1939 Individual Speedway World Championship

Fourth (canceled) edition of the World motorcycle speedway championship

The 1939 Individual Speedway World Championship was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II. It would have been the fourth edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

The final, due to be held at Wembley on 7 September was cancelled, just four days after the declaration of war by Britain on Germany.[8][9]

Qualifying round

  • The top 28 riders qualify for Championship round.
Date Venue Winner
2 June Cleveland Park Stadium George Greenwood
3 June Hackney Wick Stadium Andy Menzies
6 June Knowle Stadium Dick Harris
8 June Owlerton Stadium Stan Williams
10 June Crystal Palace Exhibition Grounds Aub Lawson
12 June Brough Park Stadium George Pepper
15 June Sun Street Stadium Jeff Lloyd
17 June The Firs Stadium George Greenwood
1 July Harringay Stadium Jack Milne
4 July West Ham Stadium Arthur Atkinson
8 July Hyde Road Bill Kitchen
12 July New Cross Stadium Aub Lawson & Jack Milne
19 July Banister Court Stadium Frank Goulden
24 July Wimbledon Stadium Cordy Milne

Championship round

Date Venue Winner
2 August Banister Court Stadium Cordy Milne
5 August Harringay Stadium Jack Parker
15 August West Ham Stadium Eric Langton
17 August Wembley Stadium Lionel Van Praag
19 August Hyde Road Eric Langton
21 August Wimbledon Stadium Cordy Milne
23 August New Cross Stadium Wilbur Lamoreaux & Eric Langton

Points

  • The top 16 riders (and 2 reserves) over 7 Championship rounds would qualify for the World final.
Pos. Rider Qual Points Points carried forward
1 United States Cordy Milne 53 8
2 England Eric Langton 51 7
3 United States Wilbur Lamoreaux 50 7
4 England Bill Kitchen 47 7
5 Australia Vic Duggan 45 6
6 Australia Lionel Van Praag 44 6
7 England Arthur Atkinson 40 6
8 United States Jack Milne 40 6
9 England Alec Statham 36 5
10 England Jack Parker 34 5
11 United States Benny Kaufman 33 5
12 Canada Eric Chitty 32 5
13 Australia Ron Johnson 32 5
14 England Frank Varey 31 4
15 England Eric Collins 30 4
16 Australia Aub Lawson 29 4
Pos. Rider Qual Points c/f
17 England Malcolm Craven 27 res
18 England Frank Goulden 24 res
19 England Tommy Croombs 22
20 Canada Jimmie Gibb 21
21 England Bob Harrison 19
22 England Norman Parker 17
23 England Wally Lloyd 16
24 England Bill Pitcher 14
25 England Tommy Price 13
26 England Jack Hargreaves 9
27 England Stan Greatrex 7
28 England Stan Williams 7

World final

  • Wembley Stadium, London, 7 September 1939
  • cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II.

References

  1. ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
  2. ^ "World Championship 1936-1994". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ^ "WORLD FINALS 1936-1994" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. ^ "HISTORY SPEEDWAY and LONGTRACK". Speedway.org. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  5. ^ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  7. ^ Oakes, Peter (1990). Speedway Yearbook 1990. Front Page Books. p. 13. ISBN 0-948882-15-8.
  8. ^ "Speedway Racing". West London Observer. 1 September 1939. Retrieved 22 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Speedway Final". Cambridge Daily News. 6 September 1939. Retrieved 22 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.