# 1978 Individual Speedway World Championship

The 1978 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 33rd edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.
Ole Olsen won his third world crown. The final was sponsored by the Sunday Mirror and was attended by 86,500. Gordon Kennett took silver on the day of his 25th birthday and American Scott Autrey won the bronze medal run-off defeating Dave Jessup and Jerzy Rembas. Dave Jessup was effectively denied a World title when after leading in heat 3 he suffered a bike malfunction and finished last in the heat. He then scored 11 points from his remaining rides which would have been enough to take the crown if he had won heat 3.
Qualification results.

## Second round
### Australian qualifying

* Top 16 to Australian final
| Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
| ? '77 | ? | Danny Kennedy | Rod Hunter | John McNeill |
| 26 Nov '77 | Carina Speedway, Bundaberg | Billy Sanders | Phil Herne | Paul O'Neil |
| 10 Dec '77 | Showground Speedway, Sydney | Billy Sanders | Phil Herne | Paul O'Neil |
| 6 Jan | Claremont Speedway, Perth | Lloyd Cross | Les Leisk | Neil Webb |
| 13 Jan | Rowley Park, Adelaide | John Boulger | Tony Boyle | Rob Maxfield |
| 27 Jan | Rowley Park, Adelaide | John Boulger | Danny Kennedy | Tony Boyle |
| 30 Jan | Showground Speedway, Sydney | John Titman | Phil Herne | Billy Sanders |

### New Zealand qualifying

* Top 16 to New Zealand final
| Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
| 5 Feb | Ruapuna Speedway, Christchurch | Larry Ross | Barry Briggs | James Moore |

### British preliminary round

* Rider progress to British qualifying round
| Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
| 16 April | Rye House Stadium, Hoddesdon | Ted Hubbard | Kelvin Mullarkey | Vic Harding |
| 16 April | Boston Sports Stadium, Boston | Steve Weatherley | Tom Owen | Chris Turner |
| 20 April | Cleveland Park, Middlesbrough | Mike Sampson | Phil Collins | Paul Tyrer |
| 23 April | Mildenhall Stadium, Mildenhall | Martin Yeates | Richard Greer | Bob Coles |
| 27 April | Oxford Stadium, Oxford | Dave Perks | Geoff Bouchard | Steve Finch |

### Continental preliminary round

* Riders progress to Continental quarter-finals
| Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
| 22 April | Slaný Speedway Stadium, Slaný | Boleslaw Proch | Jerzy Kochman | Rudi Muts |
| 23 April | Kovinar Stadium, Maribor | Jan Hádek | Sandro Pastoreli | Angel Jeftimov |

### Swedish qualification

* Top 5 in each heat to Swedish final
(5 May, Avestavallen, Avesta) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Anders Michanek | 15 |
| 2 | Christer Sjösten | 11 |
| 3 | Börje Klingberg | 11 |
| 4 | Gert Carlsson | 11 |
| 5 | Tomas Pettersson | 10 |
| 6 | Karl-Erik Claesson | 9 |
| 7 | Roger Björkman | 9 |
| 8 | Åke Fridell | 8 |
| 9 | Lars-Olof Karlsson | 7 |
| 10 | Åke Axelsson | 7 |
| 11 | Leif Johansson | 6 |
| 12 | Peter Johansson | 5 |
| 13 | Therje Henriksson | 4 |
| 14 | Bertil Andersson | 2 |
| 15 | Börje Ohlsson (res) | 2 |
| 16 | Hans Frisk | 1 |
| 17 | Willy Karlsson | 0 |
| 18 | Jan Holmqvist | 0 |
(7 May, Målilla Motorbana, Malilla) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Tommy Nilsson | 15 |
| 2 | Sören Karlsson | 13 |
| 3 | Stefan Salmonsson | 13 |
| 4 | Lillebror Johansson | 11 |
| 5 | Bo Wirebrand | 9+3 |
| 6 | Lars Ericsson | 9+2 |
| 7 | Olle Nygren | 8 |
| 8 | Sven Nilsson | 8 |
| 9 | Bengt Larsson | 6 |
| 10 | Thord Löwdin | 5 |
| 11 | Kenneth Selmosson | 4 |
| 12 | Weine Ström | 4 |
| 13 | Tommy Johansson | 3 |
| 14 | Björn Persson (res) | 3 |
| 15 | Karl-Fredrik Lindgren | 3 |
| 16 | Bengt Gagner | 3 |
| 17 | Åke Andersson (res) | 2 |
| 18 | Åke Dovhed | 0 |
(7 May, Gamla Galgberget, Visby) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Jan Andersson | 14 |
| 2 | Conny Samuelsson | 13 |
| 3 | Sören Sjösten | 13 |
| 4 | Hasse Holmqvist | 12 |
| 5 | Bernt Persson | 12 |
| 6 | Lars-Åke Andersson | 9+3 |
| 7 | Rolf Sundberg | 9+2 |
| 8 | Kjell Bergström | 7 |
| 9 | Hans Danielsson | 7 |
| 10 | Jan Davidsson | 6 |
| 11 | Torgil Roth | 6 |
| 12 | Håkan Karlsson | 5 |
| 13 | Richard Hellsén | 2 |
| 14 | Eddie Davidsson | 1 |

## Third round
### Continental quarter-finals

* Top 32 to Continental semi-finals
| Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
| 7 May | Castiglione Olona Speedway, Varese | Egon Muller | Grigory Khlinovsky | Jerzy Rembas |
| 7 May | Borsod Volán Stadion, Miskolc | Mikhail Starostin | Andrzej Huszcza | Václav Verner |
| 7 May | Breitenthal Stadium, Krumbach | Georg Hack | Ales Dryml, Sr | Nikolay Kornev |
| 7 May | Municipal Stadium, Częstochowa | Marek Cieślak | Jiří Štancl | Zdeněk Kudrna |

### British qualifying round

The British qualifying rounds for the World Championship doubled up as qualifying rounds for the Volkswagen/Daily Mirror Grand Prix. Therefore, many non-British riders rode in these meetings scoring points towards the Volkswagen/Daily Mirror Grand Prix qualification - but their scores didn't count towards World Championship qualification. The top 32 British riders qualified for the British semi-finals.
| Date | Venue | Winner | 2nd | 3rd |
| 11 May | Wimbledon Stadium, London | Peter Collins | Bob Kilby | Dave Jessup |
| 11 May | Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield | Ivan Mauger | Doug Wyer | Steve Bastable |
| 12 May | Hackney Wick Stadium, London | Dave Jessup | Terry Betts | Finn Thomsen |
| 13 May | Hyde Road, Manchester | Peter Collins | Chris Morton | Bobby Beaton |
| 13 May | King's Lynn Stadium, King's Lynn | Michael Lee | John Titman | Malcolm Simmons |
| 13 May | Brandon Stadium, Coventry | Alan Molyneux | Keith White | Billy Sanders |
| 15 May | Smallmead Stadium, Reading | Gordon Kennett | Billy Sanders | John Davis |
| 15 May | County Ground Stadium, Exeter | Phil Crump | Václav Verner | Mike Farrell |
| 15 May | Birchfield Ladbroke Stadium, Birmingham | Ray Wilson | John Titman | Mike Lanham |
| 16 May | Leicester Stadium, Leicester | Scott Autrey | John Titman | Les Collins |
| 17 May | Wimborne Road, Poole | Tony Davey | Václav Verner | Malcolm Simmons |
| 17 May | White City Stadium, London | Kai Niemi | Gordon Kennett | Ila Teromaa |
| 17 May | The Boulevard, Hull | Ivan Mauger | Bobby Beaton | Graham Drury |
| 18 May | Abbey Stadium, Swindon | Peter Collins | Jan Andersson | Dave Perks |
| 18 May | Foxhall Stadium, Ipswich | John Louis | Michael Lee | Tony Davey |
| 19 May | Monmore Green, Wolverhampton | Gordon Kennett | Hans Nielsen | Jim McMillan |
| 19 May | Knowle Stadium, Bristol | Joe Owen | Tormod Langli | Reg Wilson |
| 20 May | Dudley Wood Stadium, Dudley | Alan Grahame | John Davis | Bruce Cribb |
| 20 May | The Shay, Halifax | Eric Broadbelt | Ian Cartwright | Phil Collins |

### Finland Final

* First 2 to Nordic Final 1978
* 14 August 1977, Eteläpuisto, Tampere
| Pos. | Rider | Total |
| 1 | Kai Niemi | 14 |
| 2 | Ilkka Teromaa | 13 |
| 3 | Rauli Mäkinen | 12 |
| 4 | Seppo Palomäki | 12 |
| 5 | Markku Helminen | 11 |
| 6 | Pekka Paljakka | 10 |
| 7 | Pekka Hautamäki | 9 |
| 8 | Timo Kiansten | 8 |
| 9 | Olli Turkia | 8 |
| 10 | Veijo Tuoriniemi | 6 |
| 11 | Veli Pekka Kunelius | 6 |
| 12 | Ari Koponen | 3 |
| 13 | Keijo Mylläri | 3 |
| 14 | Esa Mattila | 3 |
| 15 | Raimo Posti | 2 |
| 16 | Jorma Karjalainen | 0 |

### Norwegian Final

* 3 riders to Nordic Final

### Swedish Final

* 30 May 1978
* Kumla Motorstadion, Kumla
* First 7 to Nordic Final + 1 reserve
| Pos. | Rider | Total |
| 1 | Anders Michanek | 14 |
| 2 | Jan Andersson | 14 |
| 3 | Bernt Persson | 11 |
| 4 | Tommy Nilsson | 11 |
| 5 | Lars Ericsson | 10 |
| 6 | Sören Karlsson | 10 |
| 7 | Christer Sjösten | 10 |
| 8 | Bo Wirebrand | 8 |
| 9 | Bengt Jansson | 6 |
| 10 | Stefan Salomonsson | 6 |
| 11 | Hasse Holmqvist | 5 |
| 12 | Conny Samuelsson | 5 |
| 13 | Borje Klingberg | 4 |
| 14 | Gert Carlsson | 3 |
| 15 | Tommy Pettersson | 1 |
| 16 | Sören Sjösten | 1 |
| 17 | Lars-Åke Andersson | 1 |

### Danish Final

* 15 May 1978
* Fjelsted Speedway Stadium, Harndrup
* First 2 to Nordic Final (Ole Olsen and Finn Thomsen seeded through)
| Pos. | Rider | Total |
| 1 | Bent Rasmussen | 13+3 |
| 2 | Kristian Præstbro | 13+2 |
| 3 | Hans Nielsen | 12+3 |
| 4 | Mike Lohmann | 12+2 |
| 5 | Alf Busk | 12+1 |
| 6 | Bo Petersen | 10 |
| 7 | Finn Rune Jensen | 9 |
| 8 | Knud Ellegaard | 8 |
| 9 | Klaus Lohmann | 6 |
| 10 | Kurt Bøgh | 4 |
| 11 | Steen Mastrup | 4 |
| 12 | Arne Kruse | 4 |
| 13 | Erling Rasmussen | 3 |
| 14 | Gunnar Svendsen | 3 |
| 15 | Bent Nørregaard-Jensen | 3 |
| 16 | Jens Kjaer | 2 |

### Australian Final

* 4 February 1978
* Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane
* To 8 to Australasian Final
| Pos. | Rider | Total |
| 1 | John Titman | 15 |
| 2 | Lloyd Cross | 13 |
| 3 | Mick McKeon | 12 |
| 4 | John Boulger | 11 |
| 5 | Mike Farrell | 9 |
| 6 | Phil Herne | 9 |
| 7 | Billy Sanders | 9 |
| 8 | Robert Maxfield | 8 |
| 9 | Glenn McDonald | 7 |
| 10 | Phil Crump | 7 |
| 11 | Wayne Forrest | 6 |
| 12 | Tony Boyle | 5 |
| 13 | Danny Kennedy | 4 |
| 14 | Ricky Day | 3 |
| 15 | Phil Bass | 2 |
| 16 | Stuart Mountford | 0 |

### New Zealand Final

* 11 February 1978
* Te Marua Speedway, Wellington
* To 8 to Australasian Final
| Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
| 1 | Larry Ross | 3,3,3,3,3 | 15 |
| 2 | Barry Briggs | 2,3,3,2,2 | 12 |
| 3 | Mike Fullerton | 1,3,2,3,3 | 12 |
| 4 | Mitch Shirra | 3,2,E,3,3 | 11 |
| 5 | Roger Wright | 2,3,3,1,2 | 11 |
| 6 | Colin Tucker | 3,2,2,2,2 | 11 |
| 7 | Colin Farquharson | 1,1,3,2,3 | 10 |
| 8 | James Moore | 3,1,0,0,2 | 6 |
| 9 | Allan Brown | 0,0,2,3,1 | 6 |
| 10 | Greg Joynt | 1,2,2,0,0 | 5 |
| 11 | Paul Fewinks | 2,2,0,1,F | 5 |
| 12 | Max Brown | F,0,1,2,1 | 4 |
| 13 | Gavin Miller | 2,1,1,0,0 | 4 |
| 14 | Cliff Anderson | 0,0,1,1,1 | 3 |
| 15 | Patrick Pawson | 1,E,1,1,0 | 3 |
| 16 | Kris Berrigan | 0,1,0,0,1 | 2 |

## Fourth round
### British semi-finals

| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Tony Davey | 12 |
| 2 | Gordon Kennett | 12 |
| 3 | Dave Jessup | 11 |
| 4 | John Davis | 11 |
| 5 | Steve Bastable | 10 |
| 6 | John Louis | 10 |
| 7 | Malcolm Simmons | 10 |
| 8 | Alan Grahame | 9 |
| 9 | Terry Betts | 8 |
| 10 | Bob Kilby | 7 |
| 11 | Trevor Geer | 6 |
| 12 | Neil Middleditch | 4 |
| 13 | Mike Lanham | 4 |
| 14 | Colin Richardson | 4 |
| 15 | Eric Broadbelt | 2 |
| 16 | Geoff Bouchard | 1 |
| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Peter Collins | 15 |
| 2 | Chris Morton | 13 |
| 3 | Michael Lee | 13 |
| 4 | Les Collins | 10 |
| 5 | Reg Wilson | 10 |
| 6 | Dave Morton | 9 |
| 7 | Doug Wyer | 8 |
| 8 | Jim McMillan | 7 |
| 9 | Phil Collins | 7 |
| 10 | Bobby Beaton | 6 |
| 11 | Dave Perks | 5 |
| 12 | Ian Cartwright | 5 |
| 13 | Keith White | 4 |
| 14 | Alan Molyneux | 4 |
| 15 | Richard Greer | 3 |
| 16 | Ray Wilson | 1 |

### American selection

* No qualifying, the AMA selected two riders to represent the US in the Intercontinental final.

### Australasian Final

* 12 February 1978
* Western Springs Stadium, Auckland
* First 4 to Intercontinental Final, Ivan Mauger seeded through
| Pos. | Rider | Heat Scores | Total |
| 1 | Mitch Shirra | 2,2,3,3,3 | 13 |
| 2 | Mick McKeon | 3,3,2.5,2,1 | 11.5 |
| 3 | John Titman | 2,3,T,3,3 | 11 |
| 4 | Mike Farrell | 3,1,1,3,3 | 11 |
| 5 | Mike Fullerton | 1,3,3,1,2 | 10 |
| 6 | Phil Herne | 1,2,2,3,2 | 10 |
| 7 | John Boulger | 3,3,2,T,1 | 9 |
| 8 | Billy Sanders | 3,T,3,F,3 | 9 |
| 9 | Colin Farquharson | 0,2,2,2,2 | 8 |
| 10 | Roger Wright | 1,1,2.5,1,1 | 6.5 |
| 11 | Robert Maxfield | 1,1,1,2,1 | 6 |
| 12 | Larry Ross | 2,E,E,2,2 | 6 |
| 13 | James Moore | 2,1,1,1,0 | 5 |
| 14 | Colin Tucker | 0,2,1,0,0 | 3 |
| 15 | Allan Brown | 0,0,0,0,0 | 0 |
| 16 | Lloyd Cross | F,-,-,-,- | 0 |
| R1 | Greg Joynt | 0,0,1,T | 1 |
| R2 | Cliff Anderson | 0,0,0 | 0 |

### Nordic Final

* 8 June 1978
* Norrköping Motorstadion, Norrköping
* First 9 to Intercontnental Final
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
| | (2) Ole Olsen | 15 | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | 15 | 1 | |
| | (7) Bernt Persson | 14 | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | 3 | | | | | 2 | | | 14 | 2 | |
| | (9) Finn Thomsen | 11 | | | 2 | | 2 | | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | 1 | | | 11 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | (15) Kai Niemi | 11 | | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | | | 1 | 3 | | | | 11 | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | (4) Ila Teromaa | 10 | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | 10 | 5 | |
| 6 | (8) Tommy Nilsson | 10 | | 2 | | | | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | 10 | 6 | |
| 7 | (13) Kristian Præstbro | 9 | | | | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 3 | | 9 | 7 | |
| 8 | (16) Anders Michanek | 8 | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | 2 | | | | | | 3 | | | 0 | | | 8 | 8 | |
| 9 | (3) Jan Andersson | 6 | 1 | | | | | | 0 | | | | 1 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| 10 | (6) Tom Godal | 6 | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | 3 | | | | | | | 0 | | | 1 | | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| 11 | (11) Sören Karlsson | 6 | | | 3 | | | | 1 | | 0 | | | | | 0 | | | | | | 2 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
| 12 | (14) Bent Rasmussen | 5 | | | | 0 | | 0 | | | | | 0 | | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | 5 | 12 | |
| 13 | (10) Christer Sjösten | 4 | | | 0 | | | 2 | | | | | | 0 | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | 4 | 13 | |
| 14 | (1) Lars Ericsson | 3 | 0 | | | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | 0 | | | | 3 | 14 | |
| 15 | (5) Audun Ove Olsen | 1 | | 0 | | | 0 | | | | | 1 | | | | | 0 | | | | | 0 | 1 | 15 | |
| 16 | (12) Stein Roar Pedersen | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | 0 | | 0 | | | 0 | | | | | | 0 | | 1 | 16 | |
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
| gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |

### Continental semi-finals

| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Hans Wassermann | 15 |
| 2 | Jiří Štancl | 13 |
| 3 | Marek Cieslak | 11 |
| 4 | Boleslaw Proch | 11 |
| 5 | Emil Sova | 10 |
| 6 | Zdenek Kudrna | 9 |
| 7 | Piotr Pyszny | 9 |
| 8 | Nikolaj Kornev | 8 |
| 9 | Georg Hack | 8 |
| 10 | Aleš Dryml Sr. | 7 |
| 11 | Jerzy Kochman | 5 |
| 12 | Vladimir Paznikov | 5 |
| 13 | Karel Vobornik | 3 |
| 14 | Petr Kucera | 2 |
| 15 | Rudy Muts | 2 |
| 16 | Frits Koppe | 1 |
| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Alois Wiesböck | 15 |
| 2 | Egon Müller | 14 |
| 3 | Ryszard Fabiszewski | 12 |
| 4 | Jan Verner | 9 |
| 5 | Francesco Biginato | 9 |
| 6 | Istvan Sziraczki | 9 |
| 7 | Jerzy Rembas | 9 |
| 8 | Petr Ondrašík | 9 |
| 9 | Boguslav Nowak | 8 |
| 10 | Václav Verner | 8 |
| 11 | Andrzej Huszcza | 5 |
| 12 | Michail Starostin | 4 |
| 13 | Grigory Khlinovsky | 4 |
| 14 | Laszlo Meszaros | 3 |
| 15 | Jan Hadek | 1 |
| 16 | Jiri Jirout | 1 |

## Fifth round
### British Final

* 16 August 1978
* Brandon Stadium, Coventry
* First 4 to World Final
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
| | (7) Michael Lee | 14 | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | 3 | | | | | 2 | | | 14 | 1 | |
| | (5) Dave Jessup | 12 | | 2 | | | 3 | | | | | 1 | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | 12 | 2 | |
| | (16) Malcolm Simmons | 11 | | | | 0 | | | | 3 | 3 | | | | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | 11 | 3 | |
| 4 | (9) Gordon Kennett | 10 | | | 2 | | 2 | | | | | | 2 | | | | | 3 | | 1 | | | 10 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | (1) Steve Bastable | 10 | 3 | | | | 1 | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | | 3 | | | | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| 6 | (12) Chris Morton | 10 | | | E | | | | | 2 | | 3 | | | 2 | | | | | | 3 | | 10 | 6 | 1 |
| 7 | (13) Tony Davey | 8 | | | | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | | 3 | | | | | 0 | | 8 | 7 | |
| 8 | (15) John Davis | 8 | | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | | | 2 | 0 | | | | 8 | 8 | |
| 9 | (10) Les Collins | 7 | | | 3 | | | 0 | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 | | 2 | | | | 7 | 9 | |
| 10 | (6) Peter Collins | 6 | | 1 | | | | 3 | | | E | | | | | | | E | | | 2 | | 6 | 10 | |
| 11 | (8) Reg Wilson | 6 | | 0 | | | | | | 0 | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | 1 | | | | 6 | 11 | |
| 12 | (2) Doug Wyer | 4 | 1 | | | | | 2 | | | | X | | | | 1 | | | | E | | | 4 | 12 | |
| 13 | (14) Alan Grahame | 4 | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 0 | | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | 4 | 13 | |
| 14 | (4) Jim McMillan | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 0 | | | | T | | | | 0 | 3 | 14 | |
| 15 | (11) John Louis | 3 | | | 1 | | | | 0 | | 1 | | | | | 0 | | | | | | 1 | 3 | 15 | |
| 16 | (3) Dave Morton | 3 | 0 | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | 0 | | | | 1 | | 3 | 16 | |
| R3 | (R3) Mick Bell | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 | R3 |
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
| gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |

### Continental Final

* 2 July 1978
* Markéta Stadium, Prague
* First 6 to World Final plus 1 reserve
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
| | (5) Hans Wassermann | 14 | | 3 | | | 2 | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | 14 | 1 | |
| | (9) Jiří Štancl | 14 | | | 3 | | 3 | | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | 2 | | | 14 | 2 | |
| | (11) Marek Cieślak | 11 | | | 1 | | | | 3 | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | | | | 1 | 11 | 3 | |
| 4 | (16) Petr Ondrašík | 11 | | | | 3 | | | | 2 | 1 | | | | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | 11 | 4 | |
| 5 | (1) Jan Verner | 11 | 3 | | | | 1 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 11 | 5 | |
| 6 | (7) Jerzy Rembas | 9 | | 2 | | | | | 0 | | | | | 3 | 3 | | | | | 1 | | | 9 | 6 | |
| 7 | (8) Zdeněk Kudrna | 9 | | 1 | | | | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 9 | 7 | |
| 8 | (2) Boleslaw Proch | 8 | 2 | | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 0 | | | 8 | 8 | |
| 9 | (14) Alois Wiesböck | 6 | | | | 2 | | 3 | | | | | F | | 1 | | | | | | | 0 | 6 | 9 | |
| 10 | (4) Francesco Biginato | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 0 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | 6 | 10 | |
| 11 | (10) Janosz Sziracky | 5 | | | 0 | | | 1 | | | | | | 2 | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | 5 | 11 | |
| 12 | (13) Nikolay Kornev | 4 | | | | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | 1 | | 0 | | | | | 2 | | 4 | 12 | |
| 13 | (6) Emil Sova | 4 | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | | | | | 1 | | | 3 | | 4 | 13 | |
| 14 | (3) Ryszard Fabiszewski | 4 | 0 | | | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | | 0 | | | | 1 | | 4 | 14 | |
| 15 | (12) Egon Muller | 2 | | | 2 | | | | | 0 | | E | | | E | | | | | | - | | 2 | 15 | |
| 16 | (15) Piotr Pyszny | 2 | | | | X | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | 0 | 0 | | | | 2 | 16 | |
| R1 | (R1) Bogusław Nowak | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 | R1 |
| R2 | (R2) Georg Hack | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 | R2 |
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
| gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |

### Intercontinental Final

* 2 July 1978
* Speedway Center, Fredericia
* First 7 to World Final + 1 reserve
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
| | (3) Ole Olsen | 13 | 2 | | | | | | 3 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | 13 | 1 | 3 |
| | (11) Ivan Mauger | 13 | | | 3 | | | | 2 | | 2 | | | | | 3 | | | | | | 3 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| | (1) Scott Autrey | 11 | 3 | | | | X | | | | 3 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 11 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | (16) Ila Teromaa | 11 | | | | 3 | | | | 3 | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | 3 | | | 11 | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | (13) Jan Andersson | 11 | | | | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | | 2 | | | | | 2 | | 11 | 5 | 1 |
| 6 | (9) Anders Michanek | 10 | | | 2 | | 1 | | | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | 1 | | | 10 | 6 | |
| 7 | (5) John Titman | 10 | | 2 | | | 3 | | | | | 1 | | | | | 2 | | | | | 2 | 10 | 7 | |
| 8 | (6) Bernt Persson | 9 | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | | | 1 | | 9 | 8 | |
| 9 | (2) Kai Niemi | 8 | 1 | | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | | 2 | | | 8 | 9 | |
| 10 | (12) Steve Gresham | 7 | | | X | | | | | 1 | | 3 | | | 3 | | | | | | X | | 7 | 10 | |
| 11 | (4) Finn Thomsen | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | E | | | | 1 | 5 | 11 | |
| 12 | (15) Mike Farrell | 5 | | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 0 | | | | | | 1 | 2 | | | | 5 | 12 | |
| 13 | (10) Mick McKeon | 3 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | 0 | | 0 | | | | 3 | 13 | |
| 14 | (8) Kristian Præstbro | 2 | | 0 | | | | | | 0 | | | 1 | | | 0 | | | 1 | | | | 2 | 14 | |
| 15 | (7) Mitch Shirra | 1 | | 1 | | | | | F | | | | | - | - | | | | | - | | | 1 | 15 | |
| 16 | (14) Tommy Nilsson | 1 | | | | 0 | | 0 | | | | | 0 | | 1 | | | | | | | 0 | 1 | 16 | |
| R1 | (R1) Bert Rasmussen | 0 | | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | 0 | R1 |
| R2 | (R2) Tom Jenssen | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 | | | | | | 0 | | | 0 | R2 |
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
| gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |

## World Final

* 2 September 1978
* Wembley Stadium, London
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
| | (15) Ole Olsen | 13 | | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | | | 3 | 3 | | | | 13 | 1 | |
| | (13) Gordon Kennett | 12 | | | | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | 2 | | 2 | | | | | 3 | | 12 | 2 | |
| | (2) Scott Autrey | 11 | 3 | | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | | 3 | | | | 2 | | | 11 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | (12) Dave Jessup | 11 | | | E | | | | | 3 | | 3 | | | 3 | | | | | | 2 | | 11 | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | (9) Jerzy Rembas | 11 | | | 3 | | 1 | | | | | | 3 | | | | | 1 | | 3 | | | 11 | 5 | 1 |
| 6 | (1) Malcolm Simmons | 10 | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 10 | 6 | |
| 7 | (6) Michael Lee | 9 | | 3 | | | | 1 | | | 3 | | | | | | | 2 | | | 0 | | 9 | 7 | |
| 8 | (14) Ivan Mauger | 8 | | | | F | | 3 | | | | | 2 | | 0 | | | | | | | 3 | 8 | 8 | |
| 9 | (16) John Titman | 7 | | | | 1 | | | | 2 | F | | | | | | 3 | | | 1 | | | 7 | 9 | |
| 10 | (3) Anders Michanek | 7 | 1 | | | | | | 3 | | | | 0 | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | 7 | 10 | |
| 11 | (4) Ila Teromaa | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 3 | | | | F | | | | 2 | 6 | 11 | |
| 12 | (11) Jan Verner | 5 | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 0 | | | | | | 1 | 5 | 12 | |
| 13 | (8) Marek Cieślak | 5 | | 2 | | | | | | 0 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | 5 | 13 | |
| 14 | (10) Jan Andersson | 3 | | | 1 | | | 0 | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 | | 0 | | | | 3 | 14 | |
| 15 | (7) Jiří Štancl | 2 | | 1 | | | | | 0 | | | | | 0 | 1 | | | | | 0 | | | 2 | 15 | |
| 16 | (5) Petr Ondrašík | 0 | | F | | | 0 | | | | | 0 | | | | | 0 | | | | | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| R1 | (R1) Steve Bastable | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 | R1 |
| R2 | (R2) Bernt Persson | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 | R2 |
| R3 | (R3) Zdeněk Kudrna | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 | R3 |
| Placing | Rider | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Pos | 21 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell • ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
| gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |