{{Short description|International motorcycle speedway competition}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Use British English|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox Sports league | title = Intercontinental final <br>(World Championship qualifier) | current_season = | image = | caption = | sport = [[Motorcycle speedway]] | founded = 1975 | most_champs = }} The '''Intercontinental final''' was a [[Motorcycle speedway]] final sanctioned by the [[Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme|FIM]] as the final qualifying round for the [[Speedway World Championship]] between 1975 and 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.speedway.org/history/index.htm|title=HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK|website=Speedway.org|access-date=4 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bott|first=Richard|title=The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4|year=1980|page=101|publisher=Stanley Paul & Co Ltd|isbn=0-09-141751-1}}</ref>
After being introduced in [[1975 Individual Speedway World Championship|1975]], it replaced the [[Individual Speedway European Championship|European final]] as the final qualifying round for Commonwealth, American and Nordic riders in [[1976 Individual Speedway World Championship|1976]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Oakes|first=Peter|title=1981 Speedway Yearbook|year=1981|page=22|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-86215-017-5}}</ref>
The Intercontinental final was not run from 1991 to 1994 when it was replaced by the World Semi-finals. It returned to the World Championship calendar in 1995, though unlike from 1975 to 1991 riders would be vying for a place in the following years [[Speedway Grand Prix]] World Championship series and not for the current year World final.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.com/2014/02/intercontinental-final.html|title=Intercontinental Final|website=Edinburgh Speedway|access-date=4 July 2021}}</ref>
[[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]] (1976), [[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] (1978) and [[Bruce Penhall]] (1981) are the only riders who won the Intercontinental final to go on and win the World Championship in the same year. Collins (1977) and [[Erik Gundersen]] (1986) are the only reigning World Champions to win the Intercontinental final.
==Editions== {| class="wikitable" |- align=center |width=80px {{Speedway color|4}} |'''Year''' |width=300px {{Speedway color|4}} |'''Venue''' |width=210px {{Speedway color|P1}}|'''Winner''' |width=210px {{Speedway color|P2}}|'''Runner-up''' |width=210px {{Speedway color|P3}}|'''3rd place''' |- |align=center| [[1975 Intercontinental Final|1975]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Gothenburg]] <small>[[Ullevi]]</small> | {{flagicon|NZL}} [[Ivan Mauger]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Anders Michanek]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Bernt Persson]] |- |align=center| [[1976 Intercontinental Final|1976]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} London <small>[[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]]</small> | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]] | {{flagicon|NZL}} [[Ivan Mauger]] | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Phil Crump]] |- |align=center| [[1977 Intercontinental Final|1977]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} London <small>[[White City Stadium]]</small> | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Billy Sanders]] |- |align=center| [[1978 Intercontinental Final|1978]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Fredericia]] <small>[[Fredericia Speedway Stadium|Fredericia Stadion]]</small> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] | {{flagicon|NZL}} [[Ivan Mauger]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Scott Autrey]] |- |align=center| [[1979 Intercontinental Final|1979]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} London <small>White City Stadium</small> | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Michael Lee (speedway rider)|Michael Lee]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Finn Thomsen]] |- |align=center| [[1980 Intercontinental Final|1980]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} London <small>White City Stadium</small> | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Chris Morton]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bruce Penhall]] | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Billy Sanders]] |- |align=center| [[1981 Intercontinental Final|1981]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Vojens]] <small>[[Vojens Speedway Center]]</small> | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bruce Penhall]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Erik Gundersen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] |- |align=center| [[1982 Intercontinental Final|1982]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Vetlanda]] <small>[[Vetlanda Motorstadion]]</small> | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Les Collins]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Kenny Carter]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dennis Sigalos]] |- |align=center| [[1983 Intercontinental Final|1983]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} London <small>White City Stadium</small> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Michael Lee (speedway rider)|Michael Lee]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Erik Gundersen]] |- |align=center| [[1984 Intercontinental Final|1984]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens <small>Vojens Speedway Center</small> | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Shawn Moran]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Simon Wigg]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lance King (speedway rider)|Lance King]] |- |align=center| [[1985 Intercontinental Final|1985]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} Vetlanda <small>Vetlanda Motorstadion</small> | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Shawn Moran]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lance King (speedway rider)|Lance King]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] |- |align=center| [[1986 Intercontinental Final|1986]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Bradford]] <small>[[Odsal Stadium]]</small> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Erik Gundersen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Tommy Knudsen]] |- |align=center| [[1987 Intercontinental Final|1987]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens <small>Vojens Speedway Center</small> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Erik Gundersen]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jimmy Nilsen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] |- |align=center| [[1988 Intercontinental Final|1988]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} Vetlanda <small>Vetlanda Motorstadion</small> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Jan O. Pedersen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Erik Gundersen]] |- |align=center| [[1989 Intercontinental Final|1989]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} Bradford <small>Odsal Stadium</small> | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Kelvin Tatum]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Peter |title=Speedway Yearbook 1990 |year=1990 |pages=7–9 |publisher=Front Page Books |isbn=0-948882-15-8}}</ref> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Erik Gundersen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] |- |align=center| [[1990 Intercontinental Final|1990]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Harndrup]] <small>[[Fjelsted Speedway Stadium]]</small> | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Shawn Moran]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Per Jonsson]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] |- ! 1991-94 ! colspan=4 | ''not held because format changed to World Semi finals'' |- |align=center| [[1995 Intercontinental Final|1995]] | {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Varhaug]] <small>[[Elgane Speedway]]</small> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Brian Karger]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Joe Screen]] | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Leigh Adams]] |- |align=center| [[1996 Intercontinental Final|1996]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Holsted]] <small>[[Holsted Speedway Center]]</small> | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jimmy Nilsen]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Brian Andersen]] | {{flagicon|GER}} [[Gerd Riss]] |- |align=center| [[1997 Intercontinental Final|1997]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Västervik]] <small>[[Ljungheden]]</small> | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ryan Sullivan]] | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Jason Crump]] | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Craig Boyce]] |- |align=center| [[1998 Intercontinental Final|1998]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens <small>Vojens Speedway Center</small> | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Brian Karger]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Peter Karlsson (speedway rider)|Peter Karlsson]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Ermolenko]] |- |align=center| [[1999 Intercontinental Final|1999]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Poole]] <small>[[Wimborne Road]]</small> | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Todd Wiltshire]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Gary Havelock]] | {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Kai Laukkanen]] |- |align=center| [[2000 Intercontinental Final|2000]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} Holsted <small>Holsted Speedway Center</small> | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Niklas Klingberg]] | {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Rune Holta]] | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Nicki Pedersen]] |- |align=center| [[2001 Intercontinental Final|2001]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} Västervik <small>Ljungheden</small> | {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Kai Laukkanen]] | {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Scott Nicholls]] | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Andreas Jonsson]] |}
=== Winners by country === {| class="wikitable sortable" !Country !Wins !class="unsortable"| Winner(s) |- | {{flagicon|DEN}} Denmark | 7 | [[Erik Gundersen]] (2), [[Brian Karger]] (2), [[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]] (1), [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]] (1), [[Jan O. Pedersen]] (1) |- | {{flagicon|ENG}} England | 6 | [[Peter Collins (speedway rider)|Peter Collins]] (2), [[Michael Lee (speedway rider)|Michael Lee]] (1), [[Chris Morton]] (1), [[Les Collins]] (1), [[Kelvin Tatum]] (1) |- | {{flagicon|USA}} United States | 4 | [[Shawn Moran]] (3), [[Bruce Penhall]] (1) |- | {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden | 2 | [[Jimmy Nilsen]] (1), [[Niklas Klingberg]] (1) |- | {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia | 2 | [[Ryan Sullivan]] (1), [[Todd Wiltshire]] (1) |- | {{flagicon|NZL}} New Zealand | 1 | [[Ivan Mauger]] (1) |- | {{flagicon|FIN}} Finland | 2 | [[Kai Laukkanen]] (1) |}
==See also== * [[Speedway World Championship]] * [[Speedway Grand Prix]] * [[Motorcycle speedway]]
{{International speedway}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Individual Speedway World Championship|*]]