Golden Helmet of Pardubice
Golden Helmet of Pardubice in 1938
SportMotorcycle speedway
Founded1929
Most recent
champion(s)
Dan Bewley
Most titlesOle Olsen (7 times)

The Golden Helmet of Pardubice (Czech: Zlatá přilba) is a motorcycle speedway competition hosted annually in Pardubice, the Czech Republic. It is the oldest motorcycle speedway race in Europe and is considered prestigious.[1]

History

The race was established by three motorsport enthusiasts František Hladěna, Adolf Trnka and Ladislav Polák in 1929. The first 15 events of the Golden Helmet race were held on the 2400 metres long turf racetrack of Velká pardubická Steeplechase in Pardubice, from 1929 to 1963. On several occasions the event attracted more than 100,000 fans, but also five riders suffered mortal injuries competing on this dangerous grass track.

Since 1964, the race has been held on the standard flat oval cinder track of the Svítkov Stadium in Pardubice. The wide track of Pardubice enables up to six riders to compete in the event.

Race format

In the first round, 24 riders are divided into four groups of six. Three riders advance from each group to the quarterfinal stage, where they join 12 seeded riders. In the quarterfinal, the same format sees three riders from each group progressing to the semi final. In the semi final two groups of six riders race three times with the top three riders from each group progressing to the final.[2]

Past winners

Year Date of Competition Winner Nation. Runner-up Nation. 3rd place Nation.
1. 29.09.1929 Zdeněk Pohl Czechoslovakia Robert Uvíra Czechoslovakia Josef Hájek Czechoslovakia
2. 31.08.1930 Josef Antun Štrban Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hans Hieronymus Germany Míťa Vychodil Czechoslovakia
3. 06.09.1931 Rudi Klein Germany Josef Riha Austria Antun Uroić Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
4. 25.09.1932 Hans Mayer Austria Hans Winkler Germany Josef Antun Štrban Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
5. 01.10.1933 Hans Walter Buttler Germany Erich Bertram Germany Hans Winkler Germany
6. 02.09.1934 Gerrit van Dijk Netherlands Hermann Gunzenhauser Germany Arend Hartman Netherlands
7. 15.09.1935 Herman Gunzenhauser Germany Erich Bertram Germany Leopold Killmeyer Austria
8. 27.09.1936 Herman Gunzenhauser Germany Hans Walter Buttler Germany Erich Bertram Germany
9. 04.09.1938 František Juhan Czechoslovakia Václav Stanislav Czechoslovakia Jan Lucák Czechoslovakia
The race was not run in 1939 - 1946 due to German occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938 - 1945).
10. 07.09.1947 Hugo Rosák Czechoslovakia Karl Killmeyer Austria Miloslav Špinka Czechoslovakia
11. 04.09.1949 Fritz Dirtl Austria Hugo Rosák Czechoslovakia Gerrit van Dijk Netherlands
12. 09.09.1951 Jan Lucák Czechoslovakia Hans Zierk East Germany Antonín Švarc Czechoslovakia
The race was not run in 1952 - 1960 due to lack of support to Speedway competitions from communist government in Czechoslovakia at that time.
13. 20.08.1961 Oldřich Klaudinger Czechoslovakia Jiří Jasanský Czechoslovakia Ervín Krajčovič Czechoslovakia
14. 16.09.1962 Josef Seidl Germany Jaroslav Machač Czechoslovakia Antonín Šváb Sr. Czechoslovakia
15. 15.09.1963 Antonín Kasper Sr. Czechoslovakia Martin Tatum United Kingdom Ervín Krajčovič Czechoslovakia
16. 06.09.1964 Igor Plechanov Soviet Union Antonín Kasper Sr. Czechoslovakia Boris Samorodov Soviet Union
17. 12.09.1965 Farit Šajnurov Soviet Union Stanislav Kubíček Czechoslovakia Antonín Kasper Sr. Czechoslovakia
18. 18.09.1966 Igor Plechanov Soviet Union Barry Briggs New Zealand Boris Samorodov Soviet Union
19. 10.09.1967 Ove Fundin Sweden Barry Briggs New Zealand Antonín Kasper Sr. Czechoslovakia
20. 20.10.1968 Leif Enecrona Sweden Ove Fundin Sweden František Ledecký Czechoslovakia
21. 18.09.1969 Gennady Kurilenko Soviet Union Valeri Klementiev Soviet Union Miloslav Verner Czechoslovakia
22. 27.09.1970 Ole Olsen Denmark Miloslav Verner Czechoslovakia Vladimir Gordeev Soviet Union
23. 19.09.1971 Ole Olsen Denmark Jim Airey Australia Hans Jürgen Fritz East Germany
24. 01.10.1972 Ole Olsen Denmark Ivan Mauger New Zealand Genadij Ivanov Soviet Union
25. 22.09.1973 Milan Špinka Czechoslovakia Ole Olsen Denmark Ivan Mauger New Zealand
26. 22.09.1974 Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia Ivan Mauger New Zealand Genadij Ivanov Soviet Union
27. 05.10.1975 Ole Olsen Denmark Ivan Mauger New Zealand Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia
28. 03.10.1976 Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia Ole Olsen Denmark Ivan Mauger New Zealand
29. 02.10.1977 Ole Olsen Denmark Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia Aleš Dryml Sr. Czechoslovakia
30. 01.10.1978 Jiří Štancl[3] Czechoslovakia Michael Lee United Kingdom Ole Olsen Denmark
31. 30.09.1979 Ole Olsen Denmark Michael Lee United Kingdom Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia
32. 28.09.1980 Ole Olsen Denmark Aleš Dryml Sr. Czechoslovakia Bobby Schwartz United States
33. 27.09.1981 Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia Aleš Dryml Sr. Czechoslovakia Viktor Kuznetsov Soviet Union
34. 26.09.1982 Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia Roman Jankowski Poland Aleš Dryml Sr. Czechoslovakia
35. 25.09.1983 Dennis Sigalos United States Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia Ole Olsen Denmark
36. 23.09.1984 John Davis United Kingdom Lance King United States Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia
37. 22.09.1985 Erik Gundersen[4] Denmark Antonín Kasper Jr. Czechoslovakia Simon Wigg United Kingdom
38. 21.09.1986 Erik Gundersen Denmark Kelvin Tatum United Kingdom Sam Ermolenko United States
39. 27.09.1987 Hans Nielsen[5] Denmark Kelvin Tatum United Kingdom Per Jonsson Sweden
40. 02.10.1988 Per Jonsson Sweden Roman Matoušek Czechoslovakia Jeremy Doncaster United Kingdom
41. 24.09.1989 Jeremy Doncaster[6] United Kingdom Roman Matoušek Czechoslovakia Tony Olsson Sweden
42. 30.09.1990 Jeremy Doncaster[7] United Kingdom Antonín Kasper Jr. Czechoslovakia Zdeněk Tesař Czechoslovakia
43. 29.09.1991 Antonín Kasper Jr.[8] Czechoslovakia Ronnie Correy United States Jeremy Doncaster United Kingdom
44. 27.09.1992 Tony Rickardsson[9] Sweden Antonín Kasper Jr. Czechoslovakia Mitch Shirra New Zealand
45. 03.10.1993 Tony Rickardsson Sweden Leigh Adams Australia Armando Castagna Italy
46. 11.09.1994 Simon Wigg United Kingdom Chris Louis United Kingdom Tony Rickardsson Sweden
47. 04.09.1995 Tony Rickardsson Sweden Tomáš Topinka Czech Republic Hans Nielsen Denmark
48. 29.09.1996 Tomáš Topinka[10] Czech Republic Simon Wigg United Kingdom Chris Louis United Kingdom
49. 05.10.1997 Ryan Sullivan Australia Tony Rickardsson Sweden Mark Loram United Kingdom
50. 04.10.1998 Hans Nielsen Denmark Tony Rickardsson Sweden Brian Andersen Denmark
51. 03.10.1999 Leigh Adams Australia Tony Rickardsson Sweden Ryan Sullivan Australia
52. 15.10.2000 Leigh Adams Australia Greg Hancock United States Todd Wiltshire Australia
53. 07.10.2001 Leigh Adams Australia Marian Jirout Czech Republic Mark Loram United Kingdom
54. 06.10.2002 Jason Crump Australia Matej Zagar Slovenia Lee Richardson United Kingdom
55. 27.09.2003 Ryan Sullivan Australia Jason Crump Australia Lee Richardson United Kingdom
56. 26.09.2004 Leigh Adams[11] Australia Aleš Dryml Jr. Czech Republic Hans N. Andersen Denmark
57. 02.10.2005 Scott Nicholls United Kingdom Nicki Pedersen Denmark Aleš Dryml Jr. Czech Republic
58. 17.10.2006 Jason Crump Australia Hans N. Andersen Denmark Nicki Pedersen Denmark
59. 10.10.2007 Andreas Jonsson Sweden Rune Holta Poland Kenneth Bjerre Denmark
60. 05.10.2008 Hans N. Andersen[12] Denmark Leigh Adams Australia Matej Ferjan Hungary
61. 04.10.2009 Rune Holta Poland Grzegorz Walasek Poland Davey Watt Australia
62. 03.10.2010 Nicki Pedersen Denmark Fredrik Lindgren Sweden Andreas Jonsson Sweden
63. 02.10.2011 Rune Holta[13] Poland Antonio Lindbäck Sweden Piotr Pawlicki Poland
64. 14.10.2012 Grzegorz Walasek Poland Fredrik Lindgren Sweden Hans N. Andersen Denmark
65. 29.9.2013 Darcy Ward[14] Australia Greg Hancock United States Przemysław Pawlicki Poland
66. 05.10.2014 Chris Holder Australia Fredrik Lindgren Sweden Jurica Pavlic Croatia
67. 20.09.2015 Jurica Pavlic[15] Croatia Troy Batchelor Australia Martin Smolinski Germany
68. 19.09.2016 Emil Sayfutdinov[16] Russia Rune Holta Poland Martin Smolinski Germany
69. 01.10.2017 Václav Milík Jr.[17] Czech Republic Rune Holta Poland Max Fricke Australia
70. 30.09.2018 Jason Doyle[18] Australia Martin Vaculík Slovakia Václav Milík Jr. Czech Republic
71. 06.10.2019 Jason Doyle[19] Australia Andžejs Ļebedevs Latvia Patryk Dudek Poland
72. 04.10.2020 Jason Doyle[20] Australia Jan Kvěch Czech Republic Brady Kurtz Australia
73. 03.10.2021 Patryk Dudek[21] Poland Jason Doyle Australia Timo Lahti Finland
74. 25.09.2022 Dan Bewley[22] United Kingdom Václav Milík Czech Republic Rasmus Jensen Denmark
75. 24.09.2023 Timo Lahti Finland Jakub Jamróg Poland Dimitri Berge France

Statistics

Speedway World Champions winning Golden Helmet

Below is a list of Speedway World Champions who have won also Golden Helmet of Pardubice.

Rider Nation Golden Helmets World Championships
Ole Olsen Denmark 7 3
Tony Rickardsson Sweden 3 6
Jason Doyle Australia 3 1
Hans Nielsen Denmark 2 4
Erik Gundersen Denmark 2 3
Jason Crump Australia 2 3
Ove Fundin Sweden 1 5
Nicki Pedersen Denmark 1 3
Per Jonsson Sweden 1 1
Chris Holder Australia 1 1

Speedway World Champions starting at Golden Helmet but never winning the race

Below is a list of Speedway World Champions that have started at Golden Helmet of Pardubice race but never won the trophy.

Rider Nation Golden Helmets World Championships
Ivan Mauger New Zealand 0 6
Barry Briggs New Zealand 0 4
Greg Hancock United States 0 4
Tai Woffinden United Kingdom 0 3
Jerzy Szczakiel Poland 0 1
Michael Lee United Kingdom 0 1
Sam Ermolenko United States 0 1
Mark Loram United Kingdom 0 1
Tomasz Gollob Poland 0 1

Multiple Golden Helmet winners

Below is a list of multiple Golden Helmet winners.

Rider Nation Golden Helmets
Ole Olsen Denmark 7
Jiří Štancl Czechoslovakia 5
Leigh Adams Australia 4
Tony Rickardsson Sweden 3
Jason Doyle Australia 3
Herman Gunzenhauser Germany 2
Igor Plechanov Soviet Union 2
Erik Gundersen Denmark 2
Hans Nielsen Denmark 2
Jeremy Doncaster United Kingdom 2
Ryan Sullivan Australia 2
Jason Crump Australia 2
Rune Holta Poland 2

Golden Helmet by Countries

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