152-486: The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest-ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world, run under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The first official championships were held in 1936. Today, the championship is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in
304-752: A dependent territory . Little evidence remains in the Nordic countries of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, or the Iron Age with the exception of a limited numbers of tools created from stone, bronze and iron, some jewelry and ornaments and stone burial cairns. However, one important collection that exists is a widespread and rich collection of stone drawings known as petroglyphs . The Goths , who originated in southern Scandinavia and would later divide into Visigoths and Ostrogoths , are known to have been one of
456-647: A retaliatory strike in conjunction with the German attack on the Soviet Union. However, more territory was lost and for many years to come Finnish foreign policy was based on appeasing the Soviet Union , even though Finland was able to retain its democratic form of government. Denmark and Norway were occupied by Germany in 1940. The Allies responded by occupying Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Sweden managed to formally maintain its neutrality in
608-664: A clear day. Even excluding Greenland and the Norwegian islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen , the remaining part of the Nordic countries covers around 1.3 million square kilometres. This is about the same area as France, Germany and Italy together. To the south, the countries neighbor the Baltic states , Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom, while to the north there is the Arctic Ocean . Notable natural features of
760-478: A flat oval track usually consisting of dirt , loosely packed shale , or crushed rock (mostly used in Australia and New Zealand). Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into the bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). There are now both domestic and international competitions in
912-535: A heavy influence on the weather in the western coastal zones of Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The precipitation is high and snow cover during winters is rare. Summers are generally cool. The further away that one gets from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream the colder it gets during the winters. Finland, most of Sweden and the south-eastern part of Norway are influenced by the vast continent to
1064-434: A long history of political unions and other close relations but do not form a singular entity today. The Scandinavist movement sought to unite Denmark, Norway and Sweden into one country in the 19th century. With the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden (Norwegian independence), the independence of Finland in the early 20th century and the 1944 Icelandic constitutional referendum , this movement expanded into
1216-916: A major role in the establishment of the early-modern states in Denmark–Norway and Sweden. Sweden was very successful during the Thirty Years' War , while Denmark was a failure. Sweden saw an opportunity of a change of power in the region. Denmark–Norway had a threatening territory surrounding Sweden and the Sound Dues were a continuing irritation for the Swedes. In 1643, the Swedish Privy Council determined Swedish territorial gain in an eventual war against Denmark–Norway to have good chances. Not long after this, Sweden invaded Denmark–Norway. The war ended as foreseen with Swedish victory and with
1368-426: A maximum length of 30 centimetres (12 in)) attached to the rider's right wrist." The high compression ratio of the engine can also assist in slowing down a machine; if the throttle is closed, the engine may stop. Riders can stop the bike by deliberately laying down the bike on the track, and this technique is used to avoid riders who fall in front of pursuing opponents. Before cut-outs were introduced, an engine
1520-743: A number of countries, including the Speedway World Cup , whilst the highest overall scoring individual in the Speedway Grand Prix events is pronounced the world champion. Speedway is popular in Central and Northern Europe and to a lesser extent in Australia and North America. A variant of track racing , speedway is administered internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Domestic speedway events are regulated by FIM-affiliated national motor sport federations . The early history of speedway race meetings
1672-556: A political dimension in the joint official bodies called the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Helsinki Treaty , signed on 23 March 1962 entered into force on 1 July 1962 and is the political agreement which sets the framework for Nordic cooperation. 23 March is celebrated as the "Nordic Day" as the treaty is sometimes referred to as the constitution of the Nordic cooperation. Several aspects of
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#17327807753361824-416: A record time of 59 seconds on a 342 metres (1,122 ft) track and produced an average speed of 83 km/h (51.86 mph). The speed on straight sections of the track reaches 110 km/h (70 mph) or more on longer tracks, but the limited speed on curves lowers the average. At the start of a race it takes between one and two seconds for the motorcycle to reach the "curve speed" (somewhat lower than
1976-422: A rider with a scheduled ride may go out for double points, in which the riders points will be doubled if he beats a rider of the opposing team. Any rider taking a tactical substitute ride or double points ride is denoted by a black and white helmet colour as rather than one of the four usual coloured helmets. If that rider remains unbeaten by either opposition rider his scored points are doubled and also count towards
2128-716: A second job, or amateurs. The United Kingdom has three main domestic leagues, the SGB Premiership , the SGB Championship , and the National League , as well as three 'junior' amateur leagues. It also has a youth championship. Speedway is one of the most popular sports in Poland and is governed by the Main Commission for Speedway Sport (Główna Komisja Sportu Żużlowego, GKSŻ) which is a part of
2280-689: A series of plateaux and gently undulating plains . The western parts of the mountains are cut by fjords, producing a dramatic landscape. The landscape of Sweden can be described as a mixture of that of Norway, Finland and Denmark. Except at the High Coast the coastal areas of Sweden form lowlands. Sweden has three highland areas, the South Swedish Highlands , the Scandinavian Mountains and the Norrland terrain which
2432-426: A series of meetings over the space of a week in the summer. The final World Cup Champions were Poland in 2017. The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. Competing countries picked their top two riders to represent them (or in some cases, those who were available). The first competition was held in 1970 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994
2584-608: A smaller scale, competitions are also held 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 feature highly paid star riders. In smaller countries and lower divisions, riders may be part-timers with
2736-555: A three-time champion in 2018. Bartosz Zmarzlik would become World Champion for the first time in 2019, and the third ever Polish World Champion. Zmarzlik has since won four more titles in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. 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 one gear and have no brakes . Racing takes place on
2888-440: Is a little lower than the United States, but higher than Canada. In round figures, Iceland's population density resembles Canada's. This list includes dependent territories within their sovereign states (including uninhabited territories), but does not include claims on Antarctica . EEZ+TIA is exclusive economic zone (EEZ) plus total internal area (TIA) which includes land and internal waters. The Kingdom of Denmark includes
3040-404: Is a strong consensus about keeping to the general concept. A central theme in the Nordic model is the "universalist" welfare state aimed specifically at enhancing individual autonomy, promoting social mobility and ensuring the universal provision of basic human rights, as well as for stabilising the economy. In this model welfare is not just aid to those who are in need of it, but a central part of
3192-481: Is a subject of much debate and controversy. There is evidence to show that meetings were held on small dirt tracks in Australia and the United States before World War I . On 13 November 1905 motorcycle racing was held at the Newcastle NSW Rugby Ground, a distance of approximately 440 yards. American rider Don Johns was known to have used broadsiding before 1914. It was said that he would ride
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#17327807753363344-493: Is argued that they are easier to handle. As speedway bikes do not use brakes , the clutch is used as a release mechanism at the start of races. FIM regulations state that the motorcycles must have no brakes , are fueled by pure methanol , use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 77 kilograms (170 lb). By using engine and rear wheel sprockets the gear ratio can be adjusted as required for track conditions. The use of methanol allows for an increased compression ratio to
3496-399: Is divided into a grid of four equal parts and the riders from each team must take their place in alternate grids or "gates". The colours also denote starting positions in individual events; Red is the inside gate (gate 1), blue starts from gate 2, white starts from gate 3 and yellow/black starts on the outside (gate 4). When an event dictates that there is a fifth rider at the start line, gate 3
3648-504: Is halfway along one of the two straight sections of the track. Starting gates are simple spring-loaded mechanisms that raise two or three strands of tape to start the race. The FIM regulations require licensed tracks to provide a garage or pit area for motorcycles as well as medical and press facilities. Track boundaries are marked by white lines or barriers on the inside and outside the track, any rider who crosses this boundary with both wheels will be disqualified unless they only did so in
3800-573: Is hardly any wild nature left. Most of the scarce forests are plantations and nearly 60 per cent of Denmark's total area is cultivated or zoned as gardens or parks. On the other hand, in the other Nordic countries there is much wild nature left. Only between 0 and 9 per cent of the land in the other Nordic countries is cultivated. Around 17 per cent of the land area in Iceland is used for permanent meadows and pastures and both Finland, Norway as well as Sweden have large forest areas. The Nordic region has
3952-509: Is known as a tape infringement and can result in a false start being recorded and the rider penalised (disqualified, or in league matches in Great Britain, a 15-metre penalty or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve). The race is started with the raising of the start tape mechanism operated by the match referee and the riders must proceed around the track in an anti-clockwise direction without both wheels illegally leaving
4104-472: Is measured at a distance of 1 metre (3.3 ft) from the inner boundary. Tracks may be banked, but the gradient must under no circumstances exceed 5% in the straight, 10% in the bends, and must remain constant and grow from the inner edge to the safety fence. A white start line is marked across the track approximately mid-way along one of the straights. The starting area is also divided into four equal parts (known as gates) by white lines marked at right angles to
4256-428: Is moved to the centre with a green helmet colour, and white and yellow (or yellow/black) take gates 4 and 5 respectively. Riders must be able to get their bikes to the start line under their own power, without any external assistance and not by pushing the machine, then line up in parallel. A rider who is not at the start line within a reasonable period of time is also liable to be disqualified, although league matches in
4408-485: Is reputed to be the oldest working parliament in the world. However, it was dissolved for much of the first half of the 19th century. In Denmark, Iceland and Sweden elections are held at least once every four years. Finland, Åland and Norway have fixed four-year election periods. Elections in the Faroe Islands and Greenland follow the Danish system of elections. The Danish Folketing has 179 seats, including two seats each for
4560-427: Is scheduled to ride four or five times. The team with the most points at the end of the meeting is the winner. Most league seasons end with play-offs – a series of meetings between the highest finishing teams to determine a league champion. The champions may be promoted to a higher division and the team finishing at the bottom are in some countries relegated to a lower division. The majority of countries supplement
4712-967: Is the current (2019) World Champion. The annual British Grand Prix is currently held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , Wales. Scoring in Grand Prix events changed in 2005 with riders scoring 3–2–1–0 in their races and these points being 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), fellow New Zealander Barry Briggs (four times), Ole Olsen (three times), Ove Fundin (five times), Lionel Van Praag (inaugural 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
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4864-549: Is the eastern continuation of the Scandinavian Mountains. The South Swedish Highland and the Norrland terrain are separated by the Central Swedish lowland . The topography of Iceland stands out among the Nordic countries for being a bowl-formed highland. Despite their northern location, the Nordic countries generally have a mild climate compared with other countries that share globally the same latitudes. The climate in
5016-602: The European Free Trade Association (EFTA). All the Nordic countries are however members of the European Economic Area (EEA). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Nordic countries began partnerships with newly liberated neighbouring Baltic states ( Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania ) by opening Nordic council of ministers' offices in the three countries. The Baltic Assembly started to work together with
5168-710: The Germanic people that would later relate to the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe . However, these acquired the Latin culture of Rome . The Nordic countries first came into more permanent contact with the rest of Europe during the Viking Age . Southern Finland and northern parts of Sweden and Norway were areas where the Vikings mostly only traded and had raids, whilst
5320-779: The Nordics or Norden ; lit. ' the North ' ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic . It includes the sovereign states of Denmark , Finland , Iceland , Norway and Sweden ; the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland ; and the autonomous region of Åland . The Nordic countries have much in common in their way of life, history , religion and social and economic model . They have
5472-940: 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
5624-579: The Protestant Reformation , the main religion became Lutheran Christianity , the state religion of several Nordic countries. Although the area is linguistically heterogeneous, with three unrelated language groups, the common linguistic heritage is one factor that makes up the Nordic identity. Most Nordic languages belong to North Germanic languages , Finno-Ugric languages and Eskimo–Aleut languages . Danish , Norwegian and Swedish are considered mutually intelligible , and they are
5776-470: The Russian invasion of Ukraine , Finland joined NATO in 2023 as did Sweden a year later. The Nordic countries and self-governing regions in alphabetic order – number of inhabitants (2018), area (km ) and population density (people/km ): Denmark is by far the most densely populated country, whilst Sweden, Norway and Finland are low populated and similar to each other from this perspective. Iceland has both
5928-596: The Schengen Area and only a national ID card is required. Within the Nordic area any means of proving one's identity, e.g. a driving licence , is valid for Nordic citizens because of the Nordic Passport Union. When traveling to other countries than the Nordics, public officials in the foreign services of any of the Nordic countries are to assist citizens of another Nordic country if that country
6080-501: The Star Riders' Championship . Star Riders' Championship From 1929 until 1935 the Star Riders' Championship was considered the unofficial World Championships, featuring riders from Great Britain, Australia and the United States. The event was arguably the closest format to the first World Championship in 1936 because it was at the same venue (Wembley) and contained the majority of the world's leading riders, including two of
6232-700: The Swede Ove Fundin won the first of his five titles. The late 1950s and 1960s were dominated by Fundin along with the two New Zealanders Ronnie Moore (two titles) and Barry Briggs (four titles), and Englishman Peter Craven (two titles). Then, at the 1966 World Championship in Gothenburg Ivan Mauger , a 26-year-old New Zealander who had had a slow breakthrough in British league speedway, made his debut. He finished fourth, but won two out of five races, and showed potential by winning
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6384-533: The Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 Denmark–Norway had to cede some of their territories, including Norwegian territories Jemtland , Herjedalen and Idre and Serna , as well as the Danish Baltic Sea islands of Gotland and Ösel . The Thirty Years' War thus began the rise of Sweden as a great power , while it marked the start of decline for the Danish. To some extent in the 16th century and certainly in
6536-698: The Under-21 Individual World Championship . In total, seven Polish riders have been World Champions at Under-21 level. Speedway in Sweden is governed by the Swedish Motorcycle and Snowmobile Federation (SVEMO) . The first Swedish speedway league was founded in 1948 and copied the British format of league racing, including adopting the Swedish version of several British teams nicknames. The Elite League ( Elitserien )
6688-755: The common market as in the EU have been implemented decades before the EU implemented them. Intra-Nordic trade is not covered by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), but by local law. The Nordic countries have cooperated closely in the administrative and consular fields since the Nordic Passport Union was established and the Helsinki Treaty concluded. According to
6840-619: The "continental" qualifiers; and the best riders met for European Championships, all organised in roughly the same way as the World final was before. The Championship Round for British, Australian and New Zealand racers, however, was kept until 1960, after which the first World Final outside London was staged in Sweden, in 1961. Finals in Poland, and later USA, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands followed. The number of British & Commonwealth participants reduced over time, with quotas from each nation/continent varying, depending upon which nation hosted
6992-491: The 11th century, three northern kingdoms emerged in the region: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Iceland first became a commonwealth before it came under Norwegian rule in the early 13th century. There were several secular powers who aimed to bring Finland under their rule, but through the Second and Third Swedish Crusade in the latter part of 13th and through the colonisation of some coastal areas of Finland with Christian Swedes,
7144-543: The 17th, the Nordic region played a major role in European politics at the highest level. The struggle for dominion over the Baltic Sea and its trading opportunities raged between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, which began to impact upon the neighbouring nations. Sweden prevailed in the long term and became a major European power as it extended its reach into coastal tracts in modern-day Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and – following
7296-694: The 1928–1929 season at the Melbourne Exhibition Speedway , Australian Colin Stewart won the prestigious Silver Gauntlet, which required the rider to win the feature race 10 times in one season. He won it 12 times. He also achieved success at an international level, racing for Southampton Saints in 1929 and captained Glasgow in the Northern League in 1930 before moving to Wembley Lions in 1931, for whom he rode in just four matches, averaging 4.00 points per match. He also raced in
7448-617: The 1930 Scottish Championship which was won by Wembley Lions' Harry Whitfield . The forerunner of the World Championship, the Star Riders' Championship , was inaugurated in Great Britain in 1929, but was split into two sections, as it was felt that the British riders were not yet the equal of the Australians and Americans. Frank Arthur won the Overseas Section and Roger Frogley the British. The following year
7600-497: The 1930s, with the official World Championship first held in 1936 . The present FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) championship organised by Speedway Grand Prix (Discovery Sports Events since 2015) has taken place since 1995. The SGP uses a scoring system based on each riders overall final position. The rider who has gained the most points at the end of the tournament is declared the World Champion . Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik
7752-719: 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
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#17327807753367904-583: The Allsvenskan, the top four teams at the end of each season ride 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 the season in first place are champions and can apply for promotion to the Allsvenskan, subject to having suitable facilities and sufficient finances. Other competitions include the Swedish Individual Championship and
8056-541: The Axis/Allies conflict and avoided direct hostilities, but in practice it adapted to the wishes of the dominant power – first Germany, later the Allies. However, during the Winter War between Finland and Russia in 1939–1940, Sweden did support Finland and declared itself "non combatant" rather than neutral. Compared with large parts of Europe, the Nordic region got off lightly during the World War II, which partially explains its strong post-war economic development. The labour movement – both trade unions and political parties –
8208-488: 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 in all. 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. The Polish junior team won the Under-21 World Championship in 2005 and 2006 and since 2003 four Polish juniors have won
8360-470: The European final (without Swedes) at Wembley. He raced until the age of 39, winning six World titles, including three in a row from 1968 to 1970 - including nine successive races in finals events. After 1970, Ole Olsen took over - winning in Göteborg in 1971 and eventually taking three titles. However, Mauger had the last laugh of the two - winning the last final that they both competed in, at Chorzów in 1979, when he scored 14 out of 15 possible points to win
8512-429: The FIM occasionally sanctions the use of stadiums that install temporary tracks such as the British Grand Prix held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . Speedway uses a unique type of motorcycle, governed by the FIM's "Track Racing Technical Rules". In the past, bikes with upright engines were used (the name taken from the way the engine sits in the frame), but today most professional riders use laydown bikes as it
8664-437: The Faroe Islands and Greenland, which had been re-colonised in the 18th century, became Danish. Population growth and industrialisation brought change to the Nordic countries during the 19th century and new social classes steered political systems towards democracy. International politics and nationalism also created the preconditions for the later independence of Norway in 1905 , Finland in 1917 and Iceland in 1944 . During
8816-570: The Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Finnish Eduskunta has 200 seats, including one seat for Åland. The Icelandic Althing has 63 seats, the Norwegian Storting 169 seats and the Swedish Riksdag 349 seats. The Faroese Løgting has 32 seats, Greenland's Inatsisartut 31 seats and Åland's Lagtinget 30 seats. Nordic citizens – and in the three member countries of the EU also EU citizens – living in another Nordic country are normally entitled to vote in local government elections after three months of residence, while other foreign citizens have to reside in
8968-661: The French staged unofficial World Championships called the Dirt Track Championnat du Monde are incomplete. However, the following results have been recorded. Australia's World's Championship A Johnnie Hoskins ' Anglo/Australian promotion staged a 'World's Championship Final' at the Sydney Showground Speedway (Speedway Royal) on 4 March 1933 following qualifying rounds in Perth ( Claremont Speedway ) on 2 December 1932, Adelaide ( Wayville Showground ) on 2 January, Melbourne ( Exhibition Speedway ) on 28 January, and Sydney (Royal) on 18 February. A squad of 7 riders, 5 Australian and 2 English, competed over 7 races (3 riders per race,)
9120-417: The Helsinki Treaty, public officials in the foreign services of any of the Nordic countries are to assist citizens of another Nordic country if that country is not represented in the territory concerned. Nordic cooperation is based on the Helsinki Treaty. Politically, Nordic countries do not form a separate entity, but they cooperate in the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers . The council
9272-399: The Nordic Council to form the Nordic-Baltic Eight in 1992, while big Baltic companies were bought by Nordic companies in sectors such as banking or telecommunications. In 1999, Estonia started to promote its Nordic heritage (see Nordic identity in Estonia ) while government of Sweden expressed regrets regarding the deportation of Estonian and Latvian soldiers to USSR in 1946. Following
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#17327807753369424-401: The Nordic countries are members of NATO. The Nordic foreign and security policy cooperation became closer and expanded its scope in 2014. The Nordic Council of Ministers is responsible for inter-governmental cooperation. Prime ministers have ultimate responsibility, but this is usually delegated to the Minister for Nordic Cooperation and the Nordic Committee for Co-operation, which coordinates
9576-446: The Nordic countries are situated on the southern parts of the region, with the exception of Reykjavík , the capital of Iceland. Helsinki , Oslo and Stockholm are all close to the same latitude as the southernmost point of Greenland, Egger Island ( Itilleq ): about 60°N . All of Denmark and most of Finland lie below 200 m and the topography of both is relatively flat. In Denmark, moraines and tunnel valleys add some relief to
9728-444: The Nordic countries for three to four years before they are eligible to vote. In Denmark and the Faroe Islands, the percentage turn-out at elections is close to 90% per cent, but it is only about 67% in Åland and Finland. Men are more often elected to the national assembly compared to women. The biggest bias between the two sexes is seen in the Faroe Islands and Åland, while in Sweden men and women are close to being equally represented in
9880-471: The Nordic countries include the Norwegian fjords , the Archipelago Sea between Finland and Sweden, the extensive volcanic and geothermal activity of Iceland , and Greenland, which is the largest island in the world. The southernmost point of the Nordic countries is Gedser , on the island of Falster in Denmark. The northernmost point is Kaffeklubben Island in Greenland, which is also the northernmost point of land on Earth. The largest cities and capitals of
10032-415: The Nordic countries is mainly influenced by their northern location, but remedied by the vicinity to the ocean and the Gulf Stream which brings warm ocean currents from the tip of Florida. Even far to the north, the winters can be quite mild, though north of the Polar Circle the climate zone is mostly subarctic with harsh winters and short summers. In Greenland and Svalbard the climate is polar. The sea has
10184-485: The Nordic countries' borders without having their passport checked, but still have to carry some sort of approved travel identification documents. During the 2015 European migrant crisis , temporary border controls were set up between Denmark and Sweden to control the movement of refugees into Sweden. Since 1996, these countries have been part of the larger EU directive Schengen Agreement area, comprising 30 countries in Europe. Border checkpoints have been removed within
10336-445: The Nordic model of economy and social structure to varying degrees. This includes a mixed market economy combined with strong labour unions and a universalist welfare sector financed by high taxes, enhancing individual autonomy and promoting social mobility . There is a high degree of income redistribution, commitment to private ownership and little social unrest. North Germanic peoples , who comprise over three-quarters of
10488-499: The Nordic region was politically united in the loose Kalmar Union . Diverging interests and especially Sweden's dissatisfaction over the Danish dominance gave rise to a conflict that hampered the union from the 1430s onward until its final dissolution in 1523. After the dissolution Denmark and Norway, including Iceland, formed a personal union of the two kingdoms called Denmark–Norway whilst the successful period of Vasa Kings began in Sweden and Finland. The Lutheran Reformation played
10640-418: The Paris title twice before the Wembley event subsequently emerged in 1936. The British pride themselves on organising the official World Championship, having hosted the first fifteen ACU/FIM-sanctioned events, all in Wembley Stadium . These were from 1936, when Australian Lionel Van Praag won the title, to 1938 and from 1949 to 1960. 1937 saw Americans Jack Milne , Wilbur Lamoreaux and Cordy Milne sweep
10792-535: The SGP in 2013, while Greg Hancock won the 2014 World Championship at the age of 44. In 2015 Woffinden would again win the World Championship despite a late season surge from 45 year old Hancock. Hancock once again won the World Championship in 2016. Australian Jason Doyle had led the standings for the majority of the year, succumbing to injury before the last couple of rounds, saw Hancock win his fourth World Championship. Doyle would eventually become World Champion in 2017, his first ever medal. Tai Woffinden would become
10944-561: The Secretary of Newcastle Speedway Ltd. The Newcastle Herald reports the Grand Opening on 14 November 1925 attracted an audience of 42,000 at that time it was approximately one-third of Newcastle's entire population. After Maitland, Newcastle Showground is the second oldest Motorcycle Speedway track in the world. However, its first recorded motorcycle race was much earlier in 1908. The first Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championship
11096-673: The Swedish Junior Individual Championship. The Swedish Individual Championship is contested by 18 riders in a Grand Prix format with 20 heats. The Junior Individual Championship is for riders aged twenty-one years and under. Speedway in Denmark is administered by Danmarks Motor Union (DMU) . The sport was introduced into Denmark in the 1930s but it didn't boom until the 1970s. Notable Danish speedway riders today include – Nicki Pedersen, Bjarne Pedersen and Hans Nørgaard Andersen. Former rider, Ole Olsen won
11248-534: The Swedish rule was gradually established in the region. During the Middle Ages , increased trade meant that the Nordic countries became increasingly integrated into Europe and Nordic society became more Continental . The monarchies strengthened their positions in the 12th and 13th centuries through imposing taxes on peasants and a class of nobles also emerged. By the Late Middle Ages, the whole of
11400-621: The Thirty Years' War – also into Pomerania and other North German areas. Sweden also conquered vast areas from Denmark–Norway during the Northern Wars in the middle of the 17th century. Sweden also had several conflicts with Russia over Finland and other eastern areas of the country and after the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Sweden lost most of its territories outside the old Swedish border to Russia which then became
11552-524: The UK allow teams to elect to start the disqualified rider fifteen metres back from the tapes or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve. This period of time is standardised to two minutes from a time determined by the match referee and usually indicated by a bell, a rotating orange lamp or a digital clock readout. All riders must be at the tapes under their own power before the two minutes have elapsed. Additional time between races will be allowed by, and at
11704-528: The World Championship three times and his success helped popularise 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 an active racer through the 1990s). Nordic countries 2 autonomous territories 1 autonomous region 2 unincorporated areas 1 dependency 2 Antarctic claims The Nordic countries (also known as
11856-657: The World Pairs was merged with the World Team Cup. As of 2018, a new pairs championship, the Speedway of Nations , has now replaced the Speedway World Cup on the sport's calendar. Most European countries run their own domestic speedway leagues. The FIM affiliated governing bodies in each country operate league systems , normally comprising several divisions , in which the teams gain points throughout
12008-463: The advent of Foreningen Norden . The term is derived indirectly from the local term Norden , used in the North Germanic (Scandinavian) languages , which means 'The North(ern lands)'. Unlike the Nordic countries , the term Norden is in the singular. The demonym is nordbo , literally meaning 'northern dweller'. Similar or related regional terms include: Norga Italics indicates
12160-405: The average), which is roughly estimated to be the equivalent of 2.5 to 3 seconds to reach 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) (or 0 to 60 mph ). The start of the race is an important aspect of the race overall. "Gating" correctly can help a rider gain an initial advantage over other riders but speed advantages can be made as a race progresses. Those riders willing to take a risk and opt for finding
12312-538: The championship final. Grand Prix Series. Gradually, it became apparent that the single-night event was getting obsolete, and a Grand Prix series similar to that used in Formula One and MotoGP was implemented in 1995 - while the system with qualifiers and a final was now used to qualify riders for the next Grand Prix series. Initially, there were six races, in Poland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Great Britain. The old system with everyone racing each other
12464-432: The class required to win the World Championship. He did in 1995, the first year of the Speedway Grand Prix series - scoring 103 points and winning one of six races (fellow Dane Tommy Knudsen actually won two, but was too inconsistent and finished tenth), fifteen points more than his nearest opponent. He was pipped to the title by two points by America's Billy Hamill in 1996, and although he continued racing until 1999 and
12616-418: The consolation final having been abolished in 2002), although the number of GP events was increased to ten in 2002 and then changed back to 9 in 2003 and 2004. However, the system was viewed by many as too complicated, and for the 2005 Speedway Grand Prix season the system used from 1995 to 1997 was back, but with one minor modification; points gained in the heats would now count for the aggregate standings, and
12768-591: The countries are among the wealthiest worldwide and there is little social unrest. In 2015, Save the Children ranked the Nordic countries as number 1–5 of countries where mothers and children fare the best (among 179 countries studied). Nordic parliaments are all based on a one-chamber system . The Norwegian parliament, the Storting , did actually function as two separate chambers until 2009 when dealing with certain issues. The Icelandic Althing , founded in 930 AD,
12920-600: The day-to-day work. The autonomous territories have the same representation as states. The Nordic countries share an economic and social model, which involves the combination of a market economy with a welfare state financed with heavy taxes. The welfare states were largely developed by strong social democrat parties and in Finland with cooperation with the Agrarian League . Although the specifics differ between countries and there are ongoing political arguments, there
13072-402: The discretion of, the referee if a rider has two consecutive rides, to allow the rider time to prepare. A starting gate consisting of two or more tapes is erected across the start line. The riders must situate themselves not more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) from this and not touch it once the green light comes on, they must also remain stationary until the tapes are raised. Failure to do so
13224-462: The dubious honour of being the first (and so far only) SGP World Champion not to win a Grand Prix during his championship year, though his consistency in reaching the Semi-final at each event and being runner-up in the first 2 rounds saw him score enough points to defeat Hamill and Rickardsson. Although Dane Nicki Pedersen and Australian Jason Crump won in 2003 and 2004 respectively, Rickardsson
13376-501: The east which results in warm and long summers and clear and cold winters, often with snow. For example, Bergen at the west coast of Norway normally has a temperature above zero in February while Helsinki in Finland normally will have a temperature of 7–8 °C below zero during the same month. Climatic conditions and quality of land have determined how land is used in the Nordic countries. In densely populated mainland Denmark there
13528-424: The engine producing more power than other fuels and resulting in higher speeds (approximately 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) when cornering). Machines used must: Machines used cannot: In addition, all motorcycles must have a safety cut-out device fitted; this is defined as a switch that "must cut off the circuit of the electrical supply by the simple action of pulling a lanyard or a non-elastic string (with
13680-405: The entire race course wide open, throwing great showers of dirt into the air at each turn. By the early 1920s, Johns' style of cornering was followed in the United States, where it was called Short Track Racing, by riders such as Albert "Shrimp" Burns, Maldwyn "Floppy" Jones and Eddie Brinck. Motorcycle Speedway can be traced back to the early 1920s. One track that staged speedway, amongst others,
13832-628: The event and tallied up at the end of each season. However, up to 1994, it was usually run as a single-night event after qualifying rounds during the season, leading up to a final consisting of 20 heats, where points were awarded according to riders' heat placings and then tallied up at the end. Before the World Championship received its formal recognition from the ACU and the FIM in 1936, other unofficial Speedway World Championships were staged between 1931 and 1935, in Europe, South America and Australasia, such as
13984-624: The event of a tie, the race is commonly awarded as a dead heat . If it is a tie for first place, they will both receive two points. A tie for second place earns each rider one point while a joint-last finish earns each rider zero points. Teams can use a tactical substitute rule once in a meeting. If that team is eight (six in World Cup) or more points in arrears, they may bring in the use of a different rider in their team lineup, to race in any heat except for heat 15. This may be different in World cup or event racing. If they are ten or more points behind,
14136-422: The extra riders safely. Speedway operates a sliding scale for scoring (known as the 3–2–1–0 method). Three points are scored for first place, two points for second place and one point for third place. A rider does not score when finishing fourth, or failing to finish, or if excluded from a race. These points accumulate over the competition, with riders points either counting towards individual or team placings. In
14288-516: The final ahead of Pole Zenon Plech . After American Bruce Penhall won twice in 1981 and 1982 - the latter being the first and only time a World Championship race has been hosted in the United States, in Los Angeles - it was time for Denmark to ascend the world control of speedway. Earlier on, only Ole Olsen had won World titles, in 1971, 1975 and 1978, but a new generation was growing up, led by Erik Gundersen and Hans Nielsen who occupied
14440-463: The first of the next month. These CMA's are used in most professional leagues and are altered or weighted depending on the league the rider gained the CMA in. A rider that has no recorded average will receive an indicative CMA for the start of the season that is assessed on their prior experience in the sport. An international individual speedway championship has taken various forms since its beginnings in
14592-524: The first three official world champions. Additionally in 1931, the Promoters Association initiated a match race competition for the ‘Individual World Championship’ matching first the top Australian rider against the best Englishman over a 'best of three' series. A month later that winner next met another challenger for his world title. After the event was raced however, the SCB refused to recognise
14744-773: The first two places at Gothenburg in 1984. There were two Danes on top of the table in each and every World final from 1984 to 1989 - a somewhat extraordinary record. Gundersen and Nielsen took three titles each as the Danes won six successive and seven out of eight titles from 1984 to 1991. However, the forced retirement of Gundersen in 1989 following a horrific crash in the Speedway World Team Cup Final in Bradford , followed by 1991 champion Jan O. Pedersen in 1992, both prematurely because of serious injuries, weakened Danish speedway somewhat, as only Nielsen held
14896-480: The general system stayed the same from the first official championship. There were initial qualifying rounds, where the riders raced in heats of four to score points against each other (3 for first place, 2 for second place, 1 for third place). The final qualifying round was called the Championship Round, and it consisted of seven to ten meetings, though no one participated in all of them. The 16 who scored
15048-628: The grippy parts of the track rather than the race line, are sometimes rewarded with extra speed allowing them to pass other riders either on the outside or the inside. Tracks used for professional speedway racing are regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) who provide rules concerning construction, size and safety requirements. Speedway racing takes place on a level oval track consisting of two straights joined by two semicircles. Tracks must be between 260 and 425 metres (853 and 1394 ft) in length, this
15200-468: The home-rule ( hjemmestyre ) territory of the Faroe Islands and the self-rule ( selvstyre ) territory of Greenland . The Nordic countries have a combined area of around 3.5 million square kilometres and their geography is extremely varied. The area is so vast that it covers five time zones . To the east the region borders Russia, and on the west the Canadian coastline can be seen from Greenland on
15352-407: The interest of safety or were forced to by another competitor. The track surface consists of four layers of grading . The topmost of which must be of shale , granite , brick granules or other loose material of which no individual piece can be over 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in size. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways (powersliding or broadsiding ) into the bends using
15504-418: The landscape while in Finland the surroundings of lakes Pielinen and Päijänne display some moderate relief. The Finnish area just east of Bothnian Bay stands out as the largest plain in the Nordic countries. The Scandinavian Mountains dominate the landscape of Norway. The southern part of the Scandinavian Mountains is broader than the northern one and contains higher peaks. The southern part contains also
15656-443: The league system with one or more cup competitions. These are organised on a knock-out basis, the winner of each match proceeding to the next round and the loser taking no further part in the competition. The major speedway nations in Europe are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland and Denmark. These countries run a number of leagues and have regular fixtures throughout the traditional speedway season that runs from March to October. On
15808-485: The life of everybody: education is free, healthcare has zero or nominal fees in most cases, most children go to municipal day care, etc. The Nordic model is distinguished from other types of welfare states by its emphasis on maximising labour force participation, promoting gender equality, egalitarian and extensive benefit levels, the large magnitude of income redistribution and liberal use of expansionary fiscal policy. Trade unions are strong. The model has been successful:
15960-411: The lowest population and by far the lowest population density. But large areas in Finland, Norway and Sweden, like most of Iceland, are unpopulated. There are no such areas in Denmark. Denmark has a population density around continental average, higher than for instance France and Poland but lower when compared to the United Kingdom, Italy or Germany. Finland, Norway and Sweden has a population density that
16112-589: The modern organised Nordic cooperation. Since 1962, this cooperation has been based on the Helsinki Treaty that sets the framework for the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers . The Nordic countries cluster near the top in numerous metrics of national performance, including education, economic competitiveness, civil liberties, quality of life and human development. Each country has its own economic and social model, sometimes with large differences from its neighbours. Still, they share aspects of
16264-501: The most points then qualified for the World Championship Final at Wembley, where the heat system was again used - this time with a total of 20 heats of four riders, each rider racing five heats, and every rider meeting each other at some point during the competition. The same points system was used, and the rider with the most points won. From 1936 to 1938 bonus points were carried over from the Championship Round. This
16416-472: The national assembly. The Nordic Passport Union, created in 1954 and implemented on 1 May 1958, allows citizens of the Nordic countries: Denmark (Faroe Islands included since 1 January 1966, Greenland not included), Sweden, Norway (Svalbard, Bouvet Island and Queen Maud Land not included), Finland and Iceland (since 24 September 1965) to cross approved border districts without carrying and having their passport checked. Other citizens can also travel between
16568-685: The new major power in Northern Europe. After the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the political map of the Nordic countries altered again. In 1809, Finland was conquered by Russian Empire from Sweden in the Finnish War , after which Finland became the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland . In turn, Sweden captured Norway from Denmark in 1814 in the Swedish–Norwegian War and started a Union between Sweden and Norway . Iceland,
16720-611: The next year. But these two stars of the Dirt Track could only manage podium places behind Brit Harry Whitfield when a 'World's Championship' was staged on their home soil in 1933. Meanwhile, in the UK Jack Parker had replaced Aussie Vic Huxley as the 'Individual World Champion' but after the event the Speedway Control Board refused to honour the title put up by the promotion. Englishman Claude Rye took
16872-549: The now-closed 520 metres (570 yd) Claremont Speedway in Perth and the 509 metres (557 yd) Sydney Showground , to smaller, purpose-built 300 metres (330 yd) long motorcycle tracks, such as Gillman Speedway in Adelaide and Mildura 's Olympic Park . Each track is between 260 and 425 metres long and it takes approximately one minute to complete four laps. For example, 10 time Australian Champion Leigh Adams set
17024-420: The passenger ship Oronsay to introduce Speedway Solo motorcycle racing to England. The first meeting in the United Kingdom took place at High Beech on 19 February 1928. There are, however, claims that meetings were held in 1927 at Camberley , Surrey and Droylsden , Lancashire. Despite being described as "the first British Dirt Track meeting" at the time, the meeting at Camberley on 7 May 1927 differed in that
17176-414: The permanent settlements of Vikings in the Nordic region were in southern Norway and Sweden, Denmark and Faroes as well as parts of Iceland, Greenland and Estonia . Christian Europe responded to the raids and conquest of Vikings with intensive missionary work. The missionaries wanted the new territories to be ruled by Christian kings who would help to strengthen the church. After conversion to Christianity in
17328-434: The podium for the first win for America and the first time riders from one country took all 3 top positions. It was also the last American victory until 1981. Commonwealth countries dominated, with the UK , Australia and New Zealand taking four titles each up to 1959, including the first two time and back to back winner, Australia's Jack Young who won in 1951 and 1952. The first non-English-speaking victor came in 1956, when
17480-418: The purposes of choosing which riders to enter for each race. At the start of a season, a rider retains their last recorded CMA (or assessed CMA if they have never previously established one) until they have competed in six home and six away matches. A new CMA is then issued that comes into effect seven days later. These are subsequently updated on the 15th of every month from May onwards, and come into effect on
17632-543: The races were held in a clockwise direction. Races at Droylsden were held in an anti-clockwise direction, but it is generally accepted that the sport arrived in the United Kingdom when Australians Billy Galloway and Keith McKay arrived with the intention of introducing speedway to the Northern Hemisphere . Both featured in the 1928 High Beech meeting. The first speedway meeting in the UK to feature bikes with no brakes and broadsiding round corners on loose dirt
17784-481: The rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend. The skill of speedway lies in the overall ability of the rider to control his motorcycle when cornering and thus avoid losing places through deceleration . The use of asphalt , concrete and tarmac for any layer is prohibited. The top layer must be levelled or "graded" at intervals during an event by tractors towing specially adapted rakes to evenly re-distribute
17936-545: The region had over 27 million people. Especially in English, Scandinavia is sometimes used as a synonym for the Nordic countries, but that term more properly refers to the three monarchies of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Geologically, the Scandinavian Peninsula comprises the mainland of Norway and Sweden and the northernmost part of Finland. The term Nordic countries found mainstream use after
18088-672: The region's population, are the largest ethnic group, followed by the Baltic Finnic Peoples , who comprise the majority in Finland; other ethnic groups are the Greenlandic Inuit , the Sami people and recent immigrants and their descendants. Historically, the main religion in the region was Norse paganism . This gave way first to Roman Catholicism after the Christianisation of Scandinavia . Then, following
18240-550: The relative representation of the political parties in those parliaments. It holds its main session in the autumn, while a so-called "theme session" is arranged in the spring. Each of the national delegations has its own secretariat in the national parliament. The autonomous territories – Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland – also have Nordic secretariats. The Council does not have any formal power on its own, but each government has to implement any decisions through its country's legislative assembly. All of
18392-580: The rest of the fence through blow-off valves or restriction ports connected to the other sections. They are mandatory for tracks in the British Elite League , Polish Ekstraliga , Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup . Neutral zones outside the track provide safe run-off areas for riders and their machinery to minimise the potential risk of injury to spectators. The majority of tracks are dedicated to speedway or other sports such as sidecar speedway and banger racing . For larger events,
18544-467: The rider's calculated match average (CMA). The sport produces Calculated Match Averages (CMAs or averages) for every rider, these are calculated from the following: CMAs scale from 3.00 to 12.00, any rider scoring above or below this range of values will be awarded the maximum or minimum respectively. These averages are used in leagues such as the Premiership in the UK to identify heat-leaders for
18696-447: The season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables , placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team races every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament . Meetings traditionally consist of two teams riding against each other with four riders in each race with two home team riders and two away team riders. Meetings usually feature fifteen heats and each rider
18848-474: The second Polish rider to win the world title in 2010 following on from Jerzy Szczakiel 's surprise win in 1973. American Greg Hancock , the 1997 champion, won his second championship in 2011 at the age of 41 to become the oldest champion, while Australia added another World Crown when Chris Holder raced to the 2012 championship with 160 points to defeat Pedersen on 152 and Hancock on 148. Tai Woffinden gave England its first champion since Mark Loram when he won
19000-535: The so-called Main Event, while the sixteen others would be knocked out if they finished out of the top two in 4-rider heats on two occasions - while they would go through if they finished inside the top two on two occasions. This resulted in 10 heats, where eight proceeded to the Main Event, where exactly the same system was applied to give eight riders to a semi-final. The semi-finals were then two heats of four, where
19152-410: The sport half way through the 2006 campaign. In 2007, Nicki Pedersen once again regained the title he first won in 2003, with a total of 196 points, while Leigh Adams finished his nearest rival on 153. Nicki Pedersen won the 2008 series for a third time, while Jason Crump picked up the silver medal, and Pole Tomasz Gollob finished third. Crump would win his third title in 2009 before Gollob became just
19304-488: The sports first two-time champion Jack Young who won in 1951 & 1952. Currently, no world team championship is contested for senior riders. The first such championship was the Speedway World Team Cup , which was contested annually from 1960 to 2000. It was replaced by the Speedway World Cup , another annual event, in 2001. Both competitions featured teams from the major speedway countries, usually in
19456-439: The start line and extending back at least 1 metre (3.3 ft). Additional rules govern the placement of warning systems such as lights and also the construction of the starting mechanism. The minimum track width is 10 metres (33 ft) on the straights and the bends must be at least 14 metres (46 ft) wide. The minimum widths give each rider adequate space to safely navigate the track. The start line and starting gate assembly
19608-428: The surface. Tracks are watered before and, if needed, during meetings to prevent the surface becoming too dry and to protect the public and the riders from dust. Safety requirements include the use of suspended wire fences, air fences and wooden fences. Air fences are made up of inflated panels installed on the bends. The fence is designed to dissipate energy by allowing an impacted area to compress and transfer air into
19760-433: The title, and it subsequently became the 'British Individual Championship', but the season's winner held still the trophy inscribed "World Champion". World Championship Series During the 1930/31 season A.J.Hunting's International Speedway Ltd staged a World's Championship Series in Argentina, at one of their Buenos Aires tracks during the second season of Dirt Track racing in Argentina. Culminating in February 1931, it
19912-484: The top eight riders would qualify for two semi-final heats, just like the 1998–2004 system. In 2020, the points system was again changed with overall positions deciding total championship points scored and points scored in individual heats again deciding overall positions in Grands Prix. Businessman A.J. Hunting was a dirt track speedway pioneer, promoting first in Australia in 1926, then Great Britain in 1928, but it
20064-454: The top point scorer, English rider Harry Whitfield , becoming World Champion. The riders who qualified for the Final were Lionel Van Praag , Bluey Wilkinson , Dicky Smythe, Billy Lamont and Jack Chapman (Australia), with Harry Whitfield and Jack Ormston from England. The 1934 event was cancelled after the initial qualifying meeting was rained off. Wembley, London. With minor modifications,
20216-425: The top two qualified for a final and the others raced off in a consolation final. This system meant that the point system had to be revised, with 5th place getting 15 points, 6th 14, 8th 10, and after that 8, 8, 7, 7, etc. Places after 8th place were awarded according to the time a rider was knocked out and, secondly, according to position in the last heat he rode in. This system went largely unchanged until 2004 (with
20368-450: The track boundaries. Once a race is under way, no rider can receive outside assistance, including push-starts , from others. Historically, pushers were allowed at the start of the race. A white line at the 30-metre mark used to designate the extent to which a push was allowed but due to safety concerns, assistance is now illegal. Occasionally races can consist of up to six riders but this is rare as most tracks are too narrow to accommodate
20520-418: The two sections were amalgamated and Vic Huxley proved to be the winner. Huxley was also runner-up three times and won the first British Match Race championship in 1931. Speedway racing typically took place on purpose-built tracks, although in Australia bikes shared larger speedways with Sprintcars , Speedcars (Midgets) and saloons, with tracks traditionally ranging from 1/3-mile showground tracks, such as
20672-554: The two world wars and the Cold War , the five small Nordic states were forced into difficult balancing acts, but retained their independence and developed peaceful democracies. The Nordic states had been neutral during World War I , but during World War II they could no longer stand apart from world politics. The Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939 and Finland ceded territory following the Winter War . In 1941, Finland launched
20824-513: The working languages of the region's two political bodies. Swedish is a mandatory subject in Finnish schools and Danish in Faroese schools. Danish is also taught in schools in Iceland. The combined area of the Nordic countries is 3,425,804 square kilometres (1,322,710 sq mi). Uninhabitable ice caps and glaciers comprise about half of this area, mainly Greenland. In September 2021,
20976-430: The world. In 1926 Johnnie Hoskins took his Speedway show to Sydney's Royal Showground. A very wet Sydney summer nearly sent Hoskins broke, so he took the show on the road to Perth, where one good season made him wealthy again. He and his riders decided to take the show to England, as the word had spread about this exciting sport. 14 April 1928, Johnnie Hoskins, 13 Australian Riders and their motorcycles sailed from Perth on
21128-599: Was a huge success and its promoter was New Zealand-born John S. Hoskins. These pioneers introduced the Speedway signatures of No Left Footpeg and the Steel Shoe, ironically fashioned from worn coal shovels, manufactured in this Steel region. Following the success of Maitland, Speedway meetings were conducted at Newcastle Showground in 1924. These events were very successful and led to the construction of Newcastle Speedway off Darling Street, Hamilton. Johnnie Hoskins became
21280-660: Was an important political presence throughout the Nordic countries in the 20th century. The big social democratic parties became dominant and after World War II the Nordic countries began to serve as a model for the welfare state. Economically, the five Nordic countries were strongly dependent on foreign trade and so they positioned themselves alongside the big trading blocks. Denmark was the first to join European Economic Community (EEC) in 1972 and after it became European Union (EU) in 1993 Finland and Sweden also joined in 1995. Norway and Iceland are members of
21432-566: Was at the West Maitland Showground, whose first speedway meeting was staged on 15 December 1923. This track had a motorcycle riding entrepreneur as its Secretary and his personal account has him inviting his friends and their associates to do a few laps one Sunday morning, the noise attracted the attention of the Showground committee and approval to race at the "Electric Light Festival" was won. Motorcycle racing under lights
21584-840: Was established after World War II and its first concrete result was the introduction of a Nordic Passport Union in 1952. This resulted in a common labour market and free movement across borders without passports for the countries' citizens. In 1971, the Nordic Council of Ministers, an intergovernmental forum, was established to complement the council. The Nordic Council and the Council of Ministers have their headquarters in Copenhagen and various installations in each separate country, as well as many offices in neighbouring countries. The headquarters are located at Ved Stranden No. 18, close to Slotsholmen. The Nordic Council consists of 87 representatives, elected from its members' parliaments and reflecting
21736-543: Was established in 1982 and has ten teams. At the end of each season the top four teams ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final and the winner of the final are the Elitserien champions. The team finishing bottom of the league are relegated to the National league (Allsvenskan). The Allsvenskan has seven teams and before the introduction of the Elitserien in 1982 was the top flight speedway league in Sweden. As with
21888-429: Was hampered by injury and unlucky draws through many of the Grand Prix races and was often in contention for the title. The 2005 Speedway Grand Prix series, however, saw Rickardsson return, taking his sixth victory to equal the record of Ivan Mauger . The 2006 Grand Prix was again won by Jason Crump who amassed a total of 188 points to lead the field throughout the championship. Rickardsson announced his retirement from
22040-408: Was held at Newcastle Showground in 1926. Ironically it was won by American rider Cec Brown. Visiting English and American racers were common, for they were highly paid showmen, often winning a year's salary in just one night. It was very successful, so Newcastle Showground held the championship again in 1927. Very fitting that Newcastle Showground held the first National Speedway Championship anywhere in
22192-580: Was in his second season in Argentina, at the Huracan Stadium, Buenos Aires in 1930/31, that he ran his first, and the world's first, World Championship competition. Arranged over a season-long series of eliminating Match Races, America's Sprouts Elder was the first Championship winner. In the following European season of the same year Australian Billy Lamont took the “Championnat du Monde” in Paris, followed by fellow countryman Arthur "Bluey" Wilkinson
22344-533: Was run as a series of eliminating match races between local and visiting British, USA and Australian riders. Dirt Track Championnat du Monde An Anglo-French promotion syndicate ran an annual Dirt Track Championnat du Monde for five years from 1931 until 1935. It was held at the Buffalo Velodrome in Paris. The format usually comprised nine riders drawn from Europe and the United Kingdom (3 per race) across 13 heats, semi-finals and finals. Details of
22496-633: Was scrapped when the World Championship resumed after the War in 1949. Wembley and beyond. In 1955, the World final organisers recognised that it was no longer practical for the foreigners to travel to the Championship round races in Britain, and so a system with zonal qualification races was invented. The Nordic countries Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway had their own qualifiers; Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia had
22648-443: Was still used, however, except that the four best riders qualified for a final heat which would determine who won the individual event (and score maximum points). Points were awarded as follows: This system was used until 1998, when FIM invented another system. Instead of 16 riders racing for points and trying to qualify for a final, there would now be 24 riders, divided into two classes. The eight best would be directly qualified for
22800-530: Was still winning Grands Prix, he never threatened the top. The previous, single meeting World Final, was held in the UK or Europe, except in 1982 when it was in the USA. The Speedway Grand Prix series events have to date been staged in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand . It was Sweden, represented by Tony Rickardsson , the 1994 champion, who took over. Rickardsson won four titles from 1998 to 2002, only interrupted by Mark Loram in 2000. Englishman Loram has
22952-549: Was stopped in an emergency situation by removing the plug lead from the spark plug or shutting off the fuel supply. Races (known as heats) consist of four riders racing over four laps from a standing start . Riders wear different coloured helmets, traditionally in team events red and blue denote home team riders, and white (in British speedway, green has previously been used as an alternative to white, apparently for early interactive TV) and yellow/black quartered colours (latterly plain yellow) denote visiting riders. The starting area
23104-653: Was the third meeting held at High Beech on 9 April 1928, where Colin Watson , Alf Medcalf and "Digger" Pugh demonstrated the art for the first time in the UK. Proto speedway was staged in Glasgow at the Olympic Stadium (Glasgow Nelson) on 9 April 1928 and the first fully professional meeting was staged at Celtic Park on 28 April 1928. The first meeting in Wales was staged at Cardiff White City on Boxing Day 1928. In
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