Britain’s biggest indoor motorsport event roars back to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday, September 2nd, celebrating an amazing 21st year in the Welsh capital.
Last year, British hero DAN BEWLEY inspired the nation’s next generation of speedway heroes after ending the country’s 15-year wait for an FIM SPEEDWAY GP OF GREAT BRITAIN – Cardiff winner.
It was an unforgettable night when Dan blew the roof off the iconic Principality Stadium when he stormed to his first-ever SGP win ahead of Speedway GP World Championship leader Bartosz Zmarzlik and his fellow Polish star Patryk Dudek, with Leon Madsen taking fourth place.
We were there to soak up the atmosphere, and catch up race winner Dan. You can look back at last years event HERE.
Which means we can expect even more fast and furious family fun, when the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff returns.
Adding to the excitement for the home fans, three-time world champion Tai Woffinden and Robert Lambert are the other two Brits vying for that top spot, with all three in real contention to send the Cardiff crowd wild.
The stage is set for some thrilling on-track action as fans gear up to watch 16 riders compete over 23 heats, with each race featuring four riders battling it out over four laps on 500cc bikes with absolutely NO BRAKES!
Fans will enjoy the highs, extraordinary skills and nail-biting moments as riders compete wheel to wheel for the chance to win one of the most prestigious events in world speedway and move one step closer to Speedway GP World Championship glory.
The day starts in the activity-filled fanzone which will take place on City Hall Lawn, featuring a jam-packed schedule including rider autograph sessions, lots of photo opportunities, plenty of interactive activities and chances to meet the sport’s biggest stars.
The focus then switches to the Principality Stadium as racing gets underway at 5pm, culminating with a spectacular indoor firework display.
As the longest running third-party event at the Principality Stadium, Speedway GP has become synonymous with Cardiff.
Speaking ahead of this year’s FIM British Speedway GP, FIM Speedway championships director Laura Manciet told us……
“Dan Bewley’s win in Cardiff last year was just incredible, and with three top British riders back for 2023, we’re expecting a fantastic event.
As well as the full-throttle on-track action, there is so much planned throughout the day and we’re looking forward to welcoming fans old and new to come and help us raise the roof at Principality Stadium.
Cardiff is always such a fantastic showcase for the sport and, in the year we celebrate 100 years since speedway first took place in Australia in 1923, everyone involved in the FIM British Speedway GP is working hard to deliver an unforgettable event on September 2.”
To get you ready for one of the most spectacular and adrenalin fuelled events in the stadium calendar, here’s a quick guide as to how it all happens in Cardiff…….
- The FIM British Speedway GP features 16 riders – 15 permanent and one British wild card – plus two British track reserves
- A Speedway GP is raced over 23 heats – including two semi-finals and the final
- Each rider races at least five times and meets every other rider in the meeting at least once over the first 20 heats.
- The eight riders with the most points after 20 heats progress to the semi-finals, with the top two in each semi reaching the final. The winner of the final is the FIM British Speedway GP winner.
- Each heat features four riders competing over four laps in an intense battle lasting just under one minute.
- Riders compete on 500cc bikes with one fixed gear and absolutely NO BRAKES as they slide their bikes around the Principality Stadium track.
- Bikes run on methanol – an environmentally-friendly-yet-high-performance fuel.
- Approximately 3,500 tonnes of bespoke track material originating from a quarry in Derbyshire are stored permanently in a warehouse, before being transported to Principality Stadium to construct the Speedway GP track.
- Speed Sports’ track experts, led by three-time FIM Speedway world champion Ole Olsen, who has vast experience of working on Speedway GP circuits and recently built the successful temporary track for the FIM Speedway GP of Poland in Warsaw back in May, is leading the project.
- Samples of the shale material and ground were sent to a laboratory in Newport. The samples have been analysed and results were consulted with geological experts. In the coming weeks, the material will be upgraded and mixed again to ensure a better racing experience with changes clearly visible for all speedway fans.
- Track material is transported by 140 lorry loads to the stadium covering a cumulative distance of approximately 300 miles.
- Track construction takes place over a period of seven days and nearly 400 man hours are needed to construct the track from start to finish.
- Two wheel-based loaders, two tracked excavators, one grader, two vibrating compactors, two tractors, two vibrating plates, one forklift and an experienced labour crew all work together within the confines of the Principality Stadium during construction.
- Total track area = 3,582.62m2
- FIM Track Length = 271.93m
- The track record for four laps is 53.134 seconds – set by Dan Bewley in heat four in 2022.
- With the first FIM British Speedway GP staged at Principality Stadium in 2001, this is one of the sport’s longest-serving Speedway GP venues. Its legacy and tradition draw fans from all over the world – it is to Speedway GP what Monaco is to F1.
- The FIM British Speedway GP is the longest-running third-party event on the Principality Stadium calendar.
The FIM SPEEDWAY GP OF GREAT BRITAIN returns to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday 2nd September. Tickets are available right now – HERE.
Prices start from just £20, with a variety of concessions available.
