SPEEDWAY GP STARS ON 90 SECONDS FOR 2025

FIM Speedway race director Phil Morris believes cutting riders’ pre-heat time allowance from two minutes to 90 seconds will increase the pace of FIM Speedway action in 2025.

From the moment they are pushed off ahead of each FIM Speedway heat, riders previously had two minutes to head to the tapes and ensure they are ready to race when the clock hits zero – otherwise they face being disqualified by the referee.

This has now been reduced to 90 seconds, cutting the time riders have to prepare their starting position – commonly known as gardening – or test equipment and make practice starts.

Riders’ pre-heat time allowance will continue to be reduced to one minute at the race director’s discretion in the event of a restart – usually if a heat is stopped due to an unsatisfactory start. 

Having listened to comments from the speedway community, Morris hopes a reduction in this time allowance will see meetings run at a faster pace and finish within the targeted two and a half hours, even if racing is held up by crashes, medical incidents or other delays.

Morris said: “We have listened to what the fans have said with regard to gardening at the start line. Riders previously had two minutes in which to do what they wanted, but we have decided to cut that down to 90 seconds. It’s taking 30 seconds of gardening away before every heat.

“TV viewers are usually watching the replays of the heat before when riders are preparing their starting position for the next race. But for fans watching in the stadium, it should feel as if the action is progressing a little bit faster.

“There is no exact science as to how long a meeting will take. We do our best in Speedway GP to get it done in less than two and a half hours from the first heat to the final. This decision to move to 90 seconds helps towards that. 

"There’s a chance we could have accidents or incidents, medical treatment may be needed, or there could be damage to the air fence. Having this extra time helps with the flow of an event.”

The time-allowance change follows the announcement of an exciting new Qualifying format and the introduction of last-chance qualifiers instead of semi-finals for 2025.

A detailed summary of this season’s Speedway GP rules can be found HERE, where readers can find a link to the full 2025 Speedway GP rulebook.