Benfield Sports International, the London-based marketing company behind the growing success of the Individual Grand Prix series this year, are delighted to announce to the Polish and world-wide media that as of 2001 they will be re-launching the sport’s team World Championship.
The inaugural Speedway World Cup will take place over a seven-day period in Poland next July and will involve five-man teams from 12 nations. Eight countries will be seeded through to the SWC with four more qualifying through preliminary rounds. The first three meetings, from which the winners will progress to the final, will each feature teams from four of the participating countries. The ‘Last Chance Race-off’ and the Final will, for the first time, be contested by five teams with five-man races.
John Postlethwaite, Chief Executive of BSI, said: ‘All major sports, and especially soccer, have the final stages of their team championships taking part in one host country over a specific period of time.
‘We believe speedway should do the same. It will be a celebration, a festival, a fun week of speedway during which we will endeavour to capture the attention of the media and sporting public throughout the world.
‘There will be an opening ceremony at the first meeting and a closing ceremony after the final.’
The teams will be competing for the ‘Ove Fundin Trophy’ named after the Swedish legend who won the inaugural World Team Cup in 1960, as well as going on to win five more Team Championships and five World Individual Championships. Postlethwaite went on: ‘Prize money for the riders will be significantly increased to ensure that all of the top riders in the world participate and this will be confirmed in the coming months.’
While BSI will not announce the actual cities for the meetings until next month, Postlethwaite says the decision to launch the SWC in Poland was an obvious one. ‘Speedway is hugely popular in Poland and they have a wide variety of towns and stadiums suitable for an event such as this.’
BSI believe that July 2001 is the perfect time to launch the new Speedway World Cup as it has a relatively bare calendar as far as major sporting events are concerned. There are no Olympics, no soccer World or European Championships.
Postlethwaite also confirmed that all five meetings will be televised live. He said: ‘We have
agreed a three year deal with Wizja Sport to broadcast all the events live in Poland and also the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Further details of additional broadcaster support will follow.’
BSI added that Chrysalis Sports, the London-based TV production company who have produced pictures from the Grands Prix this year, will handle both the Grand Prix Series and the World Cup from next year.
Neil Duncanson (Managing Director) of Chrysalis, commented: ‘The Speedway World Cup will be a fantastic TV event, and a lot of broadcasters in Britain and Europe are already showing an interest.
BSI are exhibiting the programming of Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup at the upcoming sports television conference, Sportel in Monte Carlo later this year. BSI believe that the growing TV popularity of the Speedway Grand Prix, which is now distributed to over 40 countries, should pave the way for the SWC to enjoy a similar audience.
Grand Prix Race Director Ole Olsen will duplicate his role for the SWC and he says: ‘This is fantastic news for everyone in speedway, including the riders and the fans.
‘A national team competition in all sports is very special and speedway should be no different. Everyone will want to be part of it.
‘There is nothing quite like racing for your country, with your national flag on your body-colour.
‘I have always dreamt of speedway having a World Cup, raced in one country over a one week period. Now, thanks to the efforts of BSI, we are getting one.’
Sweden, winners of the 2000 World Team Cup Final at Coventry last Saturday, will be the top seeds in Poland next year, followed by England (2), the USA (3) and Australia (4). An FIM panel will determine the order of the other seeded countries.
Riders and officials from the top speedway nations have enthusiastically welcomed BSI’s plans for the Speedway World Cup.
England team manager Dave Jessup, still upset at seeing his side lose in a play-off to Sweden, last week said: ‘This is a superb step forward for the team competition.
‘We already know that England will be seeded number two and will race in the second meeting against seeds five and eight plus one of the qualifiers.’
Tony Rickardsson, captain of this year’s world champions, Sweden, said: ‘It sounds great. I am sure a lot of Swedish people will go to Poland to see the finals.’
For further information, please contact: –
The SWC Team
Benfield Sports International
(Tel) +44 207 578 7148
(Fax) +44 207 578 7421
Speedwaygp@benfieldsports.com