The 1980 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 35th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.
With the defending Ivan Mauger failing to qualify for a World Final for the first time since 1966, and Ole Olsen only qualifying as a reserve, the 1980 World Final at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden was seen as an open final with a number of potential winners. Michael Lee, Bruce Penhall, Dave Jessup and Billy Sanders considered the favourites with Jan Andersson (the only Swedish rider in the World Final), John Davis, Hans Nielsen, Zenon Plech, Chris Morton and Peter Collins all expected to challenge.
Twenty-one-year-old English ace Lee who had only finished 7th in the Intercontinental Final at White City, won his only World Championship with 14 points from his 5 rides. Dave Jessup finished second after defeating Billy Sanders in a runoff when both riders finished on 12 points to give England a 1-2 finish in a World Final.
Michael Lee became only the fifth rider from Great Britain to win speedway's ultimate individual prize, joining Welshman Freddie Williams (1950), and fellow Englishmen Tommy Price (1949), Peter Craven (1955 & 1962) and Peter Collins (1976) as a speedway world champion.
First round
British Qualification
Second round
Swedish qualification
- Top 5 in each heat to Swedish final
Continental Preliminary round
British semi-finals
Third round
Continental quarter-finals
- Top 32 to Continental semi-finals
Swedish Final
- 20 May 1980
- Norrköping Motorstadion, Norrköping
- Winner to World Final, riders 2–5 to Nordic Final
Finland Final
- Eteläpuisto, Tampere
- 27 August 1979, top 3 to 1980 Nordic final
Danish Final
- 4 May 1980
- Fredericia Speedway Stadium, Fredericia
- First 3 to Nordic final (Olsen, Nielsen & Thomsen seeded through)
Norwegian Final
- 18 May 1980
- Geiteryggen Speedwaybane, Skien
- First 3 to Nordic final
Australasian Final
- 2 February 1980
- Ruapuna Speedway, Christchurch
- First 5 to Commonwealth Final plus 1 reserve
- Ivan Mauger seeded to Commonwealth final
British Final
- 4 June 1980
- Brandon Stadium, Coventry
- First 10 to Commonwealth Final plus 1 reserve
Fourth round
Continental semi-finals
Commonwealth Final
- 29 June 1980
- Wimbledon Stadium, London
- First 9 to Intercontinental Final plus 1 reserve
American Final
- 16 November 1979
- Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim
- First 2 to Intercontinental Final
Nordic Final
- 15 June 1980
- Geiteryggen Speedwaybane, Skien
- First 5 to Intercontinental Final
Fifth round
Continental Final
- 27 July 1980
- Santa Marina Stadium, Lonigo
- First 5 to World Final plus 1 reserve
Intercontinental Final
- 3 August 1980
- White City Stadium, London
- First 10 to World Final plus 1 reserve
World Final
- 5 September 1980
- Ullevi, Gothenburg
- Referee: () Torrie Kittlesen
- Attendance: 35,000 (approx)
References
