Edward Jancarz

Edward 'Ed' Jancarz (20 August 1946 – 11 January 1992) was a Polish international speedway rider. He earned 76 international caps for the Poland speedway team.

Career Jancarz participated in ten Speedway World Championship finals, his highest placing being in his first final in 1968, when he finished on the rostrum in third place after a run-off with Russian rider Gennady Kurilenko. He was also a member of the Polish World Team Cup winning team of 1969.

Jancarz reached the final of the Speedway World Pairs Championship in the 1975 Speedway World Pairs Championship at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, winning a silver medal riding with Piotr Bruzda.

Jancarz rode in the UK for the Wimbledon Dons between 1977–1982, winning the Internationale at Wimbledon in his first season, and in Poland for Stal Gorzów. He won the prestigious Embassy Internationale, at Wimbledon in 1977.

After his riding career ended he was a speedway coach. He was trainer in Stal Gorzów, KKŻ Krosno and Poland national speedway team.

Death

On 11 January 1992 he was fatally stabbed by his second wife, Katarzyna, during a domestic dispute after she confronted him about his alcoholism. He was 45 years old.

Since his death the Edward Jancarz Memorial has been a semi-annual meeting at the speedway that carries his name, the Edward Jancarz Stadium in Gorzów Wielkopolski. To date, 2010 World Champion Tomasz Gollob is the only Polish rider to win the memorial, having done so in 1998 and 1999

Edward Jancarz was the first speedway rider in the World to have a monument dedicated to them. The Monument of Edward Jancarz was built in 2005 and is in the city centre of Gorzów Wielkopolski.

World Final appearances

Individual World Championship 1968 – Gothenburg, Ullevi - 3rd - 11pts + 3pts 1969 – London, Wembley Stadium - 6th - 9pts 1973 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 11th - 6pts 1974 – Gothenburg, Ullevi - Reserve - 1pt 1975 – London, Wembley Stadium - 12th - 4pts 1976 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 12th - 5pts 1977 – Gothenburg, Ullevi - 13th - 4pts 1979 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 9th - 7pts 1981 – London, Wembley Stadium - 12th - 5pts 1982 – Los Angeles, Memorial Coliseum - 10th - 7pts

World Pairs Championship 1974 – Manchester, Hyde Road (with Zenon Plech) - 5th - 18pts (6) 1975 – Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Piotr Bruzda) - 2nd - 23pts (15) 1976 – Eskilstuna, Snälltorpet (with Zenon Plech) - 7th - 10pts (7) 1978 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Bolesław Proch) - 5th - 15pts (13) 1979 – Vojens, Speedway Center (with Zenon Plech) - 3rd - 20pts (13) 1980 – Krško, Matija Gubec Stadium (with Zenon Plech) - 2nd - 22pts (15) 1981 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Zenon Plech) - 3rd - 21pts (6)

World Team Cup 1968 – London, Wembley Stadium (with Edmund Migoś / Paweł Waloszek / Andrzej Wyglenda / Henryk Glücklich) - 3rd - 19pts (6) 1969 – Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Andrzej Wyglenda / Stanisław Tkocz / Henryk Glucklich / Andrzej Pogorzelski) - Winner - 31pts (11) 1971 – Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Paweł Waloszek / Henryk Glücklich / Antoni Woryna / Andrzej Wyglenda) - 3rd - 19pts (4) 1973 – London, Wembley Stadium (with Paweł Waloszek / Zenon Plech / Jerzy Szczakiel) - 4th - 8pts (2) 1975 – Norden, Motodrom Halbemond (with Henryk Glucklich / Zenon Plech / Marek Cieślak / Jerzy Rembas) - 4th - 9pts (1) 1976 – London, White City Stadium (with Zenon Plech / Marek Cieślak]/ Jerzy Rembas / Bolesław Proch) - 2nd - 28pts (9) 1977 – Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Jerzy Rembas / Bogusław Nowak / Marek Cieślak / Ryszard Fabiszewski) - 2nd - 25pts (10) 1978 – Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Zenon Plech / Marek Cieślak / Jerzy Rembas / Andrzej Huszcza) - 3rd - 16+3pts (6+3) 1980 – Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Zenon Plech / Roman Jankowski / Andrzej Huszcza / Jerzy Rembas) - 3rd - 15pt (3)