# Warsaw Speedway

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Motorcycle speedway in Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw Speedway Site of the former Gwardia Warsaw Stadium Club information Country Poland

**Warsaw Speedway** has consisted of several former [motorcycle speedway](/source/Motorcycle_speedway) teams and stadia, including the current major venue for the sport at the [Stadion Narodowy](/source/Stadion_Narodowy).[1][2]

## History

### 1923 to 1939

The origins of speedway in Warsaw began with the founding of two clubs in the city; the first in 1923, when the Polish Motorcycle Club (Polski Klub Motorowy, PKM) were formed. One of its founders was Witold Rychter and the club's members took part in motorcycle and car competitions throughout the interwar period.[3] The second club created in Warsaw was in late 1929, when the [Legia Warsaw (sports club)](/source/Legia_Warsaw_(sports_club)) created a motorcycle section, officially celebrating its anniversary on 8 December. The first speedway was raced on 9 November 1930 at the [Polish Army Stadium](/source/Polish_Army_Stadium).[4] The progression of speedway in Poland was halted by [World War II](/source/World_War_II).

### 1948 to 1959

Stadion RKS Skra

It was not until 1948 that the first league season of speedway in Poland was held.[5] The [1948 Polish speedway season](/source/1948_Polish_speedway_season) contained both **PKM Warszawa** and **Legia Warszawa**, in addition to a third club called **OM TUR Okęcie Warszawa** (the speedway section of the Workers' Sports Club Okęcie Warszawa), who raced at [Stadion RKS Skra](/source/Stadion_RKS_Skra).[6] The team of PKM Warszawa, consisting of Jan Wąsikowski, Jerzy Dąbrowski, Stanisław Brun and Mieczysław Chlebicz, were crowned the first winners of the [Team Speedway Polish Championship](/source/Team_Speedway_Polish_Championship).[5]

The following year in 1949, the Okęcie speedway merged with the **Skra-Związkowiec Warszawa** speedway section and went on to win the silver medal in the [1949 Polish speedway season](/source/1949_Polish_speedway_season). PKM competing as **PKM Ogniwo Warszawa** finished 5th and Legia did not compete.[7]

After the [1950 season](/source/1950_Polish_speedway_season) the speedway leagues were re-organised, which resulted in PKM Warszawa being dissolved and Skra-Związkowiec becoming **Budowlani Warszawa**. Legia returned in [1951](/source/1951_Polish_speedway_season) under the name of **CWKS Warszawa** (the Central Military Sports Club of the Polish Army) but was then relocated to [Wrocław](/source/Wroc%C5%82aw).[8] From 1952 to 1954, only Budowlani represented Warsaw before CWKS Warszawa returned for the [1955 season](/source/1955_Polish_speedway_season).[9]

In 1957, CWKS reverted to the name Legia Warszawa and Budowlani reverted to the name Skra Warszawa. Legia also celebrated their first Polish champion in [Marian Kaiser](/source/Marian_Kaiser), before winning the bronze medal in [1959](/source/1959_Polish_speedway_season).[10]

The 1959 season turned out to be the last season of league speedway participation by any Warsaw club for 40 years because both Legia and Skra were dissolved under different circumstances. Legia merged with [LPŻ Neptun Gdańsk](/source/LP%C5%BB_Neptun_Gda%C5%84sk) but remained in [Gdańsk](/source/Gda%C5%84sk) and Skra was disbanded.

The only speedway in Warsaw was the continuation of the qualifying rounds of the [Speedway World Championship](/source/Speedway_World_Championship) at the [Polish Army Stadium](/source/Polish_Army_Stadium) in 1961, 1962 and 1964 (it had previously held rounds in (1956, 1957 and 1958).[11][12] At the end of 1987, the speedway track was removed from the stadium.

### 2000 to 2003

Sam Ermolenko (l) and Roman Jankowski (r)

Forty years after the last league speedway in Warsaw, later the [Gwardia Warsaw](/source/Gwardia_Warsaw) sports club introduced a speedway section and a team by the name of **WSŻ Gwardia Warszawa** entered the [2000 Polish speedway season](/source/2000_Polish_speedway_season) in the [Polish Speedway Second League](/source/Polish_Speedway_Second_League), racing at the [Gwardia Warsaw Stadium](/source/Gwardia_Warsaw_Stadium). The following season in 2001, the Warsaw Speedway Society (Warszawskie Towarzystwo Żużlowe) took over the club and ran as **WTŻ Warszawa** before yet another change for the 2002 season, when the Warsaw Motor Club ran as **WKM Warszawa**.

The [2002 season](/source/2002_Polish_speedway_season) resulted in promotion to [1. Liga](/source/Polish_Speedway_First_League).[13] The promotion seemed inevitable because the club had signed famous names, such as former world champion [Sam Ermolenko](/source/Sam_Ermolenko), in addition to former international riders [Andy Smith](/source/Andy_Smith_(speedway_rider)), [Craig Boyce](/source/Craig_Boyce) and [Roman Jankowski](/source/Roman_Jankowski). The 2003 1.Liga season was a disaster, WKM Warszawa ending the campaign bottom of the table with just four points and then disbanding.

### 2015 to present

The National Stadium in Warsaw hosts the Speedway Grand Prix of Poland

In 2015, the [Speedway Grand Prix of Poland](/source/Speedway_Grand_Prix_of_Poland), which is part of the [Speedway World Championship](/source/Speedway_World_Championship) series, was held at the [Stadion Narodowy](/source/Stadion_Narodowy).[14] It has held subsequent rounds in [2016](/source/2016_Speedway_Grand_Prix), [2017](/source/2017_Speedway_Grand_Prix), [2018](/source/2018_Speedway_Grand_Prix), [2019](/source/2019_Speedway_Grand_Prix), [2022](/source/2022_Speedway_Grand_Prix), [2023](/source/2023_Speedway_Grand_Prix) and [2024](/source/2024_Speedway_Grand_Prix).[15]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Historia Speedway Polsce"](http://www.speedwayw.pl/). *Historia Speedway*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Historical Results 1948-2023"](http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/druzynowemp.php). *Speedway History*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Rychter, Witold (1985). *My two and four wheels*. _Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Młodych. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [83-206-0341-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/83-206-0341-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["The beginnings of the motorcycle Legion"](https://legia.warszawa.pl/poczatki-motocyklowej-legii/). *Legia Warsawa*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SWF_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SWF_5-1) ["The forgotten champions of Poland. PKM Warszawa paved the way for others"](https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/884221/zuzel-zapomniani-mistrzowie-polski-pkm-warszawa-przetarl-szlaki-innym). *Sporto We Fakty*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Historia Speedway Polsce 1948"](http://www.speedwayw.pl/pl_1948.htm). *Speedway History*. Retrieved 17 February 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Historia Speedway Polsce 1949"](http://www.speedwayw.pl/pl_1949.htm). *Speedway History*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Historia Speedway Polsce 1951"](http://www.speedwayw.pl/pl_1951.htm). *Speedway History*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Historia Speedway Polsce 1955"](http://www.speedwayw.pl/pl_1955.htm). *Speedway History*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Historia Speedway Polsce 1959"](http://www.speedwayw.pl/pl_1959.htm). *Speedway History*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["World Championship"](https://dlprezes.pl.tl/Eliminacje-brytyjskie--k1-British-Qualifications-k2--_-2003.htm). *Metal Speedway*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["World Championship"](http://www.speedway.org/history/). *Speedway.org*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Historia Drużynowych Mistrzostw Polski"](https://www.zuzelend.com/i,89,Historia-Druzynowych-Mistrzostw-Polski). *Zuzeland.com*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["2015 LOTTO Warsaw FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141117094513/http://www.speedwaygp.com/event/speedwaygp-2015-warsaw). *Speedway World Championships*. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["2024 Speedway Grand Prix calendar"](https://www.fimspeedway.com/sgp/calendar). *FIM*. Retrieved 7 March 2024.

v t e Polish speedway teams and seasons Ekstraliga Częstochowa Gorzów Wielkopolski Grudziądz Leszno Lublin Toruń Wrocław Zielona Góra Ekstraliga 2 Bydgoszcz Krosno Łódź Ostrów Wielkopolski Piła Poznań Rybnik Rzeszów National League Daugavpils Gdańsk Gniezno Kraków Landshut Opole Świętochłowice Tarnów Defunct Motor Lublin Lviv Miskolc Pilzno Prague Rawicz Rivne Warsaw Wittstock Seasons 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 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 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Warsaw Speedway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Speedway) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Speedway?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.