Qualification For Grand Prix
The same 15 riders form the basis of the Grand Prix line up throughout the course of the season, barring injuries. The 16th rider, known as the "wild card", will normally be a leading non-GP rider from the country in which the Grand Prix is being held. The Wild Card can win the Grand Prix like any other rider, and their World Championship points count the same as the 15 permanent riders, although this has only happened on four occasions by Mark Loram, Martin Dugard, Hans Andersen at the 2006 Danish Grand Prix and most recently Michael Jepsen Jensen at the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Nordic.
The 15 permanent Grand Prix riders have been decided by various methods over the history of the series. For the 2008 season, 3 riders qualified via the Grand Prix qualifying system of regional qualifiers and international finals. They were joined by the top 8 riders in the 2006 World Championship who had not already qualified and 4 riders who were nominated by series promoters, IMG.
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