Article:2008 Speedway World Cup - Preview and Simulation

After much endeavour with the World Final, I did the altogether simpler task of the World Cup.

Each country has 5 riders, and they race against each other. There are 25 heats. 8 countries race in two meetings, with 4 in each meeting. The winner of each Semi Final make the Final. Second and third places go into a Raceoff. The top 2 from those 4 players go into the Final.

Semi Final 1
The First Semi Final, held at Vojens, Denmark.

Semi Final 2
The Second Semi Final, held at Leszno, Poland.

Race Off
The Race Off, held at Monmore Green, Great Britain.

Final
The Final, held at Wembley Stadium, Great Britain.

Teams

 * Lee Richardson
 * Edward Kennett
 * Simon Stead
 * Chris Harris
 * Scott Nicholls (c)
 * Nicki Pedersen
 * Bjarne Pedersen
 * Hans Andersen (c)
 * Niels Kristian Iversen
 * Kenneth Bjerre
 * Tomasz Gollob (c)
 * Rune Holta
 * Krzysztof Kasprzak
 * Jaroslaw Hampel
 * Damien Balinski
 * Ryan Sullivan
 * Rory Schlein
 * Jason Crump
 * Leigh Adams (c)
 * Davey Watt
 * Rory Schlein
 * Jason Crump
 * Leigh Adams (c)
 * Davey Watt

Heat 1
At the tapes, Pedersen made the start and jumped into the lead. Richardson was in second place, ahead of Gollob, with Sullivan at the back. Pedersen romped into the distance, but on the third lap, Richardson was passed by Gollob for second place. Result: N Pedersen, Gollob, Richardson, Sullivan
 * 1) 🇩🇰 Nicki Pedersen
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Tomasz Gollob (c)
 * 3)  Lee Richardson
 * 4) 🇦🇺 Ryan Sullivan

Heat 2
This time, Holta jumped out in the lead, and Schlein dropped in behind him for Australia. Kennett was third, but at the end of the first lap, he overtook to move into second place. At the start of the third lap, Pedersen took the outside line, and got the drive to move between the Brit and Australian to go into second place. Result: Holta, B Pedersen, Kennett, Schlein
 * 1)  Edward Kennett
 * 2) 🇩🇰 Bjarne Pedersen
 * 3) 🇵🇱 Rune Holta
 * 4) 🇦🇺 Rory Schlein

Heat 3
Andersen made the start, and Crump followed him in second place. Around the outside of the first turn, Kasprzak moved into third place. Going into the second lap, Crump moved up the inside of Andersen to take the lead. He then pulled out into the distance to win the heat. Result: Crump, Andersen, Kasprzak, Stead
 * 1)  Simon Stead
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Kasprzak
 * 3) 🇦🇺 Jason Crump
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Hans Andersen (c)

Heat 4
Adams took the lead from the start, and Harris as ever dropped to the back. Iversen was second. Harris went around the outside of Hampel to move up into third. At the end of the third lap, Harris then passed Iversen to move into second place. Down the back straight, Harris closed in on Adams, and the pair were neck and neck going into the final corner. But Adams held on, and won the heat. Result: Adams, Harris, Iversen, Hampel
 * 1) 🇩🇰 Niels Kristian Iversen
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Jaroslaw Hampel
 * 3) 🇦🇺 Leigh Adams (c)
 * 4)  Chris Harris

Heat 5
Nicholls took the lead for GB, and romped into the distance. Bjerre and Balinski were together in second place, with Watt at the back. Bjerre fell into third place on the back straight. Going into the third lap, Bjerre passed Balinski around the outside, and he held on for second place. The first win for the home nation! Result: Nicholls, Bjerre, Balinski, Watt
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Davey Watt
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Damien Balinski
 * 3)  Scott Nicholls (c)
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Kenneth Bjerre

After Heat 5
A good start for the Danes, but the other three countries are right in touch.

Heat 6
Crump jumped out in the lead, but Richardson went around the outside of everybody in the first corner to go into second place. Hampel was third. The heat was fairly processional, and Crump took an easy win. Result: Crump, Richardson, Hampel, Bjerre
 * 1) 🇩🇰 Kenneth Bjerre
 * 2) 🇦🇺 Jason Crump
 * 3) 🇵🇱 Jaroslaw Hampel
 * 4)  Lee Richardson

Heat 7
After a bad heat for Denmark, Pedersen went straight into the lead for Denmark. Kennett was in third place ahead of Balinski. At the end of the second lap, Adams passed Pedersen, but at the next corner, Pedersen moved infront of Adams once again. Result: N Pedersen, Adams, Kennett, Balinski
 * 1) 🇩🇰 Nicki Pedersen
 * 2) 🇦🇺 Leigh Adams (c)
 * 3) 🇵🇱 Damien Balinski
 * 4)  Edward Kennett

Heat 8
From the tapes, Gollob was in the lead with Stead in second for Great Britain. Watt and Pedersen almost collided, but Bjarne was able to hang on, albeit in last place. The pair were dropped by Gollob and Stead, but on the last corner of the third lap, Pedersen moved back infront of Watt. Result: Gollob, Stead, B Pedersen, Watt
 * 1) 🇩🇰 Bjarne Pedersen
 * 2)  Simon Stead
 * 3) 🇦🇺 Davey Watt
 * 4) 🇵🇱 Tomasz Gollob (c)

Heat 9
Sullivan went into the lead for Australia, ahead of Holta, Andersen and Harris. Harris passed Andersen for third place at the end of the second lap, and set after Holta. Holta however caught Sullivan, and passed him for the lead on the last corner of the second lap. Harris however stormed up on Holta and Sullivan, who were battling at the front. On the last corner, Harris went wide alongside Sullivan and Holta, and stole the win on the line. Best heat of the Final so far! Result: Harris, Sullivan, Holta, Andersen
 * 1)  Chris Harris
 * 2) 🇩🇰 Hans Andersen (c)
 * 3) 🇦🇺 Ryan Sullivan
 * 4) 🇵🇱 Rune Holta

Heat 10
Kasprzak made a great start, and took the lead from Iversen and then Nicholls. In a processional heat, Kasprzak held on comfortably for the win, and Nicholls couldn't close in on Iversen. Result: Kasprzak, Iversen, Nicholls, Schlein
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Rory Schlein
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Kasprzak
 * 3) 🇩🇰 Niels Kristian Iversen
 * 4)  Scott Nicholls (c)

After Heat 10
An incredibly tight Final, moreso than in previous years. Denmark and GB tied at the top, with Poland and Australia in contention.

Heat 11
Fresh from his win in Heat 10, Kasprzak jumped out in the lead. Bjarne Pedersen was in second place, with Richardson third, and Adams struggling at the back. Desperate to catch up, Adams immediately caught and passed the Brit, and one lap later he was in second after getting past Pedersen. Kasprzak ran wide on the third lap, and Adams had then passed for the lead. Kasprzak wasn't done though, and in an exciting finish, he closed in on the Australian, but could only finish second. Result: Adams, Kasprzak, B Pedersen, Richardson
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Leigh Adams (c)
 * 2) 🇩🇰 Bjarne Pedersen
 * 3)  Lee Richardson
 * 4) 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Kasprzak

Heat 12
With all four countries within one point of each other, Andersen took the lead from the off. Hampel was squeezed into third place, but Watt carried speed around the outside to pass him for third place. Soon, Hampel was back past him though and on the third lap, Hampel was able to pass Kennett. Andersen was clear at the front to take the win. Result: Andersen, Hampel, Kennett, Watt
 * 1) 🇩🇰 Hans Andersen (c)
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Jaroslaw Hampel
 * 3)  Edward Kennett
 * 4) 🇦🇺 Davey Watt

Heat 13
As the tapes rose, Iversen was in the lead, followed closely by Balinski. Stead was third, but at the end of the second lap, he went around the outside of the Pole to move into second place. Sullivan benefited too, and closed on Balinski, but he was unable to pass. Result: Iversen, Stead, Balinski, Sullivan
 * 1) 🇵🇱 Damien Balinski
 * 2) 🇦🇺 Ryan Sullivan
 * 3)  Simon Stead
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Niels Kristian Iversen

Heat 14
At the tapes, Gollob made the start, and Bjerre was in second place. Harris was third ahead of Schlein. At the end of the second lap, Harris passed Bjerre for second place, and Schlein was following him to try and pass the Dane. Bjerre went wide on the first corner of the last lap, and Schlein went through to win a point. Result: Gollob, Harris, Schlein, Bjerre
 * 1) 🇵🇱 Tomasz Gollob (c)
 * 2) 🇩🇰 Kenneth Bjerre
 * 3)  Chris Harris
 * 4) 🇦🇺 Rory Schlein

Heat 15
Australia trail by 6 points, so they use their double point joker, Crump. At the tapes, Crump jumped out in the lead, with Pedersen in second place ahead of Nicholls. Pedersen passed Crump at the end of the first lap to take the lead. Crump tried to recatch Pedersen, but alas he could not. Result: N Pedersen, Crump (J), Nicholls, Holta
 * 1)  Scott Nicholls (c)
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Rune Holta
 * 3) 🇩🇰 Nicki Pedersen
 * 4) 🇦🇺 Jason Crump (J)

After Heat 15
Denmark starting to assert their dominance, but Australia are falling away having used their joker. Poland and GB are beginning to struggle.

Heat 16
Andersen jumped out infront, and Richardson followed him in second place. Schlein was third, but Balinski went around the outside of the first turn to pass Schlein. The heat then became a procession. Result: Andersen, Richardson, Balinski, Schlein
 * 1)  Lee Richardson
 * 2) 🇦🇺 Rory Schlein
 * 3) 🇩🇰 Hans Andersen (c)
 * 4) 🇵🇱 Damien Balinski

Heat 17
At the start, Crump led for Australia, with Gollob following him around the outside. Iversen was in third place for Denmark. Kennett went around the outside to pass Iversen, but the Dane covered the Brit and moved out to stop him passing. On the third lap, Gollob went around the outside of the last corner to go alongside Crump. At the next turn, Gollob switched back underneath the Aussie to move into the lead. Crump then tried to repass him, but Gollob held firm to take his third win of the night. Result: Gollob, Crump, Iversen, Kennett
 * 1)  Edward Kennett
 * 2) 🇦🇺 Jason Crump
 * 3) 🇩🇰 Niels Kristian Iversen
 * 4) 🇵🇱 Tomasz Gollob (c)

Heat 18
GB decide to save their joker. Adams took the lead from the start, and Holta followed in pursuit. Bjerre overtook Stead on the last corner of the opening lap to finish third. Result: Adams, Holta, Bjerre, Stead
 * 1) 🇵🇱 Rune Holta
 * 2)  Simon Stead
 * 3) 🇦🇺 Leigh Adams (c)
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Kenneth Bjerre

Heat 19
GB were fourth and seven points behind, so head to turn to their joker. Harris even made the start, and took the lead! Pedersen was only third, but soon passed Kasprzak for second. Harris won easily to bring GB right back into contention! Result: Harris (J), N Pedersen, Kasprzak, Watt
 * 1)  Chris Harris (J)
 * 2) 🇦🇺 Davey Watt
 * 3) 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Kasprzak
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Nicki Pedersen

Heat 20
At the start Hampel took the lead ahead of Pedersen. Nicholls was in third place. As Pedersen tried to pass Hampel, he drove straight into the back of him, knocking him off his bike. The race was stopped, and Pedersen was excluded.
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Ryan Sullivan
 * 2)  Scott Nicholls (c)
 * 3) 🇵🇱 Jaroslaw Hampel
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Bjarne Pedersen

Heat 20 Rerun
This time, Nicholls jumped out infront of Sullivan. Hampel was in third place, and at the end of the second lap, he squeezed up the inside of Sullivan for second place. Nicholls was away and clear at the front. Two heat wins in a row for GB! Result: Nicholls, Hampel, Sullivan, Pedersen (x)
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Ryan Sullivan
 * 2)  Scott Nicholls (c)
 * 3) 🇵🇱 Jaroslaw Hampel
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Bjarne Pedersen (excluded)

After Heat 20
9 points in two heats has thrown GB into a tie for 1st place. Poland are just behind and still in contention. Australia will need at least three wins in the last five heats to have a chance.

Heat 21
Iversen made the start for Denmark, with Watt in second place. Richardson and Holta soon passed the flagging Australian. Richardson then set off after Iversen, and on the first corner of the final lap, Richardson swept through underneath Iversen to take the lead. Holta then passed Iversen on the last corner to finish in second place. GB in the lead! Result: Richardson, Holta, Iversen, Watt
 * 1) 🇵🇱 Rune Holta
 * 2) 🇩🇰 Niels Kristian Iversen
 * 3)  Lee Richardson
 * 4) 🇦🇺 Davey Watt

Heat 22
Kasprzak made the start for Poland, and Sullivan followed him in second place. Kennett was last, but on the last corner of the third lap, he managed to overtake Bjerre to steal another point for GB. Result: Kasprzak, Sullivan, Kennett, Bjerre
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Ryan Sullivan
 * 2)  Edward Kennett
 * 3) 🇩🇰 Kenneth Bjerre
 * 4) 🇵🇱 Krzysztof Kasprzak

Heat 23
GB and Poland tied with Denmark three behind. Hampel jumped out in the lead, Pedersen missed it completely, but at the end of the first lap he made his way through into the lead. Stead managed to pass Schlein on the last lap, but then he ran wide in the last corner to let Schlein back through. Result: N Pedersen, Hampel, Schlein, Stead
 * 1) 🇵🇱 Jaroslaw Hampel
 * 2) 🇩🇰 Nicki Pedersen
 * 3) 🇦🇺 Rory Schlein
 * 4)  Simon Stead

Heat 24
Denmark and GB are two points behind Poland. Crump made the start from the inside, with Harris in third behind Pedersen. Balinski was way off the pace at the back. Crump went clear at the front, but Harris managed to pass Pedersen on the last corner of the third lap. He held on for second place on the line as Pedersen closed... The Final is going to the last heat! Result: Crump, Harris, B Pedersen, Balinski
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Jason Crump
 * 2)  Chris Harris
 * 3) 🇵🇱 Damien Balinski
 * 4) 🇩🇰 Bjarne Pedersen

Heat 25
The four captains will finish the meeting. Poland and GB lead, with Denmark just one point behind. Australia are going to finish in fourth. Adams made the start for Australia, with Andersen in second place, Gollob in third and Nicholls last, meaning Denmark and Poland would runoff for the title. At the end of the second lap, Gollob passed Andersen, which would have made Poland the champion. Andersen was then caught by Nicholls, who went through into third place. Nicholls set off after Gollob, who he needed to pass for the title. At the end of the third lap though, Nicholls fell back behind Andersen. That was how it remained, and Gollob had won the title for Poland! Result: Adams, Gollob, Andersen, Nicholls
 * 1) 🇦🇺 Leigh Adams (c)
 * 2) 🇵🇱 Tomasz Gollob (c)
 * 3) 🇩🇰 Hans Andersen (c)
 * 4)  Scott Nicholls (c)

After Heat 25
So, Poland are champions, but there is a runoff for second place between a British rider and a Danish rider.

Run Off
Harris has already beaten Pedersen once in his joker ride in Heat 19. Pedersen made the start and lead the way. Harris showed more speed, but Pedersen was comfortable and Harris couldn't pass him. The win, and silver, went to Denmark. GB take the bronze. Result: N Pedersen, Harris
 * 1)  Chris Harris
 * 2) 🇩🇰 Nicki Pedersen

I may do others of these... Just because I can. I'll post any good ones!