1990 Individual Speedway World Championship

The 1990 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 45th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.

The final was held at the Odsal Stadium in Bradford, England. It was the 28th and last time the world final would be held in England under the traditional single meeting format.

Sweden's Per Jonsson won his only World Individual Championship to become the first Swedish World Champion since Anders Michanek in 1974 and became the first rider to win both the Under-21 and Senior World Championships, having previously won the 1985 Under-21 World Championship. Jonsson defeated Shawn Moran from the United States in a run-off after both finished the meeting on 13 points. Moran was later disqualified by the FIM for failing a drug test taken at the Overseas Final. After Moran's disqualification, the FIM did not adjust the rankings, leaving the second-place position vacant in official records for the 1990 World Final. Australian youngster Todd Wiltshire, believed by many judges to be one who would be making up the numbers in his first World Final, finished third with 12 points after winning his first two rides.

After having won each World Final since 1984, including five 1-2 finishes and taking all podium places in 1988, the 1990 World Final saw no Danish riders finishing on the podium for the first time since 1983. Defending champion Hans Nielsen, the only Danish rider in the field after Jan O. Pedersen was sidelined due to injury, finished fourth with 11 points.

First round

British qualifiers

• Top 32 to British-Semi finals

Second round

New Zealand qualification

• First 16 to New Zealand final

• +Thorpe awarded title after Ross refused to ride in the race-off

Australian qualification

• Top 16 to Australian final

British semi-finals

• Top 16 to British final

Third round

Continental preliminary round

• Riders progress to Continental quarter-finals

Swedish qualification

• Top 8 in each heat to Swedish final

British final

• Top 10 to Commonwealth final

New Zealand final

Ruapuna Speedway, Christchurch

• 3 February, top 2 to Commonwealth final

Australian final

Brisbane Exhibition Ground

• 13 January, top 3 (+1 other seeded) to Commonwealth final

Fourth round

Continental quarter-finals

• Top 32 to Continental semi-finals

Danish Final

• Top 6 to the Nordic final

Swedish Final

• R1 (15 May, Vetlanda Motorstadion, Vetlanda)
• R2 (16 May, Norrköping Motorstadion, Norrköping)
• R3 (17 May, Avesta Motorstadion, Avesta)
• Top 6 to Nordic Final

Commonwealth Final

• Top 12 plus 1 reserve to the Overseas final

North American Final

• 2 June 1990
• Veterans Memorial Stadium, Long Beach
• Top 4 to the Overseas final plus 1 reserve

Fifth round

Continental semi-finals

Overseas Final

• Top 9 to the Intercontinental final

Nordic Final

• 9 June 1990
• Motorstadium, Linköping
• Top 7 to the Intercontinental Final plus 1 reserve

Sixth round

Intercontinental Final

• Top 11 plus 1 reserve to World final

Continental Final

• 12 August 1990
• Motodrom Halbemond, Norden
• Top 5 to the World final plus 1 reserve

World final

• 1 September 1990
• Odsal Stadium, Bradford

Classification

<small>* Henrik Gustafsson and Antonín Kasper Jr. replaced injured qualifiers Jan O. Pedersen and Gerd Riss</small>

<div id="notes_moran">Notes:</div>

a. Shawn Moran scored 13 points and lost the run-off to Per Jonsson. However, Moran had failed a random drug and alcohol test taken three months earlier at the Overseas Final, and was subsequently disqualified from second place. The FIM did not upgrade the standings and the official records show no second place rider.

References