Antonín Kasper Sr. (31 October 1932 – 12 November 2017) was an international

Motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...

rider from Czechoslovakia. He earned 13 international caps for the

Czechoslovakia national speedway team The Czech Republic are one of the major teams in international speedway. They have never won the competition but have appeared in eight finals. Speedway World Team Cup Team U-21 World Championship Team U-19 European Championship S ...

Speedway career

Kasper Sr. won two medals at the

Speedway World Team Cup The Speedway World Team Cup was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The competition started in 1960 and was replaced with the Speedway World Cup in 2001. Format From 1960 until 1985 each team consisted of four riders ...

in 1960 and 1963. He also won the prestigious

Golden Helmet of Pardubice The Golden Helmet of Pardubice (Czech: Zlatá přilba) is a speedway competition hosted annually in Pardubice, the Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known a ...

in 1963. In 1967, he was part of the Prague team that toured the United Kingdom. He rode in the top tier of British Speedway, joining the Coventry Bees for the

1968 British League season The 1968 British League season was the 34th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the fourth season known as the British League. Summary Edinburgh relocated to become the Coatbridge Monarchs. The Long Eaton team closed it ...

. He stayed with the Midlands club in 1969 before switching to West Ham Hammers for the

1970 British League season The 1970 British League season was the 36th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the sixth season known as the British League. Summary Wembley Lions under the promotion of Trevor Redmond and Bernard Cottrel entered the Bri ...

World final appearances

World Team Cup

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

- Göteborg, Ullevi (with

Jaroslav Machač Jaroslav Machač (born 1926) is a former international speedway rider from Czechoslovakia. Speedway career Machač reached the final of the Speedway World Team Cup in the 1960 Speedway World Team Cup. He was champion of Czechoslovakia in 1960 ...

František Richter František Richter (27 August 1931 - 27 March 2020) was an international Motorcycle speedway, speedway rider from Czechoslovakia. Speedway career Richter reached the final of the Speedway World Team Cup in the 1960 Speedway World Team Cup. He w ...

/ Luboš Tomíček Sr. /

Bohumír Bartoněk Bohumír Bartoněk (born 10 May 1939) is a former international speedway rider from Czechoslovakia. Speedway career Bartoněk reached the final of the Speedway World Team Cup in the 1960 Speedway World Team Cup, he won a bronze medal despite n ...

) - 3rd - 15pts (5) *

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

- Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Luboš Tomíček Sr. / Stanislav Svoboda /

) - 4th - 12pts (4) *

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

- Vienna, Stadion Wien (with

Stanislav Kubíček Stanislav Kubíček (born 23 May 1940) is a former international speedway rider from Czechoslovakia. Speedway career Kubíček reached the final of the Speedway World Team Cup in the 1963 Speedway World Team Cup. He has also reached the final ...

Miroslav Šmíd Miroslav Šmíd (1952, Police nad Metují, Czechoslovakia – 11 September 1993, Lost Arrow, Yosemite National Park, United States, USA) was a Czech Rock climbing, rock climber, Solo climbing, solo climber, mountaineer, mountain cinematographer a ...

/ Luboš Tomíček Sr. - 2nd - 27pts (10) *

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

- London, Wembley Stadium (with Luboš Tomíček Sr. / Jaroslav Volf / Jan Holub I) - 4th' - 7pts (3)

Individual Ice Speedway World Championship

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

- 2 rounds, 7th - 30pts *

- 2 rounds, 7th - 33pts *

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

- Inzell, 6th - 9pts *

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

- Nässjö, 14th - 3pts

Family

His son

Antonín Kasper Jr. Antonín Kasper (5 December 1962 – 31 July 2006) also known as Toni Kasper during his racing career, was a Czech motorcycle speedway rider. He appeared in four Speedway World Championship finals and featured in four Speedway Grand Prix serie ...

(1962-2006) was also an international speedway rider.

References

1932 births 2017 deaths Czech speedway riders Czechoslovak speedway riders Coventry Bees riders Czech expatriate speedway riders in England West Ham Hammers riders {{CzechRepublic-speedway-bio-stub