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

DateVenueWinnerRunner-up3rd place
Preliminary Round
15 April United KingdomCanterburyUnited Kingdom Bob YoungUnited Kingdom Malcolm BallardUnited Kingdom Brian Foote
16 April United KingdomRye HouseUnited Kingdom Dave KennettUnited Kingdom Bob HumphreysUnited Kingdom Barry Crowson
21 April United KingdomPeterboroughUnited Kingdom Geoff MaloneyAustralia Phil CrumpUnited Kingdom Kevin Holden
27 April United KingdomBarrow-in-FurnessUnited Kingdom John HarrhyUnited Kingdom Alan WilkinsonUnited Kingdom Malcolm Shakespeare
28 April United KingdomWorkingtonUnited Kingdom Alan KnapkinUnited Kingdom George MajorUnited Kingdom Russ Dent
20 May United KingdomHalifaxUnited Kingdom Eric BoocockUnited Kingdom Bob KilbyUnited Kingdom Ray Wilson
20 May United KingdomKings LynnUnited Kingdom Terry BettsUnited Kingdom Malcolm SimmonsWales Howard Cole
20 May United KingdomBelle VueNew Zealand Ivan MaugerUnited Kingdom Chris PuseyScotland Jim McMillan
22 May United KingdomReadingNew Zealand Ronnie MooreUnited Kingdom Dave JessupUnited Kingdom Mick Bell
22 May United KingdomExeterWales Howard ColeUnited Kingdom Bob KilbyNew Zealand Barry Briggs
25 May United KingdomOxfordUnited Kingdom Terry BettsAustralia Garry MiddletonUnited Kingdom Malcolm Simmons
25 May United KingdomSheffieldUnited Kingdom Arnold HaleyNew Zealand Ivan MaugerScotland Bobby Beaton
25 May United KingdomWimbledonNew Zealand Ronnie MooreNew Zealand Bob AndrewsNew Zealand Barry Briggs
25 May United KingdomIpswichUnited Kingdom David KennettUnited Kingdom John HarrhyUnited Kingdom George Hunter
26 May United KingdomHackneyAustralia Geoff CurtisUnited Kingdom Barry ThomasUnited Kingdom Chris Pusey
26 May United KingdomWolverhamptonUnited Kingdom Dave GiffordUnited Kingdom Peter CollinsUnited Kingdom Norman Hunter
27 May United KingdomSwindonNew Zealand Barry BriggsUnited Kingdom Martin AshbyAustralia Phil Crump
27 May United KingdomCradley HeathNew Zealand Bob AndrewsUnited Kingdom Arnold HaleyUnited Kingdom Bob Kilby
27 May United KingdomCoventryUnited Kingdom Nigel BoocockUnited Kingdom Tony LomasUnited Kingdom John Louis
30 May United KingdomPooleUnited Kingdom Nigel BoocockAustralia Geoff CurtisWales Howard Cole
2 June ScotlandGlasgowScotland Bobby BeatonScotland Jim McMillanUnited Kingdom John Louis
2 June WalesNewportNew Zealand Bruce CribbUnited Kingdom Tony ClarkeUnited Kingdom Mike Broadbanks
6 June United KingdomLeicesterUnited Kingdom Dave JessupNew Zealand Ivan MaugerUnited Kingdom Malcolm Shakespeare
Semi-Finals
20 June United KingdomLeicesterUnited Kingdom Terry BettsNew Zealand Ronnie MooreUnited Kingdom Arnold Haley
22 June United KingdomSheffieldNew Zealand Ivan MaugerScotland Jim McMillanAustralia John Boulger

Scandinavian Qualifying

DateVenueWinnerRunner-up3rd place
Qualifications
27 April SwedenStockholmSweden Anders MichanekSweden Karl-Eric ClaessonSweden Hasse Holmqvist
30 April SwedenMalillaSweden Jan SimensenSweden Tommy JohanssonSweden Per Olof Söderman
1 May SwedenVisbySweden Christer LöfqvistSweden Tommy JanssonSweden Leif Enecrona
1 May SwedenLindesbergSweden Bernt PerssonSweden Sören SjöstenSweden Lars Jansson
11 May SwedenGislavedSweden Bernt PerssonSweden Tommy JanssonSweden Torbjörn Harrysson
11 May SwedenAvestaSweden Hasse HolmqvistSweden Sören SjöstenSweden Tommy Johansson
12 May SwedenLinköpingSweden Anders MichanekNorway Reidar EideSweden Bengt Jansson

Continental Qualifying

DateVenueWinnerRunner-up3rd place
Qualifying Round
7 May Socialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaMariborCzechoslovakia Petr OndrašíkCzechoslovakia Jan VernerHungary Sandor Csato
11 May ItalyUdineSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Draško OreškoAustria Gunther WallaBulgaria Nedialko Nedialkov
Quarter-Finals
21 May HungaryMiskolcHungary Janosh SzőkeSoviet Union Oleg DzyadykSoviet Union Aleksandr Pavlov
21 May CzechoslovakiaLiberecSoviet Union Viktor TrofimovSoviet Union Yury DubininPoland Jan Mucha
21 May West GermanyAbensbergPoland Henryk GlucklichCzechoslovakia Jan Holub ISoviet Union Grigory Khlinovsky
21 May PolandGorzów WielkopolskiPoland Edward JancarzPoland Zenon PlechSoviet Union Valery Gordeev
Semi-Finals
3 June CzechoslovakiaPraguePoland Edward JancarzCzechoslovakia Milan ŠpinkaPoland Zenon Plech
4 June PolandBydgoszczPoland Marek CieślakPoland Paweł WaloszekPoland Henryk Glucklich

Third round

  • Nordic Final - 8 to European Final
  • Continental Final - 8 to European Final

Nordic Final

Pos.RiderHeat ScoresTotal
1Sweden Bengt Jansson3,2,3,3,314
2Sweden Anders Michanek3,3,3,1,313
3Denmark Ole Olsen3,2,2,3,212
4Sweden Bernt Persson1,2,3,2,311
5Sweden Hasse Holmqvist2,3,2,2,211
6Sweden Christer Löfqvist3,3,3,0,110
7Sweden Jan Simensen2,0,2,3,310
8Norway Reidar Eide1,3,1,2,29
9Sweden Tommy Jansson2,1,2,3,E8
10Norway Dag Lovaas1,1,1,2,05
11Sweden Tommy Johansson0,1,0,1,24
12Norway Øyvind S. Berg1,0,0,1,13
13Sweden Göte Nordin0,2,1,0,-3
14Sweden Leif Enecrona0,0,1,1,13
15Sweden Per Olof Söderman2,0,0,0,02
16Sweden Sören Sjösten0,1,0,0,-1
R1Sweden Christer SjöstenE0
R2Sweden Runo Wedin00

Continental Final

  • 25 June 1972
  • Soviet Union Cherkessk
  • First 8 to European Final plus 1 reserve
Pos.RiderHeat ScoresTotal
1Soviet Union Viktor Trofimov2,3,3,3,314
2Soviet Union Viktor Kalmykov3,3,3,2,213
3Soviet Union Anatoly Kuzmin2,2,2,3,312
4Soviet Union Valery Gordeev3,1,1,3,311
5Czechoslovakia Milan Špinka1,3,3,2,110
6Soviet Union Grigory Khlinovsky3,2,F,1,39
7Poland Paweł Waloszek0,3,2,2,29
8Soviet Union Aleksandr Pavlov2,2,2,1,29
9Poland Zenon PlechF,2,2,3,F7
10Soviet Union Anatoly Mironov1,1,1,2,16
11Poland Zygfryd FriedekX,1,1,1,25
12Czechoslovakia Petr Ondrašík3,X,0,0,14
13Soviet Union Vasily BaturinF,X,3,X,03
14Poland Marek Cieślak0,1,1,1,03
15Poland Henryk Glucklich2,E,X,0,X2
16Poland Edward Jancarz1,X,E,E,12
R1Soviet Union Gennady Kurilenko1,0,0,X1
R2Soviet Union Vladimir Kubanov0,0,00

Fourth round

  • European Final - 11 to World Final
  • British/Commonwealth Final - 5 to World Final

British/Commonwealth Final

  • 2 August 1972
  • United Kingdom 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
1 New Zealand (6) Ivan Mauger 14 3 3 3 2 3 14 1
2 United Kingdom (12) Nigel Boocock 12 3 2 2 3 2 12 2
3 New Zealand (4) Barry Briggs 11 1 3 3 1 3 11 3 3
4 United Kingdom (8) John Louis 11 2 1 3 3 2 11 4 E
5 United Kingdom (9) Eric Boocock 10 2 2 1 3 2 10 5 3
6 Scotland (2) Jim McMillan 10 3 1 3 0 3 10 6 2
7 United Kingdom (15) Terry Betts 9 3 2 1 0 3 9 7
8 United Kingdom (10) Ray Wilson 7 T 2 1 3 1 7 8
9 United Kingdom (11) Dave Jessup 7 1 3 T 2 1 7 9
10 Australia (13) John Boulger 7 0 3 2 1 1 7 10
11 United Kingdom (3) Martin Ashby 6 2 1 2 1 0 6 11
12 United Kingdom (16) Arnold Haley 5 1 0 1 2 1 5 12
13 Australia (5) Garry Middleton 4 1 1 0 0 2 4 13
14 United Kingdom (1) Peter Collins 3 0 E 2 1 0 3 14
15 United Kingdom (7) Trevor Hedge 2 0 E 0 2 0 2 15
16 New Zealand (14) Ronnie Moore 2 2 E 0 0 0 2 16
R1 United Kingdom (R1) Pete Bailey 0 0 0 R1
R2 United Kingdom (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
  • Poland 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
1 Poland (12) Paweł Waloszek 13 3 1 3 3 3 13 1
2 Denmark (8) Ole Olsen 11 3 3 2 1 2 11 2
3 Sweden (13) Anders Michanek 11 3 3 1 3 1 11 3
4 Soviet Union (16) Aleksandr Pavlov 10 1 0 3 3 3 10 4
5 Soviet Union (4) Anatoly Kuzmin 10 2 2 3 3 0 10 5
6 Soviet Union (3) Grigory Khlinovsky 9 3 3 3 0 0 9 6
7 Sweden (10) Christer Löfqvist 8 2 1 2 2 1 8 7
8 Soviet Union (11) Viktor Trofimov 8 1 2 2 2 1 8 8
9 Sweden (2) Bernt Persson 7 1 3 1 0 2 7 9
10 Soviet Union (6) Valery Gordeev 7 2 2 E 1 2 7 10
11 Soviet Union (14) Viktor Kalmykov 7 2 F 1 2 2 7 11
12 Sweden (5) Jan Simensen 6 F 2 0 1 3 6 12
13 Czechoslovakia (15) Milan Špinka 5 0 1 2 0 2 5 13
14 Sweden (9) Bengt Jansson 3 0 E 0 2 1 3 14
15 Sweden (1) Hasse Holmqvist 2 F E 1 1 0 2 15
16 Norway (7) Reidar Eide 0 E 0 0 0 0 0 16
R1 Sweden (R1) Tommy Jansson 0 0 R1
R2 Poland (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

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
1 New Zealand (6) Ivan Mauger 13 2 3 2 3 3 13 1 3
2 Sweden (13) Bernt Persson 13 2 3 3 3 2 13 2 2
3 Denmark (16) Ole Olsen 12 F 3 3 3 3 12 3
4 Sweden (15) Christer Löfqvist 11 3 2 3 0 3 11 4
5 United Kingdom (14) John Louis 11 1 2 3 2 3 11 5
6 Soviet Union (7) Aleksandr Pavlov 8 1 3 0 3 1 8 6
7 Sweden (4) Anders Michanek 8 X 2 2 2 2 8 7
8 Poland (3) Paweł Waloszek 6 3 1 0 1 1 6 8
9 Soviet Union (8) Viktor Trofimov 6 0 0 2 2 2 6 9
10 United Kingdom (12) Nigel Boocock 6 2 1 2 1 0 6 10
11 Soviet Union (10) Viktor Kalmykov 6 1 1 1 2 1 6 11
12 Soviet Union (11) Anatoly Kuzmin 4 3 0 0 1 0 4 12
13 Soviet Union (1) Grigory Khlinovsky 4 2 1 1 0 0 4 13
14 New Zealand (5) Barry Briggs 3 3 F - - - 3 14
15 United Kingdom (2) Eric Boocock 2 X 0 0 0 2 2 15
16 Soviet Union (9) Valery Gordeev 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 16
R1 Sweden (R1) Jan Simensen 2 2 0 2 R1
R2 Scotland (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

  1. Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
  2. "World Championship 1936-1994". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  3. "WORLD FINALS 1936-1994" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. "HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK". Speedway.org. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  6. "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  7. "4-Timer Mauger". Sunday Mirror. 17 September 1972. Retrieved 9 July 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Fourth World title for Mauger". Birmingham Weekly Mercury. 17 September 1972. Retrieved 1 November 2023 via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.