The 2014 Speedway Grand Prix season was the 69th edition of the official World Championship and the 20th season of the Speedway Grand Prix era, deciding the FIM Speedway World Championship. It was the fourteenth series under the promotion of Benfield Sports International, an IMG company. Tai Woffinden was the defending champion from 2013.

Greg Hancock won his third world title, after taking top-five placings in all but one race he contested, including a victory at the British round, in Cardiff. Hancock won the title by eight points ahead of Krzysztof Kasprzak, who was the season's most frequent winner, with three victories. Third place in the championship was decided in a run-off at the final round of the season at Torún in Poland. Three-time world champion Nicki Pedersen and defending champion Woffinden – a winner in back-to-back events in Prague and Målilla, Sweden – finished tied on points, but Pedersen clinched the position after beating Woffinden in the run-off.

Aside from Hancock, Kasprzak and Woffinden, six other riders won rounds during the season. Martin Smolinski was the winner of the opening race in Auckland; it was his first victory in the series. Like Smolinski, Slovenia's Matej Žagar was a first-time winner in the Finnish round at Tampere, en route to a fifth-place finish in the championship. Niels Kristian Iversen and Jarosław Hampel, who finished third and second behind Woffinden in 2013, each won races; Iversen won in Copenhagen while Hampel triumphed at Stockholm. Other winners were Andreas Jonsson in Vojens and Bartosz Zmarzlik, who won on a wildcard appearance, on home soil, at the Edward Jancarz Stadium.

Darcy Ward failed a pre-meeting alcohol breath test before the Latvian Grand Prix and received an immediate ban.

Qualification For the 2014 season there were 15 permanent riders, joined at each Grand Prix by one wild card and two track reserves.

The top eight riders from the 2013 championship qualified automatically. In March 2014, before the start of the season, Emil Sayfutdinov – who finished sixth in 2013 – elected not to compete in 2014 series, because he has failed to recover from serious injuries sustained the previous season. He was replaced by second substitute Troy Batchelor. Those riders were joined by three riders who qualified via the Grand Prix Challenge. Since the winner of the Grand Prix Challenge, Niels Kristian Iversen, had already qualified following his third position in the 2013 championship, fourth-placed Martin Smolinski qualified.

The final four riders were nominated by series promoters, Benfield Sports International, following the completion of the 2013 season. Early in October 2013, former world champion Tomasz Gollob accepted a nomination for the series, but later withdrew from the competition due to unforeseen developments in his sponsorship program. He was replaced by first substitute Chris Harris.

Qualified riders

# Riders 2013 place GP Ch place Appearance Previous appearances in series1 Tai Woffinden 1 — 3rd 2010, 2011, 201333 Jarosław Hampel 2 — 9th 2000–2002, 2004–2007, 2008–2009, 2010–201388 Niels Kristian Iversen 3 1 4th 2004–2005, 2006, 2008, 2009–2010, 201345 Greg Hancock 4 — 20th 1995–20135 Nicki Pedersen 5 — 14th 2000, 2001–201355 Matej Žagar 7 — 4th 2003–2005, 2006–2007, 2008–2009, 2011, 201343 Darcy Ward 8 — 2nd 2011, 2013507 Krzysztof Kasprzak 10 2 3rd 2004–2007, 2008, 2012, 201366 Fredrik Lindgren 11 — 7th 2004, 2006–2007, 2008–201323 Chris Holder 12 — 5th 2010–2013100 Andreas Jonsson 13 — 13th 2001, 2002–201391 Kenneth Bjerre — 3 5th 2004–2008, 2009–201284 Martin Smolinski — 4 1st 200837 Chris Harris 20 5 7th 2003, 2007–2012, 201375 Troy Batchelor — 6 1st 2013

Qualified substitute

The following rider qualified as a substitute due to their result in the Grand Prix Challenge.

# Riders 2013 place GP Ch place19 (19) Michael Jepsen Jensen 21 7

Calendar

The 2014 season consisted of 12 events, just like 2013.

Classification

See also 2014 Individual Speedway Junior World Championship

References

External links