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Edward Jancarz
Born	20 August 1946; Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland
Died	11 January 1992 (aged 45)
Nationality	Polish
Career history
Poland
1965-1985	Gorzów
Great Britain
1977-1982	Wimbledon
Individual honours
1968	World individual championship bronze
1975, 1983	Polish Champion
1975	Continental Final Champion
1977	Internationale
1969, 1972, 1975	Poland Golden Helmet Winner
1967	Poland Silver Helmet Winner
Team honours
1969	World Team Cup winner
1969, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1983	Polish League Champion
1979	Gauntlet Gold Cup

Edward 'Ed' Jancarz (20 August 1946 – 11 January 1992) was a Polish international speedway rider.^[1] He earned 76 international caps for the Poland speedway team.^[2]

Career

Jancarz participated in ten Speedway World Championship finals, his highest placing being in his first final in 1968, when he finished on the rostrum in third place after a run-off with Russian rider Gennady Kurilenko. He was also a member of the Polish World Team Cup winning team of 1969.

Jancarz reached the final of the Speedway World Pairs Championship in the 1975 Speedway World Pairs Championship at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, winning a silver medal riding with Piotr Bruzda.^[3]

Jancarz rode in the UK for the Wimbledon Dons between 1977–1982,^[4] winning the Internationale at Wimbledon in his first season, and in Poland for Stal Gorzów. He won the prestigious Embassy Internationale, at Wimbledon in 1977.

After his riding career ended he was a speedway coach. He was trainer in Stal Gorzów, KKŻ Krosno and Poland national speedway team.

Death

On 11 January 1992 he was fatally stabbed by his second wife, Katarzyna, during a domestic dispute after she confronted him about his alcoholism.^[5] He was 45 years old.

Since his death the Edward Jancarz Memorial has been a semi-annual meeting at the speedway that carries his name, the Edward Jancarz Stadium in Gorzów Wielkopolski. To date, 2010 World Champion Tomasz Gollob is the only Polish rider to win the memorial, having done so in 1998 and 1999

Edward Jancarz was the first speedway rider in the World to have a monument dedicated to them. The Monument of Edward Jancarz was built in 2005 and is in the city centre of Gorzów Wielkopolski.

World Final Appearances

Individual World Championship

1968 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 3rd - 11pts + 3pts
1969 - London, Wembley Stadium - 6th - 9pts
1973 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 11th - 6pts
1974 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - Reserve - 1pt
1975 - London, Wembley Stadium - 12th - 4pts
1976 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 12th - 5pts
1977 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 13th - 4pts
1979 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 9th - 7pts
1981 - London, Wembley Stadium - 12th - 5pts
1982 - Los Angeles, Memorial Coliseum - 10th - 7pts

World Pairs Championship

1974 - Manchester, Hyde Road (with Zenon Plech) - 5th - 18pts (6)
1975 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Piotr Bruzda) - 2nd - 23pts (15)
1976 - Eskilstuna, Snälltorpet (with Zenon Plech) - 7th - 10pts (7)
1978 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Bolesław Proch) - 5th - 15pts (13)
1979 - Vojens, Speedway Center (with Zenon Plech) - 3rd - 20pts (13)
1980 - Krsko, Matija Gubec Stadium (with Zenon Plech) - 2nd - 22pts (15)
1981 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Zenon Plech) - 3rd - 21pts (6)

World Team Cup

1968 - London, Wembley Stadium (with Edmund Migoś / Paweł Waloszek / Andrzej Wyglenda / Henryk Glücklich) - 3rd - 19pts (6)
1969 - Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Andrzej Wyglenda / Stanisław Tkocz / Henryk Glucklich / Andrzej Pogorzelski) - Winner - 31pts (11)
1971 - Wroclaw, Olympic Stadium (with Paweł Waloszek / Henryk Glücklich / Antoni Woryna / Andrzej Wyglenda) - 3rd - 19pts (4)
1973 - London, Wembley Stadium (with Paweł Waloszek / Zenon Plech / Jerzy Szczakiel) - 4th - 8pts (2)
1975 - Norden, Motodrom Halbemond (with Henryk Glucklich / Zenon Plech / Marek Cieślak / Jerzy Rembas) - 4th - 9pts (1)
1976 - London, White City Stadium (with Zenon Plech / Marek Cieślak]/ Jerzy Rembas / Bolesław Proch) - 2nd - 28pts (9)
1977 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Jerzy Rembas / Bogusław Nowak / Marek Cieślak / Ryszard Fabiszewski) - 2nd - 25pts (10)
1978 - Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Zenon Plech / Marek Cieślak / Jerzy Rembas / Andrzej Huszcza) - 3rd - 16+3pts (6+3)
1980 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Zenon Plech / Roman Jankowski / Andrzej Huszcza / Jerzy Rembas) - 3rd - 15pt (3)

References

^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
^ "Ultimate Rider Index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
^ "Another world title for Mich". Reading Evening Post. 16 June 1975. Retrieved 8 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "Crack Poles at Smallmead". Bracknell Times. 17 March 1977. Retrieved 8 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "Wyniszczył go alkohol, a żona zabiła nożem! Skończył w kałuży krwi".