The draw for the 2024 FIM Speedway of Nations Semi-Finals has been revealed with reigning champions Australia meeting Denmark and Poland facing Sweden in Manchester this July.
After a year’s break for the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup, which takes place every three years, the FIM SoN roars back on to the calendar for 2024 and 2025. The latest edition comes to Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium from July 9-13.
FOUR EPIC NIGHTS OF RACING
Fifteen countries will face off over four epic nights in the ultimate test of team riding, with Great Britain seeded straight through to the Final on Saturday, July 13 as host nation. They will bid to repeat Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley, Tai Woffinden and Tom Brennan’s historic 2021 FIM SoN gold medal win at the National Speedway Stadium, which ended 32 years without a world team title for the Lions.
The remaining 14 countries were drawn into two Semi-Finals by FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP) Director Armando Castagna and SGP/SON race director Phil Morris in Paris during the FIM Speedway promotional event last week.
Poland lines up in Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday, July 9, taking on 2022 bronze medallists Sweden, 2022 finalists Finland, 2021 finalists France, 2018 and 2019 finalists Germany, with Italy and Ukraine completing the line-up.
Australia won the 2022 FIM SoN gold medals at iconic Danish venue Vojens, ending a 20-year wait for a world team title, dating back to their 2002 FIM Speedway World Cup win at British track Peterborough. They face 2020 and 2021 bronze medallists Denmark, 2020 and 2022 finalists Czech Republic and 2021 finalists Latvia, with USA, Slovenia and Norway also in action.
Each Semi-Final sees the seven countries meet over 21 heats, with the top two joining Great Britain in the Final automatically.
The third and fourth-placed teams in each Semi-Final will then meet in a Final Qualifier at the end of the night, with the highest-scoring countries in these races joining the seven-team Final line-up.
A PAIRS-STYLE EVENT
National team managers will select a starting line-up of three riders for the FIM SoN – two starters at No.1 and No.2 and a reserve at No.3, who can replace riders No.1 and No.2 at any time.
The FIM SoN is a pairs-style event, similar to Britain’s Championship Best Pairs, meaning there will be two riders from each nation on track in each of the team’s seven heats, and riders will have to work together to secure a heat advantage.
With four points on offer for winning the heat, three for second, two for third and no points for finishing last, being disqualified or failing to complete the race, the format is designed to reward team riding and ensures no race ends in a draw. Avoiding last places is crucial to success in the FIM SoN. If a team stays out of fourth spot, they will always score a heat advantage.
UNDER-21s GO FOR GOLD IN FIM SoN2 ON FRIDAY, JULY 12
A marathon week of racing will also feature the FIM Speedway of Nations – SoN2 on Friday, July 12, which – for the first time ever – sees a record eight of the sport’s top junior teams battle it out over an epic 28 heats for the FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship.
Champions Poland chase an astonishing 17th gold medal in the competition, but they will have to get the better of hosts Great Britain, Denmark, Latvia, Australia, Germany, Czech Republic and Sweden.
2024 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS SEMI-FINAL DRAW
– SEMI-FINAL 1 (Tuesday, July 9): Poland, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine.
– SEMI-FINAL 2 (Wednesday, July 10): Australia, Denmark, USA, Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovenia, Norway.
– SON2 (Friday, July 12): Great Britain, Poland, Denmark, Latvia, Australia, Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden.
– SON FINAL (Saturday, July 13): Great Britain, Winner SF1, Runner-up SF1, Final Qualifier Winner SF1, Winner SF2, Runner-up SF2, Final Qualifier Winner SF2.
Words by FIM Communications – Images by FIM Speedway
