1997 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification

The 1997 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification or GP Challenge was a series of motorcycle speedway meetings used to determine the 8 riders that qualified for the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix[1] to join the other 8 riders that finished in the leading positions from the 1996 Speedway Grand Prix.

1997 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification

The format changed slightly in that four riders would qualify straight from the Intercontinental and Continental finals and four riders would qualify through the GP Challenge.[2][3][4]

Simon Wigg won the GP Challenge.[5]

Format
  • First Round - 5 riders each from Sweden & Denmark, 3 riders each from Finland & Norway to Scandinavian Final
  • First Round - 32 riders from Continental quarter finals to Continental semi-finals
  • First Round - 7 riders from British final to Overseas Final
  • First Round - 5 riders from Australian/New Zealand final to Overseas Final
  • First Round - 4 riders from United States final to Overseas Final
  • Second Round - 8 riders from Scandinavian final to Intercontinental Final
  • Second Round - 8 riders from Overseas final to Intercontinental Final
  • Second Round - 16 riders from Continental semi-finals to Continental Final
  • Third Round - 7 riders from positions 9-15 from the 1995 Grand Prix to GP Challenge
  • Third Round - 2 riders from the Continental Final to 1997 Grand Prix and 4 to GP Challenge
  • Third Round - 2 riders from the Intercontinental Final to 1997 Grand Prix and 5 to GP Challenge
  • Final Round - 4 riders from the GP Challenge to the 1997 Grand Prix

First round

Continental quarter finals

Second round

Overseas Final
Main article: 1996 Overseas Final

3 riders to Intercontinental final+

+ Controversy over tyres at the final saw only 3 riders progress with an extra 5 places awarded in the Scandinavian final.[6][7]

Scandinavian Final

13 riders to Intercontinental final

(9 Jun 1996 Varhaug)
Pos Rider Points
1 Jimmy Nilsen14[8]
2 Brian Andersen12
3 Mikael Karlsson11
4 Arnt Førland10
5 John Jørgensen10
6 Jan Stæchmann10
7 Brian Karger10
8 Stefan Dannö9
9 Niklas Klingberg9
10 Ronni Pedersen7
11 Rune Holta4
12 Vesa Ylinen4
13 Kai Laukkanen4
14 Lars Gunnestad3
15 Jarno Kosonen2
16 Björn Tönnesen1
16 John Pollestad0

Continental semi finals

Continental semi-finals - 16 riders from to Continental final

SF

Pos. Rider Points
1 Sergej Darkin14
2 Simon Wigg13
3 Armando Castagna13
4 Zoltán Adorján11
5 Igor Marko9
6 Philippe Bergé8
7 Zdeněk Schneiderwind7
8 Oleg Kurguskin7
9 Valentino Furlanetto7
10 Václav Milík Sr.6
11 Stefano Alfonso6
12 Piotr Baron5
13 Robbie Kessler4
14 Vladimir Trofimov4
15 Piotr Protasiewicz3
16 Zsolt Benzce3

SF

Pos. Rider Points
1 Roman Jankowski12
2 Jacek Krzyżaniak12
3 Sławomir Drabik12
4 Tomasz Gollob11
5 Tomáš Topinka10
6 Robert Barth9
7 Rinat Mardanshin9
8 Tomasz Bajerski9
9 Gerd Riss8
10 Antonín Kasper Jr.7
11 Nikolaj Kokins5
12 Piotr Świst5
13 Antonín Šváb Jr.5
14 Csaba Hell3
15 Sándor Tihanyi2
16 Mirko Wolter1

Third round

Intercontinental Final
Main article: 1996 Intercontinental Final

2 riders direct to Grand Prix, 5 riders to GP Challenge, Jimmy Nilsen won the event.[9]

Continental Final
  • 2 riders direct to Grand Prix, 4 riders to GP Challenge[10]
  • 28 July 1996 Abensberg
Pos. Rider Points
1 Tomasz Gollob12
2 Sławomir Drabik11
3 Zoltán Adorján11
4 Robert Barth11
5 Rinat Mardanshin11
6 Simon Wigg10
7 Sergej Darkin10
8 Armando Castagna9
9 Tomáš Topinka9
10 Jacek Krzyżaniak6
11 Tomasz Bajerski5
12 Oleg Kurguskin5
13 Zdeněk Schneiderwind3
14 Antonín Kasper Jr.3
15 Roman Jankowski2
16 Philippe Bergé1
17 Igor Marko1
18 Václav Milík Sr.1

Final Round

GP Challenge

4 riders to 1997 Grand Prix

Pos. Rider Points
1 Simon Wigg12
2 Leigh Adams12
3 Mikael Karlsson11
4 Andy Smith11
5 Sam Ermolenko11
6 Jason Crump11
7 Ryan Sullivan9
8 Stefan Dannö9
9 Joe Screen9
10 Brian Karger8
11 Zoltán Adorján6
12 Gerd Riss4
13 Robert Barth4
14 Craig Boyce2
15 Rinat Mardanshin0
16 Tommy Knudsen0
17 Armando Castagna0

References
  1. "Individual Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  2. "Karlsson wins GP berth". Birmingham Daily Post. 7 October 1996. Retrieved 20 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "HISTORICAL LIST OF RESULTS 1995-2013 Speedway Grand Prix - Qualifications". Speedway History. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  4. "Big chance for Wilson to sparkle with Stars". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 5 October 1996. Retrieved 20 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Speedway". Torbay Express and South Devon Echo. 7 October 1996. Retrieved 6 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Speedway World Championship History - 1996". Speedway History. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  7. "Kiwis in the Overseas Final - 1996". Speedway Plus. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  8. "LEGENDS: JIMMY NILSEN". Swindon Speedway. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  9. "Super Swede". Cambridge Daily News. 29 July 1996. Retrieved 20 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "27.07.1996.Speedway Continental final - Abensberg (GER)". You Tube. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.