KS Toruń

Apator Toruń
Apator Toruń
Club information
Track address	MotoArena Toruń im. Mariana Rose
Country	Poland
Founded	1962
Team manager	Robert Sawina
Team captain	Paweł Przedpełski
League	PGE Ekstraliga
Club facts
Colours	Yellow, Blue, White
Track size	318 metres (348 yd)
Track record time	56,50 s; Jack Holder; August 20, 2017
Major team honours
Golden Medal	1986, 1990, 2001, 2008

Apator Toruń, historically KS Toruń, known also in the past as Unibax Toruń due to ownership changes, is a Polish speedway team from Toruń, Poland.

Team information

Name: Klub Sportowy KS Toruń SA
Address: 87-100 Toruń, ul. Pera Jonssona 7
Home track: MotoArena im. Mariana Rose; ul. Pera Jonssona 7, Toruń
Home arena capacity: 15500

Honours

Golden Medal: 1986, 1990, 2001, 2008
Silver Medal: 1995, 1996, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2016
Bronze Medal: 1983, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2010, 2012

History

Speedway motorcycles roared in Toruń as early as 1930, where they raced in classes according to engine size. The sport, called "Dirt-track" at the time, carried on in Toruń up until World War II. Immediately after the war, racing resumed and the Toruń's Motorcycle Club (Toruński Klub Motocyklowy) was formed. The current speedway track in Toruń saw its first race in 1950 when races were move from Bema street to the then army stadium at Ulica Broniewskiego. At the time, Zbigniew Raniszewski was Toruń's best rider. He died during a match in Vienna in the mid-1950s.

From 1957 the speedway club operated under the Friends of Soldiers League (Liga Przyjaciół Żołnierza), and one year later Toruń officially raced under the league and won with Unia Leszno. In 1959, the riders from Copernicus's birthplace appeared in the third league placing second to last (7th). In 1960 Toruń was placed in the second league, but the team placed last.

In 1962 was founded a speedway club named Stal KS Toruń which started his activity in the second league. Important person for Toruń's speedway history, representing the team in the 1960s was Marian Rose - first coach, leading rider and one of the best Polish riders at the time. Under his care budded several talented riders, like Jan Ząbik, Janusz Plewiński, Roman Kościecha or Bogdan Szuluk. Marian Rose died after a crash during a match in Rzeszów in 1970.

In 1976 the first league was rebuilt into ten teams and Toruń receive a promotion. Since that year Toruń always performed in the prime Polish league. In their first season in highest league they placed 8th. The team was supported by new riders, like Jerzy Kniaź from Stal Rzeszów or a young talented fighter Kazimierz Araszewicz, who died in that year. First honours came in early 1980s. In 1983 KS Toruń won their first medal in the league and in 1986 Toruń has reached the top and won their first Polish champion title, overtaking in the table their biggest opponent from neighbourhood, Polonia Bydgoszcz, at the very end of the season. Best riders in those years were Wojciech Żabiałowicz, Eugeniusz Miastkowski, Grzegorz Śniegowski or Stanisław Miedziński. In the 1990s KS Toruń was one of the best speedway teams in Poland, winning 7 medals in the league, included their second gold in 1990, won with a huge advantage over opponents, being the youngest team in the league. In the 1990s the team was represented by many brilliant riders, like world champion from Sweden Per Jonsson and Jacek Krzyżaniak, Mirosław Kowalik, Robert Sawina, Tomasz Bajerski, Mark Loram, Ryan Sullivan or a future star Wiesław Jaguś. Next golden medal was awarded in 2001, when Toruń has in the squad another Swedish world champion Tony Rickardsson, and also Swedish U-21 world champion Andreas Jonsson. Battle over Polish champion title in 2001 lasted to the ending heat of the final match against Atlas Wrocław. Toruń's riders won this heat 5-1 and the crowd became exalted. Two years later another champion, Jason Crump came to Toruń, becoming a new team leader. Other great riders racing for KS in new Millennium were: Piotr Protasiewicz (brought from Bydgoszcz), Robert Kościecha, Tomasz Chrzanowski, Adrian Miedziński and Karol Ząbik.

The year 2006 was the beginning of the new era in Toruń's speedway. After KS's resignation from sponsorship, the team was bought by a trader Roman Karkosik and the name was changed to Unibax. After a silver in 2007 the team was plugged with new riders: Hans Andersen and Chris Holder. It resulted in the fourth golden medal in Toruń's speedway history after beating the title holders, Unia Leszno, in Speedway Ekstraliga final in October 2008.