2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain was the fifth race of the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix
season. It took place on 28 June, in the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff
, Wales
, United Kingdom
. The British Grand Prix is one of the four Super Prix
events held in 2008. The winner in Cardiff will progress to the Super Prix final, taking gate 3 and the white helmet colour.
after he finished 2nd at the 2008 British Speedway Championship
. Tai Woffinden and Simon Stead were the next highest finishing non-Grand Prix
riders and both will be track reserves at Cardiff. The starting positions draw was made on 18 June, at the FIM
Headquarters in Mies
, Switzerland
.
Jason Crump
from Australia
was the winner of the British Grand Prix, he finished ahead of second placed Greg Hancock
of the USA. Crump therefore takes the white helmet colour in the Super Prix
final.
Nicki Pedersen
benefited from controversial decisions by Polish
referee Marek Wojaczek. Pedersen touched the tapes in an early heat, which should have resulted in a mandatory exclusion but Wojaczek allowed the race to continue and later, after an innocuous clash with Leigh Adams
on the first corner of heat 17, Adams was excluded. In the first semi-final Bjarne Pedersen
, who led the qualifying scorers with 14 points, clashed with his Nicki Pedersen in identical fashion to Adams and he, too, was excluded, much to the anger of the 45,000 crowd.
Great Britain
’s Scott Nicholls
reached the final for the first time this year only to break the start tapes which resulted in his exclusion from the final. Nicki Pedersen fell in the final and therefore scored 0 points from the race, but still took third place on the podium. Nicki Pedersen still led the standings after the British Grand Prix, and it was the fifth time out of five Grand Prix that he had reached the final, although his first Grand Prix win in 2008 would not come until the following Czech Grand Prix
.
2008 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix season was the fourteenth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era used to determine the Speedway World Champion. It was the second under the promotion of IMG.- Event format :...
season. It took place on 28 June, in the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The British Grand Prix is one of the four Super Prix
Speedway Super Prix
The Super Prix was an event introduced by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme , and Speedway Grand Prix organsisers, Benfield Sports International, to the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix series offering an additional prize fund of US$200,000 to the Grand Prix riders...
events held in 2008. The winner in Cardiff will progress to the Super Prix final, taking gate 3 and the white helmet colour.
Riders
Edward Kennett was nominated as a wild cardWild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
after he finished 2nd at the 2008 British Speedway Championship
British Speedway Championship
The British Speedway Championship is an annual motorcycle speedway competition open to British national speedway riders. The winner of the event becomes the British Speedway Champion. It has been open in the past to riders from British dominions and was dominated in its early years by riders from...
. Tai Woffinden and Simon Stead were the next highest finishing non-Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix are a series of stand-alone speedway events over the course of a season used to determine the Speedway World Champion. As of 2008, all of the events take place in Europe.- Event format :...
riders and both will be track reserves at Cardiff. The starting positions draw was made on 18 June, at the FIM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
Headquarters in Mies
Mies
Mies is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is approximately half-way between Geneva and Nyon. Mies sits on Lake Geneva , which lies to the southeast and is 410m above sea-level. The highest point of Mies is 455m above sea level. The part of Mies touching...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Result
Jason Crump
Jason Phillip Crump is an Australian international motorcycle speedway rider. He is a three-time Speedway World Champion, a World Cup winner and a former World Under-21 Champion.-Family:...
from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
was the winner of the British Grand Prix, he finished ahead of second placed Greg Hancock
Greg Hancock
Gregory Alan "Greg" Hancock is an American motorcycle speedway rider.He is a current Speedway World Champion and a multiple World Team champion with USA, with whom he is currently captain...
of the USA. Crump therefore takes the white helmet colour in the Super Prix
Speedway Super Prix
The Super Prix was an event introduced by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme , and Speedway Grand Prix organsisers, Benfield Sports International, to the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix series offering an additional prize fund of US$200,000 to the Grand Prix riders...
final.
Nicki Pedersen
Nicki Pedersen
Nicki Pedersen is a Danish motorcycle speedway rider. He has won the World Championship in 2003, 2007 and 2008 and was a World Cup winner with Denmark in 2006 and 2008. His brother, Ronni Pedersen, has also ridden in the Speedway Grand Prix and World Cup.-Domestic teams:Pedersen began speedway...
benefited from controversial decisions by Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
referee Marek Wojaczek. Pedersen touched the tapes in an early heat, which should have resulted in a mandatory exclusion but Wojaczek allowed the race to continue and later, after an innocuous clash with Leigh Adams
Leigh Adams
Leigh Scott Adams is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix winner and World Team Champion...
on the first corner of heat 17, Adams was excluded. In the first semi-final Bjarne Pedersen
Bjarne Pedersen
Bjarne Pedersen is an international motorcycle speedway rider who has represented Denmark in the Speedway World Cup, winning it on two occasions: in 2006 and 2008.-Career summary:...
, who led the qualifying scorers with 14 points, clashed with his Nicki Pedersen in identical fashion to Adams and he, too, was excluded, much to the anger of the 45,000 crowd.
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
’s Scott Nicholls
Scott Nicholls
Scott Nicholls is a British speedway rider who is participating in the 2009 Speedway Grand Prix competition and is the captain of the Great Britain speedway team.- Career biography :...
reached the final for the first time this year only to break the start tapes which resulted in his exclusion from the final. Nicki Pedersen fell in the final and therefore scored 0 points from the race, but still took third place on the podium. Nicki Pedersen still led the standings after the British Grand Prix, and it was the fifth time out of five Grand Prix that he had reached the final, although his first Grand Prix win in 2008 would not come until the following Czech Grand Prix
2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic was the sixth race of the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on August 2 in the Marketa Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic....
.
Heat details
Heat after heat
- (56.6) Iversen, Adams, Nicholls, Dryml
- (56.0) Harris, Holta, Lindgren, Gollob
- (55.8) Crump, N.Pedersen, Kennett, Kasprzak
- (56.9) Hancock, B.Pedersen, Jonsson, Andersen
- (55.9) Hancock, Adams, Harris, Kennett
- (56.5) Andersen, Gollob, N.Pedersen, Dryml
- (56.5) Nicholls, Jonsson, Kasprzak, Lindgren
- (56.8) B.Pedersen, Crump, Holta, Iversen
- (57.4) B.Pedersen, Gollob, Adams, Kasprzak
- (56.2) Crump, Harris, Jonsson, Dryml
- (57.6) Holta, Nicholls, Andersen, Kennett
- (56.7) Hancock, N.Pedersen, Lindgren (X/2x), Iversen (u)
- (56.2) Crump, Adams, Andersen, Lindgren (X/F)
- (57.2) Hancock, Kasprzak, Dryml, Holta
- (57.3) B.Pedersen, Nicholls, Harris, N. Pedersen
- (57.1) Iversen, Jonsson, Kennett, Gollob (E4)
- (57.1) N.Pedersen, Jonsson, Holta (X/F), Adams (X)
- (57.5) B.Pedersen, Kennett, Lindgren, Dryml
- (57.8) Crump, Nicholls, Hancock, Gollob
- (57.5) Andersen, Harris, Kasprzak, Iversen (X/F)
- Semi-Finals:
- (57.6) N.Pedersen, Nicholls, Andersen, B. Pedersen (X)
- (57.7) Hancock, Crump, Harris, Jonsson
- Final:
- (57.9) Crump (6 points), Hancock (4 points), N. Pedersen (F3), Nicholls (T)