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TOP MEN IN EUROPE:

B. R. Nicholls

TORSTEN HALLMAN

IT IS SURPRISING the number of successful moto-cross riders who come from farming stock. Torsten Hallman is one of the best examples, for a world title is the highest a rider can travel in his branch of any sport.

Twenty-three-year-old Torsten is a native of Vistka where he lives on his father’s farm with a brother and two sisters. It was his elder brother who introduced him to motorcycles as the young Swede used to watch him ride in scrambles and road racing.

Torsten had his first taste of victory at the age of eighteen when he won a junior event; it was indeed an omen of things to come and by the end of that season he was promoted to senior status. Then the Husqvarna factory took an interest in him and he spent a couple of seasons in Sweden riding and learning the mechanics, for Torsten is keenly interested in becoming a development engineer. His main interest apart from his engineering is music.

He started International racing in 1959 and was going well in the 1960 season with a third place in the title when he broke a collarbone, which put him out for the rest of the season. In 1961 the British trio of Bickers, Smith and Lampkin put an end to any inspirations about world titles and the outlook was not too good at the start of 1962, even though Bickers was not contesting the title. But then he hit form with a vengeance and took the title with a devastating five wins and a second in the last six rounds of the championship.

So Torsten had justified the faith of the Husqvarna factory and, like his countryman Rolf Tibblin in the bigger class, had fought for a world title single-handed and won. •