The Speedway Ekstraliga (English: Polish Extraleague, Polish: Ekstraliga żużlowa) is the top division of motorcycle speedway in Poland and determines the winner of the Team Speedway Polish Championship. It has been called the "richest and most popular speedway league in the world",[1] and attracts riders from all over the world. The Ekstraliga has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland.[1]
| Sport | motorcycle speedway |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 |
| CEO | League Commissioner: Wojciech Stępniewski |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | Poland |
| Most recent champion(s) | Unia Leszno – 8 |
| TV partner(s) | England: Premier Sports Poland: Eleven Sports PL, CANAL+ Sport |
| Official website | Official site |
| Notes | |
| League below Ekstraliga 2 2. Liga | |
With the fall of communism in Poland in the 1990s and the resultant sharp increase in the value of the Złoty, the sport began to attract a wider range of star riders from other countries. The first of these was Denmark's Hans Nielsen.[1]
In 2000, the First Division was renamed Ekstraliga, and the number of teams was reduced.[1] Since 2015 the official sponsor of Ekstraliga is the Polish energy company PGE, which signed the financial contract for three consecutive seasons in 2021. The top division is called the PGE Ekstraliga.[2]
2024 PGE Ekstraliga
editTeams
edit| City | Club | Current team name | Seasons in Ekstraliga | Total Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leszno | Unia Leszno | Fogo Unia Leszno | 2000–24 | 25 |
| Wrocław | WTS Wrocław | Betard Sparta Wrocław | 2000–24 | 25 |
| Toruń | KS Toruń | KS Apator Toruń | 2000–19, 2021–24 | 24 |
| Częstochowa | Włókniarz Częstochowa | Tauron Włókniarz Częstochowa | 2000–14, 2017–24 | 23 |
| Gorzów Wielkopolski | Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski | ebut.pl Stal Gorzów | 2000–02, 2008–24 | 21 |
| Zielona Góra | ZKŻ Zielona Góra | Novyhotel Falubaz Zielona Góra | 2001, 2003–05, 2007–21, 2024 | 20 |
| Tarnów | Unia Tarnów | Unia Tarnów | 2004–08, 2010–16, 2018 | 13 |
| Bydgoszcz | Polonia Bydgoszcz | Abramczyk Polonia Bydgoszcz | 2000–07, 2009–10, 2012–13 | 12 |
| Grudziądz | GKM Grudziądz | ZOOleszcz GKM Grudziądz | 2015–24 | 10 |
| Gdańsk | Wybrzeże Gdańsk | Zdunek Wybrzeże Gdańsk | 2000, 2002–03, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014 | 7 |
| Rzeszów | Stal Rzeszów | Texom Stal Rzeszów | 2006–08, 2011–13, 2015 | 7 |
| Lublin | KM Cross Lublin | Orlen Oil Motor Lublin | 2019–24 | 6 |
| Rybnik | ŻKS ROW Rybnik | ROW Rybnik | 2004, 2006, 2016–17, 2020 | 5 |
| Piła | Polonia Piła | Polonia Piła | 2000–03 | 4 |
| Gniezno | Start Gniezno | Start Gniezno | 2013 | 1 |
| Ostrów Wielkopolski | TZ Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski | Arged Malesa Ostrów | 2022 | 1 |
| Krosno | Wilki Krosno | Cellfast Wilki Krosno | 2023 | 1 |