1989 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1989 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 45th Speedway World Championship held since it was first held in 1936. It was the second time the championship was held in West Germany after previously being held in Norden in 1983.
Summary
The World Final was held at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Hans Nielsen made up for his 1988 run-off defeat to fellow Dane Erik Gundersen by scoring a 15-point maximum to take his 3rd World Championship. Neilsen joined Ove Fundin (Sweden), Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger (New Zealand), Ole Olsen and Erik Gundersen (Denmark), as a three time Speedway World Champion.
Simon Wigg from England finished second with the slick, 400 metres (440 yards) track suiting his long track style. Wigg defeated fellow Englishman Jeremy Doncaster in a run-off for second and third places.
In what would prove to be his last World Final before his career ending crash in the World Team Cup Final at the Odsal Stadium in England just two weeks later, Erik Gundersen finished in fourth place. His chances of an outright second-place finish (after having finished second behind Nielsen in Heat 4) ended when his bike's engine seized while leading heat 9 causing him to not finish the race. In a sad twist, it was also seized engine in Heat 1 of the World Team Cup Final that would cause Gundersen's career ending crash.
Australian rider Troy Butler had a lucky passage to the World Final. After finishing fourth in the Australian Championship, he replaced countryman Jamie Fagg in the Commonwealth Final, finishing eighth to qualify for the Overseas Final. He then finished tenth in the Overseas Final to be the first reserve for the Intercontinental Final. He then got a start in the Intercontinental Final at Bradford when Overseas champion Sam Ermolenko injured his back in a horrific Long track motorcycle racing crash and was forced to withdraw (the American would be out for over 6 months). Butler would finish twelfth in the IC Final to become a reserve for the World Final where he once again came in as an injury replacement when Dane Jan O. Pedersen was forced to pull out. The 1986 Australian Champion ultimately finished twelfth in Munich, finishing with 4 points (two second places) from his 5 rides.
Overseas Series
New Zealand Qualification
- First 3 from New Zealand final to Commonwealth final
| Date | Venue | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place | |
|---|
| South Island Final |
| ?? |
 Nelson Speedway | Mark Thorpe | ?? | ?? |
|
| North Island Final |
| ?? |
Wanganui Speedway | Gary Allan | ?? | ?? |
|
| New Zealand Final |
| ?? |
Western Springs Stadium | Larry Ross | Gary Allan | Mark Thorpe |
|
Australian Qualification
- First 3 from Australian final to Commonwealth final
Swedish Qualification
Swedish Final
| Pos. | Rider | Scores | Total |
|---|
| 1 |  Per Jonsson | 13+15+14 | 42 |
| 2 | Mikael Blixt | 13+13+11 | 37 |
| 3 | Jan Andersson | 11+12+11 | 34 |
| 4 | Jimmy Nilsen | 14+11+8 | 33 |
| 5 | Erik Stenlund | 9+10+13 | 32 |
| 6 | Tony Olsson | 11+8+11 | 30 |
| 7 | Niklas Karlsson | 7+8+9 | 24 |
| 8 | Peter Karlsson | 8+9+5 | 22 |
| 9 | Christer Rohlén | 6+6+8 | 20 |
| 10 | Conny Ivarsson | 8+4+7 | 19 |
| 11 | Dennis Löfqvist | 5+7+3 | 15 |
| 12 | Mikael Teurnberg | 1+4+10 | 15 |
| 13 | Mikael Ritterwall | 6+1+3 | 10 |
| 14 | Peter Nahlin | 4+6+ns | 10 |
| 15 | Tommy Nilsson | 3+5+0 | 8 |
| 16 | Kenneth Lindby | ns+ns+5 | 5 |
| 17 | Tommy Lindgren | 1+1+ns | 2 |
Danish Final
British Final
American Final
Commonwealth Final
*Mitch Shirra and Darren Wilson replaced Larry Ross and Mark Thorpe. Troy Butler replaced Jamie Fagg.
Nordic Final
Overseas Final
* Rick Miller replaced Shawn Moran. Bobby Schwartz came in as the reserve rider
Continental Final
- August 12
Debrecen, Debrecen Speedway- First 5 to World final plus 1 reserve
Intercontinental Final
*Troy Butler replaced the injured Sam Ermolenko. Martin Dugard came in as the reserve rider.
World final
| Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
|---|
| 1 |  Hans Nielsen | (3,3,3,3,3) | 15 |
| 2 |  Simon Wigg | (1,3,3,3,2) | 12+3 |
| 3 | Jeremy Doncaster | (3,2,1,3,3) | 12+2 |
| 4 | Erik Gundersen | (2,3,R,3,3) | 11 |
| 5 | Kelvin Tatum | (3,3,2,2,Fx) | 10 |
| 6 | Mitch Shirra | (2,2,3,2,1) | 10 |
| 7 |  Andy Smith | (1,2,2,2,3) | 10 |
| 8 | Tony Olsson | (1,1,3,1,2) | 8 |
| 9 |  Gerd Riss | (3,1,1,0,Fx) | 5 |
| 10 |  Roman Matousek | (0,2,0,1,2) | 5 |
| 11 | Karl Maier | (2,1,1,0,1) | 5 |
| 12 |  Troy Butler* | (2,0,2,0,0) | 4 |
| 13 |  Olli Tyrväinen | (0,0,2,0,2) | 4 |
| 14 |  Ronnie Correy | (0,0,1,2,1) | 4 |
| 15 | Zoltán Adorján | (1,1,0,1,1) | 4 |
| 16 | Bohumil Brhel | (0,0,0,1,0) | 1 |
| R1 | Andy Grahame | did not ride | - |
| R2 | Jozsef Petrikovics | did not ride | - |
|
* Troy Butler replaced the injured Jan O. Pedersen. Andy Grahame came in as the reserve rider.
Classification
| 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 |
| 1 |
(13) Hans Nielsen |
15 |
|
|
|
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
15 |
1 |
| 2 |
(7) Simon Wigg |
12+3 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
12 |
2 |
| 3 |
(1) Jeremy Doncaster |
12+2 |
3 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
12 |
3 |
| 4 |
(16) Erik Gundersen |
11 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
e |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
10 |
4 |
| 5 |
(11) Kelvin Tatum |
10 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Fx |
10 |
5 |
| 6 |
(3) Mitch Shirra |
10 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
10 |
6 |
| 7 |
(4) Andy Smith |
10 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
3 |
10 |
7 |
| 8 |
(15) Tony Olsson |
8 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
8 |
8 |
| 9 |
(8) Gerd Riss |
5 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
Fx |
|
|
|
5 |
9 |
| 10 |
(14) Roman Matousek |
5 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
5 |
10 |
| 11 |
(5) Karl Maier |
5 |
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
5 |
11 |
| 12 |
(12) Troy Butler |
4 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
2 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
4 |
12 |
| 13 |
(9) Olli Tyrväinen |
4 |
|
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
2 |
|
|
4 |
13 |
| 14 |
(6) Ronnie Correy |
4 |
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
1 |
|
4 |
14 |
| 15 |
(10) Zoltán Adorján |
4 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
4 |
15 |
| 16 |
(2) Bohumil Brhel |
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
1 |
16 |
|
(17) Andy Grahame |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
(18) Jozsef Petrikovics |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
| 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 |
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
- ↑ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
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| Speedway World Championship | | |
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| Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) | |
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| See also | |
|---|
Shawn Venables 
Lars Gunnestad 
Rif Saitgareev 
Ryszard Dolomisiewicz 
) Henry van den Boomen