- Zdeněk Kudrna
Infobox Speedway rider
ridername= Zdeněk Kudrna
nickname= Kermit
nationality = flagicon|CZECzech Republic
dateofbirth = birth date|1946|9|2
dateofdeath = death date and age|1982|6|1|1946|9|2|df=y
cityofbirth =Čisovice
countryofbirth =Czechoslovakia
retired = Retired
career =Exeter Falcons Birmingham Brummies
years = 1979
1980, 1982
indivhonour = Czech Ice Racing Champion
indivyear = 6 times
teamhonour = None
teamyear =Zdeněk Kudrna (born 2 September 1946 in
Čisovice ,Czechoslovakia - died 1 June 1982) [Buck, B (2007) "Brummies Legends", Pendragon Books. ISBN 0-9541671-2-0] was a international speedway rider who reached heSpeedway World Championship final in 1979. He also finish third in theWorld Individual Ice Racing Championship twice, in 1977 and 1979. [Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). "A History of the World Speedway Championship". Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5] Kudrna was CzechIce Racing champion six times, after the last of which he was awarded the sportsman of the year from the Czech Motorcycle Federation.Kudrna first rode in the UK for the Exeter Falcons in 1979 with fellow compatriots
Aleš Dryml, Snr. ,Jan Verner andVaclav Verner . Also in 1979 he finished seventhSpeedway World Championship final and was a member of the Czechoslovakian team that fiished third in theSpeedway World Team Cup .1980 saw him move to the
Birmingham Brummies where he was nicknamed 'Kermit' due to his bright green leathers. The Czech authorities refused him permission to ride in the UK in 1981 but in 1982 he returned to the Brummies.World Final appearances
* 1979 - Flag|POL
Katowice - 7th - 8ptsDeath
On 31 May 1982 Kudrna was racing in a
grasstrack meeting inStadskanaal ,Holland . He had already qualified to go through to the next round when midway through the final race, his throttle stuck open and he crashed full speed into the barrier. A wooden stake holding the fence impaled him. Despite being rushed to hospital, Kudrna died the next day from his injuries.References
See also
*
Czech Republic national speedway team
*World Individual Ice Racing Championship
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