Intercontinental final
{{Short description|International motorcycle speedway competition}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox Sports league
| title = Intercontinental final
(World Championship qualifier)
| current_season =
| image =
| caption =
| sport = Motorcycle speedway
| founded = 1975
| most_champs =
}}
The Intercontinental final was a Motorcycle speedway final sanctioned by the FIM as the final qualifying round for the Speedway World Championship between 1975 and 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.speedway.org/history/index.htm|title=HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK|website=Speedway.org|access-date=4 July 2021}}{{cite book|last=Bott|first=Richard|title=The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4|year=1980|page=101|publisher=Stanley Paul & Co Ltd|isbn=0-09-141751-1}}
After being introduced in 1975, it replaced the European final as the final qualifying round for Commonwealth, American and Nordic riders in 1976.{{cite book|last=Oakes|first=Peter|title=1981 Speedway Yearbook|year=1981|page=22|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-86215-017-5}}
The Intercontinental final was not run from 1991 to 1994 when it was replaced by the World Semi-finals. It returned to the World Championship calendar in 1995, though unlike from 1975 to 1991 riders would be vying for a place in the following years Speedway Grand Prix World Championship series and not for the current year World final.{{cite web|url=http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/2014/02/intercontinental-final.html|title=Intercontinental Final|website=Edinburgh Speedway|access-date=4 July 2021}}
Peter Collins (1976), Ole Olsen (1978) and Bruce Penhall (1981) are the only riders who won the Intercontinental final to go on and win the World Championship in the same year. Collins (1977) and Erik Gundersen (1986) are the only reigning World Champions to win the Intercontinental final.
Editions
| class="wikitable" |
| align=center
|width=80px {{Speedway color|4}} |Year |width=300px {{Speedway color|4}} |Venue |width=210px {{Speedway color|P1}}|Winner |width=210px {{Speedway color|P2}}|Runner-up |width=210px {{Speedway color|P3}}|3rd place |
| align=center| 1975
| {{flagicon|SWE}} Gothenburg Ullevi | {{flagicon|NZL}} Ivan Mauger | {{flagicon|SWE}} Anders Michanek | {{flagicon|SWE}} Bernt Persson |
| align=center| 1976
| {{flagicon|ENG}} London Wembley Stadium | {{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Collins | {{flagicon|NZL}} Ivan Mauger | {{flagicon|AUS}} Phil Crump |
| align=center| 1977
| {{flagicon|ENG}} London White City Stadium | {{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Collins | {{flagicon|DEN}} Ole Olsen | {{flagicon|AUS}} Billy Sanders |
| align=center| 1978
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Fredericia Fredericia Stadion | {{flagicon|DEN}} Ole Olsen | {{flagicon|NZL}} Ivan Mauger | {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Autrey |
| align=center| 1979
| {{flagicon|ENG}} London White City Stadium | {{flagicon|ENG}} Michael Lee | {{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Collins | {{flagicon|DEN}} Finn Thomsen |
| align=center| 1980
| {{flagicon|ENG}} London White City Stadium | {{flagicon|ENG}} Chris Morton | {{flagicon|USA}} Bruce Penhall | {{flagicon|AUS}} Billy Sanders |
| align=center| 1981
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens Vojens Speedway Center | {{flagicon|USA}} Bruce Penhall | {{flagicon|DEN}} Erik Gundersen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen |
| align=center| 1982
| {{flagicon|SWE}} Vetlanda Vetlanda Motorstadion | {{flagicon|ENG}} Les Collins | {{flagicon|ENG}} Kenny Carter | {{flagicon|USA}} Dennis Sigalos |
| align=center| 1983
| {{flagicon|ENG}} London White City Stadium | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen | {{flagicon|ENG}} Michael Lee | {{flagicon|DEN}} Erik Gundersen |
| align=center| 1984
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens Vojens Speedway Center | {{flagicon|USA}} Shawn Moran | {{flagicon|ENG}} Simon Wigg | {{flagicon|USA}} Lance King |
| align=center| 1985
| {{flagicon|SWE}} Vetlanda Vetlanda Motorstadion | {{flagicon|USA}} Shawn Moran | {{flagicon|USA}} Lance King | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen |
| align=center| 1986
| {{flagicon|ENG}} Bradford Odsal Stadium | {{flagicon|DEN}} Erik Gundersen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Tommy Knudsen |
| align=center| 1987
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens Vojens Speedway Center | {{flagicon|DEN}} Erik Gundersen | {{flagicon|SWE}} Jimmy Nilsen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen |
| align=center| 1988
| {{flagicon|SWE}} Vetlanda Vetlanda Motorstadion | {{flagicon|DEN}} Jan O. Pedersen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Erik Gundersen |
| align=center| 1989
| {{flagicon|ENG}} Bradford Odsal Stadium | {{flagicon|ENG}} Kelvin Tatum{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Peter |title=Speedway Yearbook 1990 |year=1990 |pages=7–9 |publisher=Front Page Books |isbn=0-948882-15-8}} | {{flagicon|DEN}} Erik Gundersen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen |
| align=center| 1990
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Harndrup Fjelsted Speedway Stadium | {{flagicon|USA}} Shawn Moran | {{flagicon|SWE}} Per Jonsson | {{flagicon|DEN}} Hans Nielsen |
| 1991-94
! colspan=4 | not held because format changed to World Semi finals |
|---|
| align=center| 1995
| {{flagicon|NOR}} Varhaug Elgane Speedway | {{flagicon|DEN}} Brian Karger | {{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Screen | {{flagicon|AUS}} Leigh Adams |
| align=center| 1996
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Holsted Holsted Speedway Center | {{flagicon|SWE}} Jimmy Nilsen | {{flagicon|DEN}} Brian Andersen | {{flagicon|GER}} Gerd Riss |
| align=center| 1997
| {{flagicon|SWE}} Västervik Ljungheden | {{flagicon|AUS}} Ryan Sullivan | {{flagicon|AUS}} Jason Crump | {{flagicon|AUS}} Craig Boyce |
| align=center| 1998
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens Vojens Speedway Center | {{flagicon|DEN}} Brian Karger | {{flagicon|SWE}} Peter Karlsson | {{flagicon|USA}} Sam Ermolenko |
| align=center| 1999
| {{flagicon|ENG}} Poole Wimborne Road | {{flagicon|AUS}} Todd Wiltshire | {{flagicon|ENG}} Gary Havelock | {{flagicon|FIN}} Kai Laukkanen |
| align=center| 2000
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Holsted Holsted Speedway Center | {{flagicon|SWE}} Niklas Klingberg | {{flagicon|NOR}} Rune Holta | {{flagicon|DEN}} Nicki Pedersen |
| align=center| 2001
| {{flagicon|SWE}} Västervik Ljungheden | {{flagicon|FIN}} Kai Laukkanen | {{flagicon|ENG}} Scott Nicholls | {{flagicon|SWE}} Andreas Jonsson |
= Winners by country =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Country !Wins !class="unsortable"| Winner(s) |
| {{flagicon|DEN}} Denmark
| 7 | Erik Gundersen (2), Brian Karger (2), Ole Olsen (1), Hans Nielsen (1), Jan O. Pedersen (1) |
| {{flagicon|ENG}} England
| 6 | Peter Collins (2), Michael Lee (1), Chris Morton (1), Les Collins (1), Kelvin Tatum (1) |
| {{flagicon|USA}} United States
| 4 | Shawn Moran (3), Bruce Penhall (1) |
| {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden
| 2 | Jimmy Nilsen (1), Niklas Klingberg (1) |
| {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia
| 2 | Ryan Sullivan (1), Todd Wiltshire (1) |
| {{flagicon|NZL}} New Zealand
| 1 | Ivan Mauger (1) |
| {{flagicon|FIN}} Finland
| 2 | Kai Laukkanen (1) |
See also
{{International speedway}}
References
{{Reflist}}