The 1963 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 18th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.

Ove Fundin extended his record by winning a fourth world crown. Fellow Sweden Björn Knutson finished second and Barry Briggs took the bronze medal.

First round Qualification results.

Swedish qualifying Top 16 to Nordic qualifying DateVenueWinner2nd3rd28 April Vetlanda Motorstadion, Vetlanda Björn Knutson Ove Fundin Per Tage Svensson1 May Gamla Speedway Track, Visby Rune Sörmander Ove Fundin Willihard Thorsson5 May Gamla Motorstadion, Målilla Per Olof Söderman Arne CarlssonGöran Norlén Pos. Rider Points1 Björn Knutson 262 Arne Carlsson 243 Ove Fundin 234 Per-Olof Söderman225 Göran Norlén 226 Sören Sjösten 207 Willihard Thomsson 208 Per-Tage Svensson 199 Rune Sörmander 1810 Olle Nygren 16 11 Leif Larsson 1612 Bernt Nilsson 15Pos. Rider Points13 Bengt Brannefors 1314 Åke Andersson 1315 Kjell Svensson 1316 Göte Nordin1317 Inge Gustafsson 1318 Curt Eldh 1319 Per-Åke Lundgren920 Evert Andersson 921 Bengt Jansson 922 Thorvald Karlsson 823 Curt Nyqvist 224 Göran Carlsson 0

Norwegian qualifying 21 October 1962 Marienlyst Stadion, Drammen Top 5 to Nordic qualification 1963 Pos. Rider Points1 Sverre Harrfeldt152 Aage Hansen143 Jon Odegaard 124 Tore Svaleng 115 Per Jakob Aulie106 Svein Johansen 97 Rolf Westerberg 98 Bjarne Sorenby 69 Reidar Eide 510 Oystein Mellerud 511 Reidar Larsen 412 Reidar Bakken413 Johnny Faafeng314 Egil H. Kruke1 Finnish qualifying 27 July 1962 Eteläpuisto, Tampere Top 4 to Nordic qualification 1963 Pos. Rider Points1 Timo Laine 152 Kalevi Lahtinen 143 Esko Koponen 134 Olavi Turunen 125 Martti Assinen 116 Antero Salasto 107 Yrjo Vuori 78 Keijo Sarubin 69 Seppo Virtanen 610 Osmo Hokkanen 511 Kari Ala Sippola 5

British & Commonwealth Provincial qualifying Top 16 riders to British Provincial final DateVenueWinner2nd3rd 10 June Brough Park, Newcastle upon Tyne Ivan Mauger Brian Craven Brian Brett 10 JuneCounty Ground Stadium, Exeter Len Silver Peter Vandenberg Ross Gilbertson 11 June Cornish Stadium, St Austell George Hunter John Hart John Dews 11 JuneNew Cross Stadium, London Ivor Brown Reg Luckhurst Wayne Briggs 11 JuneLong Eaton Stadium, Long Eaton Charlie Monk Graham Warren Chris Julian 12 JuneWimborne Road, Poole Brian Brett Ross Gilbertson Reg Luckhurst 12 JuneHackney Wick Stadium, London Norman Hunter Trevor Hedge Colin Pratt 13 JuneOwlerton Stadium, Sheffield Jack Kitchen Graham Warren Clive Featherby 13 JuneCleveland Park, Middlesbrough Peter Vandenberg Eric Boothroyd Eric Boocock 14 JuneMonmore Green, Wolverhampton Ivan Mauger George Hunter Maury Mattingley 15 JuneDudley Wood Stadium, Dudley Ivor Brown Maury Mattingley Cliff Cox 15 JuneSun Street Stadium, Hanley Jack Kitchen Colin Pratt Peter Jarman 15 JuneRayleigh Weir Stadium, Rayleigh Clive Featherby Ken Adams Tommy Roper 15 JuneOld Meadowbank, Edinburgh Doug Templeton Jimmy Squibb Wayne Briggs

Continental qualifying Top 32 to Continental semi-final DateVenueWinner2nd3rd 9 May Great Strahov Stadium, Prague Igor Plekhanov Antonín Kasper Sr. Henryk Żyto 12 May Linzer Stadion, Linz Luboš Tomíček Sr. Evald Babic Manfred Poschenreider 12 May Stroitel Stadium, Ufa Farid Szajnurov Andrzej Pogorzelski Miroslav Šmíd 12 May Stražišče Sports Park, Kranj Boris Samorodov Gennady Kurilenko Marian Kaiser

Second round Nordic qualification 10 May Selskov Stadium, Hillerød Top 8 to Nordic final Pos. Rider Points1 Ove Fundin142 Per-Olof Söderman 123 Olle Nygren 124 Sören Sjösten 105 Åke Andersson 106 Kurt W. Petersen 107 Arne Pander 98 Timo Laine 79 Willihard Thomsson 710 Kjell Svensson 711 Kalevi Lahtinen 612 Bengt Brannefors 513 Jon Ödegaard 414 Erik Kastebo 415 Martti Assinen 316 Olavi Turunen 06 June Dælenenga idrettspark, Oslo Top 8 to Nordic final Pos. Rider Points1 Göte Nordin 142 Björn Knutson 133 Göran Norlén 114 Bernt Nilsson 115 Arne Carlsson 106 Sverre Harrfeldt 97 Per-Tage Svensson 88 Leif Larsson 89 Rune Sörmander 810 Paul Wissing 811 Per Aulie 612 Nils Paulsen 513 Reidar Eide 414 Cato Agner 2

British Provincial final 22 June, Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh Top 9 riders to British national league round Pos. Rider Points1 Ivan Mauger 142 Eric Boothroyd13 3 George Hunter124 Jack Kitchen 115 Brian Brett 106 Len Silver 97 Peter Vandenberg 98 Maury Mattingley 89 Doug Templeton 7Pos. Rider Points10 Eric Boocock 611 Charlie Monk 612 Reg Luckhurst 513 Ivor Brown514 Ross Gilbertson 315 Clive Featherby 116 Cliff Cox 117 Colin Pratt 0

Continental semi-finals 3 June Abensberger Stadion, Abensberg Top 8 to Continental final Pos. Rider Points1 Josef Hofmeister 152 Boris Samorodov143 Pawel Waloszek 124 Marian Kaiser 105 Luboš Tomíček Sr. 96 Vitalij Sjilo 87 Marian Rose 88 Manfred Poschenreider 89 Franc Babic 810 Bohumír Bartoněk 611 Heinrich Sprenger 612 Marek Kepa 513 Karel Průša 514 Borek Regvart 315 Antonin Novak 316 Alfred Aberl 03 June Army Sports Club Stadium, Lviv Top 8 to Continental final Pos. Rider Points1 Stanisław Tkocz 142 Igor Plekhanov 133 Henryk Żyto 124 Zdeněk Kovář 105 Antonín Kasper Sr.106 Joachim Maj 97 Andrzej Pogorzelski 98 Yuri Chekranov 89 Stanislav Kubicek 710 Mieczyslaw Polukard 611 Farid Szajnurov612 Viktor Kuznecov 513 Miroslav Smid 414 Bronislaw Rogal 315 Jan Holub I (res)316 Edmund Migos 217 Frantisek Ledecky dns

Third round British & Commonwealth national league round Top 16 to British & Commonwealth finals DateVenueWinner2nd3rd 29 JuneBrandon Stadium, Coventry Ron Mountford Doug Templeton Jack Geran 1 JulyWimbledon Stadium, London Mike Broadbanks Ron How Bob Andrews 2 JulyBanister Court Stadium, Southampton Barry Briggs Dick Fisher Peter Craven 4 JulyOxford Stadium, Oxford Peter Craven Barry Briggs Ken McKinlay 5 JulyAbbey Stadium, Swindon Mike Broadbanks Ron How Nigel Boocock 10 JulyHyde Road, Manchester Ken McKinlay Dick Fisher Brian Brett 12 JulyThe Firs Stadium, Norwich Peter Craven Peter Moore Jimmy Gooch

Nordic Final 9 June 1963 Växjö Motorstadion, Växjö First 8 to European Final

Pos. Rider Heat Scores Total1 Ove Fundin 3,3,3,3,3 152 Björn Knutson 123 Göte Nordin 124 Sverre Harrfeldt 115 Arne Carlsson 96 Per Tage Svensson 97 Bernt Nilsson 98 Per Olof Söderman 89 Göran Norlén 810 Timo Laine 811 Rune Sörmander 712 Sören Sjösten 513 Leif Larsson 314 Åke Andersson 215 Kurt W. Petersen 116 Olle Nygren 0R1 Arne Pander 0

Continental Final 23 June 1963 Olympic Stadium, Wrocław First 8 to European Final plus 1 reserve

Fourth round British & Commonwealth Finals Three events with the top 8 accumulated scorers going through to World Final. DateVenueWinner2nd3rd 22 JulyWimbledon Stadium, London Peter Craven Barry Briggs Nigel Boocock 23 JulyBanister Court Stadium, Southampton Barry Briggs Peter Craven Peter Moore 26 JulyThe Firs Stadium, Norwich Barry Briggs Peter Craven Leo McAuliffe Pos. Rider Points1 Peter Craven422 Barry Briggs 413 Nigel Boocock 314 Leo McAuliffe 315 Ron How 296 Jim Lightfoot 277 Dick Fisher 278 Peter Moore26Pos. Rider Points9 Tadeusz Teodorowicz2310 Ron Mountford 1811 Bob Andrews1712 Mike Broadbanks 1513 Cyril Maidment 1314 Ken McKinlay 1215 Neil Street 616 Doug Templeton 2

European Final 28 August 1963 Ullevi, Gothenburg First 8 to World Final

World Final 14 September 1963 Wembley Stadium, LondonBamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing.

References