Josef Franc
 Franc in 2012 | |
| Born | 18 January 1979 Čáslav, Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Pepe |
| Nationality | Czech |
| Career history | |
| Czech Republic | |
| 2005-2009, 2011, 2013-2018 | Olymp Praha |
| Poland | |
| 2000 | Lublin |
| 2002, 2009-2011, 2018 | Krosno |
| 2007 | Praha |
| 2013 | Kraków |
| 2014 | Daugavpils |
| 2021 | Wittstock |
| Great Britain | |
| 2001, 2003-2004, 2009, 2011 | Berwick Bandits |
| 2005-2008 | Newcastle Diamonds |
| 2006 | Belle Vue Aces |
| 2010 | Sheffield Tigers |
| 2014 | Plymouth Devils |
| Sweden | |
| 2005 | Eldarna |
| Denmark | |
| 2015 | Holsted |
| Individual honours | |
| 2017, 2018 | Czech Republic champion |
| 1999 | Czech Republic Under-21 Speedway Champion |
| 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 | Czech Longtrack Championship |
| 2010 | Scottish Open Champion |
| Team honours | |
| 2022 | World Longtrack Team silver |
| 2019 | World Longtrack Team bronze |
| 1998, 2003 | Czech Republic Div One Champion |
Josef Franc (born 18 January 1979) is a Czech former international motorcycle racer who competed in Grasstrack, Longtrack and motorcycle speedway.[1][2][3][4] He earned 8 international caps for the Czech Republic national speedway team[5]
Career
[edit]In 2001, Franc joined Berwick Bandits along with fellow Czechs Michal Makovský and Adrian Rymel.[6]
He has appeared as a wildcard in the 2003 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic[7] and as a track reserve in the 2007 Czech Republic Speedway Grand Prix, scoring three points from two rides and has represented the Czech Republic national speedway team at senior level.
Franc was the Czech Republic Under-21 Champion in 1999 and was the Czech Republic national champion in 2017 and 2018.[8]
In 2019, he was part of the Czech team, along with Hynek Štichauer and Martin Málek, that won the bronze medal at the 2019 Team Long Track World Championship.[9]
In 2022, he was part of the Czech team, again with Málek and Štichauer, that won the silver medal at the 2022 Team Long Track World Championship.[10]
Speedway Grand Prix results
[edit]- 2003, Prague SGP, 0 Points.
- 2007, Prague SGP, 3 Points.
- 2012, Prague SGP, 9 Points.
Career details
[edit]World Championships
[edit]- Individual World Championship and Speedway Grand Prix
- Team World Championship (Speedway World Team Cup and Speedway World Cup)
- Individual U-21 World Championship
- 1999 -
Vojens - did not start as track reserve - 2000 -
Gorzów Wlkp. - 6th place (8 pts)
- 1999 -
European Championships
[edit]
World Longtrack Championship
[edit]Grand-Prix Years
- 1999 1 app (23rd) 4pts
- 2010 1 app (18th) 19pts
- 2011 6 app (13th) 51pts
- 2012 6 app (Third) 126pts
- 2013 6 app (4th) 91pts
- 2014 4 app (10th) 32pts
- 2015 4 app (5th) 53pts
- 2016 5 app (7th) 55pts
- 2017 5 app (Third) 86pts
Best Grand-Prix Results
Eenrum Second 2017
Forssa Second 2012- Groningen First 2012
Marmande Second 2012- Morizès First 2012, Second 2017
- Rzeszów Third 2013
Team Championship
- 2010
Morizès (6th) 9/25pts (Rode with Zdeněk Schneiderwind, Richard Wolff, Pavel Ondrasik). - 2011 Scheeßel (4th) 21/36pts (Rode with Aleš Dryml Jr., Richard Wolff, Pavel Ondrasik).
- 2012 St. Macaire (5th) 16/30 (Rode with Aleš Dryml Jr., Richard Wolff, Michael Hádek).
- 2013
Folkestone (7th) 11/23pts (Rode with Richard Wolff, Karel Kadlec). - 2014 Forssa (6th) 13/23pts (Rode with Richard Wolff, Jan Klatovský).
- 2015 Mühldorf (6th) 18/30pts (Rode with Richard Wolff, Michal Dudek, Michal Škurla).
- 2016
Mariánské Lázně (Third) 18/42pts (Rode with Hynek Stichauer, Martin Málek). - 2017 Roden (4th) 28/43pts (Rode with Hynek Stichauer, Martin Málek).
- 2018 Morizès (5th) 20/32pts (rode with Martin Malák, Michal Škurla).
European Grasstrack Championship
[edit]Finalist
- 1999 Werlte (16th) 1pt
- 2011 Thorpe St Peter (17th) 4pts
- 2012 Eenrum (Reserve N/S)
- 2013 Bielefeld (9th) 13pts
- 2014 Saint-Macaire (4th) 13pts
- 2015 Staphorst (20th) 0pts
- 2016 Folkestone (4th) 12pts
- 2017 Hertingen (7th) 10pts
- 2018 Tayac (Second) 15pts
Czech Longtrack Championship
[edit]- 2003 Mariánské Lázně 12th
- 2010 Mariánské Lázně, Second
- 2011 Mariánské Lázně, Second
- 2012 Mariánské Lázně, Second
- 2013 Mariánské Lázně, First
- 2014 Mariánské Lázně, First
- 2015 Mariánské Lázně, First
- 2017 Mariánské Lázně, First
- 2018 Mariánské Lázně, First
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. ISBN 0-948882-81-6
- ^ Świat Żużla, No 1 (77) / 2009, pages 58-59 ISSN 1429-3285
- ^ "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ "Franc, Josef". Polish Speedway Database. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Bandits turn to young guns". Berwick Advertiser. 11 January 2001. Retrieved 27 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Life is just grand for wildcard Franc". Berwick Advertiser. 21 August 2003. Retrieved 27 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Individual Czechoslovakian Championship at Zuzla Indvidual [sic] Czechoslovakian Championship". Historia Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ "World Longtrack Championship". GrasstrackGB. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "2022 RESULTS Herxheim – Long Track of Nations". FIM. Retrieved 15 July 2023.