The 1972 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 27th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The 1972 final attendance at Wembley Stadium was 75,000. New Zealander Ivan Mauger joined Barry Briggs on four title wins (2nd only behind Ove Fundin) by defeating Bernt Persson in a run-off after both riders finished on 13 points.[7]
In heat five, Briggs was involved in an accident which all but ended his speedway career. Going into the first turn his front wheel was hit by Bernt Persson's bike which caused him to fall. He was then hit by the Russian riders Grigory Khlinovsky and Valery Gordeev. Briggs suffered a severe hand injury and lost the index finger on his left hand which caused him to temporarily retire from racing. Briggs had been considered one of the pre-meeting favourites and his favouritism had been firmed when he had beaten fellow New Zealander Ivan Mauger in heat 2.
To the boos of the 75,000 strong Wembley crowd, FIM referee Georg Traunspurger did not exclude Persson. Defending champion Ole Olsen was unlucky not to retain his title because in his first ride (heat 4) while challenging Swede Christer Löfqvist he fell and would score no points. He won his next four rides to finish in a clear third place.
Before the final, the Russian riders had three of their bikes stolen and had to borrow equipment to compete.[8]
First round
- British/Commonwealth Qualifying - 16 to British/Commonwealth Final
- Continental Qualifying - 16 to Continental Final
- Scandinavian Qualifying - 16 to Nordic Final
British/Commonwealth Qualifying
Scandinavian Qualifying
Date | Venue | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Qualifications | |||||
27 April | Stockholm | Anders Michanek | Karl-Eric Claesson | Hasse Holmqvist | |
30 April | Malilla | Jan Simensen | Tommy Johansson | Per Olof Söderman | |
1 May | Visby | Christer Löfqvist | Tommy Jansson | Leif Enecrona | |
1 May | Lindesberg | Bernt Persson | Sören Sjösten | Lars Jansson | |
11 May | Gislaved | Bernt Persson | Tommy Jansson | Torbjörn Harrysson | |
11 May | Avesta | Hasse Holmqvist | Sören Sjösten | Tommy Johansson | |
12 May | Linköping | Anders Michanek | Reidar Eide | Bengt Jansson | |
Continental Qualifying
Date | Venue | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Qualifying Round | |||||
7 May | Maribor | Petr Ondrašík | Jan Verner | Sandor Csato | |
11 May | Udine | Draško Oreško | Gunther Walla | Nedialko Nedialkov | |
Quarter-Finals | |||||
21 May | Miskolc | Janosh Szőke | Oleg Dzyadyk | Aleksandr Pavlov | |
21 May | Liberec | Viktor Trofimov | Yury Dubinin | Jan Mucha | |
21 May | Abensberg | Henryk Glucklich | Jan Holub I | Grigory Khlinovsky | |
21 May | Gorzów Wielkopolski | Edward Jancarz | Zenon Plech | Valery Gordeev | |
Semi-Finals | |||||
3 June | Prague | Edward Jancarz | Milan Špinka | Zenon Plech | |
4 June | Bydgoszcz | Marek Cieślak | Paweł Waloszek | Henryk Glucklich |
Third round
- Nordic Final - 8 to European Final
- Continental Final - 8 to European Final
Nordic Final
- 1 June 1972
- Norrköping Motorstadion
- First 8 to European Final plus 1 reserve
Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bengt Jansson | 3,2,3,3,3 | 14 |
2 | Anders Michanek | 3,3,3,1,3 | 13 |
3 | Ole Olsen | 3,2,2,3,2 | 12 |
4 | Bernt Persson | 1,2,3,2,3 | 11 |
5 | Hasse Holmqvist | 2,3,2,2,2 | 11 |
6 | Christer Löfqvist | 3,3,3,0,1 | 10 |
7 | Jan Simensen | 2,0,2,3,3 | 10 |
8 | Reidar Eide | 1,3,1,2,2 | 9 |
9 | Tommy Jansson | 2,1,2,3,E | 8 |
10 | Dag Lovaas | 1,1,1,2,0 | 5 |
11 | Tommy Johansson | 0,1,0,1,2 | 4 |
12 | Øyvind S. Berg | 1,0,0,1,1 | 3 |
13 | Göte Nordin | 0,2,1,0,- | 3 |
14 | Leif Enecrona | 0,0,1,1,1 | 3 |
15 | Per Olof Söderman | 2,0,0,0,0 | 2 |
16 | Sören Sjösten | 0,1,0,0,- | 1 |
R1 | Christer Sjösten | E | 0 |
R2 | Runo Wedin | 0 | 0 |
Continental Final
- 25 June 1972
- Cherkessk
- First 8 to European Final plus 1 reserve
Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Viktor Trofimov | 2,3,3,3,3 | 14 |
2 | Viktor Kalmykov | 3,3,3,2,2 | 13 |
3 | Anatoly Kuzmin | 2,2,2,3,3 | 12 |
4 | Valery Gordeev | 3,1,1,3,3 | 11 |
5 | Milan Špinka | 1,3,3,2,1 | 10 |
6 | Grigory Khlinovsky | 3,2,F,1,3 | 9 |
7 | Paweł Waloszek | 0,3,2,2,2 | 9 |
8 | Aleksandr Pavlov | 2,2,2,1,2 | 9 |
9 | Zenon Plech | F,2,2,3,F | 7 |
10 | Anatoly Mironov | 1,1,1,2,1 | 6 |
11 | Zygfryd Friedek | X,1,1,1,2 | 5 |
12 | Petr Ondrašík | 3,X,0,0,1 | 4 |
13 | Vasily Baturin | F,X,3,X,0 | 3 |
14 | Marek Cieślak | 0,1,1,1,0 | 3 |
15 | Henryk Glucklich | 2,E,X,0,X | 2 |
16 | Edward Jancarz | 1,X,E,E,1 | 2 |
R1 | Gennady Kurilenko | 1,0,0,X | 1 |
R2 | Vladimir Kubanov | 0,0,0 | 0 |
Fourth round
- European Final - 11 to World Final
- British/Commonwealth Final - 5 to World Final
British/Commonwealth Final
- 2 August 1972
- Coventry
- First 5 to World Final
Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(6) Ivan Mauger | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
(12) Nigel Boocock | 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
(4) Barry Briggs | 11 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
4 | (8) John Louis | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 4 | E | |||||||||||||||
5 | (9) Eric Boocock | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
6 | (2) Jim McMillan | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
7 | (15) Terry Betts | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | (10) Ray Wilson | 7 | T | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | (11) Dave Jessup | 7 | 1 | 3 | T | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | (13) John Boulger | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | (3) Martin Ashby | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | (16) Arnold Haley | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | (5) Garry Middleton | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | (1) Peter Collins | 3 | 0 | E | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | (7) Trevor Hedge | 2 | 0 | E | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | (14) Ronnie Moore | 2 | 2 | E | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
R1 | (R1) Pete Bailey | 0 | 0 | 0 | R1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
R2 | (R2) Norman Hunter | 0 | F | 0 | R2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |
European Final
- 3 September 1972
- Wroclaw
- First 11 to World Final plus 1 reserve
Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(12) Paweł Waloszek | 13 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
(8) Ole Olsen | 11 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
(13) Anders Michanek | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | (16) Aleksandr Pavlov | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | (4) Anatoly Kuzmin | 10 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | (3) Grigory Khlinovsky | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | (10) Christer Löfqvist | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | (11) Viktor Trofimov | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | (2) Bernt Persson | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | (6) Valery Gordeev | 7 | 2 | 2 | E | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | (14) Viktor Kalmykov | 7 | 2 | F | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | (5) Jan Simensen | 6 | F | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | (15) Milan Špinka | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | (9) Bengt Jansson | 3 | 0 | E | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | (1) Hasse Holmqvist | 2 | F | E | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | (7) Reidar Eide | 0 | E | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
R1 | (R1) Tommy Jansson | 0 | 0 | R1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
R2 | (R2) Zenon Plech | 0 | 0 | R2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |
World Final
- 16 September 1972
- London, Wembley Stadium[9]
- Referee: Georg Traunspurger
Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(6) Ivan Mauger | 13 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
(13) Bernt Persson | 13 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
(16) Ole Olsen | 12 | F | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | (15) Christer Löfqvist | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | (14) John Louis | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | (7) Aleksandr Pavlov | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | (4) Anders Michanek | 8 | X | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | (3) Paweł Waloszek | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | (8) Viktor Trofimov | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | (12) Nigel Boocock | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | (10) Viktor Kalmykov | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | (11) Anatoly Kuzmin | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | (1) Grigory Khlinovsky | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | (5) Barry Briggs | 3 | 3 | F | - | - | - | 3 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | (2) Eric Boocock | 2 | X | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | (9) Valery Gordeev | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
R1 | (R1) Jan Simensen | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | R1 | |||||||||||||||||||
R2 | (R2) Jim McMillan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | R2 | |||||||||||||||||||
Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |
References
- ↑ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
- ↑ "World Championship 1936-1994". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ↑ "WORLD FINALS 1936-1994" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ↑ "HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK". Speedway.org. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ↑ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ↑ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ↑ "4-Timer Mauger". Sunday Mirror. 17 September 1972. Retrieved 9 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Fourth World title for Mauger". Birmingham Weekly Mercury. 17 September 1972. Retrieved 1 November 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5