I have developed my style on the bike and had time to find the right engine set up that suits me and my style best. The Covid 19 pandamia meant that many riders stayed in Poland to ride for their clubs there, so it gave me the opportunity to ride in Sweden. This has meant that I got a contract in Norrköping with Vargana.

– Which metting from last year were especially successful for you?
– The Danish U21 championship was a good race, but the best meeting was probably my victory with max points at the Oberkrämer Pokal race where I won over drivers from 5 nationalities.

– In November you’ve signed a contract in Gdansk. Why did you choose this club?
– I was in contact with several clubs, but when Gdansk showed interest, I saw it as a great opportunity to get to a big, nice, and good club. Of course, it also helped that I heard a lot of good things about the manager and that my club mate from Holsted Rasmus Jensen rides for the club.

– Did you have other offers from Poland?
– I had contact with others but had not received other contracts.

– It seems that Wybrzeże Gdańsk has some more experienced riders than you. How do you rate your chances in the fight for the squad?
– Wybrzeże have a lot of good riders and I must show that I’m fast and that it will pay of, to invest in me on the long run.

– The new regulation in Poland requires to be at least one U24 apart from two juniors. What do you think about it?
– I think it’s a good move, it will develop some new good young riders.

– Which speedway rider is your role model and why?
– I don’t have a real role model, but I study the best drivers a lot and try to use the best from each one.

– Do you have your favorite track?
– Vojens, as I have had many good heats and races there, but I also really like to ride on the track in Holsted and Fjelsted, all in Denmark.

– Is there anything that we didn’t talk about but is important to you?
– Yes, would like to say that I am really looking forward to coming to Gdansk next week to meet everyone on and around the team and maybe meet some of the loyal fans I know Gdansk have.