What is Speedway?

Speedway is a motorbike racing sport where riders compete on oval shale tracks using powerful lightweight bikes with NO BRAKES and NO GEARS. There are 4 riders in each race, and each race has just 4 laps. It's fast, it's frantic and it's downright exciting.

Key Rules

Each race (known as a 'heat') consists of 4 riders and last for 4 laps.
To easily identify each rider, they wear a specific helmet colour, either red, blue, white or yellow.
In a team meeting, red and blue helmet colours represent the home team, while white and yellow represent the away team.
Riders start each race evenly in a line at the tapes. When the riders are ready, the tapes fly up and the race is underway.
Points are scored depending where in the race they finish. 3 points for a win, 2 for 2nd and 1 for 3rd. 0 for finishing last!
A speedway meeting lasts for a set number of heats. For team meetings this is usually 15, while for individual meetings (like the World Championship) it can be up to 23!
After all the heats are completed, the team or rider with the most points wins.

Speedway Bikes

Speedway bikes are purpose-built machines with a 500cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine. They run on methanol fuel and have no brakes, gearbox or rear suspension, keeping them light, responsive and fast: 0 - 60mph in under 3 seconds!

Speedway Riders

Speedway is a dangerous sport, but the riders wear as much protection as possible to keep themselves safe. They'll kit themselves out in a Kevlar race suit, gloves, boots and a full-face helmet with goggles. Some riders will also wear body armour underneath or additional neck protection.

Speedway around the World

Speedway is raced in many countries around the world, despite not having the global reach of other motorsports.

The top countries to see speedway are: Poland, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Finland and the United States.

Different leagues in different countries often go by different names. Unlike football where plays only stick with one club, speedway riders will often be signed up to multiple teams in different leagues to maximise their earnings.

The top league in British Speedway is the Premiership.

The top league in Polish Speedway is the Ekstraliga.

The top league in Swedish Speedway is the Elitserien.

The individual world championship, known as Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) is the highest level of individual speedway racing in the world. The SGP runs across multiple rounds in different countries.

The sport has seen some iconic riders over the years, with famous multiple world champions such as Tony Rickardsson, Ivan Mauger, Ove Fundin, Bartosz Zmarzlik and Hans Nielson.

A Brief Speedway History

Motorcycle speedway got its start in Australia in 1923, with the first recorded race taking place at Maitland Showgrounds in New South Wales. The sport quickly crossed continents, arriving in the United Kingdom in early 1928, where riders put on spectacular displays at venues like High Beech in Epping Forest. The growing popularity of speedway led to the creation of clubs and leagues, and by 1936, the first FIM‑sanctioned World Championship final was held at Wembley Stadium, cementing the sport’s international presence.

Since then, speedway has developed into a truly global sport, with waves of dominance from different countries over the decades, including Sweden in the 1950s–60s and Denmark in the 1970s–80s. The introduction of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series in 1995 modernized the World Championship, creating a structured, season-long competition. Today, speedway thrives in major European leagues, continues to nurture young talent, and maintains a passionate international fan base, combining nearly a century of tradition with fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled racing.

Cousins of Speedway

Grasstrack and long track racing are close relatives of speedway, taking place on longer oval tracks, often on grass or dirt, with higher speeds and extended straights. Sidecar racing adds a passenger to the bike, who shifts their weight to help the rider navigate corners. Ice racing swaps dirt for frozen tracks, with specially spiked tires allowing riders to slide at high speed on ice. Other related disciplines include flat track racing in the US, which uses larger oval dirt tracks.