The Speedway World Pairs Championship was a motorcycle speedway event held annually in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968, and the final competition was held in 1993. In 1994, it was merged with the World Team Cup to create the Speedway World Cup, which held its final edition in 2017.
The concept of an international pairs championship was re-established in the form of the Speedway of Nations, held for the first time in 2018.
Rules The final was competed between seven national teams, and two riders represented each national team. Each pairing rode against each other once. The pair with the highest combined score were declared the Champions. From 1991, a third rider could act as a reserve.
Winners YearVenueWinnersRunner-up3rd place 1968 Kempten SpeedwayKempten (24 pts)Ove FundinTorbjörn Harrysson (21 pts)Geoff MudgeRay Wilson (16 pts)Odd FossengenØyvind S. Berg 1969 Gubbängens IPStockholm (28 pts)Ivan MaugerBob Andrews (27 pts)Ove FundinGöte Nordin (21 pts)Nigel BoocockMartin Ashby 1970 Malmö StadionMalmö (28 pts)Ivan MaugerRonnie Moore (25 pts)Ove FundinBengt Jansson (19 pts)Nigel BoocockEric Boocock 1971 Rybnik Municipal StadiumRybnik (30 pts)Andrzej WyglendaJerzy Szczakiel (25 pts)Ivan MaugerBarry Briggs (22 pts)Anders MichanekBernt Persson 1972 RyavallenBorås (24+3 pts)Ray WilsonTerry Betts (24+2 pts)Ivan MaugerRonnie Moore (22+3 pts)Bernt PerssonHasse Holmqvist 1973 RyavallenBorås (24 pts)Anders MichanekTommy Jansson (21+3 pts)Ole OlsenKurt Bøgh (21+2 pts)Zenon PlechZbigniew Marcinkowski 1974 Hyde RoadManchester (28 pts)Anders MichanekSören Sjösten (23 pts)John BoulgerPhil Crump (21 pts)Barry BriggsIvan Mauger 1975 Stadion OlimpijskiWrocław (24 pts)Anders MichanekTommy Jansson (23 pts)Edward JancarzPiotr Bruzda (20+3 pts)Ole OlsenJan Henningsen 1976 SnälltorpetEskilstuna (27 pts)John LouisMalcolm Simmons (24 pts)Ole OlsenFinn Thomsen (22 pts)Bengt JanssonBernt Persson 1977 Hyde RoadManchester (28 pts)Peter CollinsMalcolm Simmons (18 pts)Anders MichanekBernt Persson (18 pts)Egon MüllerHans Wassermann 1978 Stadion ŚląskiChorzów (24+3 pts)Malcolm SimmonsGordon Kennett (24+2 pts)Ivan MaugerLarry Ross (21 pts)Ole OlsenFinn Thomsen 1979 Vojens Speedway CenterVojens (25 pts)Ole OlsenHans Nielsen (24 pts)Malcolm SimmonsMichael Lee (20 pts)Edward JancarzZenon Plech 1980 Matija Gubec StadiumKrško (29 pts)Dave JessupPeter Collins (22 pts)Edward JancarzZenon Plech (21 pts)Ole OlsenHans Nielsen 1981 Stadion ŚląskiChorzów (23 pts)Bruce PenhallBobby Schwartz (22 pts)Ivan MaugerLarry Ross (21 pts)Zenon PlechEdward Jancarz 1982 Liverpool City RacewaySydney (30 pts)Bobby SchwartzDennis Sigalos (22 pts)Kenny CarterPeter Collins (21 pts)Hans Nielsen Ole Olsen 1983 UlleviGothenburg (25 pts)Kenny CarterPeter Collins (24 pts)Billy SandersGary Guglielmi (19 pts)Hans NielsenErik Gundersen 1984 Santa Marina StadiumLonigo (27 pts)Chris MortonPeter Collins (25+3 pts)Hans Nielsen Erik Gundersen (25+2 pts)Ivan MaugerMitch Shirra 1985 Rybnik Municipal StadiumRybnik (29 pts)Erik GundersenTommy Knudsen (27 pts)Kenny CarterKelvin Tatum (22 pts)Bobby SchwartzShawn Moran 1986 RottalstadionPocking (46+5 pts)Hans NielsenErik Gundersen (46+4 pts)Kelly MoranSam Ermolenko (32 pts)Antonín Kasper Jr.Roman Matoušek 1987 Svítkov StadionPardubice (52 pts)Erik GundersenHans Nielsen (44 pts)Simon WiggKelvin Tatum (36 pts)Sam ErmolenkoKelly Moran 1988 Odsal StadiumBradford (45 pts)Hans NielsenErik Gundersen (41 pts)Kelvin TatumSimon Cross (39 pts)Shawn MoranSam Ermolenko 1989 Alfred Smoczyk StadiumLeszno (48 pts)Hans NielsenErik Gundersen (44 pts)Jimmy NilsenPer Jonsson (37 pts)Kelvin TatumPaul Thorp 1990 Ellermühle StadiumLandshut (43 pts)Jan O. PedersenHans Nielsen (41 pts)Todd WiltshireLeigh Adams (33 pts)Zoltán AdorjánSándor Tihanyi 1991 Olimpia Poznań StadiumPoznań (28 pts)Hans NielsenJan O. PedersenTommy Knudsen (24 pts)Henrik GustafssonJimmy NilsenPer Jonsson (19 pts)Lars GunnestadEinar KyllingstadTor Einar Hielm 1992 Santa Marina StadiumLonigo (23+3 pts)Greg HancockSam ErmolenkoRonnie Correy (23+2 pts)Gary HavelockKelvin TatumMartin Dugard (22 pts)Per JonssonHenrik GustafssonTony Rickardsson 1993 Vojens Speedway CenterVojens (26 pts)Tony RickardssonPer JonssonHenrik Gustafsson (23 pts)Sam ErmolenkoRonnie CorreyGreg Hancock (21 pts)Hans NielsenTommy KnudsenBrian Karger
Medal classification Pos National Team Total 1. 17 8 3 6 2. / 17 7 7 3 3. 14 5 5 4 4. 8 3 2 3 5. 8 2 4 2 6. 6 1 2 3 7. 3 - 3 - 8. 2 - - 2 =9. 1 - - 1 =9. 1 - - 1
Pos Rider Team Total 1. Hans Nielsen 11 7 1 32. Erik Gundersen 7 5 1 13. Peter Collins 5 4 1 4. Anders Michanek 5 3 1 15. Malcolm Simmons 4 3 1 6. Ivan Mauger 8 2 4 27. Tommy Jansson 3 2 1 8. Bobby Schwartz 3 2 19. Jan O. Pedersen 2 2 10. Ole Olsen 7 1 2 4
See also Motorcycle speedway Speedway of Nations, the current incarnation of the World Pairs Championship
References