VISSING, Claus Krosbang
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 June 1986, Grindsted, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Stoke; (2008-09) Peterborough; (2010) Ipswich, Stoke; (2011) Birmingham.
2011 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.08 (EL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Following assistance in setting-up the deal from Jan Stæchmann, Vissing first appeared in UK racing for Stoke in 2007, being introduced to the side late in May, following the injuries that prematurely ended Garry Stead’s racing career and left the popular Yorkshireman wheelchair-bound.

The tenacious Dane did well, too, netting 193 points from twenty-seven official appearances for a 6.87 average. A move into the Elite League proved too much to resist and he linked with Peterborough for his first full term of British racing in 2008, when he applied himself well to post a healthy 5.46 real-time average, having remained ever-present across the Panthers’ 40-match programme in all competitions.

Remaining on board with Peterborough in 2009, he sustained a broken collarbone when the side entertained Lakeside on 2 April. Whilst he recovered, Vissing was replaced in the team’s declared line-up by Karol Ząbik but, once fit again, he re-joined the side in May upon the club’s decision to dispense with their ‘doubling-up’ duo of Lee Complin and Andrew Tully. The rider suffered another blow on 7 August when, in the second and deciding leg of the Danish Championship at Fjelsted, he sustained a dislocated shoulder.

In December, Ipswich announced that they had acquired the services of the Grindsted-born rider for the 2010 campaign. But, having struggled for form in the opening months of the season, he was released at the start of June and replaced by experienced Czech ace Aleš Dryml. At the time of his departure, he had ridden in fourteen official matches for the Witches, scoring 42 points for a 3.71 average.

However, Vissing was immediately snapped-up by his first British club, Stoke, as he returned to Premier League action in an effort to kick-start his term’s racing. The move was part of a major shake-up at the Potteries club, which also saw the arrival of fellow Dane Jan Graversen. The duo replaced broken ankle-victim Adam Roynon and the absent Klaus Jakobsen.

His return to the Potters’ camp was to be brief, though, and he was replaced in the side by compatriot Henning Bager in early July. It was explained that when Vissing re-joined Stoke there was a chance that he would be recalled back to the Elite League.

But, although that seemed likely at the time, his proposed move back into the top-flight fell through. And, within a matter of days, the Potteries outfit announced the signing of Czech Republic rider Luboš Tomíček instead of Bager who, it turned out, would only have been able to join the club until 7 August.

Then, in another twist, Stoke skipper Jason Bunyan sustained a broken arm on 11 July and this paved the way for the club to re-sign Vissing for the remainder of the season. But, in his first match back in the Potters’ colours, he sustained an ankle injury during a league fixture at Scunthorpe on 16 July.

That occurred in heat four, when the Dane fell whilst leading and, despite laying his bike down, home rider Carl Wilkinson couldn’t avoid running in to him. Vissing was soon signed out of the meeting, before being taken to hospital. He returned to action for Stoke almost three weeks later in a league encounter at Sheffield on 5 August.

Shortly after resuming in the saddle, Vissing was banned by the Danish Federation from 16 August until the end of the season. The ban, which also applied in the UK, was meted out following a fight during a Division One meeting in his own country at Holstebro nine days previously, on 7 August.

Fellow riders Henning Bager and Henrik Møller also received the same punishment. The Dane was replaced shortly afterwards in the Potters’ line-up by Swede Jeremia Thelaus. At the time, Vissing had ridden in just seven matches for the Staffordshire outfit, scoring 57 points for a 7.39 average.

On 26 January 2011, Birmingham Speedway was delighted to announce the capture of the Danish star ahead of the new era of Elite League racing at Perry Barr. Vissing would initially take one of the vital reserve slots in the Brummies’ line-up on a bargain 3.08 green-sheet average.

Regrettably, though, Vissing crashed out of the Brummies’ opening home meeting in his final scheduled ride against Wolverhampton in the BBC WM Trophy on 17 March, sustaining a broken wrist. This presented an early opportunity for squad member and club No. 8 Theo Pijper to come into the side.

After the best part of seven weeks on the sidelines, the Dane was able to return to the Brummies’ line-up for a home league match against King’s Lynn on 5 May, although he unfortunately aggravated his wrist injury in a second-ride spill.