Jerzy Szczakiel
Encyclopedia
Jerzy Szczakiel is a Speedway
rider. He is one of two Polish nationales to win the Speedway World Championship
, the other being 2010 Speedway Grand Prix
champion Tomasz Gollob
.
Szczakiel first rode in the World Final in 1971
at the Ullevi Stadium
in Gothenburg
, Sweden
where he failed to score in his five rides. Szczakiel's next (and last) World Final was in 1973
at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów
, Poland
. In front of the largest crowd in world speedway history (estimated to be around 130,000), he scored 13 points, winning his first 3 rides and finishing 2nd in his last two. He won the title after a run-off with the defending champion
Ivan Mauger
of New Zealand
after both riders tied on 13 points. Mauger fell in the run-off, leaving Szczakiel to finish unchallenged and win the championship. Fellow countryman Zenon Plech
finished third.
Szczakiel was also winner of the World Pairs Championship
with Andrzej Wyglenda
in 1971. He scored 15 points in the final, held at the Rybnik Municipal Stadium in Rybnik
, Poland.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
rider. He is one of two Polish nationales to win the Speedway World Championship
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
, the other being 2010 Speedway Grand Prix
2010 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2010 Speedway Grand Prix season was the 16th season of the Speedway Grand Prix era, and decided the 65th FIM Speedway World Championship. It was the tenth series under the promotion of Benfield Sports International, an IMG company...
champion Tomasz Gollob
Tomasz Gollob
Tomasz Gollob is a Polish motorcycle speedway rider who has appeared in every Speedway Grand Prix series since its inaugural season in 1995. His brother Jacek is also a speedway rider.-Career summary:...
.
Szczakiel first rode in the World Final in 1971
1971 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1971 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 10, 1971 Göteborg, UlleviNote : Vladimir Gordeev was disqualified after illegal additives were found in his fuel.-Heat by Heat Classification:...
at the Ullevi Stadium
Ullevi
Ullevi is a stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The stadium was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then Ullevi has also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1983 and 1990, the UEFA Euro 1992...
in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
where he failed to score in his five rides. Szczakiel's next (and last) World Final was in 1973
1973 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1973 Individual Speedway World Championship.The 1973 World Final was won by Polish rider Jerzy Szczakiel following a run-off in with defending champion Ivan Mauger after both riders had finished on 13 points. In the run-off Mauger fell in turn 3 after trying a risky passing move leaving...
at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów
Chorzów
Chorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In front of the largest crowd in world speedway history (estimated to be around 130,000), he scored 13 points, winning his first 3 rides and finishing 2nd in his last two. He won the title after a run-off with the defending champion
1973 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1973 Individual Speedway World Championship.The 1973 World Final was won by Polish rider Jerzy Szczakiel following a run-off in with defending champion Ivan Mauger after both riders had finished on 13 points. In the run-off Mauger fell in turn 3 after trying a risky passing move leaving...
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger, OBE, MBE, is a retired motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships, a feat only equalled by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
after both riders tied on 13 points. Mauger fell in the run-off, leaving Szczakiel to finish unchallenged and win the championship. Fellow countryman Zenon Plech
Zenon Plech
Zenon Plech is a former Polish international motorcycle speedway rider.He finished third in the Speedway World Championship in 1973 and then runner-up in 1979.-Career summary:...
finished third.
Szczakiel was also winner of the World Pairs Championship
Speedway World Pairs Championship
The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994 it was merged with the World Team Cup.- Rules :...
with Andrzej Wyglenda
Andrzej Wyglenda
Andrzej Wyglenda is a former Polish motorcycle speedway rider who has won 1971 Speedway World Pairs Championship and Speedway World Team Cup three times. He was won Individual Polish Champion title four times...
in 1971. He scored 15 points in the final, held at the Rybnik Municipal Stadium in Rybnik
Rybnik
Rybnik is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship. Rybnik is located close to the border with the Czech Republic and just outside the southern border of the largest urban area in Poland, the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union...
, Poland.
World Final Appearances
- 19711971 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1971 Individual Speedway World Championship.-World final:*September 10, 1971 Göteborg, UlleviNote : Vladimir Gordeev was disqualified after illegal additives were found in his fuel.-Heat by Heat Classification:...
-
Sweden Göteborg, UlleviUlleviUllevi is a stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The stadium was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then Ullevi has also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1983 and 1990, the UEFA Euro 1992...
- 15th - 0pts - 19731973 Individual Speedway World ChampionshipThe 1973 Individual Speedway World Championship.The 1973 World Final was won by Polish rider Jerzy Szczakiel following a run-off in with defending champion Ivan Mauger after both riders had finished on 13 points. In the run-off Mauger fell in turn 3 after trying a risky passing move leaving...
-
Poland ChorzówChorzówChorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
, Silesian Stadium - winner - 13pts+3pts