1981 Speedway World Team Cup

The 1981 Speedway World Team Cup was the 22nd edition of the FIM Speedway World Team Cup to determine the team world champions.^[1]^[2]

The final took place at the Olching Speedwaybahn in Olching, West Germany.^[3] Denmark won their second title. Ominously for the rest of the world the team contained a youthful Hans Nielsen and Erik Gundersen.^[4]^[5]

Qualification[]

Day	Venue	Winner
Qualification
17 May	Reading	England
17 May	Brokstedt	West Germany
17 May	Debrecen	USSR
28 May	Tampere	Denmark

Round 1[]

May 17
Reading, Smallmead Stadium
Referee: C. Ringstrom
Att: 7,000

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	England	36	3	5	8	9	11	13	15	17	19	22	24	27	30	33	34	36		36	36	36	36
	(9) Dave Jessup	10			3		2					3						2	10
	(10) Gordon Kennett	6				1		2			2						1		6
	(11) Chris Morton	9		2						2			2			3			9
	(12) Michael Lee	11	3						2					3	3				11
	(19) John Davis	0																	0

2	United States	32	2	5	7	9	10	13	13	16	17	18	21	22	24	26	29	32		32	32	32	32
	(5) Bruce Penhall	11	2					3					3					3	11
	(6) Bobby Schwartz	8		3			1							1			3		8
	(7) Dennis Sigalos	3				2			F			1				-			3
	(8) Scott Autrey	8			2					3	1				2				8
	(18) Kelly Moran	2														2			2

3	Australia	20	1	1	1	4	7	8	11	12	12	14	15	17	17	17	19	20		20	20	20	20
	(13) Phil Crump	4		0					3		0							1	4
	(14) John Titman	6	1							1		2					2		6
	(15)	0			0			-						-		X			0
	(16) Billy Sanders	7				3	3						1		0				7
	(20) Gary Guglielmi	3						1						2					3

4	New Zealand	8	0	1	2	2	2	2	3	3	6	6	6	6	7	8	8	8		8	8	8	8
	(1) Ivan Mauger	0				0				0				0				-	0
	(2) Mitch Shirra	2			1				1				-				0		2
	(3) Bruce Cribb	1		1				0				0			-				1
	(4) Larry Ross	1	0				0				-					1			1
	(17)	4									3		0		1			0	4
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

* England & USA to Intercontinental Final

Round 2[]

May 28
Tampere, Tampere Stadium

1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Denmark - 37 Hans Nielsen - 11 Bo Petersen - 10 Erik Gundersen - 8 Tommy Knudsen - 8	Sweden - 30 Jan Andersson - 10 Hans Danielsson - 8 Richard Hellsen - 6 Tommy Nilsson - 6	Finland - 19 - 5 Kai Niemi - 5 Olli Tyrväinen - 4 - 3 - 2	Norway - 10 Rolf Gramstad - 8 - 2 - 0 - 0 - 0

* Denmark & Sweden to Intercontinental Final

Round 3[]

May 17
Brokstedt,

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	West Germany	43	2	5	8	11	11	14	17	20	23	26	29	32	34	37	40	43		43	43	43	43
	(13) Egon Müller	12		3					3		3							3	12
	(14) Georg Hack	11	2							3		3					3		11
	(15) Alois Wiesböck	12			3			3						3		3			12
	(16) Georg Gilgenreiner	8				3	0						3		2				8
	(20)	0																	0

2	Nederlands	24	3	5	7	9	12	12	14	16	16	18	19	19	19	20	22	24		24	24	24	24
	(9) Henny Kroeze	9			2		3					2						2	9
	(10)	4				2		0			-						2		4
	(11)	6		2						2			1			1			6
	(12)	5	3						2					0	0				5
	(19)	0									0								0

3	Austria	22	0	1	2	3	5	7	8	8	10	11	13	15	18	20	21	22		22	22	22	22
	(1) Adi Funk	4				1				0				2				1	4
	(2)	5			1				1				2				1		5
	(3)	7		1				2				1			3				7
	(4)	6	0				2				2					2			6
	(17)	0																	0

4	Bulgaria	7	1	1	1	1	2	3	3	4	5	5	5	6	7	7	7	7		7	7	7	7
	(5)	2	1					1					0					0	2
	(6)	2		0			1							1			0		2
	(7)	0				0			0			0				0			0
	(8)	3			0					1	1				1				3
	(18)	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

* West Germany & Netherlands to Continental Semi-Final

Round 4[]

May 17
Debrecen

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	39	2	5	7	9	12	14	16	19	22	24	27	29	31	33	36	39		39	39	39	39
	(1) Mikhail Starostin	10				2				3				2				3	10
	(2) Grigory Khlinovsky	10			2				2				3				3		10
	(3) Valery Gordeev	9		3				2				2			2				9
	(4) Viktor Kuznetsov	10	2				3				3					2			10
	(17)	0																	0

2	Hungary	37	3	5	8	9	11	14	17	19	21	24	26	27	30	33	35	37		37	37	37	37
	(13)	9		2					3		2							2	9
	(14)	10	3							2		3					2		10
	(15) Zoltán Adorján	10			3			3						1		3			10
	(16)	3				1	-						2		-				3
	(20)	5					2								3				5

3	Italy	14	1	2	3	6	6	7	8	9	9	10	11	11	12	13	14	14		14	14	14	14
	(9)	1			1		0					-						0	1
	(10) Giuseppe Marzotto	5				3		1			0						1		5
	(11) Armando Dal Chiele	3		1						1			1			-			3
	(12)	3	1						1					0	1				3
	(19)	2										1				1			2

4	Yugoslavia	6	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	5	5	5	5	6		6	6	6	6
	(5)	1	0					0					0					1	1
	(6)	4		0			1							3			0		4
	(7)	0				0			0			-				0			0
	(8) Krešo Omerzel	1			-					-	1				0				1
	(18)	0			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

* Soviet Union & Hungary to Continental Semi-Final

Tournament[]

Day	Venue	Winner
Tournament
26 June	Badia Polesine	USSR
26 June	King's Lynn	Denmark
7 July	Leningrad	West Germany
16 August	Olching	Denmark

Continental Semifinal[]

June 28
Badia Polesine

1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Soviet Union - 33 Mikhail Starostin - 10 Viktor Kuznetsov - 9 - 9 Grigory Khlinovsky - 5	West Germany - 32 Karl Maier - 11 Georg Hack - 10 - 4 Georg Gilgenreiner - 3 Egon Müller - 3	Hungary - 18 - 9 - 4 - 2 - 2 Zoltán Adorján - 1	- 13 Henny Kroeze - 5 - 4 - 2 - 2

* Soviet Union & West Germany to Continental Final

Continental Final[]

July 11
Leningrad

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	West Germany	32	2	4	5	6	6	9	12	15	18	19	22	25	26	26	29	32		32	32	32	32
	(1) Karl Maier	10				1				3				3				3	10
	(2) Alois Wiesböck	1			1				-				-				-		1
	(3) Georg Hack	7		2				3				1			1				7
	(4) Georg Gilgenreiner	3	-				0				3					0			3
	(17) Egon Müller	11	2						3				3				3		11

2	Soviet Union	27	3	6	9	11	13	14	15	17	17	19	21	21	23	24	26	27		27	27	27	27
	(9) Grigory Khlinovsky	8			3		2					2						1	8
	(10)	5				2		1			-						2		5
	(11) Viktor Kuznetsov	8		3						2			2			1			8
	(12) Mikhail Starostin	6	3						1					X	2				6
	(19)	0									0								0

3	Czechoslovakia	21	0	1	3	3	4	4	6	6	8	11	11	13	16	18	19	21		21	21	21	21
	(13) Aleš Dryml Sr.	7		1					2		2							2	7
	(14) Václav Verner	4	0							X		3					1		4
	(15) Milan Špinka	2			2			F						-		-			2
	(16) Zdeněk Kudrna	0				0	-						X		-				0
	(20) Jiří Štancl	8					1							2	3	2			8

4	Poland	14	1	1	1	4	7	9	9	9	10	10	11	11	11	14	14	14		14	14	14	14
	(5) Edward Jancarz	4	1					2					1					0	4
	(6) Zenon Plech	3		F			3							F			-		3
	(7) Roman Jankowski	6				3			F			0				3			6
	(8) Jerzy Rembas	1			E					T	1				0				1
	(18)	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

* West Germany & Soviet Union to World Final

Intercontinental Final[]

July 28
King's Lynn, Norfolk Arena
Referee: Sam Bass

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	Denmark	31	0	2	2	2	5	7	10	13	15	18	21	24	26	27	28	31		31	31	31	31
	(1) Ole Olsen	9				0				3				3				3	9
	(2) Tommy Knudsen	7			0				3				3				1		7
	(3) Erik Gundersen	9		2				2				3			2				9
	(4) Hans Nielsen	6	0				3				2					1			6
	(17) Preben Eriksen	0																	0

2	England	30	2	2	5	8	10	11	13	14	17	19	19	20	23	26	28	30		30	30	30	30
	(9) Michael Lee	9			3		2					2						2	9
	(10) Chris Morton	9				3		1			3						2		9
	(11) Steve Bastable	4		E						1			-			3			4
	(12) Dave Jessup	8	2						2					1	3				8
	(19) Kenny Carter	0											0						0

3	United States	26	3	6	8	10	10	13	14	16	17	18	20	22	23	25	25	26		26	26	26	26
	(5) Bruce Penhall	9	3					3					2					1	9
	(6) Kelly Moran	5		3			0							2			0		5
	(7) Bobby Schwartz	6				2			1			1				2			6
	(8) Dennis Sigalos	6			2					2	1				1				6
	(18) Scott Autrey	0																	0

4	Sweden	9	1	2	3	4	5	5	5	5	5	5	6	6	6	6	9	9		9	9	9	9
	(13) Anders Michanek	1		1					0		-							-	1
	(14) Jan Andersson	4	1							0		0					3		4
	(15) Richard Hellsen	1			1			0						0		0			1
	(16) Tommy Nilsson	3				1	1						1		0				3
	(20) Hans Danielsson	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

* Denmark & England to World Final

World Final[]

August 16
Olching, ^[6]
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	Denmark	36	3	5	8	10	13	16	17	20	23	26	28	29	31	33	35	36		36	36	36	36
	(13) Ole Olsen	6		2					1		3							-	6
	(14) Hans Nielsen	11	3							3		3					2		11
	(15) Erik Gundersen	9			3			3						1		2			9
	(16) Tommy Knudsen	9				2	3						2		2				9
	(20) Finn Thomsen	1																1	1

2	England	29	0	3	4	7	9	10	12	14	16	17	18	21	21	24	27	29		29	29	29	29
	(5) Dave Jessup	3	E					1					-					2	3
	(6) Chris Morton	11		3			2							3			3		11
	(7) Kenny Carter	9				3			2			1				3			9
	(8) John Davis	5			1					2	2				E				5
	(18) Gordon Kennett	1											1						1

3	West Germany	28	2	2	4	5	6	8	11	12	13	15	18	20	23	24	25	28		28	28	28	28
	(9) Karl Maier	8			2		1					2						3	8
	(10) Georg Hack	5				1		2			1						1		5
	(11) Georg Gilgenreiner	5		0						1			3			1			5
	(12) Egon Müller	10	2						3					2	3				10
	(19) Alois Wiesböck	0																	0

4	Soviet Union	3	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3		3	3	3	3
	(1) Valery Gordeev	0				0				0				0				0	0
	(2) Mikhail Starostin	0			0				0				F				-		0
	(3) Viktor Kuznetsov	2		1				0				0			1				2
	(4)	1	1				-				-						E		1
	(17)	0					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

References[]

^ Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and Results. Guinness Superlatives. p. 290. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
^ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
^ "World Team Cup 1960-1990". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "FIM SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP/ SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS" (PDF). Motor Sport Top 20. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "1981 WORLD TEAM CUP". International Speedway. Retrieved 15 July 2021.

[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] "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 12 July 2021.

[4] "World Team Cup 1960-1990". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 13 July 2021.

[5] "FIM SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP/ SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS" (PDF). Motor Sport Top 20. Retrieved 13 July 2021.

[6] "1981 WORLD TEAM CUP". International Speedway. Retrieved 15 July 2021.

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v t Speedway World Team Cup and Speedway World Cup
Speedway World Team Cup	1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Speedway World Cup (SWC)	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
See also	Host cities Medalists Medal classification
Speedway World Pairs Championship Speedway of Nations

1981 Speedway World Team Cup

Contents

Qualification[]

Round 1[]

Round 2[]

Round 3[]

Round 4[]

Tournament[]

Continental Semifinal[]

Continental Final[]

Intercontinental Final[]

World Final[]

See also[]

References[]