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1990 Individual Speedway World Championship

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The 1990 Individual Speedway World Championship. The Final was held at the Odsal Stadium in Bradford, England. It would be the 28th and last time the World Final would be held in England under the traditional single meeting format.

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Sweden's Per Jonsson won his only World Individual Championship to become the first Swedish World Champion since Anders Michanek in 1974. Jonsson defeated American Shawn Moran in a run-off after both finished the meeting on 13 points. Moran was later stripped of his second place by the FIM for failing a drug test taken at the Overseas Final. After Moran's disqualification, the FIM did not upgrade the placings, thus records show no second place rider 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 sensationally 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 Dane in the field following an injury to Jan O. Pedersen which kept him from riding, finished in 4th place with 11 points.

Jonsson became the first rider to win both the Under-21 and Senior Individual World Championships having previously won the 1985 Under-21 World Championship (from 1977 until 1988 the World U/21 title was known as the European U/21 Championship, though the winners have generally been acknowledged as junior World Champions).

New Zealand Qualification

  • First 2 from New Zealand final to Commonwealth final
  • Australian Qualification

  • First 4 from Australian final to Commonwealth final
  • North American Final

  • June 2, 1990
  • Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium
  • First 4 to the Overseas Final plus 1 reserve
  • Nordic Final

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

  • June 10, 1990
  • Manchester, Belle Vue Stadium
  • First 12 to the Overseas Final plus 1 reserve
  • * Todd Wiltshire replaced Australian qualifier Stephen Davies. David Bargh and Gary Allan replaced New Zealand qualifiers Larry Ross and Craig Wilkie

    Overseas Final

  • June 24, 1990
  • Coventry, Brandon Stadium
  • First 9 to the Intercontinental Final plus 1 reserve
  • * Ronnie Correy replaced Greg Hancock

    Intercontinental Final

  • August 12, 1990
  • Fjelsted, Hele Fyns Speedway Center
  • First 11 to the World Final plus 1 reserve
  • * Richard Knight replaced injured qualifier Simon Cross

    Continental Final

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

  • September 1, 1990
  • Bradford, Odsal Stadium
  • * Henrik Gustafsson and Antonín Kasper, Jr. replaced injured qualifiers Jan O. Pedersen and Gerd Riss

    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

    1990 Individual Speedway World Championship Wikipedia