The 1961 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 16th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The final was held outside of Wembley and England for the first time when on the 15 September Ove Fundin retained his title in his home country of Sweden. It was the first time a rider had won three titles and Sweden produced a clean sweep of podium places with Björn Knutson and Göte Nordin finishing second and third.[7]
First round
edit
Norwegian qualifyingedit
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Finnish qualifyingedit
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Swedish qualifying
edit- Top 15 to Nordic qualifying
Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
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30 April | Vetlanda Motorstadion, Vetlanda | Ove Fundin | Rune Sörmander | Göran Norlen |
1 May | Gamla Speedway Track, Visby | Ove Fundin | Björn Knutson | Arne Carlsson |
4 May | Nya Ullevi, Gothenburg | Sören Sjösten | Rune Sörmander | Evert Andersson |
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British & Commonwealth qualifying
edit- Top 64 riders to British & Commonwealth 2nd Round
Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
---|---|---|---|---|
22 May | County Ground, Exeter | Eric Hockaday | Jim Lightfoot | Pete Lansdale |
24 May | Wimborne Road, Poole | Maury Mattingley | Tony Lewis | Ken Middleditch |
25 May | Cleveland Park Stadium, Middlesbrough | Dick Campbell | Peter Vandenberg | Geoff Mudge |
26 May | Monmore Green Stadium, Wolverhampton | Graham Warren | Harry Edwards | Eric Hockaday |
26 May | Rayleigh Weir Stadium, Rayleigh | Johnny Fitzpatrick | Gil Goldfinch | Ken Adams |
26 May | Pennycross Stadium, Plymouth | Jack Scott | Tony Lewis | Chris Julian |
27 May | Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh | Jim Lightfoot | Doug Templeton | Dick Campbell |
27 May | Dudley Wood Stadium, Dudley | Harry Bastable | Ivor Brown | Peter Vandenberg |
1 June | Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield | Clive Featherby | Clive Cox | George Hunter |
3 June | Hanley Greyhound Stadium, Hanley | Maury Mattingley | Ken Adams | Stan Stevens |
Continental qualifying
edit- Top 32 to Continental semi-finals
Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
---|---|---|---|---|
28 May | Gwardia Sports Club Stadium, Poznań | Bohumír Bartoněk | Bedřich Slaný | Stanisław Tkocz |
28 May | Pavlovičky Stadion, Liberec | Bronislaw Idzikowski | Farid Szajnurov | Igor Plekhanov |
28 May | Matija Gubec Stadium, Krsko | Konstanty Pociejkewicz | Bohumil Rednek | Henryk Żyto |
28 May | Abensberger Stadion, Abensberg | Josef Hofmeister | Marian Kaiser | Antonín Kasper Sr. |
Second round
editBritish & Commonwealth 2nd round
edit- Top 32 riders to British & Commonwealth semi-finals
Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 July | Wimbledon Stadium, London | Ronnie Moore | Ron How | Jim Tebby |
4 July | Banister Court Stadium, Southampton | Peter Craven | Barry Briggs | Ray Cresp |
5 July | New Cross Stadium, London | Bob Andrews | Split Waterman | Ken McKinlay |
6 July | Oxford Stadium, Oxford | Jack Young | Ronnie Genz | Mike Broadbanks |
6 July | Foxhall Stadium, Ipswich | Peter Moore | Johnny Chamberlain | Ray Cresp |
7 July | Leicester Stadium, Leicester | Ronnie Moore | Ken McKinlay | Danny Dunton |
8 July | Abbey Stadium, Swindon | Cyril Maidment | Tadeusz Teodorowicz | Neil Street |
8 July | Brandon Stadium, Coventry | Peter Moore | Bob Duckworth | Bob Andrews |
8 July | The Firs Stadium, Norwich | Billy Bales | Mike Broadbanks | Split Waterman |
8 July | Hyde Road, Manchester | Peter Craven | Gerald Jackson | Eric Williams |
Nordic Qualifying
edit
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Continental semi-finals
edit
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Third round
editBritish & Commonwealth Semi finals
edit- Top 16 to British final
Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
---|---|---|---|---|
31 July | Wimbledon Stadium, London | Ronnie Moore | Barry Briggs | Bob Andrews |
1 August | Banister Court Stadium, Southampton | Ron How | Peter Craven | Cyril Maidment |
5 August | Hyde Road, Manchester | Ronnie Moore | Doug Davies | Nigel Boocock |
5 August | The Firs Stadium, Norwich | Barry Briggs | Peter Craven | Billy Bales |
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Nordic Final
edit- 11 June 1961
- Gislaved Motorbana, Gislaved
- First 8 to European Final
Pos. | Rider | Total |
---|---|---|
1 | Ove Fundin | 14 |
2 | Arne Pander | 13 |
3 | Björn Knutson | 13 |
4 | Per Tage Svensson | 12 |
5 | Evert Andersson | 10 |
6 | Göte Nordin | 10 |
7 | Leif Larsson | 8 |
8 | Rune Sörmander | 8 |
9 | Göran Norlén | 7 |
10 | Arne Carlsson | 7 |
11 | Soren Sjosten | 6 |
12 | Joel Jansson | 5 |
13 | Bernt Nilsson | 3 |
14 | Timo Laine | 2 |
15 | Rolf Westerberg | 1 |
16 | Curt Eldh | 2 |
R1 | Aage Hansen | dnr |
R1 | Kalevi Lahtinen | dnr |
Continental Final
edit- 23 July 1961
- Slaný Speedway Stadium, Slany
- First 7 to European Final, Josef Bössner seeded to European final
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 | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(2) Florian Kapała | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
(1) Igor Plekhanov | 14 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
(6) Stanisław Tkocz | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | (8) Henryk Żyto | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | (7) Josef Hofmeister | 9 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | (12) Konstanty Pociejkewicz | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | (4) Kaziemirz Bentke | 8 | 1 | X | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | (15) Marian Kaiser | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | X | - | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | (11) Mieczysław Połukard | 7 | X | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | (14) Joachim Maj | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | (16) Antonín Kasper Sr. | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | (10) Bedřich Slaný | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | (9) Stanislaw Rurarz | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | (3) Bronislaw Idzikowski | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | (13) Bohumír Bartoněk | 1 | X | 0 | 0 | E | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | (5) Bernard Kacperak | 1 | 0 | 1 | E | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
R1 | (R1) Stefan Kepa | 0 | 0 | R1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 | 21 |
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 |
Fourth round
editEuropean Final
edit- 26 August 1961
- Praterstadion, Vienna
- First 7 to World Final plus 1 reserve
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 | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(8) Ove Fundin | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
(11) Björn Knutson | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
(3) Igor Plekhanov | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | (4) Rune Sörmander | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | (6) Florian Kapała | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | (12) Stanisław Tkocz | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | (15) Göte Nordin | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | (16) Josef Hofmeister | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | (5) Leif Larsson | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | (9) Henryk Żyto | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | F | - | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | (2) Evert Andersson | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | (10) Per Tage Svensson | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | (14) Göran Norlén | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | (7) Mieczysław Połukard | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | (13) Marian Kaiser | 1 | 1 | F | E | E | 0 | 1 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | (1) Kaziemirz Bentke | 0 | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | 0 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
R1 | (R1) Josef Bössner | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | R1 | ||||||||||||||||||
R2 | (R2) Johan Hartl | 0 | 0 | 0 | R2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | 21 |
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 |
British Final
edit- 2 September 1961
- Wembley Stadium, London
- First 9 to World final plus 1 reserve
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 | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(7) Barry Briggs | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
(3) Peter Craven | 14 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
(12) Ronnie Moore | 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | (5) Ken McKinlay | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | (1) Ron How | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | (4) Bob Andrews | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | (16) Ray Cresp | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | (15) Mike Broadbanks | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | (14) Cyril Maidment | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | (9) Ronnie Genz | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | (6) Jack Young | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | (11) Doug Davies | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | (8) Neil Street | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | (2) Peter Moore | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | (10) Jack Scott | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | (13) Nigel Boocock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
R1 | (R1) Chum Taylor | 0 | 0 | R1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
R2 | (R2) Split Waterman | 0 | 0 | R2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 | 21 |
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 |
World Final
edit- 15 September 1961
- Malmö Stadion, Malmö[10]
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 | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(6) Ove Fundin | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
(4) Björn Knutson | 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | F | 3 | 12 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
(13) Göte Nordin | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
4 | (15) Barry Briggs | 12 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
5 | (2) Bob Andrews | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
6 | (16) Ronnie Moore | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
7 | (3) Florian Kapała | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
8 | (7) Rune Sörmander | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
9 | (9) Ron How | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
10 | (8) Peter Craven | 6 | F | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
11 | (10) Ken McKinlay | 5 | 3 | F | 1 | 1 | E | 5 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
12 | (12) Cyril Maidment | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
13 | (1) Igor Plekhanov | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
14 | (5) Ray Cresp | 3 | F | 1 | 0 | F | 2 | 3 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
15 | (11) Stanisław Tkocz | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
16 | (14) Mike Broadbank | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||
R1 | (R1) Jack Young | 0 | 0 | R1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
R2 | (R2) Leif Larsson | 0 | 0 | R2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 | 21 |
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
edit- ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
- ^ "World Championship 1936-1994". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "World Finals 1936-1994" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "History Speedway and Longtrack". Speedway.org. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "World Individual Final – Rider Index". British Speedway. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Ove Fundin Retains Speedway Title". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 16 September 1961. Retrieved 7 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1961 World Championship". Metal Speedway. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "1961 World Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5