1972 Individual Speedway World Championship

The 1972 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 27th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.

The 1972 final attendance at Wembley Stadium was 75,000. New Zealander Ivan Mauger joined Barry Briggs on four title wins (2nd only behind Ove Fundin) by defeating Bernt Persson in a run-off after both riders finished on 13 points.

In heat five, Briggs was involved in an accident which all but ended his speedway career. Going into the first turn his front wheel was hit by Bernt Persson's bike which caused him to fall. He was then hit by the Russian riders Grigory Khlinovsky and Valery Gordeev. Briggs suffered a severe hand injury and lost the index finger on his left hand which caused him to temporarily retire from racing. Briggs had been considered one of the pre-meeting favourites and his favouritism had been firmed when he had beaten fellow New Zealander Ivan Mauger in heat 2.

To the boos of the 75,000 strong Wembley crowd, FIM referee Georg Traunspurger did not exclude Persson. Defending champion Ole Olsen was unlucky not to retain his title because in his first ride (heat 4) while challenging Swede Christer Löfqvist he fell and would score no points. He won his next four rides to finish in a clear third place.

Before the final, the Russian riders had three of their bikes stolen and had to borrow equipment to compete.

First round
Qualification results.

Continental qualifying

 * Riders progress to Continental quarter-finals

Second round
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Norwegian qualifying

 * 19 September 1971
 * 🇳🇴 Sandnes Idrettspark, Sandnes
 * Top 9 (+3 seeded) to Nordic qualification 1972
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Finnish qualifying (top 9)

 * 🇫🇮 (3 rounds) First (+2 seeded riders) to Nordic qualification 1972
 * R1 (9 Aug '71, Eteläpuisto, Tampere)
 * R2 (28 Aug '71, Kärpänen Speedway, Lahti)
 * R3 (12 Sep '71 Eteläpuisto, Tampere)
 * }

British/Commonwealth premilinaries

 * Top riders to British/Commonwealth qualifiers

Continental quarter-finals

 * Top 16 to Continental semi-finals

Swedish qualification

 * Top 6 in each heat to Nordic qualification

British/Commonwealth qualifiers

 * Top 32 to British/Commonwealth semi-finals

Nordic qualifying

 * Top 5 in each heat to Nordic final

Nordic Final

 * 1 June 1972
 * 🇸🇪 Norrköping Motorstadion
 * First 8 to European Final plus 1 reserve

Continental Final

 * 25 June 1972
 * Dombay Motodrom, Cherkessk
 * First 8 to European Final plus 1 reserve

British/Commonwealth Final

 * 2 August 1972
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Brandon Stadium, Coventry
 * First 5 to World Final

European Final

 * 3 September 1972
 * 🇵🇱 Olympic Stadium, Wroclaw
 * First 11 to World Final plus 1 reserve

World Final

 * 16 September 1972
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Wembley Stadium, London
 * Referee: Georg Traunspurger