Vojens Speedway

HELLO AND WELCOME TO A NEW ERA OF SPEEDWAY!

Hello and welcome to a new era for the FIM Speedway of Nations!

At Discovery Sports Events, we fell in love with speedway from our first on-event experience and decided to take the opportunity very seriously when the FIM launched a tender process to award a 10-year promoter contract, starting this season.

With 100 years of heritage and one of the best motorcycle shows on track, we know we have a fantastic opportunity to raise FIM Speedway to the next level while protecting the beauty and integrity of the sport.

We will invest to make speedway even stronger, satisfy our current fan base and bring the sport to a new audience – offering viewers more ways to watch the racing than ever before. These are exciting times for speedway, and we look forward to writing a glorious new chapter for the sport in partnership with the FIM. For the first time in FIM SON history, the entire tournament takes place over four straight nights at one venue, with Vojens Speedway Center making history as the first FIM SON destination of this new era.

It is a great pleasure to bring such a special week of racing to Vojens, and we express our huge thanks to Jacob Olsen and his team for stepping in to host the FIM SON only a few weeks ago after our local organiser in Esbjerg withdrew. Vojens Speedway Center has decades of experience when it comes to staging world-class racing, and we have joined forces to deliver 90 heats of great racing – a fantastic festival of speedway and entertainment. We also look forward to returning here in September for the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens on September 10.

Denmark has a fine history of winning FIM Speedway world titles – both in individual and team events. Hans Nielsen and his team will be determined to add an FIM SON gold medal to this fantastic collection, but they face stiff competition from 14 rival nations – all seeking the same goal.

Discovery Sports Events’ first FIM SON is the next step in an exciting new era as we bring FIM Speedway under a single promotional umbrella from grassroots to Speedway GP level for the first time in its history.

As part of our vision to build a strong international pyramid for the sport’s best young riders, the sport’s top under-21 teams line up in SON2 on Friday night as the FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship is staged during FIM SON week for the first time.

Thanks for being part of the FIM SON and we hope you enjoy an exciting four days in Vojens.

FRANÇOIS RIBEIRO

HEAD OF DISCOVERY SPORTS EVENTS

2022 marks the start of a new era for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship, as the new promoter Discovery Sports Events starts its ten-year period at the helm of the series. This new agreement builds on their existing relationship with the FIM, with the same organisation having been the promoter of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) since 2015. Under its new SGP identity the championship will benefit from the huge event delivery experience that Discovery Sports Events has gained over the last fifteen years and will see many new innovations to increase the fans’ experience.

This year’s SGP campaign is planned to include eleven rounds across two continents, with the aim to bring the discipline to more countries and fans through a more all year-round approach. Each event will feature fifteen permanent riders – representing seven nations – plus one local wildcard. Currently the line-up includes two substitute riders, however the FIM board’s decision on Russian riders’ licences is subject to change at any time and with immediate effect – depending on the evolution of the situation in Ukraine.

This exciting new chapter in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship will take place in eight countries starting in Croatia at the end of April, Poland – four rounds in total, the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden and Australia in November.

On behalf of the FIM I would like to wish our new promoter every success for the coming season and thank them for the passion and professionalism that they will bring to SGP. As with every FIM World Championship it is a huge team effort, and hence I would also like to extend my thanks to our organisers, national federations, officials, volunteers, sponsors, the media, the riders and you the fans. I truly hope it will be an exceptional season of racing.

JORGE VIEGAS FIM PRESIDENT

JACOB OLSEN CEO VOJENS SPEEDWAY CENTER Siden 2018 har Speedway of Nations fungeret som klodens vigtigste speedway stævne fordi det simpelthen handler om at være den bedste nation i verden.

Sammensmeltningen af de tidligere Team World Cup og World Pairs Championship giver rigtig god mening, fordi hele 15 lande kan stille op med stærke kørere, som har klassen til at dyste med om medaljerne.

I år har vi også fået de unge i U21 regi med i samme uge.

Dermed er Speedway of Nations blevet en slags speedwayfestival til stor glæde for de mange fans som er tilstede her på Danmarks Nationale Speedwayarena, og for de millioner af fans som følger med foran deres tv, tablets og mobiltelefoner over hele verden.

Med det første Speedway of Nations i den nye æra, ledet af Discovery Events, har Danmark fået en unik mulighed for at vise, at vi stadig kan arrangerer store speedway events.

Jeg skylder samtidig en stor tak til de mange mennesker som droppede eller afkortede deres ferie, for stable Speedway of Nations på benene – med kun 17 dages varsel.

Med opbakning fra Haderslev Kommune og vores mange samarbejdspartnere, presse og officials, har alle gjort en stor indsats for dansk speedway.

Jeg ønsker alle Speedway fans et fantastisk Speedway of Nations.

Med kærlig speedway hilsen Jacob Olsen Since 2018, Speedway of Nations has served as the world’s most important speedway event, because it is simply about being the best nation in the world.

The fusion of the previous Team World Cup and World Pairs Championship makes good sense, because as many as 15 countries can compete with strong riders, who have the class to compete for the medals.

This year we also got the young riders under the auspices of U21 in the same week.

Speedway of Nations will become a kind of speedway festival to the great joy of the many fans who are present here at Denmark’s National Speedway Arena and for the millions of fans who follow in front of their TV, tablets and mobile phones all over the world.

With the first Speedway of Nations in the new era, led by Discovery Events, Denmark has been given a unique opportunity to show that we can still arrange large speedway events.

At the same time, I owe a big thank you to the many people who dropped or shortened their vacation, for stacking this Speedway of Nations - with only 17 days’ notice.

With support from Haderslev Municipality and our many partners, press and officials, everyone has made a great effort for the Danish speedway.

I wish all Speedway fans a great Speedway of Nations.

With loving speedway greetings Jacob Olsen

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NIELSEN GOING FOR GOLD WITH AN INCREDIBLE 22 WORLD TITLES TO HIS NAME, DANISH TEAM MANAGER HANS NIELSEN IS ONE OF THE SPORT’S ALL-TIME GREATEST RIDERS.

NOW HE IS SEEKING TO ADD TO THAT TALLY AS A TEAM MANAGER. PAUL BURBIDGE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM …

DANISH boss Hans Nielsen has one of the biggest trophy hauls in the sport’s history to his name – and he’s determined to add to it as a team manager at the FIM Speedway of Nations in Vojens this week.

In his time as a rider, Nielsen won four world individual championships, including the first-ever Speedway GP series in 1995.

If that wasn’t enough, he also claimed an astonishing 18 world team titles between 1978 and 1991 – lifting the FIM World Team Cup 11 times and the FIM World Pairs seven times.

When he took over as Danish national team coach in 2016, Nielsen was hoping to add to that roll of honour. Bronze medals in the 2020 and 2021 FIM SON suggest the Danes will be among the frontrunners this week. But Nielsen only has gold in his sights and is hungry for his first gold medal as Danish boss.

“I have been hungry for the last six years!” he smiled.

“We have had our chances over the years, but everything has to click. Just ask the Poles – they have been favourites every time and they still haven’t won the SON. You have to have a night that goes your way and hopefully it is our turn.

“Two bronze medals are fine. We were close last year.

But we have the riders to win. If they can live up to their standards, we have a good chance to win it. It’s tough at the top, but with the home advantage, the crowd behind us and some good time to prepare, we should have the edge.”

The Danes are seeded straight into Saturday’s FIM SON Final as host nation, but they will be up against six countries that have all had some race time on the Vojens track in the Semi-Finals on Wednesday and Thursday.

In the eyes of some, this can be both an advantage and a disadvantage to the home team. But Nielsen

insisted: “For us it’s a good thing. The boys have raced there for years in the league and they know the track very well. I don’t think it will make much difference – not doing the semis.

“Obviously they will be there to watch the Semi-Finals and SON2, so they will know what they track is going to be like and they will know the equipment that fits the track. Only racing the Final is not going to worry me.”

This year’s FIM SON is the first staged under new FIM Speedway global promoter Discovery Sports Events. For the first time in the competition’s history, all four meetings take place at one venue across four consecutive nights.

Nielsen cannot wait to see the sport’s top stars from 15 countries gather at Denmark’s national speedway stadium for what’s set to be a spectacular four days of action.

“It will be a real festival for a week,” Nielsen said. “We have all the focus on Vojens for four days – with the Semi-Finals, SON2 and the Final.

“It’s going to be nice to have a lot of speedway people and fans together for four nights. It will also be good to have the under21s and seniors racing within a day of each other. It’s going to be special.”

As well as chasing FIM SON gold, Nielsen also hopes to win the SON2 world title with his under-21 stars. In previous years, national bosses were required to pick a junior rider as their No.3 for the tournament.

That rule has been dropped for 2022. Instead, the top seven under-21 teams will compete on Friday night in SON2 – the revamped FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship.

Breaking Poland’s grip on this particular competition will be no easy task for Nielsen and his team. The Poles have won the title 14 times in 17 years since the championship was launched in 2005.

“It’s ridiculous!” Nielsen admitted. “They really have had some incredibly good young riders and the whole system they have with young guys getting places in the Ekstraliga gives them experience, which really helps them.”

The Danes have two gold medals to their name – the first won at British track Rye House in 2010 and the second at Czech venue Pardubice in 2013.

While Nielsen knows his country has some catching up to do to match Poland, he admits the Poles’ youth development system, which has seen the country launch an Ekstraliga Under-24 league for 2022, is helping his own stars.

He said: “It’s good for the international riders that they have launched the Ekstraliga Under-24 league. We have a lot of riders in that this year and I think that has helped them a lot.

“Hopefully it can bring them a little closer to Poland and we have a chance to compete with the Poles this year.”

OFFICIAL SQUADS A GALAXY OF STARS MADE THE SQUAD LISTS FOR THIS YEAR’S FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS. PAUL BURBIDGE IS YOUR GUIDE TO THE RIDERS COMPETING TO WIN A PLACE IN THEIR COUNTRY’S FINAL THREE FOR VOJENS …

DENMARK

SQUAD: LEON MADSEN, MIKKEL MICHELSEN, ANDERS THOMSEN, RASMUS JENSEN, FREDERIK JAKOBSEN. TEAM MANAGER: HANS NIELSEN The hosts go for both youth and experience ahead of their first home FIM Speedway of Nations.

Leon Madsen holds second place in the FIM Speedway GP World Championship, while Vojens rider Anders Thomsen celebrated his first-ever SGP win on an epic night in Gorzow on June 25.

Mikkel Michelsen started the season with two Speedway GP finals in Croatia and Warsaw to underline his potential on the world stage. He made his FIM SON debut alongside Madsen last season.

Boss Hans Nielsen also calls up new national champion Rasmus Jensen, who is in red-hot form this season, while the highlypromising Frederik Jakobsen is also drafted in, having served as Denmark’s under-21 rider in 2018 and 2019.

GREAT BRITAIN

SQUAD: TAI WOFFINDEN, ROBERT LAMBERT, DAN BEWLEY, ADAM ELLIS, TOM BRENNAN. TEAM MANAGERS: OLIVER ALLEN AND SIMON STEAD THE REIGNING FIM Speedway of Nations world champions bring back all four of the riders who helped Great Britain land its first world team title in 32 years last season.

Triple world champion Tai Woffinden is joined by Grand Final heroes Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley. With all three riders flying high in this season’s Speedway GP series, the Brits will be among the favourites for gold again.

Last year’s under-21 star Tom Brennan retains his place in the squad as a senior rider and could also be part of GB’s SON2 side on Friday.

They are joined in the squad by reigning British champion Adam Ellis, who will be determined to push his case for a starting spot.

SGPSQUADS POLAND

SQUAD: BARTOSZ ZMARZLIK, MACIEJ JANOWSKI, PATRYK DUDEK, JANUSZ KOLODZIEJ, DOMINIK KUBERA. TEAM MANAGER: RAFAL DOBRUCKI AFTER three straight silver medals, the Poles head to Vojens determined to end their wait for FIM Speedway of Nations gold.

Double world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik leads the FIM Speedway GP World Championship, while Maciej Janowski and Patryk Dudek are all enjoying fine SGP seasons. Having all experienced SON Grand Final heartbreak, they will be ready to make 2022 their year.

Four-time Polish champion Janusz Kolodziej returns to the stadium where he helped Poland to FIM Speedway World Cup gold in 2010, while fast rising star Dominik Kubera is also fighting for his place in the side.

AUSTRALIA

SQUAD: JASON DOYLE, MAX FRICKE, CHRIS HOLDER, JACK HOLDER, BRADY KURTZ. TEAM MANAGER: MARK LEMON AUSTRALIA is the only nation with two Speedway GP world champions in its squad as Jason Doyle and Chris Holder are both named by team manager Mark Lemon.

Doyle has cemented his spot as Australia’s inspirational skipper, while in-form Holder is one of the best team riders in the sport’s history – a reputation he gained alongside legendary former partner Darcy Ward.

Max Fricke bids to continue his impressive record of having appeared in all of Australia’s FIM SON events up to this season.

But he will have to fight off competition from Speedway GP newcomer Jack Holder and former Aussie champion Brady Kurtz, who are both battling to make their FIM SON debuts in Vojens.

OFFICIAL SQUADS FRANCE

SQUAD: DAVID BELLEGO, DIMITRI BERGE, MATHIEU TRESSARIEU. TEAM MANAGER: LAURENT SAMBARREY

After reaching their first-ever world team championship final at the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations, the French side bids to make it two in a row at Vojens.

David Bellego proved a stellar leader, scoring 34 points over two days at the Final in Manchester. His heroics earned him a job with Polish giants Leszno as he makes big strides on the shale.

The French squad also boasts two former FIM World Long Track champions in Dimitri Berge and Mathieu Tressarieu.

Like Bellego, Berge is also making rapid progress in the speedway world as France establishes itself as a force on the world stage.

LATVIA

SQUAD: ANDZEJS LEBEDEVS, JEVGENIJS KOSTIGOVS, OLEGS MIHAILOVS, FRANCIS GUSTS, DANIILS KOLODINSKIS. TEAM MANAGER: VLADIMIRS RIBNIKOVS. LATVIA also broke new ground in the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations after storming into their first world team championship final.

Their second place at Semi-Final 2 in Daugavpils prompted wild celebrations in the country’s speedway capital, and now a rapidlydeveloping team heads to Vojens determined to build on this.

Former European champion Andzejs Lebedevs, Olegs Mihailovs and SGP2 rider Francis Gusts were the heroes in 2021. But Jevgenijs Kostigovs and Daniils Kolodinskis will be fighting for their places in the side.

Gusts, in particular, is rapidly emerging as Latvia’s star of the future. He finished second at the first-ever SGP2 round in Prague on May 27.

SGPSQUADS SWEDEN

SQUAD: FREDRIK LINDGREN, OLIVER BERNTZON, JACOB THORSSELL, PONTUS ASPGREN, KIM NILSSON. TEAM MANAGER: MORGAN ANDERSSON AN EARLY crash in the opening heats of the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations Final for Jacob Thorssell and Pontus Aspgren left Sweden with only promising youngster Philip Hellstrom-Bangs flying their flag.

Team manager Morgan Andersson will be hoping for better luck this year, having named national speedway hero and world No.5 Fredrik Lindgren in his squad.

Thorssell and Aspgren will both be keen to show what they can do after their Manchester nightmare. But they face stiff competition for their places from new Swedish champion Oliver Berntzon and the in-form Kim Nilsson as Andersson selects his trio for Vojens.

USA

SQUAD: LUKE BECKER, BROC NICOL, RICKY WELLS, DILLON RUML, MAX RUML. TEAM MANAGER: STEVE EVANS NEW TEAM manager Steve Evans brings a young American team to Denmark, bidding to reach their first-ever FIM Speedway of Nations Final after suffering Final-Qualifier heartbreak in previous years.

Luke Becker has emerged as the nation’s No.1 following the retirement of four-time world champion Greg Hancock and is so often a reliable performer for his country in the FIM SON. Broc Nicol, Ricky Wells and Dillon Ruml all race regularly in the UK and will be hoping to make their mark for their country, while Max Ruml is based in the United States and fighting for the chance to make a rare European appearance.

OFFICIAL SQUADS GERMANY

SQUAD: KAI HUCKENBECK, ERIK RISS, NORICK BLODORN, MICHAEL HARTEL, VALENTIN GROBAUER. TEAM MANAGER: HERBERT RUDOLPH GERMANY reached the 2018 and 2019 FIM Speedway of Nations Finals and will be ready to make it No.3 as they cross the border into southern Denmark.

Kai Huckenbeck is no stranger to Vojens, racing the iconic track in the Danish Speedwayligaen this season. Having piled up 22 points in last season’s Semi-Final 2, he will be keen to continue those heroics.

Erik Riss is a former FIM World Long Track champion and partnered Huckenbeck when Germany finished sixth in 2019.

Norick Blodorn, Michael Hartel and Valentin Grobauer are among the country’s rising stars.

SLOVAKIA

SQUAD: MARTIN VACULIK, JAKUB VALKOVIC, PATRIK BURI. TEAM MANAGER: JAKUB ZLIECHOVEC.

IT IS an historic week for Slovakia as the country makes its FIM Speedway of Nations debut in Vojens, and they are by no means here to make up the numbers.

National icon Martin Vaculik famously won on his Speedway GP debut at Gorzow in 2012 to put this tiny speedway nation on the map. His victory at the Prague FIM Czech Republic Speedway GP in May saw him become a four-time SGP winner.

But after flying the flag solo for so long, he will be determined to help young team mates Jakub Valkovic and Patrik Buri impress as Slovakia competes in the biggest team event in the nation’s history.

SGPSQUADS UKRAINE

SQUAD: OLEKSANDR LOKTAEV, ANDRIY KARPOV, MARKO LEVISHYN, VITALII LYSAK, STANISLAV MELNYCHUK. TEAM MANAGER: TBC THE FACT Ukraine lines up in Vojens is a monumental achievement in itself as the country battles for its freedom.

The nation’s speedway riders have been impacted by the war, which forced them to stay in their homeland in case they are required to serve in the Ukrainian armed forces, with only youngster Marko Levishyn able to continue his Polish career.

Former Speedway GP first reserve Oleksandr Loktaev and Andriy Karpov were previously regulars in Denmark’s Speedwayligaen, while Orlen FIM Warsaw Speedway GP reserve Vitalii Lysak and Stanislav Melnychuk compete for places in the starting line-up.

CZECH REPUBLIC

SQUAD: VACLAV MILIK, JAN KVECH, PETR CHLUPAC, DANIEL KLIMA, EDUARD KRCMAR. TEAM MANAGER: ZDENEK SCHNEIDERWIND. THE CZECHS head to Vojens with a young but talented team, featuring three SGP2 riders in Jan Kvech, Petr Chlupac and Daniel Klima – all of whom could feature in SON2 on Friday.

The future is looking very bright for this proud speedway nation, and Vaclav Milik remains their leading light on the world stage.

He raced in the 2020 FIM Speedway of Nations Final alongside Eduard Krcmar and the pair will be battling their young compatriots for the right to lead the charge again in Vojens.

OFFICIAL SQUADS FINLAND

SQUAD: TIMO LAHTI, TIMI SALONEN, JESSE MUSTONEN, ANTTI VUOLAS, NIKLAS SAYRIO. TEAM MANAGER: PETER JANSSON. THE FINNISH challenge is led by national No.1 Timo Lahti once again, but a future star is fast emerging.

Timi Salonen has made a big impression with Gorzow in the Polish Ekstraliga Under-24 league and has established himself as Finland’s next big talent.

He will be hoping to bring that on to the FIM Speedway of Nations stage in Vojens while Jesse Mustonen, Antti Vuolas and Niklas Sayrio also compete for places in the side.

SLOVENIA

SQUAD: MATIC IVACIC, NICK SKORJA, ANZE GRMEK. TEAM MANAGER: GREGOR ARNSEK.

Slovenia boss Gregor Arnsek keeps faith with the same three riders who flew the flag in the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations Semi-Final as Matic Ivacic, Nick Skorja and Anze Grmek all return.

Ivacic is a back-to-back Slovenian Championship winner, having lifted the title in 2020 and 2021 following former Speedway GP rider Matej Zagar’s astonishing 18-year reign as national champion.

Skorja is a former FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship finalist and served as a track reserve at the Tehnix FIM Croatian Speedway GP in April. Grmek is a 17-year-old and Slovenia’s brightest rising star.

SGPSQUADS ITALY

SQUAD: NICOLAS COVATTI, PACO CASTAGNA, DANIELE TESSARI. TEAM MANAGER: ALESSANDRO DALLA VALLE.

THE ITALIAN challenge is led by former FIM GP Challenge finalist Nicolas Covatti and Paco Castagna – son of Italian racing great Armando Castagna.

Covatti was a regular in the British leagues, and Paco currently competes for Scottish side Edinburgh in the SGB Championship – meaning he has the busiest schedule of the Italians coming into the FIM Speedway of Nations.

Daniele Tessari is no stranger to the world stage, having previously featured in FIM Italian Speedway GPs. He would make his FIM SON debut if called into action this week.

OFFICIALS FIM & FMNR OFFICIALS www.fim-moto.com – www.dmusport.dk:

SPEED1WAY ORGANIZER www.vojensspeedwaycenter.dk:

FIM Jury President – Darija Pavlic HMS FIM Representative - Håkan Leeman FIM FIM Referee – Aleksandr Latosinski FMU FIM Race Director SON - Phil Morris FIM FIM Race Director SON2 – René Schäfer FIM FMNR Delegate - Svend Jacobsen DMU FIM SGP Secretary - Mike Posselwhite FIM FIM Medical Officer - Srecko Margetic FIM Clerk of the Course – Kim Lagoni DMU Assist. Clerk of the Course – Svend Carstensen DMU Technical Stewart - Jens Pedersen DMU Machine Examiner – Per Wiekhorst DMU Chief Pits Marshal – Cristian Andersen DMU Environmental Steward - Pia Dall Petersen DMU

CEO - Jacob Olsen Company Manager - Helge Frimodt Pedersen Stadion operator – Jens Forum Stadion operator assistant - Michael Christensen Press officer - Ib Søby Administration – Christina Thomas Lassen Administration – Maiken Friis Krüger Web - Mathias Ravn-Nielsen Start master – Teddy Holm Speaker - Nicolai Juhl Pit reporter - Jens Nim Jensen Security - Mick Damsgaard

2021 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS – LIONS ROAR TO VICTORY WHEN Great Britain lost Tai Woffinden to injury on day one of the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations Final in Manchester, some may have feared their home championship was going to end without a medal.

But Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley and Tom Brennan proved the Great Britain Speedway Team’s future is looking bright as they joined forces in the triple world champion’s absence to make history.

It had been 32 years since the Lions won the 1989 World Team Cup at Bradford – their last world team title. And it looked like that wait could continue as Poland dominated the FIM SON Final over two days, topping the scorechart on 74 points – 38 of those scored by double world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik and 31 by Maciej Janowski.

This earned the Poles automatic qualification for the Grand Final, leaving Denmark and GB to fight it out in the Grand Final Qualifier. The Danes raced to 68 points over 42 races, with Leon Madsen matching Zmarzlik’s haul of 38 points. GB took third place on 64 – with 32 of those points scored by Lambert.

But it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish in the FIM SON. Lambert got the home fans dreaming when he triumphed over Madsen in the Grand Final Qualifier, with Bewley taking the all-important third place ahead of Mikkel Michelsen for a 6-3 heat advantage.

This set up a Grand Final showdown with Poland – Zmarzlik and Janowski versus Lambert and Bewley with the FIM SON world title on the line. When Zmarzlik made a sensational start and hit the front, Poland’s first FIM SON looked inevitable as Janowski flew around the outside on turns three and four in a bid to join him.

But Magic ran out of room as Zmarzlik drifted wide, running into trouble before hitting the deck. This guaranteed gold for GB, but Lambert was unaware of his rival’s crash and he made a relentless charge to try and overhaul Zmarzlik. He didn’t quite get there, but second and third was enough for Lambert and Bewley as they beat the Poles 5-4 to take their place in British speedway legend.

Speaking after the victory, Lambert dedicated the win to injured team mate Woffinden, who watched the action from home, but still offered his pearls of wisdom to the team via text.

The former European champion said: “We did it for Woffy and gave him everything we could.

Tai was texting our mechanics throughout the meeting and telling us things he could see from his perspective. It was good.

“We had a hard weekend with Tai getting injured. But obviously we had a strong guy to come into the team in Dan. “I was born in 1998. It’s the first time in my lifetime that I have seen Great Britain as world champions, apart from Woffy being a world champion as an individual. It’s a great feeling and I am going to treasure this gold medal for as long as I live.

“We did it with such a young team as well. Me and Dan went out and did the business in the last race at such a high level against the two best Poles in the world. It’s such a great feeling for us and also Team GB. I am very, very proud of everyone involved.”

It wasn’t just the Brits who had reason to celebrate during 2021. Both France and Latvia also broke new ground in reaching the first world team championship finals in their history.

Latvia took second place behind Australia at FIM SON Semi-Final 2 on home shale in Daugavpils to guarantee their place in the Final, with France winning the Final Qualifier against 2018 and 2019 finalist Germany that night to complete the Manchester line-up.

France roared to fifth place at the National Speedway Stadium, inspired by a huge 34-point haul from rising international star David Bellego. Meanwhile, Latvia took sixth spot, led by a 32-point tally from former European champion Andzejs Lebedevs.

It was a tough FIM SON Final for Sweden, who went into the event without national hero Freddie Lindgren. Things got even tougher when Pontus Aspgren and Jacob Thorssell both crashed out in their second race – leaving under-21 star Philip Hellstrom-Bangs to fly the Swedish flag alone.

And he did it in style with some incredible racing, scoring 24 points as he captured the hearts of the Manchester crowd with his brilliant battling style. After epic races with Woffinden and Doyle, the highlight of his weekend was a spectacular pass on Janowski, with the Wroclaw racer having to work overtime to regain the lead from this Swedish shooting star.

But it was Great Britain’s year. They head to Vojens seeking back-to-back titles. But with 14 other nations battling for the gold medals, it’s set to be an epic four nights of racing.

FACTS Track Record – Vojens Speedway Center – 56,53 – Mataj Zagar, Slovenia.

Heat 5 – FIM Speedway Grand Pris sponsored by ECCO the 7th of September 2019.

THE BIKES Unlike in other motorcycle sports, speedway bikes have NO BRAKES – riders make

Speedway bikes have 500cc engines and run on pure methanol – a clean-burning fuel which delivers breathtaking performance.

Bikes accelerate off the start line faster than a Formula 1 car!

Rear tyres could be used for as few as one or two races as teams seek that fresh edge to ensure ultimate grip off the start line. Some riders opt to use a new tyre for every heat – others use a rear tyre for two races, turning it after its first race to get a fresh edge.

Riders can bring as many bikes as they wish to a Speedway GP round – two are placed in the pits, with any others held in a standby area near the pits. Riders usually bring three bikes.

Every bike has one fixed gear, with teams able to change these sprockets between races in their search for speed.

Riders and their teams can make other adjustments to the bike including changing the ignition timing, switching the carburettor jet and moving the rear wheel back or forward in a bid to increase or reduce traction to suit track conditions.

Engine tuners also play a key role in boosting speed – servicing motors and ensuring they are fitted with parts that deliver high performance and can endure the extreme pressures they face in a speedway race.

Motors are also fitted with rev limiters to protect the engines and increase their service life.

DID YOU KNOW ?

their turns by power sliding through the corners.

FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS SEMI-FINAL 1 TEAM

Rider No

RIDER

1

2

3

4

Total

5

6

7

8

Total

1 2

GERMANY

3 TOTALS 1 2

POLAND

3 TOTALS 1 2

USA

3 TOTALS 1 2

LATVIA

3 TOTALS 1 2

FINLAND

3 TOTALS 1 2

AUSTRALIA

3 TOTALS 1 2

UKRAINE

3 TOTALS

SEMI FINAL 1 RACE CARD

9

Referee: Aleksandr Lyatosinskyy (Ukraine) 10

11

12

Total

13

14

15

16

Total

17

18

19

FINAL QUALIFIER

20

21

Total DNF / 1sts 2nds 3rds 4ths Points Exc

Bonus Points

PTS

Please note: Riders in red and blue can start from either gate 1 or gate 3. Riders in white and yellow can start from either gate 2 or gate 4.

STANDINGS

FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS SEMI-FINAL 2 TEAM

Rider No

RIDER

1

2

3

4

Total

5

6

7

8

Total

1 2

CZECH REPUBLIC

3 TOTALS 1 2

GREAT BRITAIN

3 TOTALS 1 2

FRANCE

3 TOTALS 1 2

SWEDEN

3 TOTALS 1 2

ITALY

3 TOTALS 1 2

SLOVAKIA

3 TOTALS 1 2

SLOVENIA

3 TOTALS

SEMI FINAL 2 RACE CARD

9

Referee: Aleksandr Lyatosinskyy (Ukraine) 10

11

12

Total

13

14

15

16

Total

17

18

19

FINAL QUALIFIER

20

21

Total DNF / 1sts 2nds 3rds 4ths Points Exc

Bonus Points

PTS

Please note: Riders in red and blue can start from either gate 1 or gate 3. Riders in white and yellow can start from either gate 2 or gate 4.

STANDINGS

2022 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS - SON2 TEAM

Rider No

RIDER

1

2

3

4

Total

5

6

7

8

Total

9

1 2

AUSTRALIA

3 TOTALS 1 2

LATVIA

3 TOTALS 1 2

POLAND

3 TOTALS 1 2

GREAT BRITAIN

3 TOTALS 1 2

DENMARK

3 TOTALS 1 2

CZECH REPUBLIC

3 TOTALS 1 2

SWEDEN

3 TOTALS

SON 2 RACE CARD

Please note: Riders i either gate 1 or gate can start from

10

11

12

Total

13

in red and blue can start from 3. Riders in white and yellow m either gate 2 or gate 4.

14

15

16

Total

17

18

19

GRAND FINAL QUALIFIER

20

21

Total DNF / 1sts 2nds 3rds 4ths Points Exc

Bonus Points

PTS

GRAND FINAL

PTS

STANDINGS

2022 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS - FINAL TEAM

Rider No

RIDER

1

2

3

4

Total

5

6

7

8

Total

9

1 2

AUSTRALIA

3 TOTALS 1 2

LATVIA

3 TOTALS 1 2

POLAND

3 TOTALS 1 2 3 TOTALS 1 2 3 TOTALS 1 2 3 TOTALS 1 2 3 TOTALS

FINAL RACE CARD

Please note: Riders i either gate 1 or gate can start from

10

11

12

Total

13

in red and blue can start from 3. Riders in white and yellow m either gate 2 or gate 4.

14

15

16

Total

17

18

19

GRAND FINAL QUALIFIER

20

21

Total DNF / 1sts 2nds 3rds 4ths Points Exc

Bonus Points

PTS

GRAND FINAL

PTS

STANDINGS

FIM SON FORMAT - THE BASICS. AHEAD OF A NEW ERA OF FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS ACTION, HERE IS YOUR GUIDE TO HOW FOUR EPIC NIGHTS OF RACING IN VOJENS WILL WORK AS THE SPORT’S TOP COUNTRIES BATTLE IT OUT TO BE CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS.

THE SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE FIM SON WAS LAUNCHED IN 2018, THE ENTIRE COMPETITION TAKES PLACE ACROSS FOUR STRAIGHT NIGHTS OF RACING AT ONE VENUE. VOJENS SPEEDWAY CENTER – DENMARK’S NATIONAL SPEEDWAY STADIUM, – STAGES ITS FIRST-EVER FIM SON AS 15 COUNTRIES COMPETE FOR THE WORLD TITLE. FIM SON SEMI-FINAL 1 OPENS THE EVENT ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, WITH SEMI-FINAL 2 ON THURSDAY, JULY 28.

THE SPORT’S UNDER-21 STARS TAKE CENTRE STAGE ON FRIDAY, JULY 29 AS VOJENS HOSTS SON2 – THE REVAMPED FIM TEAM SPEEDWAY UNDER-21 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. THE WEEK THEN CONCLUDES WITH THE FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS FINAL ON SATURDAY, JULY 30, WHICH WILL SEE THE WINNERS CROWNED WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONS FOR 2022.

FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS

HOW IT WORKS

WHO FACES WHO? SEVEN TEAMS BATTLE IT OUT IN EACH FIM SON SEMI-FINAL. SEMI-FINAL 1 SEES POLAND TAKE ON AUSTRALIA, LATVIA, GERMANY, USA, FINLAND AND UKRAINE. REIGNING CHAMPIONS GREAT BRITAIN THEN LAUNCH THEIR TITLE DEFENCE IN SEMI-FINAL 2 AGAINST SWEDEN, FRANCE, CZECH REPUBLIC, SLOVENIA, ITALY AND TOURNAMENT NEWCOMERS SLOVAKIA. THE TOP THREE COUNTRIES IN EACH SEMI-FINAL PROGRESS TO THE FIM SON FINAL, WHERE THEY ARE JOINED BY HOSTS DENMARK. SON2 FEATURES THE DANES AND 14-TIME FIM TEAM SPEEDWAY UNDER-21 WORLD CHAMPIONS POLAND, PLUS GREAT BRITAIN, AUSTRALIA, LATVIA, SWEDEN AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC.

THE TEAMS Each nation selects a squad of five riders three weeks before the tournament starts.

They then narrow their team down to a three-rider starting line-up six days before their SemiFinal – two starters at No.1 and No.2 and one reserve at No.3.

In a change for 2022, every team manager can now select THREE senior stars to compete in each FIM SON event – they are no longer required to select an under-21 rider at No.3 or track their reserve in at least one race.

But the No.3 rider can take part in any of the team’s races, with team managers free to rotate their riders and decide who they think will bring home the points for their country.

While under-21 riders are no longer guaranteed to race in the senior FIM SON, they get their chance to shine in SON2, which sees three riders represent each nation.

Riders must wear team race suits in their national colours, with their team manager and mechanics also wearing the country’s colours – creating a national identity.

RACE FORMAT On each night, all seven countries meet each other over 21 heats.

In a change from the FIM Speedway Grand Prix scoring system of 3-2-1-0, a 4-3-2-0 format is used in the FIM SON. There will be four points on offer to a race winner, three for second, two for third and zero points for finishing last, failing to finish or being disqualified.

British fans will recognise the format from the SGB Championship Best Pairs event.

The scoring system is designed to reward team riding. It also ensures no race will end in a draw.

Last year’s FIM SON Grand Final saw Poland’s Bartosz Zmarzlik win the heat. But with Great Britain duo Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley taking second and third place, the Lions were crowned world champions with a 5-4 heat advantage.

Avoiding last places is crucial to success in the FIM SON. Stay out of fourth spot, and your team will always score a heat advantage.

For each race, teams will be allocated either gates one and three (wearing the red and blue helmets) or two and four (white and yellow helmets). Team mates are able to swap gates with each other up until the start of a race, deciding which gate may work best for which rider.

Rider No.1 wears red or white with rider No.2 in blue or yellow – unless they are replaced by reserve rider No.3.

SEMI-FINALS: MAKING THE FINAL The two countries with the most points at the end of 21 heats in each Semi-Final will qualify automatically for the FIM SON Final.

The third and fourth-placed teams at the end of each Semi-Final then battle it out in the Final Qualifier, with the team scoring a heat advantage also making it into the FIM SON Final.

FIM SON FINAL AND SON2 In a change for 2022, the FIM SON Final will now be contested over just one day.

The highest scoring nation after 21 heats qualifies automatically for the Grand Final.

The second and third-placed countries on the scorechart contest the Grand Final Qualifier.

The winner of this joins the top-scoring team in the Grand Final, with the winners being crowned FIM SON world champions.

SON2 follows the same format.

TIEBREAKERS If two countries are tied on points after 21 heats, the nation that scored a heat advantage in their head-to-head race is placed higher.

In the event three or more teams finish level on points, the countries are awarded a bonus point for each heat where they finished first and second or second and third. The team with the most bonus points is placed higher.

Should that fail to resolve the tie, the countback system is used, with the team that achieved the most race wins placed highest.

If they are still level, seconds, thirds and then fourth places are taken into account, with finishing fourth considered better than being disqualified or failing to finish.

In the very unlikely event the teams are still deadlocked, the country with the highest FIM ranking will be placed highest.

STATISTIK

SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS

THE TEAM WORLD CUP WINNERS Great Britain listed as England 1960 Gothenburg Sweden, England, Czech Republic 1961 Wroclaw Poland, Sweden, England 1962 Slany Sweden, England, Poland 1963 Wienna Sweden, Czech Republic, England 1964 Abensberg Sweden, Soviet Union, England 1965 Kempten Poland, Sweden, England 1966 Wroclaw Poland, Soviet Union, Sweden 1967 Malmö Sweden, Poland, England 1968 London England, Sweden, Poland 1969 Rybnik Poland, England, Soviet Union 1970 London Sweden, England, Poland 1971 Wroclaw England, Soviet Union, Poland 1972 Olching England, Soviet Union, Poland 1973 London England, Sweden, Soviet Union 1974 Katowice England, Sweden, Poland 1975 Norden England, Soviet Union, Sweden 1976 London Australia, Poland, Sweden 1977 Wroclaw England, Poland, Czech Republic 1978 Landshut Denmark, England, Poland 1979 London New Zealand, Denmark, Czech Republic 1980 Wroclaw England, USA, Poland 1981 Olching Denmark, England, Germany 1982 London USA, Denmark, Germany 1983 Vojens Denmark, England, USA 1984 Leszno Denmark, England, USA 1985 Long Beach Denmark, USA, England 1986 Three Nations Denmark, USA, England 1987 Three Nations Denmark, England, USA 1988 Los Angeles Denmark, USA, Sweden

1989 Bradford England, Denmark, Sweden 1990 Pardubice USA, England, Denmark 1991 Vojens Denmark, Sweden, USA 1992 Kumla USA, Sweden, England 1993 Coventry USA, Denmark, Sweden 1994 Brockstedt Sweden, Poland, Denmark 1995 Bydgoszcz Denmark, England, USA 1996 Diedenbergen Poland, Russia, Denmark 1997 Pila Denmark, Poland, Sweden 1998 Vojens USA, Sweden, Denmark 1999 Pardubice Australia, Czech Republic, USA 2000 Coventry Sweden, England, USA 2001 Wroclaw Australia, Poland, Sweden 2002 Peterborough Australia, Denmark, Sweden 2003 Vojens Sweden, Australia, Denmark 2004 Poole Sweden, England, Denmark 2005 Wroclaw Poland, Sweden, Denmark 2006 Reading Denmark, Sweden, England 2007 Leszno Poland, Denmark, Australia 2008 Vojens Denmark, Poland, Sweden 2009 Leszno Poland, Denmark, Sweden 2010 Vojens Poland, Denmark, Sweden 2011 Gorzow Poland, Australia, Sweden 2012 Malilla Denmark, Australia, Russia 2013 Prague Poland, Denmark, Australia 2014 Bydgoszcz Denmark, Poland, Australia 2015 Vojens Sweden, Denmark, Poland 2016 Manchester Poland, England, Sweden 2017 Poland, Sweden, Russia

2018 Wroclaw Russia, England, Poland 2019 Togliatti Russia, Poland, Australia 2020 Lublin Russia, Poland, Denmark 2021 Manchester England, Poland, Denmark 2022 Vojens PAIRS CHAMPIONS 1968 Kempten Sweden, England, Norway 1969 Stockholm New Zealand, Sweden, England 1970 Malmö New Zealand, Sweden, England 1971 Rybnik Poland, New Zealand, Sweden 1972 Boras England, New Zealand, Sweden 1973 Boras Sweden, Denmark, Poland 1974 Manchester Sweden, Australia, New Zealand 1975 Wroclaw Sweden, Poland, Denmark 1976 Eskilstuna England, Denmark, Sweden 1977 Manchester England, Sweden, Germany 1978 Katowice England, New Zealand, Denmark 1979 Vojens Denmark, England, Poland 1980 Krsko England, Poland, Denmark 1981 Katowice USA, New Zealand, Poland 1982 Liverpool, Australia USA, England, Denmark 1983 Gothenburg England, Australia, Denmark 1984 Lonigo England, Denmark, New Zealand 1985 Rybnik Denmark, England, USA 1986 Pocking Denmark, USA, Czech Republic 1987 Pardubice Denmark, England, USA 1988 Bradford Denmark, England, USA 1989 Leszno Denmark, Sweden, England 1990 Lundshut Denmark, Australia, Hungary 1991 Poznan Denmark, Sweden, Norway 1992 Lonigo USA, England, Sweden 1993 Vojens Sweden, USA, Denmark

FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS QUIZ 1. WHICH COUNTRY WON THE 2021 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS? A – POLAND, B – DENMARK, C – GREAT BRITAIN

2. IN WHICH YEAR WAS THE FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS FIRST STAGED? A – 2018, B – 2019, C – 2020

3. WHICH RIDER HAS REPRESENTED AUSTRALIA IN ALL OF THEIR FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS EVENTS PRIOR TO 2022?

A – JASON DOYLE, B – MAX FRICKE, C – CHRIS HOLDER

4. IN WHICH YEAR DID DENMARK LAST WIN THE FIM SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP? A – 2013, B – 2014, C – 2015

5. IN WHICH POLISH CITY DID THAT DENMARK WIN THEIR LAST FIM SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP? A – WROCLAW, B – LESZNO, C – BYDGOSZCZ

6. WHICH SWEDISH RIDER REPRESENTED HIS COUNTRY ALONE ON DAY TWO OF THE 2021 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS FINAL?

A – PHILIP HELLSTROM-BANGS, B – PONTUS ASPGREN, C – JACOB THORSSELL

7. FRANCE AND WHICH OTHER COUNTRY REACHED A FIRST FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS FINAL IN 2021?

A – SLOVENIA, B – USA, C – LATVIA

8. WHICH COUNTRY HAS TIMO LAHTI REPRESENTED IN THE FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS? A – SWEDEN, B – FINLAND, C – DENMARK

9. HOW MANY FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS FINALS HAVE GERMANY RACED IN? A – NONE, B – ONE, C – TWO

10. WHICH OF THESE DANISH FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS STARS HAS NOT WON THE SPEEDWAY EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP?

A – LEON MADSEN, B – MIKKEL MICHELSEN, C – ANDERS THOMSEN

ANSWERS : 1. C – GREAT BRITAIN, 2. A – 2018, 3. B – MAX FRICKE, 4. B – 2014, 5. C – BYDGOSZCZ, 6. A – PHILIP HELLSTROM-BANGS, 7. C – LATVIA, 8. B – FINLAND, 9. C – TWO, 10. C – ANDERS THOMSEN.

FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS

AUTOGRAPH POSTER

TEAM GERMANY

TEAM POLAND

TEAM USA

TEAM LATVIA

TEAM FINLAND

TEAM AUSTRALIA

TEAM UKRAINE

TEAM DENMARK

TEAM FRANCE

TEAM GREAT BRITAIN

TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC

TEAM SWEDEN

TEAM ITALY

TEAM SLOVAKIA

TEAM SLOVENIA

27-30 JULY 2022 / ESBERG - DENMARK

AUTOGRAPH POSTER

TEAM AUSTRALIA

TEAM LATVIA

TEAM POLAND

TEAM GREAT BRITAIN

TEAM SWEDEN

TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC

TEAM DENMARK

27-30 JULY 2022 / ESBERG - DENMARK

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