Speedway GP goes from strength to strength.

Benfield Sports International (BSI), today announced the provisional 2003 calendar which includes a Grand Prix in New Zealand.

Next year's Speedway Grand Prix Series (SGP) will see the individual speedway world championship competed over eleven rounds, one Grand Prix more than 2002, with the additional event taking place at Westpac Trust Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand. (This event will be confirmed before the end of October).

The other highlight of the 2003 season is the move of the FIM Danish Speedway Grand Prix from Vojens to Copenhagen's Parken stadium.

The addition of both venues means that the SGP Series now visits no less that eight major international stadiums: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; Poland's Slaski Stadium, Katowice; Sweden's Olympic Stadium, Stockholm and Ullevi Stadium Gothenburg; Parken, Copenhagen; Olympiahall Vikingskipet, Hamar, Norway; Westpac Trust Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand, with the final round moving to Aussie Stadium, Sydney.

Commenting on the new calendar John Postlethwaite, Chief Executive, Benfield Sports International said: "The focus of 2003 is to improve the quality of our events rather than simply adding events for the sake of having a bigger calendar. This is epitomised by the move from Vojens to the 41,680 capacity Parken Stadium.

"Wellington fits in with the strategy to grow the Series outside the traditional European season. New Zealand has produced many household names in the past including Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs and six times World Champion Ivan Mauger. Bringing world class speedway back to New Zealand will re-ignite the country's passion for the sport."

The international team event, the Speedway World Cup, will be held in Denmark, from 3rd - 9th August 2003. Denmark, who were winners of the silver medal in 2002, will host the new format SWC for the first time with both the Race Off and the Final being held at Vojens Speedway Centre.

FIM President, Francesco Zerbi, added: "The 2003 calendar of the Individual Speedway World Championship Grand Prix is very impressive, and shows that our partner BSI keeps on working very hard on the improvement of this spectacular sport.

"Compared with the already great series of events in 2002, a further event should be introduced next year in an important overseas country, New Zealand, which gave so many great Champions to this sport. And there will also be a move to a bigger stadium in Denmark, one of the most important countries in speedway. I am delighted with the progress already achieved, and there is no doubt that these improvements will continue in the future."

2003 Calendar:

FIMA Speedway Grand Prix / FIM Speedway World Cup - Provisional 2003 calendar:

17th May - Poland Poland (1) - TBC
31st May - Sweden Stockholm - Olympic Stadium
14th June - Great Britain Cardiff - Millennium Stadium
28th June - Denmark Copenhagen - Parken
12th July - Slovenia Krsko - Matije Gubjca Stadium
23rd August - Sweden Gothenburg - Ullevi Stadium
6th September - Czech Republic Prague - Marketa Stadium
20th September - Poland Poland (2) - TBC
4th October - Norway Hamar - Olympic Stadium
1st November - New Zealand Wellington - Westpac Trust Stadium (TBC)
8th November - Australia Sydney - Aussie Stadium

FIM Speedway World Cup 2003:

3rd August - Denmark Host city TBC
4th August - Denmark Host city TBC
5th August - Denmark Host city TBC
7th August - Denmark Vojens Speedway Centre
9th August - Denmark Vojens Speedway Centre