Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida. *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. *Indianapolis Motor Spe ...

is one of the most popular sports in Poland. The Ekstraliga has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The first meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s.Kevin Meynell & Marcin Babnis (7 July 2004)
History of Polish Speedway. Main competitions. Rules.
Retrieved 25 October 2014. Speedway in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

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 The International Motorcycling Federation (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) or (FIM) is the global governing/sanctioning body of motorcycle racing. It represents 123 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six continent ...

(FIM) and the Union Européenne de Motocyclisme (UEM).

National team

Poland has produced three Individual World Champion - Jerzy Szczakiel who won in

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

, Tomasz Gollob who won in the 2010 Individual Speedway World Championships and Bartosz Zmarzlik who won in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. 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).

Teams (league competition)

There are three speedway leagues in Poland: # '' Ekstraliga (Ekstraliga żużlowa)'' ( Team Speedway Polish Championship) # '' Polish Speedway First League (eWinner 1.liga żużlowa)'' # '' Polish Speedway Second League (2. liga żużlowa)'' 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.(pl
pzm.pl
''Golden, Silver and Bronze Helmets Regulations'' #'' 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. #'' 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. #'' 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.: # Mieczysław Połukard Criterium of Polish Speedway Leagues Aces (''Kryterium Asów Polskich Lig Żużlowych im. Mieczysława Połukarda)'' held in the Polonia Stadium in

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...

. 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. #''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. #''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 Leszno (, , ) is a historic city in western Poland, seat of Leszno County within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Leszno is a former residential cit ...

, where he lived, in the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium. #''Edward Jancarz Memorial ( Memoriał im. Edwarda Jancarza) in Gorzów Wielkopolski.

Speedway Grand Prix in Poland

Current Grand Prix # Gorzów at Jancarz Stadium (2022–2023) #

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

at MotoArena Toruń (2010–2023) #

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

at Stadion Narodowy (2015–2019, 2022–2023) Previously, SGP events hosted in: #

at Polonia Stadium (1998–2010 and 2013–2014) # Chorzów at Silesian Stadium (2002–2003) #

at Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (2008–2012) #

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

at Stadion MOSiR (2021) #

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...

(1995–1997, 1999, 2004–2007, 2019–2022)

Panorama

Famous riders

* Tomasz Gollob (born 1971): Individual Polish Champion eight times (lately in 2009), 2nd ever Polish World Champion in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

* Jarosław Hampel (b.1982): three times Speedway World Championship medallist * Rune Holta (born 1973): the only Individual Polish Champion winner who is a naturalized citizen of Poland (born Norwegian). * Andrzej Huszcza (born 1957): has been riding since 1975 till 2007 * Edward Jancarz (1946–1992) * Zenon Plech (b. 1953): Individual Polish Champion five times, double WC Individual medallist (1973 and 1979) * Mieczysław Połukard (1930–1985): the first Polish rider to ride in the Individual World Championship Final in 1959 * Alfred Smoczyk (1928–1950): the first PC Individual champion after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(in 1949) * Jerzy Szczakiel (b. 1949): the first Polish World Champion in 1973 * Paweł Waloszek (b. 1938): the first silver WC Individual medallist (1970) * Antoni Woryna (b. 1941): the first WC Individual medallist (bronze in 1966) and the first double WC Individual medallist (bronze in 1970) * Bartosz Zmarzlik (ur. 1995): the first Polish five-times World Champion (2019, 2020, 2022-2024)

Notes

External links

Speedway on Polish Motor Union website
(pl)

(pl)
polish news on speedwayworld.tv
(en) {{DEFAULTSORT:Speedway In Poland