Welcome to the home of Danish Beach Racing
For a long time it has been a dream to revive the history of Danish vintage motor racing and, in particular, beach racing.
In the years 1919-1924 the island of Fanø gave home to some of the most legendary riders and drivers Europe had to offer. Makers such as Mercedes, Citröen, Fiat, Opel and many more were represented, although almost all were in the hands of private daredevils.
Sadly the races on the beach of Fanø came to an end, with the tragic death of a 15 year old boy, by a tire loss from the wheel of Sir Malcolm Campbell's Bluebird racer.
Campbell did, however, set records at over 130mph on the 1km stretch.
In the same years, races were being arranged on the west coast of Jutland, but was eventually shut down due to local regulations.
Fast forward to modern times, a group of enthusiasts in the hot rod & custom community has finally succeeded in landing the necessary approvals for a vintage style race on the Island of Rømø.
Like Fanø it benefits from extremely wide and long beaches, with a hard and flat surface.
Naturally no speed records will be set, but it is our ambition to create a true time pocket with pre-ww2 cars and motorcycles in an up-to 1947 styling and engineering.
The modern version of our track will be a 1/8 mile drag strip.
2019 - celebrating 100 years of danish beachracing.
August 23rd 1919. On the beach of Fanø a mixed pack of drivers, teams, spectators and hopped up vehicles were lined up on the beach in front of Fanø Badehotel.
For the man behind the race, Svend Simmelkjær, this was the crowning of the idea he had forstred while walking on one of the many amazing beaches on the westcoast of the danish peninsula of Jutland.
But in 1917, when he first envisioned a race for bikes and cars on one of the beaches, pasttime excesses like a race was out of the question. The world was engulfed in The Big war, and using precious fuel on having fun was a no go.
But Svend never stopped dreaming. And in 1919 everything was ready for the first race on Fanø. Or more like..almost. Before the first heat one of the volunteers removed a mine that had drifted in with the tide by hand. And then it was time for the first go!
The races from the beginning drew some of the fastest daredevils in it´s time, and was THE place to race if you wanted to be the fastest man or woman on the planet.
It all came to a sudden stop, when Sir Malcom Campbell (to this day still the fastest man on the beach with a speed of more than 240 kph reached i the 1923 race) in 1924 was trying to set another of his many records.
During the attempt his vehicle lost a tyre that hit and killed a 15 year old spectator.
The five glorious years could have ended as an exotic and somehow forgotten chapter in the history of danish racing, were it not for Rømø Motor Festival.
The very idea behind the festival is to honour and commemorate the history of the races on Fanø.
We have done so since 2016. From humble beginnings with 40 vehicles raced by good friends of the festivalfounders, the festival has grown into a worldclass vintage beachrace on a worldclass beach.
In 2018 more than 100 vehicles with drivers and teams from 11 countries raced Lakolk Beach.
This year we honour and celebrate 100 years of danish beachracing in words and action.
And in true Rømø-style it will be Fun, Free and Fantastic.
Best regards, your enthusiastic team:
Thomas Toft Bredahl
Carsten Bech
Steffen Sonnberg
Finn Andresen
Holger Sonnberg
