{{Short description|14th season in the Speedway Grand Prix}} {{Infobox SGP Season |Year =2008 |Name = |Image = |Dates =April 26 - October 18 |Events =11 |Cities =10 |Country=8 |per=15 |wc=1 |tr=2 |Heats =253 + 1 Super Prix |P1f=DEN |P1 =[[Nicki Pedersen]] |P2f=AUS |P2 =[[Jason Crump]] |P3f=POL |P3 =[[Tomasz Gollob]] }} The '''2008 Speedway Grand Prix''' was the 63rd edition of the official World Championship<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/worldfinalindex|title=WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX|website=British Speedway|access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/6933/world-champions|title=Speedway riders, history and results|website=wwosbackup|access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref> and the 14th season in the [[Speedway Grand Prix]] used to determine the [[Individual Speedway World Championship|Speedway World Champion]]. It was the second under the promotion of [[IMG (business)|IMG]].
== Event format == The format for 2008 was the same as that used in 2007 with 16 riders taking part in each Grand Prix. Over the course of 20 heats each rider raced against every other rider once. The top eight scorers advanced to a semi-final and from each semi-final the first and second placed riders advanced to the GP final.
All rides count towards Grand Prix points totals, including the semi-final and final, which counts double (6-4-2-0) and therefore the maximum points for a single Grand Prix is 24 (five heat wins, semi final win and final win). This format means that the winner of each Grand Prix may not be the rider who scores most GP points from each race.
== Qualification == For the 2008 season, there were 15 permanent riders who were joined at each Grand Prix by one [[Wild card (sports)|wild card]] and two track reserves.
{|width=100% |width=40% valign=top|
=== 2007 Grand Prix === {{main|2007 Speedway Grand Prix}}
The top eight riders from the 2007 championship qualified as of right. These eight qualifiers were, in championship order:
* (1) {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Nicki Pedersen]] * (2) {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Leigh Adams]] * (3) {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Jason Crump]] * (4) {{flagicon|POL}} [[Tomasz Gollob]] * (5) {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nørgaard Andersen|Hans Andersen]] * (6) {{flagicon|USA}} [[Greg Hancock]] * (7) {{flagicon|POL}} [[Rune Holta]] * (8) {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Scott Nicholls]] |width=50% valign=top|
=== Grand Prix Challenge === {{main|2008 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification}}
The top eight riders from 2007 were joined by three riders who qualified via the Grand Prix Challenge. These riders were, in order by qualifying position:
* (12) {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Niels Kristian Iversen]] * (13) {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Lukáš Dryml]] * (11) {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Bjarne Pedersen]]
=== Nominations ===
The final four riders were nominated by series promoters, Benfield Sports International, following the completion of the 2007 season.
* (9) {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Chris Harris (speedway rider)|Chris Harris]] (British SGP Winner) * (10) {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Andreas Jonsson]] (Danish and German SGP Winner) * (14) {{flagicon|POL}} [[Krzysztof Kasprzak]] (2nd in Polish SGP and SWC Winner) * (15) {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Fredrik Lindgren (speedway rider)|Fredrik Lindgren]] (3rd in Swedish SGP) |}
== 2008 Riders == {| class=wikitable style="font-size: 95%;" !width=25px rowspan=2| No !width=200px rowspan=2| Rider !width=80px rowspan=2| DOB !width=30px rowspan=2| Age<ref>Age in 2008.</ref> !colspan=5| 2008 Clubs |- !width=110px| {{flagicon|GBR}} British !width=110px| {{flagicon|POL}} [[2008 Speedway Ekstraliga|Polish]] !width=110px| {{flagicon|SWE}} Swedish !width=130px| {{flagicon|DEN}} Danish ! Others |- |align=center|1 |{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Denmark speedway team|DEN]] [[Nicki Pedersen]] |align=center|1977-04-02 |align=center|31 | |[[Włókniarz Częstochowa|Częstochowa]] |[[Lejonen Gislaved|Gislaved]] |Holsted (DEN) |Togliatti (RUS) |- |align=center|2 |{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia speedway team|AUS]] [[Leigh Adams]] |align=center|1971-04-28 |align=center|37 |[[Swindon Robins|Swindon]] |[[Unia Leszno|Leszno]] |[[Masarna Avesta|Avesta]] | | |- |align=center|3 |{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia speedway team|AUS]] [[Jason Crump]] |align=center|1975-08-06 |align=center|33 |[[Belle Vue Aces|Belle Vue]] |[[WTS Wrocław|Wrocław]] |[[VMS Elit Vetlanda|Vetlanda]] | | |- |align=center|4 |{{flagicon|POL}} [[Poland speedway team|POL]] [[Tomasz Gollob]] |align=center|1971-04-11 |align=center|37 | |[[Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski|Gorzów Wlkp.]] |[[Västervik Speedway|Västervik]] | | |- |align=center|5 |{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Denmark speedway team|DEN]] [[Hans Nørgaard Andersen|Hans Andersen]] |align=center|1980-11-03 |align=center|28 |[[Coventry Bees|Coventry]] |[[KS Toruń|Toruń]] |[[Dackarna Målilla|Målilla]] |Fjelsted (DEN) | |- |align=center|6 |{{flagicon|USA}} [[USA speedway team|USA]] [[Greg Hancock]] |align=center|1970-06-03 |align=center|38 | |[[Włókniarz Częstochowa|Częstochowa]] |[[Rospiggarna Hallstavik|Hallstavik]] | | |- |align=center|7 |{{flagicon|POL}} [[Poland speedway team|POL]] [[Rune Holta]] |align=center|1973-08-29 |align=center|35 | |[[Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski|Gorzów Wlkp.]] |[[VMS Elit Vetlanda|Vetlanda]] |Grindsted (DEN) | |- |align=center|8 |{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Great Britain speedway team|GBR]] [[Scott Nicholls]] |align=center|1978-05-16 |align=center|30 |[[Eastbourne Eagles|Eastbourne]] |[[Stal Rzeszów (motorcycle speedway)|Rzeszów]] |[[Hammarby IF Speedway|Stockholm]] | | |- |align=center|9 |{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Great Britain speedway team|GBR]] [[Chris Harris (speedway rider)|Chris Harris]] |align=center|1982-11-28 |align=center|26 |[[Coventry Bees|Coventry]] |[[TZ Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski|Ostrów]] |[[Västervik Speedway|Västervik]] | | |- |align=center|10 |{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sweden speedway team|SWE]] [[Andreas Jonsson]] |align=center|1980-09-03 |align=center|28 |[[Lakeside Hammers|Lakeside]] |[[Polonia Bydgoszcz|Bydgoszcz]] |[[Dackarna Målilla|Målilla]] | | |- |align=center|11 |{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Denmark speedway team|DEN]] [[Bjarne Pedersen]] |align=center|1978-07-12 |align=center|30 |[[Poole Pirates|Poole]] |[[Wybrzeże Gdańsk|Gdańsk]] |[[Västervik Speedway|Västervik]] |Holstebro (DEN) | |- |align=center|12 |{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Denmark speedway team|DEN]] [[Niels Kristian Iversen]] |align=center|1982-05-20 |align=center|26 |[[Wolverhampton Wolves|Wolverhampton]] |[[ZKŻ Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]] |[[Västervik Speedway|Västervik]] |Holsted (DEN) | |- |align=center|13 |{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Czech Republic speedway team|CZE]] [[Lukáš Dryml]] |align=center|1981-04-16 |align=center|27 |[[Peterborough Panthers|Peterborough]] |[[KM Ostrów Wielkopolski|Ostrów Wlkp.]] |[[Dackarna Målilla|Målilla]] | |Pardubice (CZE) |- |align=center|14 |{{flagicon|POL}} [[Poland speedway team|POL]] [[Krzysztof Kasprzak]] |align=center|1984-07-18 |align=center|24 |[[Poole Pirates|Poole]] |[[Unia Leszno|Leszno]] |[[Smederna Eskilstuna|Eskilstuna]] | | |- |align=center|15 |{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sweden speedway team|SWE]] [[Fredrik Lindgren (speedway rider)|Fredrik Lindgren]] |align=center|1985-09-15 |align=center|23 |[[Wolverhampton Wolves|Wolverhampton]] |[[ZKŻ Zielona Góra|Zielona Góra]] |[[Dackarna Målilla|Målilla]] | |Pardubice (CZE) |- |}
== Cities == <div style="float: right; clear: right; text-align: center"> <div style="position: relative"> [[Image:Europe location.png|400px]] {{Image label|x=0.465|y=0.555|scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Lonigo]]}} {{Image label|x=0.525|y=0.46 |scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Leszno]]}} {{Image label|x=0.47 |y=0.345|scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Gothenburg]]}} {{Image label|x=0.475|y=0.385|scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Copenhagen]]}} {{Image label|x=0.315|y=0.455|scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Cardiff]]}} {{Image label|x=0.50 |y=0.48 |scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Prague]]}} {{Image label|x=0.505|y=0.35 |scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Målilla]]}} {{Image label|x=0.625|y=0.375|scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Daugavpils]]}} {{Image label|x=0.53 |y=0.43 |scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Bydgoszcz]]}} {{Image label|x=0.51 |y=0.545|scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Krško]]}} {{Image label|x=0.425|y=0.46 |scale=400|text=[[Image:Red pog.svg|8px|Gelsenkirchen]]}} </div> </div> *[[Image:POL Bydgoszcz COA.svg|20px]] [[Bydgoszcz]] * [[Cardiff]] *[[File:Greater coat of arms of Copenhagen.svg|25x25px]] [[Copenhagen]] *[[Image:Coat of arms of Daugavpils.svg|20px]] [[Daugavpils]] *[[Image:DEU Gelsenkirchen COA.svg|20px]] [[Gelsenkirchen]] *[[Image:Göteborg kommunvapen - Riksarkivet Sverige.svg|20px]] [[Gothenburg]] * [[Krško]] *[[Image:POL Leszno COA.svg|20px]] [[Leszno]] * [[Lonigo]] *[[Image:Hultsfred vapen.svg|20px]] [[Målilla]] *[[File:Coat of arms of Prague.svg|20x20px]] [[Prague]]
== Calendar ==
{{SGP Calendar|rounds= {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|SVN|1|April 26|[[Matija Gubec Stadium]] |[[Krško]] |POL |[[Tomasz Gollob]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |DEN |[[Hans N. Andersen]] |SWE |[[Andreas Jonsson]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|EUR|2|May 10|[[Alfred Smoczyk Stadium]] |[[Leszno]] |AUS | [[Leigh Adams]] |USA |[[Greg Hancock]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |POL |[[Jarosław Hampel]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|SWE|3|May 24|[[Ullevi]] |[[Gothenburg]] |POL| [[Rune Holta]] |SWE |[[Fredrik Lindgren (speedway rider)|Fredrik Lindgren]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |AUS |[[Jason Crump]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|DEN|4|June 14|[[Parken Stadium]] |[[Copenhagen]] |POL| [[Tomasz Gollob]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |AUS |[[Jason Crump]] |DEN |[[Hans N. Andersen]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|GBR|5|June 28|[[Millennium Stadium]] |[[Cardiff]] |AUS | [[Jason Crump]] |USA |[[Greg Hancock]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |GBR |[[Scott Nicholls]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|CZE|6|August 2|[[Markéta Stadium]] |[[Prague]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |DEN |[[Hans N. Andersen]] |AUS |[[Jason Crump]] |USA |[[Greg Hancock]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|SCA|7|August 16|[[Skrotfrag Arena|G&B Stadium]] |[[Målilla]] |AUS |[[Leigh Adams]] |DEN |[[Hans N. Andersen]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |AUS |[[Jason Crump]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|LAT|8|August 30|[[Latvijas Spīdveja Centrs]] |[[Daugavpils]] |AUS | [[Jason Crump]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |POL |[[Tomasz Gollob]] |USA |[[Greg Hancock]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|POL|9|September 13|[[Stadion Polonii Bydgoszcz|Polonia Stadium]] |[[Bydgoszcz]] |USA |[[Greg Hancock]] |DEN |[[Nicki Pedersen]] |POL |[[Tomasz Gollob]] |GBR |[[Scott Nicholls]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|ITA|10|September 27|[[Santa Marina Stadium]] |[[Lonigo]] | DEN |[[Hans N. Andersen]] |DEN |[[Bjarne Pedersen]] |AUS |[[Jason Crump]] |AUS |[[Leigh Adams]] }} {{SGP Calendar/r|2008|GER|11| October 18| [[Veltins-Arena]]<br> {{flagicon|POL}} [[Bydgoszcz]], Poland<br>[[Stadion Polonii Bydgoszcz|Polonia Stadium]] | [[Gelsenkirchen]] |POL |[[Tomasz Gollob]] |DEN |[[Hans N. Andersen]] |USA |[[Greg Hancock]] |AUS |[[Leigh Adams]] }} }}
== The Final Classification == {{SGP Table|2008|SVN|EUR|SWE|DEN|GBR|CZE|SCA|LAT|POL|ITA|GER|RIDERS= {{SGP Table/r|Q|P1|DEN|1| [[Nicki Pedersen]] |b|17|c|16|c|16|b|20|c|11|a|22|c|14|b|18|b|21|f|6|e|13}} {{SGP Table/r|Q|P2|AUS|3| [[Jason Crump]] |e|10|f|8|d|12|c|18|a|22|c|17|d|12|a|19|e|9|c|18|f|7}} {{SGP Table/r|Q|P3|POL|4| [[Tomasz Gollob]] |a|19|e|12|e|8|a|19|f|4|e|12|e|8|c|16|c|20|e|9|a|21}} {{SGP Table/r|Q|4|USA|6| [[Greg Hancock]] |e|8|b|20|f|6|e|10|b|20|d|13|e|12|d|13|a|18|e|9|c|15}} {{SGP Table/r|Q|5|DEN|5| [[Hans N. Andersen]] |c|14|f|6|e|8|d|11|e|9|b|16|b|20|f|7|e|10|a|21|b|17}} {{SGP Table/r|Q|6|AUS|2| [[Leigh Adams]] |f|5|a|20|e|9|e|8|f|7|e|10|a|21|e|9|e|9|d|12|d|15}} {{SGP Table/r|Q|7|SWE|10| [[Andreas Jonsson]] |d|12|e|9|e|8|e|9|e|8|e|9|f|6|e|10|f|8|e|9|e|12}} {{SGP Table/r|Q|8|POL|7| [[Rune Holta]] |f|5|f|4|a|17|f|7|f|6|e|9|f|5|f|4|f|6|e|10|f|7}} {{SGP Table/r|P|9|GBR|8| [[Scott Nicholls]] |f|7|f|2|f|7|f|7|d|12|f|6|f|4|f|7|d|10|f|8|f|7}} {{SGP Table/r|P|10|SWE|15| [[Fredrik Lindgren (speedway rider)|Fredrik Lindgren]] |f|7|f|7|b|22|f|3|f|2|f|4|f|7|f|7|f|0|f|5|e|9}} {{SGP Table/r|P|11|DEN|11| [[Bjarne Pedersen]] |f|4|x||x||f|7|e|14|f|7|f|6|e|7|f|4|b|17|f|3}} {{SGP Table/r|P|12|DEN|12| [[Niels Kristian Iversen]] |e|8|e|10|f|2|f|6|f|6|f|7|e|9|f|1|f|4|f|6|n|}} {{SGP Table/r|P|13|GBR|9| [[Chris Harris (speedway rider)|Chris Harris]] |f|6|f|6|f|5|f|3|e|10|f|7|f|3|e|9|f|5|n||f|4}} {{SGP Table/r|P|14|POL|14| [[Krzysztof Kasprzak]] |f|6|f|3|f|5|f|3|f|4|f|1|e|9|f|7|f|6|f|8|f|5}} {{SGP Table/r|P|15|CZE|13| [[Lukáš Dryml]] |e|9|f|2|f|3|f|1|f|1|f|4|f|5|f|7|f|3|f|4|e|8}} {{SGP Table/r|w|16|POL|16| [[Jarosław Hampel]] |x||d|16|x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|17|DEN|16| [[Kenneth Bjerre]] |x||x||x||e|11|x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|18|POL|16| [[Wiesław Jaguś]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||e|9|x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|19|CZE|16) (19| [[Luboš Tomíček, Jr.]] |x||f|3|f|5|x||x||f|0|x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|20|SVN|16| [[Matej Žagar]] |f|7|x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|21|SWE|16) (17| [[Jonas Davidsson]] |x||x||f|7|x||x||x||n||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|22|GBR|16| [[Edward Kennett]] |x||x||x||x||f|4|x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|23|SWE|16| [[Peter Ljung (speedway rider)|Peter Ljung]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||f|3|x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|24|RUS|16| [[Grigory Laguta]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|2|x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|25|ITA|17| [[Mattia Carpanese]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|2|x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|26|SWE|18| [[Billy Forsberg]] |x||x||f|2|x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|27|DEN|17| [[Nicolai Klindt]] |x||x||x||f|1|x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|28|POL|17) (18| [[Krzysztof Buczkowski]] |x||n||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|1|x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|29|POL|17) (18| [[Maciej Janowski]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||n||x||f|1}} {{SGP Table/r|w|30|ITA|16| [[Guglielmo Franchetti]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|0|x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|31|GER|16| [[Martin Smolinski]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|0}} {{SGP Table/r|w|32|SWE|17| [[Sebastian Aldén]] |x||x||f|0|x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|33|LVA|17| [[Maksims Bogdanovs]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|0|x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|34|ITA|18| [[Alessandro Milanese]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|0|x|}} {{SGP Table/r|w|35|POL|18| [[Grzegorz Zengota]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||f|0}}|NC= {{SGP Table/r|r||SVN|17| [[Izak Šantej]] |n||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||POL|17| [[Damian Baliński]] |x||n||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||GBR|17| [[Tai Woffinden]] |x||x||x||x||n||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||CZE|17| [[Adrian Rymel]] |x||x||x||x||x||n||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||SVN|18| [[Denis Štojs]] |n||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||DEN|18| [[Patrick Hougaard]] |x||x||x||n||x||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||GBR|18| [[Simon Stead]] |x||x||x||x||n||x||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||CZE|18| [[Filip Šitera]] |x||x||x||x||x||n||x||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||SWE|18| [[Thomas H. Jonasson]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||n||x||x||x||x|}} {{SGP Table/r|r||LVA|18| [[Kasts Poudzuks]] |x||x||x||x||x||x||x||n||x||x||x|}} }}
== See also == {{Speedway Grand Prix seasons}} {{2008 Speedway Grand Prix}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * (en) [https://web.archive.org/web/20070530062333/http://www.speedwayworld.tv/en/sgplatest/show_gp SpeedwayWorld.tv - SGP news]
[[Category:2008 Speedway Grand Prix| ]] [[Category:Speedway Grand Prix seasons|2008]] [[Category:2008 in speedway]]