Speedway in Poland

Speedway is one of the most popular sports in Poland. The Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The first meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s.[1]

Match Apator Toruń - Polonia Piła

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

National team
Main article: Poland speedway team

Poland has produced three Individual World Champion - Jerzy Szczakiel who won in 1973, Tomasz Gollob who won in the 2010 Individual Speedway World Championships and Bartosz Zmarzlik who won in 2019 and 2020. He is the only polish double world champion. Polish junior riders are among the best in the world. The Polish National U-21 team won the Under 21 World Championship since 2005 in every years (lately in 2007). Besides, since 2000 Polish juniors won medals of Individual U-21 World Championship. Polish riders have been World Champions seven times at Under 21 level (lately Karol Ząbik at the 2006 ISJWC).

Championships

There are three types of speedway championships in Poland: individual (Indywidualne Mistrzostwa Polski, IMP), pairs (Mistrzostwa Polski Par Klubowych, MPPK), and team, consisting of three leagues (Drużynowe Mistrzostwa Polski, DMP). The Junior U-21 championships also consist of three categories: individual (Młodzieżowe Indywidualne Mistrzostwa Polski, MIMP), pairs (Młodzieżowe Mistrzostwa Polski Par Klubowych, MMPPK), and team (Młodzieżowe Drużynowe Mistrzostwa Polski, MDMP).

Poland (Polish Motor Union, PZM)
Individual Pair Team
Seniors IMP (since 1932/1949) MPPK (since 1974) DMP (since 1948)
Juniors U-21 MIMP (od 1967) MMPPK (since 1983) MDMP (since 1978)

Teams (league competition)
Current Polish champion, Tomasz Gollob.

There are three speedway leagues in Poland:

  1. Speedway Extraleague (Ekstraliga żużlowa)
  2. First League (Pierwsza Liga)
  3. Second League (Druga Liga). Since 2004 the Second League has included clubs from other countries, such as:
  • Latvia: Lokomotiv Daugavpils (since 2005, formerly as Speedway Daugavpils)
  • Hungary: Speedway Miskolc (since 2006)
  • Czech Republic: Olymp Prague (2007, or Marketa Prague)
  • Ukraine: SKA Speedway Lviv (2004), SC Trofimow Rivne (2005), Ukraina Rivne (2006), Speedway Rivne (2008), Kaskada Rivne (since 2009).

In the 2009 season, the Extraleague and First League have eight teams competing. The second League has seven teams. Notably, KS Toruń (since 1976) has never been relegated to a lower division until the 2019 season when the team was relegated for the first time in the history.

Competitions

Polish Cup
  • Individual Speedway Polish Cup (Indywidualny Puchar Polski, IPP)
  • Team Speedway Polish Cup (Drużynowy Puchar Polski, DPP)

Helmets competition

GKSŻ organizes the Golden Helmet, Silver Helmet and Bronze Helmet competitions.[2]

  1. The Golden Helmet (Złoty Kask, ZK) is a single meeting held in PC Team 3rd from last season (before usually in Wrocław), with the top twelve riders in the Extraleague and the top four riders in the First League. The Winner get a new motorcycle Java.
  2. The Silver Helmet (Srebrny Kask, SK) is an individual competition for riders under 21 years of age for the top sixteen riders in the Extraleague, the top ten riders in the First League, and the six two riders in the Second League competing. A Final event held in PC Team U-21 3rd from last season.
  3. The Bronze Helmet (Brązowy Kask, BK) is an individual competition similar to the Silver Helmet except the riders must be under 19 years of age. Riders are nominated for this competition by their teams.

Friendly competition

Other competitions include (individual meetings), e.g.:

  1. Mieczysław Połukard Criterium of Polish Speedway Leagues Aces (Kryterium Asów Polskich Lig Żużlowych im. Mieczysława Połukarda) held in the Polonia Stadium in Bydgoszcz. It is seen by riders and fans as the official opening of the new season. First staged in 1982, although a similar meeting was held in the 1950s.
  2. Crest Chain of Ostrów Town (Łańcuch Herbowy Miasta Ostrowa) held in Ostrów Wielkopolski. It is the official end of season meeting. First staged in 1978.
  3. Alfred Smoczyk Memorial (Memoriał im. Alfreda Smoczyka) Alfred Smoczyk was the first Polish speedway superstar. He successfully competed on Dutch tracks in the late 1940s, but died in a road accident in October 1950. This meeting has been held every year since 1951 in Leszno, where he lived, in the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium.
  4. Edward Jancarz Memorial (Memoriał im. Edwarda Jancarza) in Gorzów Wielkopolski.

Speedway Grand Prix in Poland

In 2010 season, Poland hosts three Speedway Grand Prix events (two Polish and one European SGP:

  1. Bydgoszcz at Polonia Stadium (since 1998),
  2. Leszno at Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (since 2008) and
  3. Toruń at MotoArena Toruń (since 2010).

Previously, SGP events hosted in:

  1. Chorzów at Silesian Stadium (2002–04) and
  2. Wrocław at Olympic Stadium (1995–97, 1999-00, 2004–07)

Panorama
Panorama of MotoArena Toruń, motorcycle speedway stadium of KS Toruń in the Speedway Ekstraliga; home of the International Speedway Grand Prix of Poland available on YouTube

Famous riders

See also

Notes
  1. Kevin Meynell & Marcin Babnis (7 July 2004), History of Polish Speedway. Main competitions. Rules. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  2. (pl) pzm.pl Golden, Silver and Bronze Helmets Regulations
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