1954 Individual Speedway World Championship

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In the 1954 Individual Speedway World Championship was the ninth edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Ronnie Moore a 21-year-old New Zealander won his first World Championship with a 15-point maximum in front of a 90,000 attendance. He defeated his main rival Olle Nygren in the final heat. Nygren then lost the silver medal ride off to Wembley's teenager Brian Crutcher.[7] Moore's success was made all the more remarkable because he rode the meeting while still recovering from a broken leg.[8] Moore's win made him New Zealand's first ever World Champion in all forms of motor racing.

Qualification

Qualification started on 1 May.[9][10]

Stage 1

Norwegian round

Pos. Rider Points
1 Basse Hveem 15
2 Reidar Kristoffersen 14
3 Sverre Gjömesli 13
4 Odd Johansen 9
5 Erling Simonsen 9
6 Anders Röhme 8
7 Oddvar Gundersgaard 8
8 Rolf Solberg 7
9 Rolf Westerberg 7
10 Nils Kristian Paulsen 6
11 Arne Kristiansen 6
12 Gunnar Dyrseth 5
13 Aage Hansen 5
14 Tore Meiner 5
15 Gunnar Hamsaeter 2
16 Aage W. Jensen 1

Swedish round

  • Top 16 to Swedish final
Pos. Rider Points
1 Rune Sörmander 15
2 Ove Fundin 12
3 Bertil Carlsson II 10
4 Curt Fredlund 9
5 Georg Duneborn 9
6 Rune Stenström 9
7 Per Olof Söderman 8
8 Dan Forsberg 8
9 Lars Pettersson 7
10 Bert Lindarw 6
11 Olle Heyman 6
12 Bernt Nilsson 6
13 Gunnar Johansson 5
14 Gunnar Karlsson 4
15 Ove Bodin 3
16 Ulf Ericsson 2
Pos. Rider Points
1 Olle Nygren 11
2 Olle Segerström 11
3 Allan Nilsson 11
4 Thorsten Carlsson 10
5 Sune Karlsson 10
6 Joel Jansson 10
7 Harry Lindgren 10
8 Evert Hägg 8+3
9 Göte Olsson 8+2
10 Sven Fahlén 7
11 Stig Pramberg 7
12 Birger Forsberg 5
13 Gunnar Hellqvist 4
14
Per-Tage Svensson
 2
15 Göran Norlén 2
16 Jan Johnsson 2

Stage 2

Swedish final

Pos. Rider Points
1 Olle Nygren 14
2 Göte Olsson 12
3 Ove Fundin 12
4 Rune Sörmander 11
5 Dan Forsberg 10
6 Joel Jansson 10
7 Sune Karlsson 10
8 Georg Duneborn 8
9 Per Olof Söderman 8
10 Olle Segerström 7
11 Rune Stenström 6
12 Thorsten Carlsson 4
13 Allan Nilsson 2
14 Bertil Carlsson II 2
15 Evert Hägg 2
16 Harry Lindgren 1

Continental Qualification

Pos. Rider Points
1 Sweden Kjell Carlsson 14+3
2 Austria Josef Kamper 14+2
3 West Germany Josef Hofmeister 14+1
4 Austria Fritz Dirtl 11
5 West Germany Albin Siegl 11
6 Netherlands Thei Bisschops 9
7 Austria Karl Killmeyer 9
8 Austria Josef Seidl 7
9 Sweden Sven Skoglund 5
10 Austria Franz Aigner 5
11 West Germany Fred Aberl 4
12 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Nicola Snjaric 4
13 Austria Leopold Killmeyer 3
14 West Germany Sebastian Wiesent 3
15 West Germany Karl Kiendl 3
16 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Valentin Medved 0

Stage 3

Nordic Final
Pos. Rider Points
1 Sweden Olle Nygren 15
2 Sweden Rune Sörmander 14
3 Sweden Georg Duneborn 12
4 Sweden Sune Karlsson 10
5 Sweden Dan Forsberg 10
6 Sweden Ove Fundin 9
7 Sweden Göte Olsson 9
8 Sweden Joel Jansson 9
9 Norway Reidar Kristoffersen 7
10 Denmark Kiehn Berthelsen 6
11 Denmark Leif Bech 6
12 Norway Aage Hansen 5
13 Norway Werner Lorentzen 4
14 Finland Simo Ylänen 2
15 Finland Kaukko Jousanen 1
16 Norway Erling Simonsen 1

Continental semi-final

Pos. Rider Points
1 Sweden Kjell Carlsson 14
2 West Germany Albin Siegl 12
3 England Bill Kitchen 11
4 Sweden Sven Skoglund 11
5 West Germany Josef Hofmeister 10
6 Sweden Olle Segerström 8
7 England Jack Parker 8
8 Austria Josef Seidl 8
9 Austria Karl Killmeyer 7
10 Netherlands Jan Kesselmans 7
11 Sweden Per Olof Söderman 5
12 Netherlands Hans van der Sluis 5
13 Netherlands Tonny Kroeze 4
14 Netherlands Thei Bisschops 4
15 Netherlands Gerrit Kops 2
16 Netherlands H. van Rijswijk 1

Stage 4

British round

  • Top 24 to Championship Round[11]
Date Venue Winner
1 July Foxhall Stadium Tommy Miller
1 July Oxford Stadium Peter Robinson
5 July County Ground Stadium Goog Hoskin
5 July
Wimborne Road
 Ken Middleditch
6 July Banister Court Stadium Charlie May
8 July Pennycross Stadium Brian McKeown
9 July Knowle Stadium Dick Bradley
9 July Leicester Stadium Ken McKinlay
9 July The Stadium, Motherwell Derek Close
10 July Brandon Stadium Ernie Brecknell
10 July Old Meadowbank Ken McKinlay
10 July Rayleigh Weir Stadium Peter Clark
10 July Abbey Stadium Bob Roger

Continental Final

Pos. Rider Points
1 Sweden Ove Fundin 14
2 Sweden Rune Sörmander 14
3 Sweden Sune Karlsson 12
4 Sweden Olle Nygren 10
5 Sweden Kjell Carlsson 9
6 Austria Fritz Dirtl 9
7 Sweden Joel Jansson 9
8 Sweden Olle Segerström 9
9 England Bill Kitchen 8
10 Sweden Dan Forsberg 7
11 Sweden Göte Olsson 6
12 South Africa Fred Lang 4
13 Sweden Georg Duneborn 3
14 Sweden Sven Skoglund 3
15 Sweden Thorsten Carlsson 2
16 Austria Josef Kamper 1
17 Sweden Per Olof Söderman 1

Stage 5

Championship Round

  • Top 16 qualify for World final, 17th & 18th reserves for World final
Date Venue Winner
14 August Hyde Road Stadium Peter Craven
14 August Perry Barr Stadium Jack Young
16 August Wimbledon Stadium Barry Briggs
18 August Harringay Stadium Split Waterman
21 August The Firs Stadium Aub Lawson
26 August Wembley Stadium Edie Rigg
31 August West Ham Stadium Jack Young
1 September Odsal Stadium Arthur Forrest

Scores

  • Top 16 qualify for World final, 17th-18th reserves for World final
Pos. Rider Total pts
1 Australia Jack Young 29
2 England Peter Craven 28
3 England Eddie Rigg 28
4 Sweden Ove Fundin 26
5 England Brian Crutcher 26
6 New Zealand Ronnie Moore 26
7 New Zealand Geoff Mardon 26
8 Australia Aub Lawson 26
9 England Arthur Forrest 26
10 Australia Jack Biggs 24
11 England Fred Brand 24
12 England Split Waterman 23
13 New Zealand Barry Briggs 23
14 England Tommy Price 23
15 Sweden Olle Nygren 22
16 New Zealand Trevor Redmond 22
17 England Alan Hunt 22
18 Wales Freddie Williams 21
19 England Gerry Hussey 21
20 Wales Eric Williams 19
21 New Zealand Ron Johnston 18
22 England Arthur Wright 17
23 Australia Dick Campbell 17
24 England Dick Bradley 17
25 Sweden Rune Sörmander 16
26 England Cyril Roger 16
27 England Derick Close 16
28 Sweden Sune Karlsson 15
29 England Harry Edwards 15
30 England Bert Roger 15
31 England Tommy Miller 14
32 England Alan Smith 14
Pos. Rider Total pts
33 England Cyril Brine 14
34 Guernsey John Fitzpatrick 13
35 Republic of Ireland Don Perry 13
36 England Ken Sharples 13
37 Scotland Ken McKinlay 12
38 Australia Alan Quinn 12
39 England Fred Rogers 12
40 Wales Ian Williams 12
41 England Bob Roger 11
42 England Peter Robinson 11
43 England Ken Middleditch 11
44 Australia Jack Geran 10
45 Sweden Kjell Carlsson 9
46 England Ron Mountford 9
47 England Dent Oliver 9
48 Sweden Joel Jansson 8
49 England Eric Boothroyd 8
50 England Charlie May 8
51 New Zealand Brian McKeown 8
52 England Jim Lightfoot 9
53 England Pete Lansdale 8
54 Sweden Olle Segerström 7
55 Austria Fritz Dirtl 7
56 England Bob Oakley 7
57 Australia Junior Bainbridge 7
58 England Wally Green 6
59 England Phil Clarke 6
60 England Billy Bales 5
61 England Les McGillivray 4
62 England Jimmy Squibb 4
63 Australia Dick Seers 4
64 Australia Ernie Brecknell 2

World final

Pos. Rider Heat Scores Total
1 New Zealand Ronnie Moore (3,3,3,3,3) 15
2 England Brian Crutcher (3,2,2,3,3) 13+3
3 Sweden Olle Nygren (2,3,3,3,2) 13+2
4 Australia Jack Young (3,1,3,3,1) 11
5 England Split Waterman (2,1,3,1,2) 9
6 New Zealand Barry Briggs (1,2,2,2,2) 9
7 England Eddie Rigg (0,3,2,2,0) 7
8 England Fred Brand (3,1,0,2,1) 7
9 Australia Jack Biggs (1,3,1,1,1) 7
10 England Arthur Forrest (0,1,0,2,3) 5
11 England Tommy Price (1,0,2,0,2) 5
12 New Zealand Geoff Mardon (2,2,1,0,0) 5
13 New Zealand Trevor Redmond (0,2,1,1,1) 5
14 Australia Aub Lawson (2,0,0,2,0) 4
15 England Peter Craven (F,0,0,0,3) 3
16 Sweden Ove Fundin (1,0,1,0,F) 2
R1 England Alan Hunt did not ride –
R2 Wales Freddie Williams did not ride –

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 New Zealand (14) Ronnie Moore 15 3 3 3 3 3 15 1
2 England (6) Brian Crutcher 13+3 3 2 2 3 3 13 2
3 Sweden (11) Olle Nygren 13+2 2 3 3 3 2 13 3
4 Australia (10) Jack Young 11 3 1 3 3 1 11 4
5 England (15) Split Waterman 9 2 1 3 1 2 9 5
6 New Zealand (7) Barry Briggs 9 1 2 2 2 2 9 6
7 England (5) Eddie Rigg 7 0 3 2 2 0 7 7
8 England (4) Fred Brand 7 3 1 0 2 1 7 8
9 Australia (16) Jack Biggs 7 1 3 1 1 1 7 9
10 England (1) Arthur Forrest 5 0 1 0 1 3 5 10
11 England (3) Tommy Price 5 1 0 2 0 2 5 11
12 New Zealand (8) Geoff Mardon 5 2 2 1 0 0 5 12
13 New Zealand (13) Trevor Redmond 5 0 2 1 1 1 5 13
14 Australia (2) Aub Lawson 4 2 0 0 2 0 4 14
15 England (9) Peter Craven 3 - 0 0 0 3 3 15
16 Sweden (12) Ove Fundin 2 1 0 1 0 - 2 16
England (17) Alan Hunt 0 0
Wales (18) Freddie Williams 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

  1. ISBN 0-86215-017-5
    .
  2. ^ "World Championship 1936-1994". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ^ "WORLD FINALS 1936-1994" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. ^ "HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK". Speedway.org. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  6. ^ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Moore Wins World Speedway Title". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 17 September 1954. Retrieved 5 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Profile". Moore Park Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  9. ^ "1954 World Championship". Metal Speedway. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  10. ^ "1954 World Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  11. ^ "104 riders in Wembley bid". Weekly Dispatch (London). 20 June 1954. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Monarchs bid for help went unheeded". Edinburgh Evening News. 1 July 1954. Retrieved 12 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
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