Lars Gunnestad (born 18 February 1971) is a former Norwegian international motorcycle speedway rider. He won the Individual Speedway Norwegian Championship a record ten times and earned 22 caps for the Norway national speedway team.

Career

Lars Gunnestad and Rinat Mardanshin. Polish league. 1992

Gunnestad was born on 18 February 1971 in Drammen, Norway. He first came to prominence in 1988, when he won his first Norwegian title at the age of 17. His first British club was Sheffield in 1991, who competed in the British League Division Two. Gunnestad missed the British speedway season in 1992 despite signing for Poole Pirates, but returned in 1993 to compete in the British League for Poole Pirates, with whom he would spend this rest of his British career.

Gunnestad became a popular rider at Poole and eventually received a testimonial meeting there in 2001. He appeared in five Speedway Grand Prix meetings as a wild card.

Speedway Grand Prix results

1995 SGP
Grand PrixPos.Pts.HeatsDraw
1 (1)Denmark Vojens119(1,1,1,2,1) +1C13
1998 SGP
Grand PrixPos.Pts.HeatsDraw
1 (2)Denmark Vojens184(0,3,1)24
2 (3)Sweden Linköping241(0,X)24
2002 SGP
Grand PrixPos.Pts.HeatsDraw
1 (4)Norway Hamar136(3,2)(0,1)23
2003 SGP
Grand PrixPos.Pts.HeatsDraw
1 (5)Norway Hamar184(0,2,1)23
permanent speedway rider
wild card, track reserve or qualified reserve
rider not classified (track reserve who did not start)

World Longtrack Championship

Personal life

His sons, Lars Daniel Gunnestad and Thomas Gunnestad, were both speedway riders. Lars Daniel won the 2011 Norwegian Championship and Thomas won the 2012 Norwegian Championship.

See also