1966 Individual Speedway World Championship Explained

The 1966 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 21st edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

In the final in Göteborg New Zealander Barry Briggs equalled the record of Ove Fundin by winning his fourth World title. Norwegian Sverre Harrfeldt took silver and Pole Antoni Woryna took bronze.[7] Ivan Mauger, a 26-year-old New Zealander who had won the European Final qualifier finished fourth.

Format changes

The format of the Championship changed for the 1966 event. With the final to be held in Sweden, six riders from Sweden would be eligible for the World Final by finishing in the top six of the Swedish finals. The remaining Scandinavian riders were pooled in with the British and Commonwealth riders and then the Continental riders, who ultimately would have only 10 places for the World Final.

Two Swedish finals were held during 1966, the three race qualifying for the World Final and another held on 7 October that was separate from the World Championship.[8] [9]

First round

Qualification results.[10] [11]

British & Commonwealth qualifying

width=100Datewidth=280Venuewidth=180Winnerwidth=1802ndwidth=1803rd
20 MayJack Biggs
20 MayEric Boocock
21 MayNorman Hunter
21 MayBill Andrew
21 MayHyde Road, Manchester Cyril Maidment
21 MayWimbledon Stadium, London Bob Paulson
23 MayMike Broadbank
23 MayTrevor Hedge
24 MayIvan Mauger
24 MayWest Ham Stadium, London Malcolm Simmons
25 MayPeter Moore
25 MayDoug Templeton
26 MayJim Lightfoot
26 MayCharlie Monk
27 MayHackney Wick Stadium, London Ivan Mauger
27 MayPeter Jarman
28 MayColin Gooddy
28 MayColin Pratt
28 MayArne Pander

Second round

British & Commonwealth semi-finals

width=50% valign=top
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 12+3
2 Colin Pratt12+2
3 Mike Broadbank11+3
4 11+2
5 Eric Boocock11+1
6 Dave Younghusband11+0
7 Nigel Boocock10
810
9 Martin Ashby9
10 Cyril Maidment6
11 5
12 Reg Luckhurst4
13 Bill Andrew3
14 Bob Paulson3
15 Eric Boothroyd2
16 Ray Wilson0
17 Ronnie Genz (res)0
width=50% valign=top
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 Barry Briggs15
2 Ron Mountford12
3 Peter Moore10+3
4 Roy Trigg10+2
5 10+1
6 Brian Brett10+0
7 9
8 Ivan Mauger9
9 Terry Betts7
10 Peter Vandenberg6
11 Arne Pander5
12 Jim Lightfoot5
13 4
14 Charlie Monk4
15 Doug Templeton2
16 Colin Gooddy2

Continental qualifying

width=100Datewidth=280Venuewidth=180Winnerwidth=1802ndwidth=1803rd
8 May Andrzej Pogorzelski
8 May Marian Rose
8 May Farid Szajnurov
8 May Antoni Woryna
width=50% valign=top

Norwegian qualifying

width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 15
2 Per Aulie 14
3 Johnny Faafeng13
4 Thorbjorn Nygaard12
5 Rolf Westerberg10
6 Thorbjorn Aulie 10
7 Svein Johnsen 8
8 Ivar Arne Hoffgaard 8
9 Hans R. Gaarder6
10 Olav Aaen6
11 Einar Egedius6
12 Svein Svensrud4
13 Arne Thorbjornsen 2
14 Jan Terje Gravningen2
15 Svein Tollefsen 2
16 Lars Skjellfoss1
width=50% valign=top

Finnish qualifying

  • 30 July 1965
  • Kärpänen Speedway, Lahti
  • Top 3 (+1 seeded) to Nordic final 1966
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 Kalevi Lahtinen 15
2 Matti Olin 14
3 Heikki Kaprali 12
4 Esko Koponen 12
5 Antero Salasto 10
6 Jouko Naskali 9
7 Timo Sinkkonene 8
8 Reima Lohkovuori 8
9 Veikko Vesa 7
10 Eero Mantila 6
11 Reijo Tolviander 6
12 Juhani Taipale 5
13 Toivo Skytta 3
14 Teijo Naskali 3
15 Teuvo Morjavaara 2
16 Martti Myllyntausta 0

Third round

British & Commonwealth Final

Nordic Final

width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 14
2 13
3 12
4 12
5 12
6 8
7 8
8 7
9 7
10 7
11 4
12 4
13 4
14 3
15 2
16 1
17 1

Continental Semi-finals

width=50% valign=top
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 Gennady Kurilenko13
2 Antoni Woryna11
3 Marian Rose10
4 10
5 10
6 10
7 10
89
9 8
10 7
11 6
12 4
13 4
14 3
15 3
16 0
width=50% valign=top
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 14
2 12
3 12
4 10
5 10
6 9
7 Jaroslav Volf 8
88
9
10 Zbigniew Podlecki
11
12
13
14
15
16

Fourth round

Swedish Qualifying

width=50% valign=top
  • 24 April, Gamla Motorstadion, Målilla
  • Top 8 to Swedish final
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 15
2 13
3 13
4 10
5 10
6 8
7 7
8
9 Bo Magnusson 6
10 Therje Henriksson 6
11 Sune Stark 5
12 5
13 Bengt Svensson 5
14 4
15 Arne Hansson 3
16 Sven Sigurd 1
width=50% valign=top
    • 1 May, Gamla Speedway Track, Visby Top 8 to Swedish final
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 14
2 15
3 11
4 10
5 10
6 9
7 9
8 Kurt Westlund 8
9 7
10 7
11 Nils Ringström 5
12 4
13 Yngve Nilsson 3
14 Ryno Westergren 3
15 Sture Lindblom 2
16 Per-Åke Gerhardsson 2
17 Leif Söderberg 1
18 Lars Jansson 1

Continental Final

British/Commonwealth/Scandinavian Final

Fifth round

Swedish Final

width=100Datewidth=250Venuewidth=180Winnerwidth=1802ndwidth=1803rd
31 May Bengt BranneforsBjörn KnutsonKarl-Erik Andersson
1 June Björn KnutsonPer-Olof Söderman Torbjörn Harrysson
2 June Björn KnutsonTorbjörn HarryssonLeif Larsson
width=50% valign=top
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
1 Björn Knutson41
2 Torbjörn Harrysson35
3 Leif Enecrona33
4 Leif Larsson33
5 32
6 Göte Nordin31
7 Bengt Brannefors27
8 Olle Nygren26
9 Gunnar Malmqvist25
width=50% valign=top
width=25pxPos. width=200pxRider width=40pxPoints
10 Bernt Persson18
11 Karl-Erik Andersson14
12 Bengt Larsson13
13 Therje Henriksson7
14 Bo Josefsson5
15 Bengt Jansson4
16 Willy Friberg4
17 Kurt Westlund4
18 Arne Carlsson3

European Final

World Final

Notes and References

  1. Book: Oakes, Peter. 1981 Speedway Yearbook. 1981. 20–21. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. 0-86215-017-5.
  2. Web site: World Championship 1936-1994. Edinburgh Speedway. 9 July 2021.
  3. Web site: WORLD FINALS 1936-1994. Speedway Researcher. 9 July 2021.
  4. Web site: HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK. Speedway.org. 9 July 2021.
  5. Web site: Speedway riders, history and results. wwosbackup. 9 July 2021.
  6. Web site: WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX. British Speedway. 9 July 2021.
  7. News: Miss oakley's title . The Times. 24 September 1966. Gale Primary Sources. 9 July 2021.
  8. Web site: Swedish season. Speedway.org. 9 July 2021.
  9. Web site: World Championship qualifying. Speedway.org. 9 July 2021.
  10. Web site: 1966 World Championship . Metal Speedway . 20 January 2024.
  11. Web site: 1966 World Championship . Speedway.org . 20 January 2024.
  12. Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "1966 Individual Speedway World Championship".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.