Josef Franc

{{Infobox Speedway rider

| image = JosefFranc2012.jpg

| caption = Franc in 2012

| name= Josef Franc

| nationality = Czech

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|1|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = Čáslav, Czechoslovakia

| nickname = Pepe

| career1 = Czech Republic

| years2 = 2005-2009, 2011, 2013-2018

| career2 = Olymp Praha

| career3 = Poland

| years4 = 2000

| career4 = Lublin

| years5 = 2002, 2009-2011, 2018

| career5 = Krosno

| years6 = 2007

| career6 = Praha

| years7 = 2013

| career7 = Kraków

| years8 = 2014

| career8 = Daugavpils

| years9 = 2021

| career9 = Wittstock

| career15 = Great Britain

| years16 = 2001, 2003-2004, 2009, 2011

| career16 = Berwick Bandits

| years17 = 2005-2008

| career17 = Newcastle Diamonds

| years18 = 2006

| career18 = Belle Vue Aces

| years19 = 2010

| career19 = Sheffield Tigers

| years20 = 2014

| career20 = Plymouth Devils

| career21 = Sweden

| years22 = 2005

| career22 = Eldarna

| career24 = Denmark

| years25 = 2015

| career25 = Holsted

| indivyear1 = 2017, 2018

| indivhonour1 = Czech Republic champion

| indivyear2 = 1999

| indivhonour2 = Czech Republic Under-21 Speedway Champion

| indivyear3 = 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018

| indivhonour3 = Czech Longtrack Championship

| indivyear4 = 2010

| indivhonour4 = Scottish Open Champion

| teamyear1 = 2022

| teamhonour1 = World Longtrack Team silver

| teamyear2 = 2019

| teamhonour2 = World Longtrack Team bronze

| teamyear3 = 1998, 2003

| teamhonour3 = Czech Republic Div One Champion

}}

Josef Franc (born 18 January 1979) is a Czech former international motorcycle racer who competed in Grasstrack, Longtrack and motorcycle speedway.Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. {{ISBN|0-948882-81-6}}Świat Żużla, No 1 (77) / 2009, pages 58-59 {{ISSN|1429-3285}}{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Rider_Index_2008.pdf |title=2008 Rider index |website=British Speedway |access-date=19 February 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://speedway.com.pl/riders/josef-franc/ |title=Franc, Josef |website=Polish Speedway Database |access-date=19 February 2023}} He earned 8 international caps for the Czech Republic national speedway team{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=26 June 2023}}

Career

In 2001, Franc joined Berwick Bandits along with fellow Czechs Michal Makovský and Adrian Rymel.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005126/20010111/746/0026 |title=Bandits turn to young guns |website=Berwick Advertiser |date=11 January 2001 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 August 2024}}

He has appeared as a wildcard in the 2003 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005126/20030821/463/0032 |title=Life is just grand for wildcard Franc |website=Berwick Advertiser |date=21 August 2003 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 August 2024}} and as a track reserve in the 2007 Czech Republic Speedway Grand Prix, scoring three points from two rides and has represented the Czech Republic national speedway team at senior level.

Franc was the Czech Republic Under-21 Champion in 1999 and was the Czech Republic national champion in 2017 and 2018.{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/indmczechoslowacji.php|title=Individual Czechoslovakian Championship at Zuzla {{sic|Indv|idual|nolink=y}} Czechoslovakian Championship|website=Historia Sportu Zuzlowego|access-date=24 July 2021}}

In 2019, he was part of the Czech team, along with Hynek Štichauer and Martin Málek, that won the bronze medal at the 2019 Team Long Track World Championship.{{cite web|url=https://grasstrackgb.co.uk/world-longtrack-team-cup/|title=World Longtrack Championship|website=GrasstrackGB|access-date=17 July 2021}}

In 2022, he was part of the Czech team, again with Málek and Štichauer, that won the silver medal at the 2022 Team Long Track World Championship.{{cite web|url=https://fim-longtrack.com/results-herxheim-nations/ |title=2022 RESULTS Herxheim – Long Track of Nations |publisher=FIM |access-date=15 July 2023}}

Speedway Grand Prix results

2003, Prague SGP, 0 Points.
2007, Prague SGP, 3 Points.
2012, Prague SGP, 9 Points.

Career details

= World Championships =

Individual World Championship and Speedway Grand Prix
2003 - 45th place (1 pt in one event)
2007 - 28th place (3 pts in one event)
Team World Championship (Speedway World Team Cup and Speedway World Cup)
2003 - 6th place (started in Event 1 only)
2004 - 6th place
2006 - 8th place
2007 - 2nd place in Qualifying round 2
Individual U-21 World Championship
1999 - {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens - did not start as track reserve
2000 - {{flagicon|POL}} Gorzów Wlkp. - 6th place (8 pts)

= European Championships =

Individual European Championship
2002 - {{flagicon|POL}} Rybnik - 14th place (5 pts)
2003 - {{flagicon|CZE}} Slaný - did not start as track reserve
2007 - 13th place in Qualifying Round 3
2008 - {{flagicon|SVN}} Lendava - 6th place (10 pts)
Individual U-19 European Championship
1998 - {{flagicon|SVN}} Krško - 8th place (8 pts)
European Club Champions' Cup
2004 - {{flagicon|SVN}} Ljubljana - 4th place (10 pts)

World Longtrack Championship

Grand-Prix Years

1999 1 app (23rd) 4pts
2010 1 app (18th) 19pts
2011 6 app (13th) 51pts
2012 6 app (Third) 126pts
2013 6 app (4th) 91pts
2014 4 app (10th) 32pts
2015 4 app (5th) 53pts
2016 5 app (7th) 55pts
2017 5 app (Third) 86pts

Best Grand-Prix Results

{{flagicon|NED}} Eenrum Second 2017
{{flagicon|FIN}} Forssa Second 2012
{{flagicon|NED}} Groningen First 2012
{{flagicon|FRA}} Marmande Second 2012
{{flagicon|FRA}} Morizès First 2012, Second 2017
{{flagicon|POL}} Rzeszów Third 2013

Team Championship

2010 {{Flagicon|GER}} Morizès (6th) 9/25pts (Rode with Zdeněk Schneiderwind, Richard Wolff, Pavel Ondrasik).
2011 {{Flagicon|GER}} Scheeßel (4th) 21/36pts (Rode with Aleš Dryml Jr., Richard Wolff, Pavel Ondrasik).
2012 {{Flagicon|FRA}} St. Macaire (5th) 16/30 (Rode with Aleš Dryml Jr., Richard Wolff, Michael Hádek).
2013 {{Flagicon|ENG}} Folkestone (7th) 11/23pts (Rode with Richard Wolff, Karel Kadlec).
2014 {{Flagicon|FIN}} Forssa (6th) 13/23pts (Rode with Richard Wolff, Jan Klatovský).
2015 {{Flagicon|GER}} Mühldorf (6th) 18/30pts (Rode with Richard Wolff, Michal Dudek, Michal Škurla).
2016 {{flagicon|CZE}} Mariánské Lázně (Third) 18/42pts (Rode with Hynek Stichauer, Martin Málek).
2017 {{flagicon|NED}} Roden (4th) 28/43pts (Rode with Hynek Stichauer, Martin Málek).
2018 {{Flagicon|FRA}} Morizès (5th) 20/32pts (rode with Martin Malák, Michal Škurla).