Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only one gear and have no brakes. Racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt, loosely packed shale, or crushed rock. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into the bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).
A speedway rider on the track
Col Stewart races his speedway motorcycle wearing a leather helmet. Photo taken around 1930.
Speedway riders, Sydney, 9 February 1946, by Ray Olsen, Pix Magazine photographer.
All 4 riders leaning into the first corner – note the elbows.
The Speedway World Cup is an motorcycle speedway event for national teams held in different countries. The first edition of the competition in the current format was held in 2001 and replaced the old World Team Cup which ran from 1960 until 2000. The competition was held annually until 2017 when it was replaced by the Speedway of Nations pairs event. The Speedway World Cup returned in 2023 and will be held every three years.
Tomasz Gollob won the title five times as part of the Polish team.