What is the FIM, CCP and UEM?

The Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM) is the international governing body of two and three-wheeled motor sport. Its membership is comprised of national motor sport organisations (e.g. the ACU in Britain and PZM in Poland) who meet annually in a General Assembly to elect officials, determine the annual budget, approve statutes, create or dissolve FIM bodies, and determine the general policy of the organisation.

There are also a number of FIM Commissions that administer the various motorcycling disciplines. The Commission de Courses sur Pistes (CCP) is responsible for track racing which includes speedway, longtrack, grasstrack and ice racing. It consists of fifteen members (each representing a different country) elected by the General Assembly who meet twice a year. The CCP defines the track racing regulations and runs the respective World Championships.

In 1997, the FIM decided to create continental motorcycle unions to which certain activities would be delegated. The Union Europeéns de Motorcyclisme (UEM) is one such organisation and is responsible for running the various European track racing competitions.

More information can be obtained from the FIM Web Site.

What is the format of the World Individual Speedway Championship?

The Grand Prix Series was introduced in 1995 after several years of discussion and an additional delay of a year. This replaced the traditional one-off World Final which, the FIM argued, could no longer attract television coverage or sponsorship deals. Attendances were also on the decline and were not helped by the fact that the major countries only staged a World Final once every five years. It was felt that a series would renew spectator interest as the major countries would all stage the equivalent of a World Final each year, and it would be possible to hold a GP in a country that was not previously on the World Final rota.

There are six Grand Prix (GP) held between May and September, plus a number of qualifying rounds for riders looking to compete in the following season's Series. These are currently staged in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Great Britain, Poland and Sweden, with the remaining GP being staged by a different nation every year (Germany in 2001).

It was originally envisaged that the number of GPs would eventually be increased to eight, or even twelve, with rounds also being held in Australia, South Africa and the USA. The FIM even considered the possibility of staging GPs in non-speedway countries such as Spain and Malaysia in order to extend the boundaries of the sport. Sadly, after a fairly successful first season, the Series struggled to attract sponsors even with television coverage from Sky Sports.

For 1998, in order to generate wider interest and make the GPs more exciting for television, the number of participants in each round was increased from eighteen to twenty-four and a new controversial knockout format was introduced. These changes were generally well received, and a contract for the television and marketing rights was subsequently signed with BSI. This is reportedly worth USD 25 million over five years, and raises the possibility of the Series expanding beyond Europe.

Grand Prix Series

The non-qualifying riders from the GP Challenge become standby reserves in order of their finishing positions. In the event of a rider withdrawing from a GP prior to the day of the meeting, a standby reserve takes their place and assumes the status of a GP rider until the original rider is able to return.

GP riders are allocated a riding number that appears on their race jackets and bikes throughout the series. The final classification from the previous season's competition is used to determine these numbers, starting with the World Champion at No.1, the runner-up at No.2, and so on (except that Nos. 23 and 24 are allocated to the wildcard riders)..

Each GP consists of twenty-four heats divided into three events. Sixteen riders compete in the Pre-Main Event that is run over ten heats. Eight riders then progress to the Main Event where they meet eight seeded riders; and which is also run over ten heats. Both events use a repechage format that eliminates riders finishing in third or fourth place more than once.

Eight riders from the Main Event progress on to the Final Event where they are drawn into Semi-Finals that are run on a straight knockout basis. The top two riders from each Semi-Final compete in the Grand Final, whilst the third and fourth placed riders compete in the Consolation Final.

The draw positions for the first GP are determined by the riding numbers. For subsequent GPs they are determined by the final placings in the previous GP. The heats are then scheduled as follows:

Heat	Red  (Gate A)	Blue  (Gate B)	White  (Gate C)	Y/B  (Gate D)
Pre-Main Event
1:	Draw No.9	Draw No.16	Draw No.17	Draw No.24
2:	Draw No.10	Draw No.15	Draw No.18	Draw No.23
3:	Draw No.11	Draw No.14	Draw No.19	Draw No.22
4:	Draw No.12	Draw No.13	Draw No.20	Draw No.21
5:	3rd Heat 1	3rd Heat 3	4th Heat 2	4th Heat 4
6:	3rd Heat 2	3rd Heat 4	4th Heat 1	4th Heat 3
7:	1st Heat 1	1st Heat 3	2nd Heat 2	2nd Heat 4
8:	1st Heat 2	1st Heat 4	2nd Heat 1	2nd Heat 3
9:	3rd Heat 7	4th Heat 8	1st Heat 5	2nd Heat 6
10:	3rd Heat 8	4th Heat 7	1st Heat 6	2nd Heat 5
Main Event
11:	Draw No.1	Draw No.8	1st Heat 7	2nd Heat 10
12:	Draw No.2	Draw No.7	1st Heat 8	2nd Heat 9
13:	Draw No.3	Draw No.6	2nd Heat 7	1st Heat 10
14:	Draw No.4	Draw No.5	2nd Heat 8	1st Heat 9
15:	3rd Heat 11	3rd Heat 13	4th Heat 12	4th Heat 14
16:	3rd Heat 12	3rd Heat 14	4th Heat 11	4th Heat 13
17:	1st Heat 11	1st Heat 13	2nd Heat 12	2nd Heat 14
18:	1st Heat 12	1st Heat 14	2nd Heat 11	2nd Heat 13
19:	1st Heat 15	2nd Heat 16	3rd Heat 17	4th Heat 18
20:	1st Heat 16	2nd Heat 15	3rd Heat 18	4th Heat 17
Final Event
21: SF	1st Heats 17 & 19, 2nd Heats 18 & 20
22: SF	1st Heats 18 & 20, 2nd Heats 17 & 20
23: CF	3rd Heats 21 & 22, 4th Heats 21 & 22
24: GF	1st Heats 21 & 22, 2nd Heats 21 & 22

In the Pre-Main and Main Events, riders take the starting gate positions indicated. Gate A is on the inside of the track, whilst Gate D is on the outside.

For the Semi-Finals, the winners of Heats 17 and 18 have first choice of gate positions, the second-placed riders in Heats 17 and 18 have second choice, the winners of Heats 19 and 20 have third choice, whilst the second-placed riders in Heats 19 and 20 take the remaining positions.

For the Grand and Consolation Finals, the higher-placed riders in the Semi-Finals have first and second choice of gate positions, whilst the lower-placed riders have third and fourth choice (the competitor with the lowest riding number in each category chooses first).

GP points and prize money are awarded as follows:

Final Placing	Points	Prize Money  (USD)
1st in Heat 24	25	10,250
2nd in Heat 24	20	7,450
3rd in Heat 24	18	6,250
4th in Heat 24	16	5,750
1st in Heat 23	15	5,250
2nd in Heat 23	14	4,750
3rd in Heat 23	12	4,550
4th in Heat 23	10	4,250
3rd in Heats 19 & 20	8	3,250
4th in Heats 19 & 20	7	2,850
3rd in Heats 15 & 16	6	2,650
4th in Heats 15 & 16	5	2,600
3rd in Heats 9 & 10	4	1,750
4th in Heats 9 & 10	3	1,700
3rd in Heats 5 & 6	2	1,600
4th in Heats 5 & 6	1	1,600

Where riders are awarded equal points, the rider with the lowest riding number is placed higher for the purpose of determining the draw positions in the next GP.

Points accumulated over all GPs determine the final classification. The rider with the greatest number of points is declared World Champion. In addition, the top ten riders automatically qualify for the 2002 GP Series, whilst the 11th to 22nd placed riders must compete in the GP Challenge. Standby reserves or wildcard riders are not taken into consideration when determining the qualifying places.

A runoff is held if two or more riders are tied for 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 10th place. If there are ties for other places, the rider with the lowest riding number is placed higher.

Qualifying Rounds

Continental Section - (Europe excluding Great Britain and Scandinavia)

Qualifying Rd (8Q+1R) \
                       -> Semi-Final (8Q+1R) \
Qualifying Rd (8Q+1R) /                       \
                                               -> Final (5Q)
Qualifying Rd (8Q+1R) \                       /
                       -> Semi-Final (8Q+1R) /
Qualifying Rd (8Q+1R) /

    Overseas Final (8Q+1R) \
                            -> Intercontinental Final (6Q)
Scandinavian Final (8Q+1R) /

The top six riders in the Intercontinental Final, the top five riders in the Continental Final, and the World Junior Champion qualify for the GP Challenge where they meet the 11th to 22nd placed riders from the 2001 GP Series. The non-qualifying riders become standby reserves for the GP Challenge in order of their finishing positions.

The GP Challenge consists of twenty-four competitors and uses the same heat format as the GPs. Unlike previous years, only the top six riders qualify for the 2002 GP Series. The remaining eight riders, including up to four wildcard riders per GP, will be nominated by the GP Permanent Bureau.

At least one rider in each round must be from the host nation (to encourage local interest). Should no home riders qualify for the later rounds by right, the highest-placed rider in the competition is seeded through. In this event, one less rider qualifies from the previous round on the seeded rider's side of the draw.

2001 Rider Allocations

                       OF   SF   CQA  CQB  CQC  CQD  Ttl
Australia     (MA)      5    -    -    -    -    -    5
Austria       (ÖAMTC)   -    -    1    -    2    -    3
Canada        (CMA)     1    -    -    -    -    -    1
Croatia       (HMS)     -    -    -    1    -    -    1
Czech Rep.    (ACCU)    -    -    2    2    1    3    8
Denmark       (DMU)     -    5    -    -    -    -    5
Estonia       (EMF)     -    -    -    1    -    -    1
Finland       (SML)     -    3    -    -    -    -    3
France        (FFM)     -    -    -    -    -    4    4
Germany       (DMSB)    -    -    2    3    -    4    9
Great Britain (ACU)     6    -    -    -    -    -    6
Hungary       (MAMS)    -    -    1    2    3    -    6
Italy         (FMI)     -    -    3    -    2    -    5
Latvia        (LaMSF)   -    -    -    1    2    -    3
Netherlands   (KNMV)    -    -    -    -    2    -    2
Norway        (NMF)     -    3    -    -    -    -    3
Poland        (PZM)     -    -    2    2    2    3    9
Russia        (MFR)     -    -    2    2    -    -    4
Slovakia      (SMF)     -    -    -    2    -    -    2
Slovenia      (AMSZ)    -    -    1    -    2    2    5
Sweden        (SVEMO)   -    5    -    -    -    -    5
Ukraine       (FMU)     -    -    2    -    -    -    2
USA           (AMA)     4    -    -    -    -    -    4
Track Res.    (FMNR)    2    2    2    2    2    2   12

What is the format of the Speedway World Cup?

The Speedway World Cup was inaugurated in 2001 as a replacement for the World Team Speedway Championship. It represents a departure from the traditional format of one-off meetings as a Final Tournament will be held in one country for the first time. The aim is to restore the competition to its former prestigious status and is the result of BSI obtaining the television and marketing rights through their contract with the FIM.

The World Team Speedway Championship had itself been created in 1994 following the amalgamation of the World Team Cup and the World Pairs Championship. When the World Individual Speedway Championship was revamped, it became clear that at least one of the team competitions would have make way for the proposed Grand Prix rounds.

The World Team Cup had been established since 1960, but attendances had continually declined throughout the Nineties. It was also felt that the Four Team Tournament format meant smaller nations had difficulty fielding competitive teams. The World Pairs Championship on the other hand, was much more popular. With seven teams in each round, it could attract seven groups of supporters and the format also facilitated proper team racing. With the introduction of reserves from 1991 (after the 1990 Final was reduced to a farce when both Great Britain and Germany lost a rider early in the meeting), the title World Pairs Championship had become a bit of a misnomer anyway. As a result, the pairs format was retained for the new team competition, but the system of qualifying rounds was based on that used for the World Team Cup.

The new competition was generally considered to be an improvement, but it did not prove popular with some of the major nations who felt the enhanced pairs format was not a true team championship. In addition, the refusal of many top riders to participate in the 1996 event as a protest over the introduction of solid block tyres, meant the competition was somewhat devalued. As a consequence, Australia, Great Britain and the USA withdrew from the subsequent competitions in 1997 and 1998.

These problems were acknowledged and another new format was introduced in 1999. This increased the number of riders in each team, yet still retained the advantages of the pairs format. It lasted for two seasons with some success until the Speedway World Cup was introduced as part of the FIM-BSI agreement.

The competition is held annually and the top eight teams from the previous season are seeded directly to the Final Tournament.

A further eight teams are drawn into two Preliminary Rounds which are each held as a single meeting in different countries. The top two teams in each round qualify for the Final Tournament. See 'What are the rules for Four Team Tournaments?' for further details on how these rounds are run (the twenty-heat format is used).

Preliminary Round 1: Slovenia, Russia, Italy, Ukraine
Preliminary Round 2: Hungary, Norway, Finland, Italy

The Final Tournament consists of five meetings held over a week. The twelve qualified teams are drawn into three Qualifying Rounds. The top team in each round progresses directly to the Final, with the runner-up in each round and the two highest scoring losers entering the Last Chance. The top two teams in this round also progress to the Final.

Qualifying Round 1: Poland, Great Britain, Germany, Qualifier from Preliminary Round
Qualifying Round 2: Sweden, Denmark, 2 Qualifiers from Preliminary Round
Qualifying Round 3: United States, Australia, Czech Republic, Qualifier from Preliminary Round.

The Qualifying Rounds comprise four teams of five riders each. The Last Chance and Final comprise five teams of five riders each. Riders are numbered 1 to 5 and there are no reserves.

Team A wears the red helmet colour, Team B wears the blue helmet colour, Team C wears the white helmet colour, Team D wears the yellow/black helmet colour, whilst Team E wears the green helmet colour.

The heat format for the Qualifying Rounds is determined as follows:

Heat	Gate A	Gate B	Gate C	Gate D
1:	C4	B1	A4	D2
2:	B2	A3	D1	C3
3:	A2	C1	B4	D3
4:	B3	A1	D4	C2
5:	A5	B5	C5	D5
6:	C1	D4	B2	A4
7:	A3	C2	D3	B1
8:	D1	C4	B3	A2
9:	C3	D2	A1	B4
10:	C5	D5	A5	B5
11:	B4	A4	C2	D1
12:	D2	B3	C1	A3
13:	B1	C3	A2	D4
14:	D3	B2	C4	A1
15:	D5	C5	B5	A5
16:	D4	B4	A3	C4
17:	A4	D3	C3	B3
18:	C2	A2	D2	B2
19:	A1	D1	B1	C1
20:	B5	A5	D5	C5
21: 4th HS	C*	D*	A*	B*
22: 3rd HS	A*	C*	B*	D*
23: 2nd HS	D*	B*	C*	A*
24: HS	B*	A*	D*	C*

The heat format for the Last Chance and Final is determined as follows:

Heat	Gate A	Gate B	Gate C	Gate D	Gate E
1:	E1	C1	B1	D1	A1
2:	A2	B2	C2	D2	E2
3:	A3	E3	D3	B3	C3
4:	B4	E4	D4	A4	C4
5:	D5	C5	A5	E5	B5
6:	B5	E2	C4	A1	D3
7:	B1	D4	E3	A2	C5
8:	B2	A3	D5	E4	C1
9:	A4	E5	D1	C2	B3
10:	D2	C3	E1	A5	B4
11:	C3	A1	E5	D4	B2
12:	B3	C4	A2	E1	D5
13:	C5	D1	E2	B4	A3
14:	C1	B5	A4	E3	D2
15:	A5	C2	E4	D3	B1
16:	A1	D2	B3	C5	E4
17:	E5	D3	B4	C1	A2
18:	C2	E1	A3	B5	D4
19:	E2	D5	C3	B1	A4
20:	D1	A5	B2	C4	E3
21:	E3	B4	A1	D5	C2
22:	E4	A2	B5	C3	D1
23:	C4	B1	D2	A3	E5
24:	D3	A4	C5	B2	E1
25:	D4	B3	C1	E2	A5

Riders take the starting gate positions indicated. Gate A is on the inside of the track, whilst Gate E is on the outside.

No rider is required to take a minimum number of rides.

After Heat 5, a team behind by six or more points may substitute a programmed rider with any other rider in the team, provided each rider is only used as a tactical substitute once. A substitute rider takes the helmet colour and starting gate position of the replaced rider.

One Tactical Joker may be used per meeting in place of a normal tactical substitution. Any points scored by a rider used as a Tactical Joker are doubled.

In Heats 21 to 24 of the Qualifying Rounds, each team is represented by their 4th highest, 3rd highest, 2nd highest and highest scorers respectively. Team members scoring an equal number of points may be nominated for any heat where they are eligible.

Race points scored over all heats are used to determine the final placings. Where two or more teams are tied for a place, each team nominates a rider for a runoff.

What is the format of the World Junior Speedway Championship?

The World Junior Speedway Championship is an individual competition for riders under the age of twenty-one. In order to be eligible, a rider must be at least sixteen on the date of the first meeting, and under twenty-one on 1 January in the year of the competition.

This competition is held annually between May and September. The current structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round.

Scandinavian Rd (7Q+1R) -+
                         |
  Qualifying Rd (7Q+1R) -+-> Semi-Final (8Q+1R) \
                         |                       -> Final
  Qualifying Rd (7Q+1R) -+-> Semi-Final (8Q+1R) /
                         |
  Qualifying Rd (7Q+1R) -+

The Final of this competition is usually held in a country that does not stage a Grand Prix or a World Team Championship Final.

At least one rider in each round must be from the host nation (to encourage local interest). Should no home riders qualify for the Final by right, the highest-placed rider in the qualifying rounds is seeded through. In this event, one less rider qualifies from the Semi-Final on the seeded rider's side of the draw.

A rider winning this competition is not eligible to compete in it again.

2001 Rider Allocations

                       SR   QR1  QR2  QR3  SF1  SF2  Ttl
Australia     (MA)      -    -    2    1    -    -    3
Austria       (ÖAMTC)   -    -    1    -    -    -    1
Canada        (CMA)     -    -    -    1    -    -    1
Czech Rep.    (ACCU)    -    3    -    2    1    -    6
Denmark       (DMU)     5    -    -    -    -    -    5
Finland       (SML)     2    -    -    -    -    -    2
France        (FFM)     -    -    2    -    -    -    2
Germany       (DSMB)    -    1    3    2    -    -    6
Great Britain (ACU)     -    3    1    3    -    1    8
Hungary       (MAMS)    -    2    -    -    -    -    2
Italy         (FMI)     -    -    1    -    -    -    1
Latvia        (LaMSF)   -    -    2    -    -    -    2
Netherlands   (KNMV)    -    -    -    2    -    -    2
Norway        (NMF)     3    -    -    -    -    -    3
Poland        (PZM)     -    3    2    3    1    -    9
Russia        (MFR)     -    2    -    -    -    -    2
Slovenia      (AMSZ)    -    -    2    -    -    1    3
South Africa  (MSA)     -    -    -    1    -    -    1
Sweden        (SVEMO)   6    -    -    -    -    -    6
Switzerland   (FMS)     -    1    -    -    -    -    1
Ukraine       (FMU)     -    1    -    -    -    -    1
USA           (AMA)     -    -    -    1    -    -    1
Track Res.    (FMNR)    2    2    2    2    -    -    8

What is the format of the World Longtrack Championship?

The World Longtrack Championship (formerly known as the World Long and Grass Track Championship) is an individual competition that combines the disciplines of longtrack and grasstrack. There were originally separate competitions for longtrack and grasstrack, but these were amalgamated in 1997.

The European Grasstrack Championship had always been overshadowed by the original World Longtrack Championship despite the fact that the majority of riders competed in both disciplines. Until 1994, riders could not enter both competitions which meant the top riders usually opted for the higher profile longtrack. Unfortunately, the lack of such riders in the grasstrack competition meant many clubs staged meetings at a loss.

In 1994, the restriction on riders competing in both championships was removed, but this did little to raise the appeal of the European Grasstrack Championship which was still viewed as a second-class competition by fans and riders alike. The World Longtrack Championship on the other hand, had always remained popular, but suffered from a lack of FIM-approved tracks. As a consequence, the same tracks staged rounds every year and the majority of those were in Germany.

It was decided therefore, that a combined competition with a Grand Prix style format should replace the two separate championships. Not only would this allow non-longtrack countries to stage rounds featuring the top riders, it would allow a wider variety of tracks to be used.

The competition is held annually between May and September and consists of a number of qualifying rounds culminating in four final rounds; two of which are held on longtracks and two of which are held on grasstracks. The Qualifying Rounds are held on a mixture of longtracks and grasstracks (although predominantly on grasstracks it would appear). The current structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round:

Qualifying Rd (9Q+2R) -+-> Semi-Final (10Q) \
                       |                     -> 4 Final Rounds
Qualifying Rd (9Q+2R) -+-> Semi-Final (10Q) /

The top ten riders from each Semi-Final qualify for the Final Rounds, with the non-qualifying riders becoming standby reserves in order of their finishing positions. In the event of a rider withdrawing from a Final Round prior to the day of the meeting, a standby reserve is called-up to ensure that two reserves are always present. A standby reserve assumes the status of a qualified rider until the original rider is able to return.

Only eighteen riders are scheduled to start each Final Round. The remaining two riders are First and Second Reserve respectively. At the first event, these are the riders that finished in 10th place at the Semi-Finals. For each subsequent event, the two scheduled riders with the least number of championship points, exchange places with the reserves from the previous event. The intermediate championship classification determines which of the relegated riders becomes First and Second Reserve.

Championship points and prize money are awarded as follows:

Final Placing	Points	Prize Money  (CHF)
1st in A-Final	25	5,000
2nd in A-Final	20	4,000
3rd in A-Final	18	2,800
4th in A-Final	16	2,300
5th in A-Final	14	2,200
6th in A-Final	13	2,100
1st in B-Final	12	2,000
2nd in B-Final	11	1,900
3rd in B-Final	10	1,800
4th in B-Final	9	1,700
5th in B-Final	8	1,600
6th in B-Final	7	1,500
1st in C-Final	6	1,400
2nd in C-Final	5	1,300
3rd in C-Final	4	1,200
4th in C-Final	3	1,100
5th in C-Final	2	1,000
6th in C-Final	1	1,000
Other riders	-	1,000

Where two or more riders fail to finish in a final, the rider completing the least distance is placed lower. Excluded riders however, are automatically placed lower.

Points accumulated over all Final Rounds determine the final classification. The rider with the greatest number of points is declared World Champion.

A runoff is held if two or more riders are tied for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. Ties for other places are resolved using a countback of event results.

2001 Rider Allocations

                       QR1  QR2  SF1  SF2  Ttl
Austria       (ÖAMTC)   2    -    1    -    3
Czech Rep.    (ACCU)    2    2    1    1    6
Denmark       (DMU)     1    -    -    -    1
Finland       (SML)     1    -    -    -    1
France        (FFM)     -    3    1    -    4
Germany       (DSMB)    3    3    2    3   11
Great Britain (ACU)     2    2    2    3    9
Hungary       (MAMS)    1    -    -    -    1
Italy         (FMI)     -    2    -    -    2
Netherlands   (KNMV)    2    2    2    1    7
Norway        (NMF)     1    -    -    1    2
Russia        (MFR)     2    -    -    -    2
Sweden        (SVEMO)   -    2    -    -    2
Switzerland   (FMS)     1    -    -    -    1
Ukraine       (FMU)     -    2    -    -    2
Track Res.    (FMNR)    2    2    -    -    4

What is the format of the World Individual Ice Racing Championship?

The World Individual Ice Racing Championship reintroduces a GP-style format for 2001. The difference from previous years is that all riders entering the competition will have a chance to qualify for the Final Rounds in the same season. A Grand Prix Series had been introduced in 1994, and as with the Speedway Grand Prix Series, the FIM hoped that the new format would attract television coverage and sponsorship deals to enable the sport to broaden it's appeal. Unfortunately, even though attendances were generally good, the high organisational costs and lack of suitable tracks proved problematic. This resulted in the competition reverting back to the traditional two-day Final format in 1997 and 2000. The competition is held annually between January and March and consists of a number of qualifying rounds culminating in four final rounds. The current structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round.

Qualifying Rd (10Q+2R) -+
                        +-> Semi-Final (9Q) \
Qualifying Rd (10Q+1R) -+                    -> 4 Final Rounds
                        +-> Semi-Final (9Q) /
Qualifying Rd (10Q+1R) -+

The top nine riders in each Semi-Final qualify for the Final Rounds. The Final Rounds are staged over two days, with a separate event held on each day (i.e. there are eight events in total).

Only sixteen riders are scheduled to start each event. The remaining two riders are First and Second Reserve respectively. At the first event, these are the riders that finished in 9th place in the Semi-Finals. For each subsequent event, the two scheduled riders with the least number of championship points, exchange places with the reserves from the previous event. The intermediate classification determines which of the relegated riders becomes First and Second Reserve.

At least one rider in each Final Round must be from the host nation (to encourage local interest). Should no home riders have qualified by right, the highest-placed rider in the qualifying rounds replaces the rider ranked lowest in the intermediate classification.

A draw is held before each Final Round to determine the riding order of the scheduled competitors for both events. Each event consists of twenty Qualification Heats and four Final Heats. The Qualification Heats are run according to the standard individual format; Heats 1 to 20 for the first event, and Heats 21 to 40 for the second event. At the conclusion of the Qualification Heats, riders are ranked according to the number of race points scored in order to determine the line-ups for the Final Heats. Where two or more riders are tied on race points, the tie is resolved as follows:

1. Most wins
2. Most second places
3. Highest placing in the previous event

D-Final:	13th to 16th placed riders
C-Final:	9th to 12th placed riders
B-Final:	5th to 8th placed riders
A-Final:	1st to 4th placed riders

In each Final, the highest scorer has first choice of gate position, the second-highest scorer has second choice of gate position, and so on..

Should a scheduled rider withdraw from an event prior to the start, they are directly replaced by one of the reserves. This reserve becomes a scheduled rider and, if sufficient time remains, a standby reserve is called-up to ensure that two reserves are always present. The standby reserves are those riders that did not qualify from the Semi-Finals and are selected in order of their finishing positions. They assume the status of a qualified rider until the original rider is able to return.

After the start of an event, the two reserves may alternately take the rides of any incapacitated rider, replace any rider excluded for a starting infringement, or replace any rider excluded for exceeding the two minute time allowance. A reserve may not directly replace a rider in any of the Final Heats, but they may qualify if they score enough race points during the Qualification Heats. Each reserve may ride in a maximum of five Qualification Heats.

Championship points and prize money are awarded as follows:

Final Placing	Points	Prize Money (CHF)
1st in A-Final: 2nd in A-Final: 3rd in A-Final: 4th in A-Final: 1st in B-Final: 2nd in B-Final: 3rd in B-Final: 4th in B-Final: 1st in C-Final: 2nd in C-Final: 3rd in C-Final: 4th in C-Final: 1st in D-Final: 2nd in D-Final: 3rd in D-Final: 4th in D-Final: Other riders:	25 20 18 16 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 -	3,000 2,000 1,700 1,500 1,200 1,100 1,000 1,000 950 900 850 850 800 800 750 750 700

Where two or more riders fail to finish in a final, the rider completing the least distance is placed lower. Excluded riders however, are automatically placed lower.

Points accumulated over all events determine the final classification. The rider with the greatest number of points is declared World Champion.

A runoff is held if two or more riders are tied for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. Ties for other places are resolved using a countback of event results.

2001 Rider Allocations

                       QR1   QR2   QR3   SF1   SF2   Ttl
Austria       (ÖAMTC)   -     -     4     -     -     4
Czech Rep.    (ACCU)    1     2     1     -     -     4
Finland       (SML)     3     2     2     -     -     7
Germany       (DSMB)    2     2     3     -     1     8
Great Britain (ACU)     1     -     -     -     -     1
Latvia        (LaMSF)   -     1     -     -     -     1
Mongolia      (MamsF)   -     3     -     -     -     1
Netherlands   (KNMV)    3     -     1     -     -     4
Russia        (MFR)     -     5     3     -     -     8
Sweden        (SVEMO)   5     1     2     1     -     9
USA           (AMA)     1     -     -     -     -     1
Track Res.    (FMNR)    2     2     2     -     -     6

What is the format of the World Team Ice Racing Championship?

The World Team Ice Racing Championship is held between January and March and is currently organised as follows:

Final:	Finland (hosts) and Russia (holders) Top 3 from Semi-Final
Semi-Final:	Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden

The Semi-Final is held as a single event, whilst the Final is held over two days. See 'What are the rules for Five Team Tournaments?' for further details on how these rounds are run (four-rider teams are used).

What is the format of the European Speedway Club Champions Cup?

The European Speedway Club Champions Cup is a team competition for the winners of national league competitions. It is held annually between May and September, but is not currently supported by Great Britain, Denmark and Sweden (three of the four countries with major leagues).

The structure of the competition is shown below. The groups are loosely determined by results from the previous season.

Final:	Representatives of Germany, Russia and Poland Winner of Group A
Group A:	Representatives of Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia and Slovenia

Each round is held as a single meeting. See 'What are the rules for Four Team Tournaments?' for further details on how these rounds are run (the twenty-heat format is used).

What is the format of the European Speedway Championship?

The European Speedway Championship is a new competition for 2001 and is organised as follows:

                      / Semi-Final (8Q+1R) \
Qualifying Rd (8Q+2R)                       -> Final
                      \ Semi-Final (8Q+1R) /

At least one rider in each round must be from the host nation (to encourage local interest). Should no home riders qualify for the Final by right, the highest-placed rider in the competition is seeded through. In this event, one less rider qualifies from the Semi-Final on the seeded rider's side of the draw.

The UEM recommends that riders entered for the World Individual Speedway Championship are not entered for this competition as well.

2001 Rider Allocations

                     QR   SF1  SF2  Ttl
Belgium     (FMB)     -    -    1    1
Croatia     (HMS)     -    -    1    1
Czech Rep.  (ACCU)    2    2    1    5
Germany     (DMSB)    2    -    2    4
France      (FFM)     2    -    -    2
Hungary     (MAMS)    2    2    -    4
Italy       (FMI)     1    -    1    2
Latvia      (LaMSF)   1    2    -    3
Netherlands (KNMV)    2    -    1    3
Poland      (PZM)     -    2    3    5
Russia      (MFR)     1    2    -    3
Slovenia    (AMSZ)    2    -    2    4
Ukraine     (FMU)     1    2    -    3
Track Res.  (FMNR)    2    -    -    2

What is the format of the European Under-19 Speedway Championship?

The European Under-19 Speedway Championship is an individual competition for riders under the age of nineteen. In order to be eligible, a rider must be at least fifteen on the date of the first meeting, and under nineteen on 1 January in the year of the competition.

This competition is held annually between May and September. The current structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round.

Semi-Final (6Q+1R) -+
                    |
Semi-Final (5Q+1R) -+-> Final
                    |
Semi-Final (5Q+1R) -+

At least one rider in each round must be from the host nation (to encourage local interest). Should no home riders qualify for the Final by right, the highest-placed rider in the competition is seeded through. In this event, one less rider qualifies from the Semi-Final on the seeded rider's side of the draw.

2001 Rider Allocations

                     SF1  SF2  SF3  Ttl
Austria     (ÖAMTC)   -    -    1    1
Czech Rep.  (ACCU)    -    3    2    5
Denmark     (DMU)     5    -    -    5
Germany     (DMSB)    -    2    3    5
Finland     (FMI)     2    -    -    2
France      (FFM)     -    -    2    2
Hungary     (MAMS)    -    1    1    2
Latvia      (LaMSF)   -    2    -    2
Norway      (NMF)     2    -    -    2
Poland      (PZM)     -    3    3    6
Russia      (MFR)     -    3    -    3
Slovenia    (AMSZ)    -    -    4    4
Sweden      (SVEMO)   7    -    -    7
Ukraine     (FMU)     -    2    -    2
Track Res.  (FMNR)    2    2    2    6

What are rules for the European Solo Grasstrack Championship?

The European Solo Grasstrack Championship returned in 1999 after an absence of two years. It had been discontinued when the World Long and Grass Track Championship was formed, but it was subsequently felt the combined competition involved too much expense for many grasstrack riders. A smaller version of the original competition has therefore been revived for riders that do not wish to compete on longtracks.

This competition is held between May and September. The current structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round.

Semi-Final (9Q+1R) \
                    -> Final
Semi-Final (9Q+1R) /

At least one rider in each round must be from the host nation (to encourage local interest). Should no home riders qualify for the Final by right, the highest-placed rider in the competition is seeded through. In this event, one less rider qualifies from the Semi-Final on the seeded rider's side of the draw.

The UEM recommends that riders entered for the World Longtrack Championship are not entered for this competition as well.

2001 Rider Allocations

                       SF1  SF2  Ttl
Czech Rep.    (ACCU)    2    3    5
Finland       (SML)     -    1    1
France        (FFM)     3    1    4
Germany       (DMSB)    4    4    8
Great Britain (ACU)     2    1    3
Italy         (FMI)     1    -    1
Netherlands   (KNMV)    3    3    6
Norway        (NMF)     -    1    1
Russia        (MFR)     2    -    2
Sweden        (SVEMO)   -    2    2
Switzerland   (FMS)     1    -    1
Ukraine       (FMU)     -    2    2
Track Res.    (FMNR)    2    2    4

What is the format of the European Sidecar Grasstrack Championship?

The European Sidecar Grasstrack Championship is the premier competition for 500cc right-handed sidecars. This sidecar class is common in Continental Europe, but the competition does not have World Championship status because Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand predominantly run left-handed sidecars. It would seem that a unified class needs to be agreed before the status of this competition can be upgraded.

This competition is held annually between May and September. The current structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round.

Semi-Final (6Q+1R) \
                    -> Final
Semi-Final (6Q+1R) /

At least one crew in each round must be from the host nation (to encourage local interest). Should no home crews qualify for the Final by right, the highest-placed crew in the Semi-Finals is seeded through. In this event, one less crew qualifies from the Semi-Final on the seeded rider's side of the draw.

2001 Team Allocations

                       SF1  SF2  Ttl
France        (FFM)     -    3    3
Germany       (DMSB)    4    4    8
Great Britain (ACU)     4    2    6
Netherlands   (KNMV)    4    3    7
Track Res.    (FMNR)    2    2    4

What are rules for the European Individual Ice Racing Championship?

The European Individual Ice Racing Championship was introduced in 1999. It is currently organised as follows:

Semi-Final (8Q+2R) -> Final

2001 Rider Allocations

                       SF   Fnl  Ttl
Austria       (ÖAMTC)   1    1    2
Czech Rep.    (ACCU)    2    -    2
Finland       (SML)     1    1    2
Germany       (DMSB)    3    1    4
Great Britain (ACU)     2    -    2
Latvia        (LaMSF)   1    -    1
Netherlands   (KNMV)    1    1    2
Russia        (MFR)     2    2    4
Sweden        (SVEMO)   2    2    4
Ukraine       (FMU)     1    -    1
Track Res.    (FMNR)    2    -    2

What is the format of the FIM Youth Speedway Gold Trophy?

The FIM Youth Speedway Gold Trophy is new competition for 80cc Speedway. In order to be eligible, a rider must be at least twelve on the date of the first meeting, and under sixteen on 1 January in the year of the competition.

It will be organised as a series of meetings staged over two or three days at a single venue. The exact structure of the competition will be decided when the number of entrants are known, but each meeting will consist of sixteen competitors and two reserves. See 'What are the rules for Individual Meetings?' for further details on how these meetings will be run.

What is the format of the FIM Youth Grasstrack Gold Trophy?

The FIM Youth Speedway Gold Trophy is new competition for 125cc Grasstrack. In order to be eligible, a rider must be at least fourteen on the date of the first meeting, and under eighteen on 1 January in the year of the competition.

It will be organised as a series of meetings staged over two or three days at a single venue. The exact structure of the competition will be decided when the number of entrants are known, but each meeting will consist of eighteen competitors and two reserves. See 'What are the rules for Longtrack/Grasstrack Meetings?' for further details on how these rounds will be run (the fifteen-heat format will be used).

What determines a rider's nationality?

In national team competitions, a rider must hold a passport of the nation they are representing. The situation is different for individual competitions as riders may only represent the national motorcycle federation that issued their racing licence. In principle, a rider may hold a licence from any national motorcycle federation.

Where can I obtain a copy of the FIM Regulations?

Copies of the FIM Regulations may be obtained from:

Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme
11 route Suisse
1295 Mies
Switzerland

Phone: +41 22-950-9500
Fax: +41 22-950-9501
E-mail: fim@fim.ch

Prices: FIM Annuaire CHF 27, Sporting Code CHF 18, Track Racing Rules CHF 18, Track Racing Technical Rules CHF 18, Standards for Track Racing Circuits CHF 18, Individual Speedway World Championship Grand Prix CHF 18.
Payments may be made to account 285.178.00Y at the Union Bank of Switzerland (Swift UBSWCHZH12A), to postal account 12-1714-8, or by international postal mandate. Add CHF 10 for postage and packing.

They are also available on the FIM Web Site.