Speedway Mechanics Licence

[Violette Ransone]

Thepit area is a restricted area. People entering the pits from the commencement of the race meeting are required to hold either an annual Speedway Australia Licence or a one-day Speedway Australia Licence. This means the pit area is restricted to people aged 16yrs or older WITH ID or 12yrs with a Speedway Australia mechanics card and must have covered footwear. Junior competitors under 12yrs with a Speedway Australia Licence can only enter the pits if competing in the same event. One day licence holders under 16yrs MUST show ID to enter the pits. There is only one price to enter the pits and this price includes General Admission.

The only exceptions are legally registered & licenced service animals such as Guide Dogs with the appropriate paperwork to be available for checking. This means no animals in the pits or in general admission areas at any time. This will be enforced and is for the safety of ALL patrons.

In Poland, speedway is the most popular sport in terms of the number of spectators. Big meetings usually attract crowded stadiums, with attendances between 10,000 and 25,000 people. Poles call the sport zuzel which roughly translated means cinders.

The first speedway meetings in Poland (called dirt-track) were held in the early 1930s, but speedway boomed after WWII when there were many motorcycles in relation to the number of cars. The Polish Speedway League started in 1948, and although various formats were used, the winner of the First Division was always declared Polish Team Champion.

Since the late 1950s, Poland has participated in World Championship events. They first won the World Team Cup in 1961, and in 1970 became the third country to host the World Individual Final. In 1973, the final held in Chorzow (Katowice) was won by Jerzy Szczakiel. To this day, he is the only Polish winner of the competition.

The 1980s saw a decline in the international fortunes of Polish speedway with only Zenon Plech and Edward Jancarz taking three medals in the World Pairs Championship. This recession was halted in 1990 when foreign riders were allowed to compete in the Polish League. Nevertheless, despite having a strong representation in the last few World Junior Finals, only Tomasz Gollob has managed to compete at Grand Prix level.

Longtrack and Grasstrack is not ridden in Poland, although Polish riders occasionally participate in the World and European Championships. In the past, Poland has hosted Ice Racing Grand Prix rounds even though no Poles ride on the frozen track.

Most Polish rules are derived from FIM rules. Only members of the PZM may organise speedway meetings on GKSZ licenced tracks. Riders must obtain a speedway licence from the PZM before can take part in a meeting, and this is only granted after passing a two part exam (rules and bike mechanics). A motorcycle driving licence is also required. Foreign riders may ride on an FIM International Licence.

There are currently twenty-one teams divided into three leagues; eight in the Extra League, seven in the First League, and six in the Second League. If a new team applies to join the Championship, they are placed in the Second League.

Each team initially races every other team in their league once at home and once away, making a total of fourteen matches in the Extra League, twelve matches in the First League, and ten matches in the Second League. The leagues then split into groups for the second phase.

The top four teams in the Extra League form a Championship Group, with the bottom four teams forming a Relegation Group. Similarly, the top four teams in the First League form a Promotion Group. Each team again races every other team in their group once at home and once away, making a further six matches (for a total of twenty matches in Extra League, and eighteen matches in the First League).

The bottom three teams in the First League and the top three teams in the Second League also form a Promotion/Relegation Group. The results between the teams from the same league are carried forward, and each team then races every team from the other league once at home and once away, making a further six matches (and a total of ten matches counting towards the placings)

Matches are held as a series of rounds between April and September, normally on Sundays. In the event that a match has to be postponed, it is usually restaged no later than fourteen days from the original date.

Teams are awarded two points for a win, and one point for a draw. Final placings are determined by points accumulated over all matches, including group matches. Where two or more teams are tied on points, the tie is resolved as follows:

The bottom team in the Extra League Relegation Group is replaced by the winner of the First League Promotion Group for the following season. A home and away raceoff is held between the third-placed team in the Extra League Relegation Group and the second-placed team in the First League Promotion Group.

This competition is for riders under twenty-one years of age. The nineteen participating teams are divided into two groups of six and one group of seven, more or less geographically to reduce costs. Every team stages a six- or seven-team tournament (depending on number of teams in group) on their own track which means they ride a total of six/seven legs.

The winner of each leg is awarded five/six match points, second-placed teams are awarded four/five match points, and so on... Final group placings are determined by match points accumulated over all legs. Where two or more teams are tied on match points, the team scoring the greater number of race points is placed higher.

The top two teams in each group of six, and the top three teams in the group of seven qualify for the Final which is run as a seven-team tournament. One of the finalists is chosen by the GKSZ to host this.

This competition is for Polish riders only. Any riders qualified for the Grand Prix Series are seeded directly to the Semi-Finals. A further thirty-two riders from the Extra League, twenty riders from the First League, and twelve riders from the Second League (as nominated by their teams) are drawn into four Quarter-Finals.

The highest-placed riders (plus one reserve) from each Quarter-Final progress to the Semi-Finals, with the top eight riders (plus one reserve) from each Semi-Final meeting in the Final. The Final is hosted by the Team Champion of the previous season.

The participating teams are drawn into three groups; each staging a pairs competition. The top two teams in each group qualify for the Final. A host team chosen by the GKSZ is seeded directly to the Final.

This individual competition is held as a single meeting during the second half of the season (usually in Wroclaw). The top ten riders in the Extra League, the top four riders in the First League, and the top two riders in the Second League (by average after Rounds 18, 14 and 10 respectively) compete for a golden helmet and a brand new Jawa bike.

This individual competition is for riders under twenty-one years of age. The top sixteen riders in the Extra League, the top ten riders in the First League, and the top six riders in the Second League (by average after Rounds 13, 14 and 10 respectively) are drawn into two Semi-Finals. The top eight riders (plus one reserve) from each Semi-Final then meet in the Final where they compete for a silver helmet.

The top twenty-six riders in the First League and the top six riders in the Second League (according to the previous season's averages) are drawn into two Semi-Finals. The top eight riders (plus one reserve) from each Semi-Final then meet in the Final.

The top nine riders in the First League (according to the previous season's averages), eight riders from the First League nominated by the GKSZ, the top twelve riders in the Second League (according to the previous season's averages), and three riders from the Second League nominated by the GKSZ are drawn into two Semi-Finals. The top eight riders (plus one reserve) from each Semi-Final then meet in the Final.

This competition determines the Polish entrants for the European Speedway Championship. Thirty-two riders are drawn into two Semi-Finals. The top eight riders (plus one reserve) from each Semi-Final then meet in the Final.

The top rider in the First League (according to the previous season's averages), six riders from the First League nominated by the GKSZ, the top three riders in the Second League (according to the previous season's averages), and six riders from the Second League nominated by the GKSZ compete in a single meeting.

This is an individual meeting held in Bydgoszcz on the Sunday before the start of the league programme (usually last week of March). It is seen by riders and fans as the offical opening of the new season. First staged in 1982, although a similar meeting was held in the 1950s.

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). The stadium in Leszno is also named after him.

Each team may nominate any seven riders from their squad for each match, provided at least two junior riders, and no more than one foreign rider is included (this apparently also includes EU/EEA riders). Polish riders under twenty-one years of age are classed as juniors if they stay with the same team during the first three seasons of their career.

For 2004, rider replacement has been introduced, and teams may use this if one of their top three riders has been injured for at least nine days. These riders are initially determined by their averages from the previous season, then by current averages updated after Rounds 7 and 14 in the Elite and First Leagues, and Rounds 6 and 12 in the Second League.

These matches are held between two teams of seven riders who are numbered 1 to 7 when riding away, and 9 to 15 when riding at home. The reserve in each team is programmed at No. 7/15 and must be a junior rider. A junior rider must also be programmed at No. 6/14.

3a8082e126