1979 Speedway World Team Cup

The 1979 Speedway World Team Cup was the 20th edition of the FIM Speedway World Team Cup to determine the team world champions.^[1][2][3][4]

The final took place on 16 September at the White City Stadium in London.^[5][6] New Zealand won their first title defeating defending champions Denmark, who finished in second place.^[7][8][9]

Qualification Stage 1

Commonwealth Round

• 20 May
• Smallmead Stadium, Reading
• Referee: C.Bergstrom

Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20
1	New Zealand	30	2	5	8	8	9	12	14	15	17	20	21	23	24	27	28	30		30	30	30	30
	(13) Ivan Mauger	9		3					2		2							2	9
	(14) Larry Ross	7	2							1		3					1		7
	(15) Mitch Shirra	11			3			3						2		3			11
	(16) Bruce Cribb	3				0	1						1		1				3
	(20) Roger Abel	0																	0
2	United States	26	3	5	7	10	13	13	13	15	16	16	18	18	21	23	26	26		26	26	26	26
	(9) Bruce Penhall	5			2		3					0						F	5
	(10) Kelly Moran	7				3		E			1						3		7
	(11) Bobby Schwartz	8		2						2			2			2			8
	(12) Steve Gresham	6	3						F					T	3				6
	(19) Dennis Sigalos	0																	0
3	England	22	0	1	2	4	6	7	8	11	11	13	16	17	19	19	21	22		22	22	22	22
	(5) Malcolm Simmons	0	0					-					-					-	0
	(6) Gordon Kennett	6		1			2							1			2		6
	(7) Peter Collins	5				2			1			2				F			5
	(8) Michael Lee	4			1					3	0				-				4
	(18) Dave Jessup	7						1					3		2			1	7
4	Australia	18	1	1	1	2	2	4	7	7	10	11	11	14	14	15	15	18		18	18	18	18
	(1) Phil Crump	7				1				0				3				3	7
	(2) Billy Sanders	3			E				3				F				0		3
	(3) Phil Herne	2		0				2				-			-				2
	(4) John Titman	5	1				0				3					1			5
	(17) John Boulger	1										1			0				1
Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20

M - exclusion for exceeding two-minute time allowance • T - exclusion for touching the tapes • X - other exclusion • E - retired or mechanical failure • F - fell

Helmet colours were permanent for each team (Red, Blue, White and Yellow/Black). Colours in diagrams indicate gate positions:
gate A – inside	gate B	gate C	gate D – outside

* New Zealand and USA to Intercontinental Final

Scandinavian Round

• 20 May
• Eteläpuisto, Tampere

1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Denmark - 39 Hans Nielsen - 12 Ole Olsen - 11 Mike Lohmann - 10 Bo Petersen - 4 Erik Gundersen - 2	Sweden - 32 Anders Michanek - 10 Bernt Persson - 9 Jan Andersson- 8 Tommy Nilsson - 3 Stefan Salomonsson - 2	Finland - 16 Kai Niemi - 7 Pekka Hautamaki - 4 Ari Koponen - 3 Olli Turkia - 2 Ila Teromaa - 0	Norway - 9 Tormod Langli - 6 Reidar Eide - 1 Tom Godal - 1 Rolf Gramstad - 1 Toralf Olen - 0

* Denmark and Sweden to Intercontinental Final

Continental Round

• 20 May
• Illerstadion, Kempten

1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Austria - 32 Herbert Szerecs - 10 Walter Grubmüler - 9 Adi Funk - 7 Hubert Fischbacher - 5 Gunther Walla - 1	Netherlands - 30 Frits Koppe - 9 Henny Kroeze - 8 Rudi Muts- 5 Frits Koning - 4 Henk Steman - 4	West Germany - 29 Waldemar Bacik - 9 Georg Hack - 9 Karl Maier - 8 Georg Gilgenreiner - 2 Wolfgang Mayr - 1	Yugoslavia - 5 Frank Hagar - 2 Ivan Vobujak - 2 Vlado Kocuvan - 1 Manfred Kosmut - 0 Jozef Mavsar - 0

* Austria and Netherlands to Continental Semifinal

• 20 May
• Borsod Volán Stadion, Miskolc

1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Soviet Union - 34 Mikhail Starostin - 11 Valery Gordeev - 9 Grigory Khlinovsky - 7 Sergey Denisov - 6 Vladimir Klychkov - 1	Hungary - 30 Laszlo Meszaros - 9 Istvan Sziraczki - 9 Janos Szoeke- 9 Tibor Danka - 1 Antal Tamcsu - 0	Italy - 25 Giuseppe Marzotto - 9 Paulo Noro - 7 Mauro Ferracciolo - 5 Francesco Biginato - 4	Bulgaria - 9 Atanasz Janakiev - 3 Orlin Janakiev - 3 Nikolai Manev - 2 Deter Kostov - 1 Angel Eftimov - 0

* Soviet Union and Hungary to Continental Semifinal

Semifinal

• 15 July
• Svítkova Stadion, Pardubice

Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20
1	Soviet Union	45	3	6	6	9	12	15	18	21	24	27	30	33	36	39	42	45		45	45	45	45
	(13) Mikhail Starostin	12		3					3		3							3	12
	(14) Valery Gordeev	12	3							3		3					3		12
	(15) Viktor Kuznetsov	9			F			3						3		3			9
	(16) Grigory Khlinovsky	12				3	3						3		3				12
	(20) Anatoly Maksimov	0																	0
2	Hungary	21	2	3	6	8	8	10	10	11	11	13	15	16	18	19	19	21		21	21	21	21
	(1) Istvan Sziraczki	6				2				1				1				2	6
	(2) Janos Szoeke	5			3				0				2				0		5
	(3) Laszlo Meszaros	7		1				2				2			2				7
	(4) Janos Jacob	2	2				0				-					-			2
	(17) Antal Tamcsu	1									0					1			1
3	Netherlands	16	1	1	3	4	6	6	8	10	11	11	12	14	14	14	16	16		16	16	16	16
	(5) Frits Koning	2	1					0					1					-	2
	(6) Piet Seur	0		0			-							-			-		0
	(7) Frits Koppe	3				1			2			F				F			3
	(8) Henk Steman	5			2					2	1				0				5
	(18) Rudi Muts	6					2							2			2	F	6
4	Austria	14	0	2	3	3	4	5	6	6	8	9	9	9	10	12	13	14		14	14	14	14
	(9) Herbert Szerecs	4			1		1					1						1	4
	(10) Adi Funk	4				0		1			2						1		4
	(11) Hubert Fischbacher	4		2						0			E			2			4
	(12) Walter Grubmüler	2	0						1					-	1				2
	(19) Siegfried Eder	0												E					0
Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20

M - exclusion for exceeding two-minute time allowance • T - exclusion for touching the tapes • X - other exclusion • E - retired or mechanical failure • F - fell

Helmet colours were permanent for each team (Red, Blue, White and Yellow/Black). Colours in diagrams indicate gate positions:
gate A – inside	gate B	gate C	gate D – outside

* Soviet Union and Hungary to Continental Final

Qualifying Stage 2

Continental Final

• 29 July
• Olympic Stadium, Wrocław
• Att: 35,000

Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20
1	Poland	40	3	6	9	12	15	18	21	24	26	29	30	33	34	37	39	40		40	40	40	40
	(9) Zenon Plech	9			3		3					3						-	9
	(10) Robert Słaboń	10				3		3			2						2		10
	(11) Jerzy Rembas	10		3						3			1			3			10
	(12) Edward Jancarz	9	3						3					3	-				9
	(19) Andrzej Huszcza	2													1			1	2
2	Czechoslovakia	28	0	1	3	5	7	8	10	12	13	15	16	17	20	23	25	28		28	28	28	28
	(1) Jiří Štancl	8				2				2				1				3	8
	(2) Aleš Dryml Sr.	7			2				2				1				2		7
	(3) Petr Ondrašík	2		1				1				-			-				2
	(4) Zdeněk Kudrna	6	F				2				1					3			6
	(17) Václav Verner	5										2			3				5
3	Soviet Union	27	2	4	5	6	7	9	10	11	12	13	16	18	20	22	25	27		27	27	27	27
	(5) Valery Gordeev	9	2					2					3					2	9
	(6) Mikhail Starostin	8		2			1							2			3		8
	(7) Grigory Khlinovsky	5				1			1			1				2			5
	(8) Viktor Kuznetsov	5			1					1	1				2				5
	(18) Anatoly Maksimov	0																	0
4	Hungary	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1	1
	(13) Ferenc Farkas	0		0					0		0							-	0
	(14) Laszlo Juhasz	1	1							0		0					0		1
	(15) Zoltán Adorján	0			0			0						0		-			0
	(16) Zoltan Hajdu	0				0	0						0		0				0
	(20) Csaba Nagy	0														0		E	0
Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20

M - exclusion for exceeding two-minute time allowance • T - exclusion for touching the tapes • X - other exclusion • E - retired or mechanical failure • F - fell

Helmet colours were permanent for each team (Red, Blue, White and Yellow/Black). Colours in diagrams indicate gate positions:
gate A – inside	gate B	gate C	gate D – outside

* Poland and Czechoslovakia to Final

Intercontinental Final

• 14 June
• Snälltorpet, Eskilstuna
• Att: 4,400

Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20
1	New Zealand	29	0	3	5	8	11	14	14	16	17	20	22	24	26	26	26	29		29	29	29	29
	(9) Ivan Mauger	11			2		3					3						3	11
	(10) Larry Ross	7				3		3			1						0		7
	(11) Mitch Shirra	7		3						2			2			0			7
	(12) Bruce Cribb	4	0						0					2	2				4
	(19) Roger Abel	0																	0
2	Denmark	27	2	5	5	5	7	10	12	13	13	13	16	16	19	22	25	27		27	27	27	27
	(5) Ole Olsen	10	2					3					3					2	10
	(6) Mike Lohmann	8		3			2							0			3		8
	(7) Hans Nielsen	5				0			2			T				3			5
	(8) Bo Petersen	4			0					1	-				3				4
	(18) Bent Rasmussen	0									0								0
3	United States	22	2	3	5	6	7	7	9	9	12	15	15	17	19	20	20	22		22	22	22	22
	(13) Kelly Moran	8		1					2		3							2	8
	(14) Bruce Penhall	5	2					T				3					0		5
	(15) Bobby Schwartz	5			2			0						2		1			5
	(16) Steve Gresham	4				1	1						0		2				4
	(20) Ron Preston	0																	0
4	Sweden	18	1	1	2	5	5	6	9	10	12	13	14	15	16	16	17	18		18	18	18	18
	(1) Richard Hellsen	6				3				1				1				1	6
	(2) Anders Michanek	6			1				3				1				1		6
	(3) Jan Andersson	3		0				1				1			1				3
	(4) Bernt Persson	3	1				0				2					0			3
	(17) Bo Wirebrand	0																	0
Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20

M - exclusion for exceeding two-minute time allowance • T - exclusion for touching the tapes • X - other exclusion • E - retired or mechanical failure • F - fell

Helmet colours were permanent for each team (Red, Blue, White and Yellow/Black). Colours in diagrams indicate gate positions:
gate A – inside	gate B	gate C	gate D – outside

* New Zealand and Denmark to World Final

World Final

• 16 September^[5]
• White City Stadium, London
• Referee: Gunther Sorber

Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20
1	New Zealand	35	1	3	6	9	12	15	16	18	20	23	26	27	29	32	35	35		35	35	35	35
	(9) Ivan Mauger	9			3		3					3						F	9
	(10) Larry Ross	11				3		3			2						3		11
	(11) Mitch Shirra	10		2						2			3			3			10
	(12) Bruce Cribb	5	1						1					1	2				5
	(19) Roger Abel	0																	0
2	Denmark	31	3	6	8	9	9	10	13	16	19	21	21	23	26	27	28	31		31	31	31	31
	(13) Ole Olsen	12		3					3		3							3	12
	(14) Hans Nielsen	9	3							3		2					1		9
	(15) Mike Lohmann	6			2			1						2		1			6
	(16) Finn Thomsen	4				1	0						-		3				4
	(20) Bo Petersen	0											E						0
3	Czechoslovakia	19	0	1	1	1	2	4	6	7	8	9	11	14	15	17	17	19		19	19	19	19
	(1) Jiří Štancl	6				0				1				3				2	6
	(2) Zdeněk Kudrna	4			X				2				2				0		4
	(3) Aleš Dryml Sr.	5		1				2				1			1				5
	(4) Václav Verner	4	0				1				1					2			4
	(17) Petr Ondrašík	0																	0
4	Poland	11	2	2	3	5	7	7	7	7	7	7	8	8	8	8	10	11		11	11	11	11
	(5) Piotr Pyszny	4	2					0					1					1	4
	(6) Zenon Plech	4		E			2							0			2		4
	(7) Robert Słaboń	2				2			F			F				-			2
	(8) Marek Cieślak	1			1					E	-				F				1
	(18) Andrzej Tkocz	0									0					0			0
Placing	Team / Rider name	Total	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts	17	18	19	20

M - exclusion for exceeding two-minute time allowance • T - exclusion for touching the tapes • X - other exclusion • E - retired or mechanical failure • F - fell

Helmet colours were permanent for each team (Red, Blue, White and Yellow/Black). Colours in diagrams indicate gate positions:
gate A – inside	gate B	gate C	gate D – outside

See also

• 1979 Individual Speedway World Championship
• 1979 Speedway World Pairs Championship

References

1. Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and Results. Guinness Superlatives. p. 290. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
2. Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
3. Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. p. 98. ISBN 0-09-141751-1.
4. "1979 WORLD TEAM CUP". International Speedway. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
5. Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. p. 87. ISBN 0-09-141751-1.
6. "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
7. "World Team Cup 1960-1990". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
8. "FIM SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP/ SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS" (PDF). Motor Sport Top 20. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
9. "Mauger's dream come true". Manchester Evening News. 17 September 1979. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.