Torsten Hallman (born 17 October 1939) is a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
former professional
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
racer and business
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...
. He competed in the
Motocross World Championship
FIM Motocross World Championship is the premier championship of motocross racing, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2. Race duration is 30 minutes plus two laps per ...
s from
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
to
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
.
A four-time world champion, Hallman led a contingent of Swedish riders that dominated the motocross world championships in the early 1960s.
His battles with Belgium's
Joël Robert
Joël Robert (26 November 1943 – 13 January 2021) was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1960 to 1976 when the sport experienced a surge in popularity worldwide. A six-time world cham ...
were considered some of the best in the history of the championships.
Between 1964 and 1968, the pair finished first or second to one another in the world championship four times.
Hallman played an integral role in the introduction of the sport of motocross in the United States.
After his racing career, He established a successful off-road racing apparel company.
Hallman was recognized for his influential role in the development of American motocross in 2000 when, he was inducted into the
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association, recognizing individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction, or motorcycling in general. It also displays motorcycles ...
.
In 2012, he was named an
FIM
FIM may refer to:
Organizations and companies
* Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation
* Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States
* Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media
* ...
Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
Motorcycling career
Born in
Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, Hallman was part of a group of Swedish riders such as
Bill Nilsson
Bill Nilsson (17 December 1932 – 25 August 2013) was a Swedish professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1952 to 1967. Nilsson was the first 500 cc motocross world champion after winning the inaugur ...
,
Rolf Tibblin
Rolf Tibblin (born 7 May 1937) is a Swedish former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1957 to 1967. Tibblin was a three-time motocross world champion known for his exceptional physical fitness.
Mot ...
and
Sten Lundin
Sten Lundin (20 November 1931 – 3 June 2016) was a Swedish professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1955 to 1966.
Motocross career
Lundin won the F.I.M. 500cc motocross world championship in 1959 ridi ...
who dominated the sport of motocross in the early 1960s.
Perhaps one of the best Swedish riders, Hallman competed in the 250cc motocross Grand Prix world championships.
His battles with Belgium's
Joël Robert
Joël Robert (26 November 1943 – 13 January 2021) was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1960 to 1976 when the sport experienced a surge in popularity worldwide. A six-time world cham ...
were considered some of the best in the history of the championships.
Hallman ended his riding career with 37 Grand Prix victories and four 250cc motocross world title for the Swedish
Husqvarna factory.
In
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
, Hallman was hired by the
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below).
** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
factory to help them develop new motocross bikes.
He was instrumental in Yamaha's decision to purchase the patent for an innovative single shock rear
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
that would eventually be called the monoshock suspension.
The suspension design helped
Håkan Andersson win the
1973 250cc motocross world championship for Yamaha and would go on to revolutionize the sport.
After his racing career, he began to sell motocross pants and gloves at the races to help supplement his income. Innovative Hallman racing products were available in the mid-1970s via catalogue, and were very popular throughout the United States. This eventually led to the formation of THOR Motocross (Torsten Hallman Original Racewear).
THOR grew to become one of the leading off-road racing apparel companies in the world.
In 2000, Hallman was inducted into the
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association, recognizing individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction, or motorcycling in general. It also displays motorcycles ...
along with Joël Robert.
Motocross Grand Prix Results
European Motocross Championship
Motocross World Championship
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hallman, Torsten
1939 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Uppsala
Swedish motocross riders
Date of birth missing (living people)
20th-century Swedish people
21st-century Swedish people