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.

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

QF (4 May Marmande)
Pos	Rider	Points
1	Simon Wigg	15
2	Philippe Bergé	13
3	Sergej Darkin	12
4	Piotr Protasiewicz	12
5	Zdenek Schneiderwind	10
6	Vladimir Trofimov	10
7	Oleg Kurguskin	9
8	Piotr Baron	7
9	Gerhard Lekse	7
10	Sergej Eroschin	6
11	Michal Makovský	6
12	Izak Šantej	5
13	Christophe Dubernard	4
14	Frederick Brisseau	2
15	Gregor Pintar	2
16	Rob Steman	0

QF (5 May Terenzano)
Pos	Rider	Points
1	Zoltán Adorján	15
2	Stefano Alfonso	13
3	Igor Marko	12
4	Armando Castagna	11
5	Valentino Furlanetto	10
6	Robbie Kessler	10
7	Zsolt Benzce	9
8	Václav Milík Sr.	9
9	Robert Kral	8
10	Simone Tadiello	5
11	Vladimir Visvader	5
12	Alessandro Milanese	5
13	Zoltan Hajdu	4
14	Franz Leitner	1
15	Luca Taccini	1
16	Gaspar Forgac	0

QF (5 May Pfaffenhofen)
Pos	Rider	Points
1	Gerd Riss	15
2	Tomasz Bajerski	14
3	Robert Barth	12
4	Tomáš Topinka	12
5	Antonín Šváb Jr.	11
6	Piotr Świst	9
7	Sándor Tihanyi	9
8	Mirko Wolter	8
9	Andreas Bössner	7
10	Andrea Maida	6
11	Robert Csilik	5
12	Róbert Nagy	5
13	Nikolaj Manev	4
14	Walter Nebel	2
15	Martin Peterca	2
16	Jaroslav Gavenda	0

QF (5 May Ostrów)
Pos	Rider	Points
1	Antonín Kasper Jr.	15
2	Roman Jankowski	14
3	Sławomir Drabik	12
4	Jacek Krzyżaniak	11
5	Rif Saitgareev	11
6	Tomasz Gollob	11
7	Rinat Mardanschin	9
8	Csaba Hell	9
9	Nikolaj Kokins	5
10	Norbert Magosi	5
11	Tommy Dunker	4
12	Grigorij Charchenko	4
13	Vladimir Voronkov	4
14	Petr Vandirek	2
15	Jörg Pingel	2
16	Vladimir Kolodij	0

Second round

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 Nilsen	14[8]
2	Brian Andersen	12
3	Mikael Karlsson	11
4	Arnt Førland	10
5	John Jørgensen	10
6	Jan Stæchmann	10
7	Brian Karger	10
8	Stefan Dannö	9
9	Niklas Klingberg	9
10	Ronni Pedersen	7
11	Rune Holta	4
12	Vesa Ylinen	4
13	Kai Laukkanen	4
14	Lars Gunnestad	3
15	Jarno Kosonen	2
16	Björn Tönnesen	1
16	John Pollestad	0

Continental semi finals

Continental semi-finals - 16 riders from to Continental final

SF

9 June 1996 Togliatti

Pos.	Rider	Points
1	Sergej Darkin	14
2	Simon Wigg	13
3	Armando Castagna	13
4	Zoltán Adorján	11
5	Igor Marko	9
6	Philippe Bergé	8
7	Zdenek Schneiderwind	7
8	Oleg Kurguskin	7
9	Valentino Furlanetto	7
10	Václav Milík Sr.	6
11	Stefano Alfonso	6
12	Piotr Baron	5
13	Robbie Kessler	4
14	Vladimir Trofimov	4
15	Piotr Protasiewicz	3
16	Zsolt Benzce	3

SF

9 June 1996 Bydgoszcz

Pos.	Rider	Points
1	Roman Jankowski	12
2	Jacek Krzyżaniak	12
3	Sławomir Drabik	12
4	Tomasz Gollob	11
5	Tomáš Topinka	10
6	Robert Barth	9
7	Rinat Mardanschin	9
8	Tomasz Bajerski	9
9	Gerd Riss	8
10	Antonín Kasper Jr.	7
11	Nikolaj Kokins	5
12	Piotr Świst	5
13	Antonín Šváb Jr.	5
14	Csaba Hell	3
15	Sándor Tihanyi	2
16	Mirko Wolter	1

Third round

7 riders from positions 9-15 from the 1996 Speedway Grand Prix to GP Challenge

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 Gollob	12
2	Sławomir Drabik	11
3	Zoltán Adorján	11
4	Robert Barth	11
5	Rinat Mardanschin	11
6	Simon Wigg	10
7	Sergej Darkin	10
8	Armando Castagna	9
9	Tomáš Topinka	9
10	Jacek Krzyżaniak	6
11	Tomasz Bajerski	5
12	Oleg Kurguskin	5
13	Zdenek Schneiderwind	3
14	Antonín Kasper Jr.	3
15	Roman Jankowski	2
16	Philippe Bergé	1
17	Igor Marko	1
18	Václav Milík Sr.	1

Final Round

GP Challenge

4 riders to 1997 Grand Prix

5 October 1996 Prague

Pos.	Rider	Points
1	Simon Wigg	12
2	Leigh Adams	12
3	Mikael Karlsson	11
4	Andy Smith	11
5	Sam Ermolenko	11
6	Jason Crump	11
7	Ryan Sullivan	9
8	Stefan Dannö	9
9	Joe Screen	9
10	Brian Karger	8
11	Zoltán Adorján	6
12	Gerd Riss	4
13	Robert Barth	4
14	Craig Boyce	2
15	Rinat Mardanschin	0
16	Tommy Knudsen	0
17	Armando Castagna	0

References

"Individual Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
"Karlsson wins GP berth". Birmingham Daily Post. 7 October 1996. Retrieved 20 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"HISTORICAL LIST OF RESULTS 1995-2013 Speedway Grand Prix - Qualifications". Speedway History. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
"Big chance for Wilson to sparkle with Stars". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 5 October 1996. Retrieved 20 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"Speedway". Torbay Express and South Devon Echo. 7 October 1996. Retrieved 6 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"Speedway World Championship History - 1996". Speedway History. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
"Kiwis in the Overseas Final - 1996". Speedway Plus. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
"LEGENDS: JIMMY NILSEN". Swindon Speedway. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
"Super Swede". Cambridge Daily News. 29 July 1996. Retrieved 20 January 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
"27.07.1996.Speedway Continental final - Abensberg (GER)". You Tube. Retrieved 20 January 2023.

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[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.