1998 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification Explained

1998 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification
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Next:	1999

The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification or GP Challenge was a series of motorcycle speedway meetings used to determine the 16 riders that qualified for the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix^[1] to join the other 8 riders that finished in the leading positions from the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix.^[2]

There was a late change to the qualifying when the Grand Prix increased to 24 permanent riders. Therefore 4 riders would qualify straight from the Intercontinental and Continental finals and 9 riders would qualify through the GP Challenge (originally just 4).^[3] The final 3 GP places would go to wildcards.

Piotr Protasiewicz won the GP Challenge.

Format

• First Round - 5 riders each from Sweden & Denmark, 3 riders each from Finland & Norway to Scandinavian Final
• First Round - 32 riders from Continental quarter finals to Continental semi-finals
• First Round - 8 riders from British final to Overseas Final
• First Round - 4 riders from Australian/New Zealand final to Overseas Final
• First Round - 4 riders from United States final to Overseas Final
• Second Round - 8 riders from Scandinavian final to Intercontinental Final
• Second Round - 8 riders from Overseas final to Intercontinental Final
• Second Round - 16 riders from Continental semi-finals to Continental Final
• Third Round - 7 riders from positions 9-15 from the 1997 Grand Prix to GP Challenge
• Third Round - 2 riders from the Continental Final to 1998 Grand Prix and 4 to GP Challenge
• Third Round - 2 riders from the Intercontinental Final to 1998 Grand Prix and 5 to GP Challenge
• Final Round - 9 riders from the GP Challenge to the 1998 Grand Prix

First round

Continental quarter finals

QF (1 May Terenzano)
width=20	Pos	width=180	Rider	width=40	Points
1		13
2		12
3	Alessandro Dalla Valle	12
4		11
5		11
6		10
7	Andrea Maida	10
8	Izak Šantej	8
9		6
10		5
11		5
12		4
13		4
14		4
15		3
16		2

QF (4 May Czestochowa)
width=20	Pos	width=180	Rider	width=40	Points
1		14
2		13
3	Igor Marko	13
4		12
5		11
6		10
7	Wieslaw Jagus	9
8	Vladimir Trofimov	8
9		7
10		5
11		5
12		4
13		4
14		3
15		1
16		0
17		0
18		0

QF (4 May Ljubljana)
width=20	Pos	width=180	Rider	width=40	Points
1		13
2		13
3	Robbie Kessler	12
4		11
5		11
6		9
7	Gerhard Lekse	9
8	Norbert Magosi	8
9		8
10		7
11		4
12		4
13		4
14		3
15		2
16		1

QF (19 May Abensberg)
width=20	Pos	width=180	Rider	width=40	Points
1		15
2		13
3	Roman Povazhny	11
4		11
5		11
6		10
7	Jacek Gollob	10
8	Sergej Darkin	9
9		8
10		7
11		4
12		4
13		3
14		3
15		1
16		0

Second round

Overseas Final

See main article: 1997 Overseas Final. 8 riders to Intercontinental Final

Scandinavian Final

8 riders to Intercontinental final

(7 Jun 1997 Hyvinkää)
width=20	Pos	width=180	Rider	width=40	Points
1		12
2		12
3	Stefan Dannö	11
4		10
5		10
6		10
7	Frede Schött	10
8	Stefan Andersson	9
9		8
10		8
11		6
12		5
13		3
14		2
15		2
16		1

Continental semi finals

Continental semi-finals - 16 riders from to Continental final

width=50% valign=top	SF 8 June 1997 St. Johann im Pongau District width=25px Pos. width=180px Rider width=40px Points 1 14 2 12 3 Piotr Świst 12 4 10 5 10 6 10 7 Armando Castagna 10 8 Andrea Maida 8 9 8 10 7 11 5 12 4 13 Norbert Magosi 4 14 2 15 2 16 2	width=50% valign=top	SF2 7 June 1997 Pocking width=25px Pos. width=180px Rider width=40px Points 1 14 2 12 3 Tomáš Topinka 11 4 10 5 10 6 10 7 Robert Barth 9 8 Sebastian Ułamek 9 9 9 10 7 11 7 12 5 13 4 14 2 15 1 16 0 17 Jaroslav Gavenda (R) 0
valign=top

Third round

• 7 riders from positions 9-15 from the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix to GP Challenge

Intercontinental Final

See main article: 1997 Intercontinental Final. 2 riders direct to Grand Prix, 5 riders to GP Challenge

Continental Final

• 2 riders direct to Grand Prix, 4 riders to GP Challenge
• 26 July 1997 Lonigo

width=25px	Pos.	width=180px	Rider	width=40px	Points
1		13
2		12
3	Tomáš Topinka	12
4		10
5		9
6		8
7	Antonín Kasper Jr.	8
8	Roman Povazhny	8
9		8
10		6
11		6
12		5
13		5
14		5
15		4
16		1
17		0

Final Round

GP Challenge

4 riders (changed to 9) to 1998 Grand Prix

• 5 October 1997 Wiener Neustadt

width=25px	Pos.	width=180px	Rider	width=40px	Points
1		14
2	Stefan Dannö	13
3		12
4		11
5		9
6		8
7		7
8		7
9		7
10		7
11		6
12		5
13		5
14		4
15		2
16		1
17		1

Notes and References

1. Web site: Individual Championship . Speedway.org . 6 January 2023.
2. Web site: HISTORICAL LIST OF RESULTS 1995-2013 Speedway Grand Prix - Qualifications . Speedway History . 6 January 2023.
3. News: Loram Alone . Cambridge Daily News . 6 October 1997 . 6 January 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .