Motorcycle speedway

Motorcycle speedway, usually called speedway, is an exciting motorcycle sport where four or sometimes six riders race on an oval track. The riders go around the track in a circle for four laps. These special motorcycles have only one gear and no brakes, which makes the races very special.

The track is usually made of dirt, loosely packed shale, or crushed rock, especially in Australia and New Zealand. Racers use this loose surface to slide their motorcycles sideways, called powersliding or broadsiding, when they turn. On the straight parts of the track, these motorcycles can go as fast as 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).

There are both national and international competitions, such as the Speedway World Cup. The best rider in the Speedway Grand Prix events is named the world champion. Speedway is most popular in Central and Northern Europe, and also enjoyed in Australia and North America. The sport is a type of track racing and is overseen worldwide by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Each country has its own groups to manage speedway events.

History

The early history of speedway racing has many stories. Races were held on small dirt tracks in places like Australia and the United States before World War I. One famous early race happened on 13 November 1905 at the Newcastle NSW Rugby Ground in Australia.

American rider Don Johns was known for riding very fast, which made big clouds of dirt. By the early 1920s, this style of riding became popular in the United States and was called Short Track Racing.

Motorcycle speedway as we know it today began in the early 1920s. One of the first tracks was at the West Maitland Showground in Australia, which held its first speedway meeting on 15 December 1923. These early races had special rules and equipment, like removing the left footpeg and using steel shoes.

After success in Australia, speedway racing spread to other countries. In 1928, Johnnie Hoskins took a group of Australian riders to England to introduce the sport there. The first meeting in the United Kingdom took place at High Beech Speedway on 19 February 1928. Soon after, races began in other parts of the UK, including Camberley, Droylsden, and Glasgow.

Speed

Each speedway track is between 260 and 425 metres long. Riders complete four laps in about one minute.

During a race, motorcycles can reach speeds of 110 km/h or more on straight sections. The start of the race is very important, as getting off to a quick start can help a rider gain an advantage. Riders who take chances by finding better spots on the track can sometimes pass others during the race.

Track

Tracks used for speedway racing follow rules from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). These rules decide how the track is built, its size, and safety. A speedway track is flat and oval with two long straight parts and two curved parts. The track must be between 260 and 425 metres long. It can be slightly banked but not too steep. There is a white start line on one of the straight parts, and the starting area has four sections called gates.

The track surface has four layers. The top layer is made of shale, granite, brick granules, or other loose material. Riders slide their motorcycles sideways into the curves to control speed. Asphalt, concrete, or tarmac are not allowed. The surface is levelled during races by tractors with special tools. Tracks are watered before and during races to keep the surface from getting too dry and to reduce dust.

Safety features include special wire fences and air fences made of inflated panels to help protect riders. Neutral zones around the track give riders safe areas to move if needed. Most tracks are made just for speedway or other similar sports. For big events, temporary tracks can be set up in large stadiums.

Motorcycles

Speedway racing uses special motorcycles that are different from regular bikes. These bikes have only one gear and no brakes. Riders use a sliding technique to slow down when turning. The rules say these bikes must weigh at least 77 kilograms and use a special fuel called methanol. They also have safety features like guards to protect moving parts and a device to stop the engine quickly if needed.

Racing

Races, called heats, have four riders who race four laps from a standing start. Each rider wears a different colored helmet. In team events, red and blue are for the home team, while white (or sometimes green in Britain) and yellow are for the visiting team. The starting area has four spots, and each rider must start from their assigned spot.

Riders must get to the start line on their own, without help. All riders must be ready before a certain time shown by a bell, lamp, or clock. The race begins when the referee raises a tape, and riders must stay still until then. Once the race starts, riders must go around the track in an anti-clockwise direction without going off the track. Riders cannot be helped by others during the race.

Scoring

In speedway racing, riders get points based on where they finish a race. The rider who comes in first gets three points, second place gets two points, and third place gets one point. If a rider finishes fourth, does not finish, or is removed from the race, they get no points. These points add up during the competition and help decide the rankings for individuals or teams.

If two riders tie for the same place, they share the points for that position. For example, if two riders tie for first, they each get two points. Teams can also use a special rule called a tactical substitute in some races to help catch up if they are far behind in points.

Calculated match averages

In speedway racing, each rider gets a score called a Calculated Match Average (CMA). This score ranges from 3.00 to 12.00. If a rider's score is higher or lower than this range, it is set to the highest or lowest possible number. These scores help decide which riders will race in each heat in leagues like the Premiership in the UK.

At the start of a season, riders keep their last score until they race in twelve matches—six at home and six away. After that, a new score is given and starts being used a week later. These scores are updated every month from May on, and the new score begins the next month. If a rider does not have a score yet, they get one based on their past racing experience.

Competitions

International

An international individual speedway championship has taken different forms since the 1930s, with the official World Championship first held in 1936. The current FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) championship, organized since 2015 by Speedway Grand Prix (Discovery Sports Events), began in 1995. The SGP uses a scoring system based on each rider’s final position, with the rider earning the most points at the end of the tournament becoming the World Champion. Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik is the current (2025) World Champion. The annual British Grand Prix is currently held at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester.

Scoring in Grand Prix events changed in 2005, with riders earning points (3–2–1–0) in their races, which are carried forward to decide the winner of each Grand Prix. At the end of the series, the highest scorer becomes the world champion.

World Speedway Champions include Ivan Mauger (six-time World Champion), Barry Briggs from New Zealand (four times), Ole Olsen (three times), Ove Fundin (five times), Lionel Van Praag (the first World Champion in 1936), Hans Nielsen (nicknamed "The Professor", four-time World Champion), Tony Rickardsson (six times), Erik Gundersen, and Jason Crump, both three-time World Champions, and Jack Young, the sport’s first two-time champion who won in 1951 and 1952.

Currently, there is no world team championship for senior riders. The first such championship was the Speedway World Team Cup, held annually from 1960 to 2000. It was replaced by the Speedway World Cup in 2001. Both competitions featured teams from major speedway countries, usually in a series of meetings over a week in the summer.

The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual event held each year in different countries. Competing countries selected their top two riders to represent them. The first competition was held in 1970, and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994, the World Pairs merged with the World Team Cup. As of 2018, a new pairs championship, the Speedway of Nations, has replaced the Speedway World Cup on the sport’s calendar. The Speedway World Cup returned in 2023, replacing the Speedway of Nations for that year, and will be held again in 2026.

Most European countries run their own domestic speedway leagues. The FIM-affiliated governing bodies in each country operate league systems, usually with several divisions, where teams earn points throughout the season based on results. Teams are placed into tables according to points earned. Most commonly, each team races every other team in its league at home and away each season, in a round-robin tournament. Meetings traditionally feature two teams racing against each other with four riders in each race, two from the home team and two from the away team. Meetings usually have fifteen heats, and each rider is scheduled to race four or five times. The team with the most points at the end of the meeting wins. Most league seasons end with play-offs — a series of meetings between the highest-finishing teams to determine a league champion. Champions may be promoted to a higher division, and the team finishing at the bottom may be relegated to a lower division.

The major speedway nations in Europe are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland, and Denmark. These countries have many leagues and regular fixtures throughout the traditional speedway season from March to October. Competitions also occur on a smaller scale in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Ukraine, and the United States. Some countries’ top divisions have highly paid star riders. In smaller countries and lower divisions, riders may work part-time or be amateurs.

United Kingdom

Main article: Speedway in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has three main domestic leagues: the SGB Premiership, the SGB Championship, and the National League, along with three amateur leagues. It also has a youth championship.

Poland

Main article: Speedway in Poland

Speedway is one of the most popular sports in Poland, governed by the Main Commission for Speedway Sport (Główna Komisja Sportu Żużlowego, GKSŻ) which is part of the Polish Motor Union Polski Związek Motorowy (PZM). The PZM is a member of the FIM and the Union Européenne de Motocyclisme (UEM).

The Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The first speedway meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s, and league racing began in 1948.

There are three championships in Poland: individual (IMP), pairs (MPPK), and team (the DMP consisting of three leagues). The Junior under-21 championships also has three competitions: individual (MIMP), pairs (MMPPK), and team (MDMP). There are three leagues: Extraleague, First League, and Second League. In the 2022 season, the Extraleague and First League had eight teams competing, and the Second League had seven teams. The GKSŻ organizes the Golden Helmet (Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial), Silver Helmet (Under-21), and Bronze Helmet (Under-19) competitions. Individual meetings such as the Criterium of Polish Speedway League Aces – Mieczysław Połukard Memorial, Alfred Smoczyk Memorial, Edward Jancarz Memorial, Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial, and individual international championship of the Ekstraliga named after Zenon Plech are also popular.

The Polish National team are the final champions of the now-defunct Speedway World Cup, having won the competition eight times. Poland has produced three Individual World Champions: Jerzy Szczakiel in 1973, Tomasz Gollob in 2010, and Bartosz Zmarzlik in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Sweden

Main article: Speedway in Sweden

Speedway in Sweden is governed by the Swedish Motorcycle and Snowmobile Federation (SVEMO). The first Swedish speedway league was founded in 1948 and followed the British format of league racing, including adopting Swedish versions of several British team nicknames.

The Elite League (Elitserien) was established in 1982 and has ten teams. At the end of each season, the top four teams compete in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final, with the winner of the final becoming the Elitserien champion. The team finishing at the bottom of the league is relegated to the National league (Allsvenskan). The Allsvenskan has seven teams and, like the Allsvenskan before the Elitserien’s introduction in 1982, was the top league in Sweden. The top four teams at the end of each season compete in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final. The Allsvenskan Division One is the third tier of Swedish speedway with seven teams. The team finishing first at the end of the season is champion and can apply for promotion to the Allsvenskan, provided they have suitable facilities and sufficient finances.

Other competitions include the Swedish Individual Championship and the Swedish Junior Individual Championship. The Swedish Individual Championship features 18 riders in a Grand Prix format with 20 heats.

Denmark

Speedway in Denmark is administered by Danmarks Motor Union (DMU). The sport was introduced into Denmark in the 1930s but didn’t become popular until the 1970s. Notable Danish speedway riders today include Nicki Pedersen, Bjarne Pedersen, and Hans Nørgaard Andersen. Former rider Ole Olsen won the World Championship three times and helped popularize the sport in Denmark. Since retiring, Olsen has become an FIM Speedway Grand Prix race director. A popular Danish rider in the 1960s was Arne Pander, and in the 1980s, Erik Gundersen, Jan O Pedersen, and Hans Nielsen (who was also active through the 1990s).

League competitions

There are three leagues in Denmark:

• Danish League (Dansk Speedway Liga)
• Division One
• Division Two

Speedway meetings are held between April and September. The Danish League (Dansk Speedway Liga) has six teams with meetings traditionally held on Wednesday evenings. At the end of each season, the top four teams compete in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final. The winner of the final are the league champions. There is no promotion or relegation, and membership of the Danish League is by application only. At the end of each season, the top five teams in the Danish League compete in the Danish Super Cup, an end-of-season competition held as a single event hosted by the previous season’s winning team.

Both Division One and Division Two are the second and third tiers and are mostly for amateur riders. Meetings are held on Saturdays with a mid-summer break. Division One can have a maximum of eight teams, with the remaining teams racing in Division Two. Meetings are staged using a four-team format. In principle, the team finishing bottom of Division One is relegated and replaced by the top team in Division Two, as long as their parent club does not already have a team in Division One. However, this does not always happen for financial reasons. There is also no promotion and relegation if the bottom team in Division One and the top team in Division Two are operated by the same club.

Other competitions

The Individual Speedway Danish Championship is a competition for riders holding a Danish passport and a valid DMU licence. Riders must submit their entries at least four weeks before the first meeting of the competition. Any riders who competed in the Speedway Grand Prix or World Championship Qualifying rounds during the previous season are seeded directly to the Final. The DMU may also seed other riders directly to the Final at their discretion. Either one or two semi-finals are staged depending on the number of riders entering the competition (excluding the seeded riders who go straight to the Final). Riders are selected for these rounds according to the previous season’s Danish averages. If one semi-final is held, the highest-placed riders (plus two reserves) qualify for the Final. If two semi-finals are held, the highest-placed riders (plus one reserve) from each meeting qualify for the Final. The winner of the Final is awarded a gold medal and declared Danish Individual Champion. The riders finishing second and third are awarded silver and bronze medals respectively. The final classification also determines which riders qualify for the World Individual Speedway Championship.

The Danish Under 21 Individual Speedway Championship is a competition for riders holding a Danish passport, a valid DMU licence, and who are under 21 years of age on 1 January in the year of the competition. Riders wishing to compete must submit their entries at least four weeks before the first meeting of the competition. If there are 72 or more entries, four quarter-finals are staged. If there are between 54 and 71 entries, three quarter-finals are staged. If there are fewer than 54 entries, two semi-finals are held. Riders are selected for these rounds according to the previous season’s averages in Danish matches only. When four quarter-finals are staged, the top eight riders (plus one reserve) in each progress to the semi-finals. When three quarter-finals are staged, the top ten riders (plus two reserves) from one round, and the top eleven riders (plus one reserve) from each of the other rounds, progress to the semi-finals. The top eight riders (plus one reserve) from each semi-final meet in the Final. The winner of the Final is awarded a gold medal and declared Danish Junior Individual Champion. Riders finishing second and third are awarded silver and bronze medals respectively. The top five finishers qualify for the World Junior Speedway Championship.

The Youth Leagues are for riders between eight and eighteen years of age, using 80cc bikes. The Micro Leagues are for riders between three and ten years of age, using 50cc bikes. And the Old Boys League is for riders over 33 years of age.^{[citation needed]}

National team

Main article: Denmark national speedway team

Denmark enters a team in the Speedway World Cup. They won the competition in 2006, 2008, and 2012. Previously they won the Speedway World Team Cup in 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1995, and 1997. Denmark also won the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1979, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991.

Danish Grand Prix

Main article: Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark

The Danish Speedway Grand Prix is held in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

Australia

Although there was a short-lived inter-state competition in Australia during the 1970s, due to the large size of the country, riders have traditionally raced mostly at their local tracks, though top riders often race away from ‘home’ for championship or other high-profile meetings.

The Australian Individual Speedway Championship is the oldest continuously running national speedway championship in the world, having been run since 1926, with exceptions during World War II (1942–1945) and from 1955–1961 when the championship was not held. The first championship was held at the Newcastle Showground in Newcastle, New South Wales, and was won by American rider Cec Brown. For many years, qualification for the Australian Final came from various State Championships held around the country. The Australian Final was held in various Australian states, usually on a rotating basis. The top places in the Final would then progress to the next stage of the World Championship qualifying. At times, the next stage varied from the short-lived Australasian Final, which included riders from New Zealand, the Overseas Final featuring Commonwealth riders racing with Americans, or the Commonwealth Final restricted to riders from Commonwealth nations. The Australian Solo Final was run in the traditional single meeting format from 1926 to 2002 (though in the early years of the championship there was often more than one title contested as championships were held over anywhere from 3–6 laps, often depending on the size of the track). Since 2003, the Australian Championship has been run over a series of rounds (usually 3–5 rounds).

Australia also runs annual national Championship meetings for Under-16s (since 1982) and Under-21s (since 1987). These meetings are run in the traditional single meeting format and, like the senior championship, were for many years held in various Australian states on a rotating basis.

National team

Main articles: Australia national speedway team and Australia national under-21 speedway team

Australia enters a team in both the Speedway World Cup and the Under-21 World Cup. They won the World Cup in 2001 and 2002. Previously they won the Speedway World Team Cup in 1976 and 1999. The Under-21 team placed second in the 2012 Under-2 World Cup.

For the first time, the Under-21 World Cup Final will be held outside Europe in 2015, with the Final scheduled to be held at the Olympic Park Speedway in Mildura on 31 October.

Australia Grand Prix

Main article: Speedway Grand Prix of Australia

The Speedway Grand Prix of Australia was held in the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne from 2015 to 2017. Previously the SGP of Australia was held in 2002 at Stadium Australia.

Other nations

Introduced to Italy by occupying soldiers after World War II, speedway is most popular around the north-east of the country. The regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Lombardy, and Veneto host race meetings, with the latter also hosting the Speedway Grand Prix of Italy in the town of Lonigo. The most successful speedway rider from Italy was Armando Castagna. Castagna was the only Italian professional speedway rider in the history of the sport and qualified five times for an Individual World Final. Another former rider, Giuseppe Marzotto, makes the GM speedway engines.

Speedway in Germany was overshadowed by its more popular track racing variant Sandbahn (Longtrack). However, the country occasionally hosts the Speedway Grand Prix of Germany and has produced one Speedway World Champion, Egon Müller in 1983. Another German rider is Martin Smolinski, who won the New Zealand Grand Prix in Auckland in March 2014. In 2018, German youngsters Norrick Blödorn and Ben Ernst won world titles in 85 ccm and 250 ccm, showing the results of drastically improved support for young riders in the past decade.

Stadion Haunstetten, a Sandbahn track

On a smaller scale, it also occurs in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, USA, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.