The FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship series will expand to 11 rounds as the 2024 FIM Speedway calendar is revealed.
Having staged an historic Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup in 2023 – speedway’s 100th anniversary season – Wroclaw’s Olympic Stadium makes an exciting return to the Speedway GP calendar on August 31.
The FIM Speedway of Nations replaces the Monster Energy FIM SWC on the calendar, heading back to Manchester from July 9-13 as Britain’s National Speedway Stadium becomes the first venue to stage the Final of the epic pairs competition for a second time – just three years after Great Britain ended their 32-year wait for a world team title in the 2021 Final there.
There’s also huge news for fans in Bavaria as German club Landshut hosts the FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut on May 18 – its first SGP event since Danish legend Hans Nielsen topped the podium there on July 6, 1997.
With the Landshut Devils entering the Polish leagues in 2021, winning promotion to the First Division at the first attempt that season, the news comes as another huge milestone for Germany’s biggest speedway club, which hosted the 2018 FIM GP Challenge and the 2019 FIM SON opening round.
Poland’s four-time champion Bartosz Zmarzlik bids to become the first rider in SGP history to win three world titles in a row as he prepares for a Speedway GP season, featuring 11 rounds across eight different countries and 15 riders from nine different nations – including Latvia’s Andzejs Lebedevs, Germany’s Kai Huckenbeck, Poland’s Dominik Kubera and Szymon Wozniak and Czech racer Jan Kvech, who all make their full-time SGP debuts in 2024.
Racing gets underway with the FIM Speedway GP of Croatia at Donji Kraljevec’s Speedway Stadion Milenium on April 27, before climaxing with the iconic FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun on September 28.
FIM Speedway’s fastest junior riders will also be in action as part of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe’s vision to develop the stars of the future, with the FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion crowned over a three-round FIM SGP2 series. FIM SGP3 – the 250cc FIM Speedway Youth World Championship – and the 190cc FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) also return.
ROUND-BY-ROUND GUIDE
After launching in Croatia for the third straight season, the Speedway GP series heads to the stunning PGE Narodowy for Poland’s ultimate night of racing – the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw, with around 50,000 fans expected on May 11.
Round three takes place in Landshut, before the storied Marketa Stadium stages a record-breaking FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague on June 1 – the 30th SGP event to take place at the Czech capital venue since it first hosted a round in 1997.
Three huge events take place at Swedish venue Malilla, starting with the opening round of the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship, the FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla on Friday, June 14.
FIM Speedway’s youngest stars, aged from 11 to 13, then take to the Malilla training track on the afternoon of Saturday, June 15 as the FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) event takes place, before the sport’s biggest names headline a packed weekend programme with the FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla that evening.
Next year’s FIM SGP3 event, featuring speedway’s brightest under-16 stars, comes to Gorzow’s awesome Edward Jancarz Stadium on Friday, June 28, with the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow set for Saturday, June 29.
SPEEDWAY’S BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENT HEADS TO MANCHESTER IN 2024
The blockbuster return of the FIM SON to Manchester sees four epic events take place over five nights, with Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday, July 9 and Semi-Final 2 on Wednesday, July 10. After a day’s break, the sport’s top under-21 teams compete in the FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 showdown on Friday, July 12, before the 2024 world team champions are crowned in the FIM SON Final on Saturday, July 13.
The FIM Speedway calendar takes a month’s pause during the 2024 Olympic Games, for which WBD Sports Europe is the official broadcaster, before the action resumes in spectacular style with the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff at the famous Principality Stadium on August 17.
The FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw is back on August 31 to begin a breathless three straight weekends of SGP racing.
The action then heads to Latvian capital Riga for a huge double-header, featuring the FIM SGP2 of Latvia – Riga on Friday, September 6, before the FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga is staged at Bikernieki on Saturday, September 7.
Three unmissable weekends conclude with the penultimate SGP round of 2024 – the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens on September 14.
The Speedway GP and FIM SGP2 world champions will both be crowned at Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena, with the FIM SGP2 of Poland – Torun taking place on Friday, September 27, and the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun bringing the curtain down on a big season of racing on Saturday, September 28.
EXPANSION PLANS
FIM Speedway championships director Laura Manciet is pleased to add both Manchester and Landshut to the 2024 FIM Speedway calendar, while Wroclaw returns as a Speedway GP venue.
She said: “Expanding the calendar is a key goal for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe and we are delighted to be bringing Speedway GP action to 11 fantastic venues in 2024.
“It’s a real pleasure to bring the FIM SON to Manchester – which has a well-deserved reputation as one of the world’s top racetracks. I know British fans still have great memories of that night when Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley won gold in 2021. They will be hoping to do the same again, but there will be plenty of top countries determined to deny GB the trophy.
“It’s brilliant to see Wroclaw – another fantastic racetrack – hosting Speedway GP action again after a wonderful Monster Energy FIM SWC last summer.
“We are also excited to be heading to Landshut in 2024. The club has grown on and off the track in recent years and becoming a Speedway GP host is a natural step for them. We look forward to visiting Bavaria in May.
“I would like to thank all of our local organisers for their hard work and support, and we look forward to joining forces with them in 2024 to deliver an unforgettable FIM Speedway season.”
FIM Speedway race director Phil Morris commented: “It’s brilliant to add an extra round to the Speedway GP calendar and welcome Landshut into the series for the first time in 27 years. The club has made fantastic progress in recent seasons, and this is the culmination of that journey.
“It’s also great to welcome the FIM SON back after a year away, and Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium provides the perfect stage for four nights of great racing.
“It’s certainly going to be an intense season and I can’t wait to get the action underway in Croatia on April 27.”
FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP) director Armando Castagna commented: “We are in for an exciting season in 2024. It’s fantastic to see the FIM SON back on the calendar in Manchester – offering a chance for more countries to compete for the world team championship. With five new faces in Speedway GP next season, we also have nine different nations represented in the starting line-up, which is exciting to see.
“It has been a long time since we last saw Landshut on the Speedway GP calendar in 1997, so it’s nice to see the club return. I also have to congratulate Prague on what will be their 30th FIM Czech Speedway GP – an incredible achievement.
“I wish all our local organisers and riders a successful season and look forward to the start of a new FIM Speedway season in April.”
Ticket details for all FIM Speedway events will follow in due course. Follow FIMSpeedway.com and @SpeedwayGP on social media for all the latest news on the sport’s top events and riders throughout the off-season.
2024 SPEEDWAY GP CALENDAR
April 27 – FIM Speedway GP of Croatia
May 11 – FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw
May 18 – FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut
June 1 – FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague
June 15 – FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla
June 29 – FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow
August 17 – FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff
August 31 – FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw
September 7 – FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga
September 14 – FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens
September 28 – FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun
2024 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS: Manchester, Great Britain
Tuesday, July 9 – FIM Speedway of Nations Semi-Final 1
Wednesday, July 10 – FIM Speedway of Nations Semi-Final 2
Friday, July 12 – FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2
Saturday, July 13 – FIM Speedway of Nations Final
2024 FIM SGP2 (FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship)
Friday, June 14 – FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla
Friday, September 6 – FIM SGP2 of Latvia – Riga
Friday, September 27 – FIM SGP2 of Poland – Torun
2024 FIM SGP3 (FIM Speedway Youth World Championship)
Friday, June 28 – FIM SGP3 Final (Gorzow, Poland)
2024 FIM SGP4 (FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4))
Saturday, June 15 – FIM SGP4 (Malilla, Sweden)
Words and Images by SpeedwayGP
