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World Championship Pairs

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World Championship pairs action is back for 2018 as the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations launches in June.

Featuring 15 countries, the exciting new competition will be staged during the FIM Speedway Grand Prix summer break in place of the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup.

Seven nations will compete in two Race Off events at separate locations on June 2 and June 5 respectively, with the top three countries from each joining hosts Poland in the Final at Wroclaw’s Olympic Stadium, which will be staged over two rounds on June 8 and 9.

It’s the first time a World Championship event has been decided over a pairs format since the 1998 World Team Cup. And BSI Speedway managing director Torben Olsen believes the new competition will ensure an epic title race and bring new nations on to the world speedway stage.

He said: “There have long been calls for a World Championship pairs tournament to return and I’m certain the new Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations will make for an awesome week of racing.

“It will be great to see as many as 15 nations involved in the race for the World Championship, offering more riders and fans a chance to be part of the action.

“With the championship riding on the last race of the week, we’re guaranteed a thrilling finale, and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”

 

FIM Track Racing Director Armando Castagna said: "I'm very excited and looking forward to this new FIM World Championship. We have been working for a long time to find the best possible format and scenario for a Speedway of Nations.

I am sure that this Championship will provide a lot of surprises and suspense. We have been increasing the number of Nations entering a Team Championship, and giving the Federations the chance to nominate a young rider in each team will give a boost to the youth program in the participating countries.

It will also give us all the chance to see young riders racing at a high level. I want to thank and congratulate our Promoter BSI for believing in Speedway of Nations and I'm sure that together we will organise a very special new FIM Championship."

 

The tournament is the ultimate test of team riding as the top two riders from each country battle it out. Each meeting will be contested over 21 ordinary heats, with Race Off 1 and 2 containing an extra 2 shoot out heats for the remaining places in the Finals.

For the Finals, the highest-scoring nation after heat 21 on the second day will advance straight to the Grand Final heat, where they will be joined by the winner of a shoot out semi-final race between the second and third-placed countries overall. The Grand Final winner will be crowned the new world champions.

Teams will score three points for a race win, two for second, one for third and zero for fourth place, as per a regular speedway heat.

As well as selecting their top two stars, each country has the option to name an under-21 reserve, who can feature in an unlimited number of their side’s heats at the team manager’s discretion.

But each side must remain unchanged for the entire tournament, with replacements only allowed in the event of an injury.

 

More information about the Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations will be released in due course.

Edited by Mark

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Sounds good but what a surprise Poland straight through to final yet again

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Who wins if the final is 3-3?

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38 minutes ago, Grachan said:

Who wins if the final is 3-3?

Good question but a better system to have 3-2-1 points.   That stops one pair sitting 2nd / 3rd and then watching a boring heat with them blocking the weaker rider of the other pair.

 

I hope Woffy rides on his home track with Cook.    Lambert as reserve.

Edited by Mark
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1 hour ago, HAMMER180 said:

Sounds good but what a surprise Poland straight through to final yet again

Pretty sure that whoever is hosting would be straight through to the finals anyway. I doubt that there would have been any objections to a British pair in the final had it been staged at Belle Vue.

In any case, be glad that there's only one Polish pair lol. To me this sounds like a way of keeping interest in some kind of team tournament alive, knowing that the Poles as a 4-some are now head and shoulders above anyone else's 4-man teams, and that there was the possibility of a dynasty growing that would sap the interest from other countries. With a pairs tournament, the likes of GB featuring Tai + 1, USA with Hancock + 1, Russia with Emil + 1, Australia with Doyle + 1 and other countries with one top flight rider (e.g. Vaculik, Zagar etc) plus one other, could be much more in the mix. OK, Poland are in the final, but I wouldn't take a Polish win for granted like I would if this was the old SWC.

AND as a bonus to anyone thinking of going, the day after the final, it's Stal Gorzow v Falubaz Zielona Gora...so you can make one heck of a trip out of this.

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I for one am looking forward to the new tournament, if only to see the back of the bloody joker.

I prefer the 4-3-2-0 scoring myself as it encourages team riding, which is what a pairs event should be all about. Not somebody buggering off into the distance.

I remember the 84 and 85 National League best pairs events had brilliant grand finals with Nigel Crabtree (succeeding) and Stan Bear (failing) busting a gut to split their teamriding opponents.

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49 minutes ago, Terry said:

I for one am looking forward to the new tournament, if only to see the back of the bloody joker.

I prefer the 4-3-2-0 scoring myself as it encourages team riding, which is what a pairs event should be all about. Not somebody buggering off into the distance.

I remember the 84 and 85 National League best pairs events had brilliant grand finals with Nigel Crabtree (succeeding) and Stan Bear (failing) busting a gut to split their teamriding opponents.

that scoring system favours sitting in 2nd/3rd and blocking the 4th rider.  BORING

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58 minutes ago, Terry said:

I for one am looking forward to the new tournament, if only to see the back of the bloody joker.

I prefer the 4-3-2-0 scoring myself as it encourages team riding, which is what a pairs event should be all about. Not somebody buggering off into the distance.

I remember the 84 and 85 National League best pairs events had brilliant grand finals with Nigel Crabtree (succeeding) and Stan Bear (failing) busting a gut to split their teamriding opponents.

DON'T agree ... better team riding under the conventional scoring system. Ridiculous to have race in which the winner is actually the loser... in my opinion.

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36 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

DON'T agree ... better team riding under the conventional scoring system. Ridiculous to have race in which the winner is actually the loser... in my opinion.

I actually agree with you.

The 3-2-1-0 system is well suited to a 21 heat meeting where all pairs meet each other once and they final positions are decided on total points scored. Even doing tha twice over successive days (bonkers though that seems) and it would still work fine.

But why the hell spoil it by having 'shoot outs' and Grand Finals that, unlike GPS, do not work well with that scoring with pairs to produce decisive results. Quite the opposite.

After all this delay and a major flaw seems so obviously at the heart of their big new idea.

The combined brainpower applied to this over months .... And negligable results to show for it. Nonsense, it was done on the back of a fag packet in about twenty minutes last night whilst watching Eastenders.

It makes Keith Chapman look like MENSA material.

Edited by Grand Central
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38 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

DON'T agree ... better team riding under the conventional scoring system. Ridiculous to have race in which the winner is actually the loser... in my opinion.

Agree.  With 4-3-2 if for any reason your team mate pulls out of a race or falls there is no way that team can win or even draw a heat.  That is not racing.  With 3-2-1 it is possible to at least draw and is fairer.   

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21 minutes ago, Grand Central said:

I actually agree with you.

The 3-2-1-0 system is well suited to a 21 heat meeting where all pairs meet each other once and they final positions are decided on total points scored. Even doing tha twice over successive days (bonkers though that seems) and it would still work fine.

But why the hell spoil it by having 'shoot outs' and Grand Finals that, unlike GPS, do not work well with that scoring with pairs to produce decisive results. Quite the opposite.

After all this delay and a major flaw seems so obviously at the heart of their big new idea.

The combined brainpower applied to this over months .... And negligable results to show for it. Nonsense, it was done on the back of a fag packet in about twenty minutes last night whilst watching Eastenders.

It makes Keith Chapman look like MENSA material.

NO doubt one reason they have gone for a last heat decider is that it ensures the result cannot be determined before the final race ... a major factor for TV amongst others.

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Looking forward to seeing how this goes. Plus point has to be more nations involved and that although Poland will be favourites it's not a certainty. 

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1 minute ago, PHILIPRISING said:

NO doubt one reason they have gone for a last heat decider is that it ensures the result cannot be determined before the final race ... a major factor for TV amongst others.

Everyone understands that TV wants a decisive final race.

We are not stupid.

But a Grand Final that may easily end 3-3 is not consistent with that, is It?

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