# 1997 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification

The 1997 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification or GP Challenge was a series of motorcycle speedway meetings used to determine the 8 riders that qualified for the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix to join the other 8 riders that finished in the leading positions from the 1996 Speedway Grand Prix.
The format changed slightly in that four riders would qualify straight from the Intercontinental and Continental finals and four riders would qualify through the GP Challenge.
Simon Wigg won the GP Challenge.

## Format

* First Round - 5 riders each from Sweden & Denmark, 3 riders each from Finland & Norway to Scandinavian Final
* First Round - 32 riders from Continental quarter finals to Continental semi-finals
* First Round - 7 riders from British final to Overseas Final
* First Round - 5 riders from Australian/New Zealand final to Overseas Final
* First Round - 4 riders from United States final to Overseas Final
* Second Round - 8 riders from Scandinavian final to Intercontinental Final
* Second Round - 8 riders from Overseas final to Intercontinental Final
* Second Round - 16 riders from Continental semi-finals to Continental Final
* Third Round - 7 riders from positions 9-15 from the 1995 Grand Prix to GP Challenge
* Third Round - 2 riders from the Continental Final to 1997 Grand Prix and 4 to GP Challenge
* Third Round - 2 riders from the Intercontinental Final to 1997 Grand Prix and 5 to GP Challenge
* Final Round - 4 riders from the GP Challenge to the 1997 Grand Prix

## First round
### Continental quarter finals

QF (4 May Marmande) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Simon Wigg | 15 |
| 2 | Philippe Bergé | 13 |
| 3 | Sergej Darkin | 12 |
| 4 | Piotr Protasiewicz | 12 |
| 5 | Zdeněk Schneiderwind | 10 |
| 6 | Vladimir Trofimov | 10 |
| 7 | Oleg Kurguskin | 9 |
| 8 | Piotr Baron | 7 |
| 9 | Gerhard Lekse | 7 |
| 10 | Sergej Eroschin | 6 |
| 11 | Michal Makovský | 6 |
| 12 | Izak Šantej | 5 |
| 13 | Christophe Dubernard | 4 |
| 14 | Frederick Brisseau | 2 |
| 15 | Gregor Pintar | 2 |
| 16 | Rob Steman | 0 |
QF (5 May Terenzano) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Zoltán Adorján | 15 |
| 2 | Stefano Alfonso | 13 |
| 3 | Igor Marko | 12 |
| 4 | Armando Castagna | 11 |
| 5 | Valentino Furlanetto | 10 |
| 6 | Robbie Kessler | 10 |
| 7 | Zsolt Benzce | 9 |
| 8 | Václav Milík Sr. | 9 |
| 9 | Robert Král | 8 |
| 10 | Simone Tadiello | 5 |
| 11 | Vladimir Visvader | 5 |
| 12 | Alessandro Milanese | 5 |
| 13 | Zoltan Hajdu | 4 |
| 14 | Franz Leitner | 1 |
| 15 | Luca Taccini | 1 |
| 16 | Gaspar Forgac | 0 |
QF (5 May Pfaffenhofen) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Gerd Riss | 15 |
| 2 | Tomasz Bajerski | 14 |
| 3 | Robert Barth | 12 |
| 4 | Tomáš Topinka | 12 |
| 5 | Antonín Šváb Jr. | 11 |
| 6 | Piotr Świst | 9 |
| 7 | Sándor Tihanyi | 9 |
| 8 | Mirko Wolter | 8 |
| 9 | Andreas Bössner | 7 |
| 10 | Andrea Maida | 6 |
| 11 | Robert Csilik | 5 |
| 12 | Róbert Nagy | 5 |
| 13 | Nikolaj Manev | 4 |
| 14 | Walter Nebel | 2 |
| 15 | Martin Peterca | 2 |
| 16 | Jaroslav Gavenda | 0 |
QF (5 May Ostrów) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Antonín Kasper Jr. | 15 |
| 2 | Roman Jankowski | 14 |
| 3 | Sławomir Drabik | 12 |
| 4 | Jacek Krzyżaniak | 11 |
| 5 | Rif Saitgareev | 11 |
| 6 | Tomasz Gollob | 11 |
| 7 | Rinat Mardanshin | 9 |
| 8 | Csaba Hell | 9 |
| 9 | Nikolaj Kokins | 5 |
| 10 | Norbert Magosi | 5 |
| 11 | Tommy Dunker | 4 |
| 12 | Grigorij Charchenko | 4 |
| 13 | Vladimir Voronkov | 4 |
| 14 | Petr Vandírek | 2 |
| 15 | Jörg Pingel | 2 |
| 16 | Vladimir Kolodij | 0 |

## Second round
### Overseas Final

3 riders to Intercontinental final+
+ Controversy over tyres at the final saw only 3 riders progress with an extra 5 places awarded in the Scandinavian final.

### Scandinavian Final

13 riders to Intercontinental final
(9 Jun 1996 Varhaug) :
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Jimmy Nilsen | 14 |
| 2 | Brian Andersen | 12 |
| 3 | Mikael Karlsson | 11 |
| 4 | Arnt Førland | 10 |
| 5 | John Jørgensen | 10 |
| 6 | Jan Stæchmann | 10 |
| 7 | Brian Karger | 10 |
| 8 | Stefan Dannö | 9 |
| 9 | Niklas Klingberg | 9 |
| 10 | Ronni Pedersen | 7 |
| 11 | Rune Holta | 4 |
| 12 | Vesa Ylinen | 4 |
| 13 | Kai Laukkanen | 4 |
| 14 | Lars Gunnestad | 3 |
| 15 | Jarno Kosonen | 2 |
| 16 | Björn Tönnesen | 1 |
| 16 | John Pollestad | 0 |

### Continental semi finals

Continental semi-finals - 16 riders from to Continental final
| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Sergej Darkin | 14 |
| 2 | Simon Wigg | 13 |
| 3 | Armando Castagna | 13 |
| 4 | Zoltán Adorján | 11 |
| 5 | Igor Marko | 9 |
| 6 | Philippe Bergé | 8 |
| 7 | Zdeněk Schneiderwind | 7 |
| 8 | Oleg Kurguskin | 7 |
| 9 | Valentino Furlanetto | 7 |
| 10 | Václav Milík Sr. | 6 |
| 11 | Stefano Alfonso | 6 |
| 12 | Piotr Baron | 5 |
| 13 | Robbie Kessler | 4 |
| 14 | Vladimir Trofimov | 4 |
| 15 | Piotr Protasiewicz | 3 |
| 16 | Zsolt Benzce | 3 |
| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Roman Jankowski | 12 |
| 2 | Jacek Krzyżaniak | 12 |
| 3 | Sławomir Drabik | 12 |
| 4 | Tomasz Gollob | 11 |
| 5 | Tomáš Topinka | 10 |
| 6 | Robert Barth | 9 |
| 7 | Rinat Mardanshin | 9 |
| 8 | Tomasz Bajerski | 9 |
| 9 | Gerd Riss | 8 |
| 10 | Antonín Kasper Jr. | 7 |
| 11 | Nikolaj Kokins | 5 |
| 12 | Piotr Świst | 5 |
| 13 | Antonín Šváb Jr. | 5 |
| 14 | Csaba Hell | 3 |
| 15 | Sándor Tihanyi | 2 |
| 16 | Mirko Wolter | 1 |

## Third round

* 7 riders from positions 9-15 from the 1996 Speedway Grand Prix to GP Challenge

### Intercontinental Final

2 riders direct to Grand Prix, 5 riders to GP Challenge, Jimmy Nilsen won the event.

### Continental Final

* 2 riders direct to Grand Prix, 4 riders to GP Challenge
* 28 July 1996 Abensberg
| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Tomasz Gollob | 12 |
| 2 | Sławomir Drabik | 11 |
| 3 | Zoltán Adorján | 11 |
| 4 | Robert Barth | 11 |
| 5 | Rinat Mardanshin | 11 |
| 6 | Simon Wigg | 10 |
| 7 | Sergej Darkin | 10 |
| 8 | Armando Castagna | 9 |
| 9 | Tomáš Topinka | 9 |
| 10 | Jacek Krzyżaniak | 6 |
| 11 | Tomasz Bajerski | 5 |
| 12 | Oleg Kurguskin | 5 |
| 13 | Zdeněk Schneiderwind | 3 |
| 14 | Antonín Kasper Jr. | 3 |
| 15 | Roman Jankowski | 2 |
| 16 | Philippe Bergé | 1 |
| 17 | Igor Marko | 1 |
| 18 | Václav Milík Sr. | 1 |

## Final Round
### GP Challenge

4 riders to 1997 Grand Prix
* 5 October 1996 Prague
| Pos. | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Simon Wigg | 12 |
| 2 | Leigh Adams | 12 |
| 3 | Mikael Karlsson | 11 |
| 4 | Andy Smith | 11 |
| 5 | Sam Ermolenko | 11 |
| 6 | Jason Crump | 11 |
| 7 | Ryan Sullivan | 9 |
| 8 | Stefan Dannö | 9 |
| 9 | Joe Screen | 9 |
| 10 | Brian Karger | 8 |
| 11 | Zoltán Adorján | 6 |
| 12 | Gerd Riss | 4 |
| 13 | Robert Barth | 4 |
| 14 | Craig Boyce | 2 |
| 15 | Rinat Mardanshin | 0 |
| 16 | Tommy Knudsen | 0 |
| 17 | Armando Castagna | 0 |