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Victoria Rolnicki Machowa

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Victoria Rolnicki Machowa
NicknameJastrzębie (Hawks)
Founded1992
Disbanded1993
Based inPilzno
Location Poland
StadiumSpeedway Stadium in Machowa [pl]
Colorspink, white and blue
OwnerPiotr Rolnicki

Victoria Rolnicki Machowa was a Polish motorcycle speedway club from Machowa. It was the first private speedway club in Poland. The founder and owner of the club was Piotr Rolnicki. The team operated from 1992 to 1993.

During its existence, the club participated twice in the second-tier speedway league. In the 1992 season, it secured 7th place, but in the 1993 season, it was withdrawn from the league after four rounds and subsequently dissolved. Despite plans for its reactivation, these never materialized, and Victoria never returned to any competitions.

History

[edit]

Origins and founding of the club

[edit]
Mitch Shirra was one of the riders who transferred to the newly established club in Machowa from the Unia Tarnów team

Before 1992, Piotr Rolnicki was a sponsor of Unia Tarnów.[1] In the 1991 season, the Tarnów club added "Rolnicki" to its historical name, competing in the then top-tier league as Unia–Rolnicki Tarnów.[2] This was the first time in Unia's history that a sponsor's name was included in the club's title. After the 1991 season, a conflict arose between Piotr Rolnicki and the management of Unia Tarnów. The disagreement stemmed from differing visions regarding the future of the speedway section within the Tarnów club.[1] Initial reports of this conflict surfaced in January 1992.[3] Ultimately, the two parties failed to reach an agreement, leading Piotr Rolnicki to withdraw his sponsorship of Unia Tarnów and decide to establish his own speedway club.[1]

Initially, Rolnicki planned to create the new club in Tarnów. To achieve this, he negotiated with several sports clubs in Tarnów to secure the use of their stadiums.[4] He aimed to modernize and adapt the Tamel Tarnów Stadium or the Błękitni Tarnów facility to meet the requirements for hosting speedway competitions. However, after failing to reach agreements with the managers of these venues, Rolnicki chose to establish the club in his hometown of Machowa. He also decided to construct a new speedway stadium on a plot of land he owned there.[1][4]

1992 season debut

[edit]

Construction of the stadium in Machowa began between February and March 1992, as soon as the snow and frost subsided. The facility was opened in May of the same year after less than three months of construction.[4] Rolnicki hired several individuals previously associated with Unia Tarnów during the previous season, including coach Stanisław Kępowicz, three mechanics, and a number of officials and club staff.[3] The team roster for Victoria included Polish riders Sławomir Tronina [pl],[5] Andrzej Bykiewicz,[6] Grzegorz Rempała [pl],[7] and Piotr Zięba,[8] as well as international competitors such as New Zealander Mitch Shirra[9] and Briton Jeremy Doncaster.[10] Additionally, Piotr Styczyński [pl], who had competed for Unia Tarnów from 1987 to 1990,[11] and junior rider Paweł Jachym, on loan from Tarnów, joined the squad.[3] The team also featured Australians Troy Butler[12] and Shane Parker,[13] Polish seniors Dariusz Bieda[14] and Dariusz Rachwalik [pl],[15] and junior Jarosław Nowak, who was on loan.[3]

Before the league season, Victoria played several friendly matches, including one against KKŻ Krosno[16] (a 61:29 victory)[17] and a triangular meet with the first and second squads of Włókniarz Częstochowa. Due to the incomplete construction of the Machowa stadium, Victoria hosted its early matches at other venues until its official opening in May 1992.[17]

Jeremy Doncaster scored the most points in Victoria's league debut

On 29 March, Victoria made its league debut in the second division, facing WTS Sparta Wrocław's reserve team. The match, held at the MOSiR Stadium in Lublin, ended with Victoria claiming a decisive 59:31 victory.[18]

On 2 April, in the preliminary round of the Polish Team Speedway Cup, Victoria faced Unia Leszno as the host team at the MOSiR Stadium in Lublin. The match concluded with a 54:36 win for Leszno.[19]

On 5 April, in their first away league match, Victoria competed against GKM Grudziądz [pl]. Despite winning the final heat 4:2, Victoria narrowly lost the match 46:44.[20]

The scheduled 9 April rematch in the preliminary round of the Polish Team Speedway Cup did not take place, as the Machowa team failed to travel to Leszno, forfeiting the match with a 0:40 loss. The reason for this decision was Victoria's incomplete squad.[21] As a result, the Machowa club was eliminated from further competition in the tournament.[22]

On 20 April, in the third league round, Victoria hosted KS ROW Rybnik at the Krosno Speedway Stadium. The match ended in a 55:35 defeat for Victoria.[23]

On 1 May, during the fourth league round, Victoria earned its first-ever league point by drawing 45:45 with Iskra Ostrów Wielkopolski [pl] in an away match.[24]

On 14 May 1992, in the sixth league round, Victoria played its first match at the new Machowa Speedway Stadium against Polonia Piła. The match, open to spectators free of charge, drew significant interest, with attendance estimates ranging from several thousand[1] to as many as 10,000.[25] The high turnout caused traffic congestion on the nearby national road 4, and some fans watched the match from the pit area.[1] Polonia narrowly won the match 45:44.[3]

In the latter part of the 1992 league season, Victoria won the majority of its home matches by large margins, while the away matches were similarly marked by heavy losses.[3] Only three times did the outcome reverse: on 28 June, in the 12th round, Start Gniezno won in Machowa 56:34;[26] on 19 July, in the 14th round, Unia Leszno also won in Machowa 45:43;[27] and on 26 July, in the 15th round, Victoria defeated Śląsk Świętochłowice [pl] 54:36 away.[28]

The remaining league matches of the 1992 season followed this pattern – Victoria won at home against Kolejarz Opole (49:41), KKŻ Krosno (52:38), GKM Grudziądz (66:22), Iskra Ostrów Wielkopolski (68:22), and Śląsk Świętochłowice (61:29), but lost away to ROW Rybnik (22:68), Unia Leszno (25:65), Start Gniezno (22:68), Polonia Piła (38:52), Kolejarz Opole (31:58), KKŻ Krosno (24:65), and Sparta II Wrocław (33:57).[29]

In total, during the 1992 league season, Victoria Machowa won 7 matches, drew 1, and lost 12. The club finished in 7th place in the second division.[29]

1993 season

[edit]

Before the 1993 season, most of the players who had represented the club in the previous season left, as did the team's coach, Stanisław Kępowicz. However, the club's owner, Piotr Rolnicki, loaned five riders from Stal Rzeszów[3] and added players such as Robert Przygódzki [pl][30] and Vladimír Kalina [pl] to the Machowa team.[31]

Ultimately, Victoria Rolnicki Machowa was entered into the second division competition. In the first round, the team lost away to KKŻ Krosno 36:54. Due to the odd number of teams (11 teams in the second division in the 1993 season), Victoria had a bye in the second round.[32] In the third series, again away, the team lost to Śląsk Świętochłowice 36:54, which turned out to be the only victory for Śląsk in the entire season. In the fourth round, Victoria lost at home to Wanda Kraków 33:57.[32]

After playing three league matches in the 1993 season, Victoria Machowa withdrew from further participation in the competition.[33] The reason for this decision was the club's and its owner's financial problems. Piotr Rolnicki, in announcing the withdrawal, promised that the club would soon return to league competition, but this never came to pass.[3] After the club's withdrawal, all of its league results for the 1993 season were annulled. The club also withdrew from the Polish Team Speedway Cup, forfeiting both matches against Apator Toruń 0:40,[32] and from the Polish Club Pairs Championship, not entering the semifinals,[34] as well as from the Team Speedway Junior Polish Championship, not participating in the first round of the competition.[35]

Stadium

[edit]

History

[edit]

Period of Victoria's activity

[edit]
Section of national road 4 running through Machowa, near which the stadium was located

The speedway stadium in Machowa was built in 1992, and its construction took approximately three months.[1] The seating consisted of low, earthen embankments around the track, with a truck trailer (capable of holding several dozen people) serving as the main stand, located along the starting straight. Technical buildings, such as changing rooms, restrooms, and the race office, were situated several hundred meters behind the stadium, on land owned by Piotr Rolnicki's company.[1]

The first speedway match at the Machowa stadium took place on 14 May 1992, when Victoria played a second-division match against Polonia Piła. The official opening of the venue occurred on 31 May of the same year, during a second-division match between Victoria and Śląsk Świętochłowice.[1] The owner of Victoria decided to offer free entry to spectators for the first match against Polonia Piła. This led to significant interest, with attendance estimates ranging from several hundred[1] to even 10,000 people.[25] As a result, a section of the nearby national road 4 was blocked for several kilometers, and some spectators watched the match from the pits.[1]

After the club's collapse

[edit]

After the dissolution of the Victoria Rolnicki Machowa club, the track was used sporadically.[36] In 1993, it hosted a speedway license exam[37] and the 1993 Silver Helmet Tournament (which was interrupted after the 18th race due to falling darkness).[38]

Since then, the stadium was not used regularly. Occasionally, individual riders trained there, and summer camps were organized at the venue by Tarnów's youth speedway coach Bogusław Nowak. At the end of the 20th century, attempts were made to revive the track for regular use.[1] In 1999, the semi-final of the 1999 Bronze Helmet Tournament[39] and the final of the Polish qualifiers for the 1999 Individual Speedway Junior European Championship took place.[40]

In 2003, a group of amateur speedway riders from Tarnów and Rzeszów started using the track,[41] with the owner allowing them to use the venue free of charge.[42] The last mentions of their use of the Machowa facility date back to 2008, after which the stadium began to deteriorate.[3]

From then until 2013, the stadium was not in use. The track partially became overgrown with grass, and in some places, the wooden barriers around it were damaged.[36] Ultimately, in the autumn of 2013, the facility was demolished and leveled.[43]

Characteristics

[edit]

The speedway track in Machowa was relatively short, measuring 285 meters, making it the shortest speedway track in Poland. The track's length placed high demands on the riders, making it particularly well-suited for training purposes.[25] According to experts, it was significantly different from other tracks in the country, being a typically technical track that required riders to stay close to the curb (on the inside of the track). This often led to crashes. The facility was compared to the speedway track at the old Wembley Stadium.[1][4]

Achievements

[edit]

League

[edit]
Season League competitions Notes
League Place
1992 II II League 7/11
1993 II League – Club withdrew from the competition
League level Number of seasons Seasons
II 1 1992

Team Speedway Cup

[edit]
Season Round Opponent Home Away Result
1992[29] 1st round Unia Leszno 36–54 0–40 36–94
1993[32] 1st round Apator Toruń 0–40 0–40 0–80

Pair events

[edit]

Polish Club Pairs Championship

[edit]
Season Round Team Place Points
1992[44] Qualifiers Template:Wyniki konkursu drużynowego 1 23
Final Template:Wyniki konkursu drużynowego 7 7

Polish Junior Club Pairs Championship

[edit]
Season Round Team Place Points
1992[45] Qualifiers Template:Wyniki konkursu drużynowego 1 23
Final Template:Wyniki konkursu drużynowego 6 14

Individual events

[edit]

Polish Individual Championship

[edit]
Season Round Rider Place Points
1992[46] Quarterfinals Grzegorz Rempała 12 5
Piotr Styczyński 16 1
Paweł Jachym 13 4

Polish Junior Individual Championship

[edit]
Season Round Rider Place Points
1992[47] Semifinal Grzegorz Rempała 13 4
Paweł Jachym 2 13
Final Paweł Jachym 13 4

Golden Helmet

[edit]
Season Round Rider Place Points
1992[48] Qualifiers Grzegorz Rempała 3 12
Paweł Jachym 4 11+3
Piotr Styczyński 5 11+2
Sławomir Tronina – 3
Piotr Zięba – 3
Final Paweł Jachym 13 4
Grzegorz Rempała 15 4

Silver Helmet

[edit]
Season Round Rider Place Points
1992[49] Semifinal Grzegorz Rempała 6 10
Final 12 4

Bronze Helmet

[edit]
Season Round Rider Place Points
1992[50] Semifinal Jarosław Nowak 7 7
Paweł Jachym – 5
Final Jarosław Nowak 10 5

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Był żużel w Machowej…" [Speedway in Machowa…]. temi.pl (in Polish). 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22.
  2. ^ Lach, Roman. "Speedway w Polsce 1991" [Speedway in Poland 1991]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Pisarek, Artur (13 October 2011). "Sen o Victorii" [Dream About Victoria]. uniatarnow.net (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-09-18.
  4. ^ a b c d Noga, Robert (31 March 2012). "Żużlowe podróże w czasie(4): Zjawisko Machowa" [Speedway Time Travels (4): The Phenomenon of Machowa]. sportowefakty.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  5. ^ "Sławomir Tronina". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  6. ^ "Andrzej Bykiewicz". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  7. ^ "Grzegorz Rempała". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  8. ^ "Piotr Zięba". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  9. ^ "Mitchell (Mitch) Owen Shirra". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  10. ^ "Jeremy Doncaster". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  11. ^ "Piotr Styczyński". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  12. ^ "Troy Steve Butler". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  13. ^ "Shane Andrew Parker". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  14. ^ "Dariusz Bieda". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  15. ^ "Dariusz Rachwalik". speedway.com.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  16. ^ "Joachim Piechaczek". ksmkrosno.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  17. ^ a b Delimata, Grzegorz. "Historia spotkań żużlowych w Krośnie po reaktywacji" [The History of Speedway Matches in Krosno After Reactivation]. ksmkrosno.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-11-02.
  18. ^ Lach, Roman. "1 RUNDA DM2L 1992: 29-3-1992" [1ST ROUND DM2L 1992: 29 March 1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  19. ^ Lach, Roman. "RUNDA WSTĘPNA DPP 1992: 2-4-1992" [PRELIMINARY ROUND DPP 1992: 2 April 1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  20. ^ Lach, Roman. "2 RUNDA DM2L 1992: 5-4-1992" [2ND ROUND DM2L 1992: 5-4-1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  21. ^ Lach, Roman. "RUNDA WSTĘPNA DPP 1992: 9-4-1992" [PRELIMINARY ROUND DPP 1992: 9 April 1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  22. ^ Jejda, Bartłomiej (23 May 2009). "Zapomniane turnieje: Drużynowy Puchar Polski (część 2)" [Forgotten Tournaments: Polish Team Cup (Part 2)]. sportowefakty.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  23. ^ Lach, Roman. "3 RUNDA DM2L 1992: (Krosno) 20-4-1992" [3RD ROUND DM2L 1992: (Krosno) 20-4-1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  24. ^ Lach, Roman. "4 RUNDA DM2L 1992: 1-5-1992" [4TH ROUND DM2L 1992: 1 May 1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  25. ^ a b c "Stadion w Machowej" [Machowa Stadium]. arenysportowe.eu (in Polish). 16 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  26. ^ Lach, Roman. "12 RUNDA DM2L 1992: 28-6-1992" [12TH ROUND DM2L 1992: 28 June 1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  27. ^ Lach, Roman. "14 RUNDA DM2L 1992: 19-7-1992" [14TH ROUND DM2L 1992: 19 July 1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  28. ^ Lach, Roman. "15 RUNDA DM2L 1992: 26-7-1992" [15TH ROUND DM2L 1992: 26 July 1992]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  29. ^ a b c Lach, Roman. "Polska 1992" [Poland 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-09-27.
  30. ^ "Przygódzki Robert". www.kolejarzopole.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2016-05-06.
  31. ^ "VLADIMIR KALINA". historiaunia-leszno.pl.tl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2016-06-01.
  32. ^ a b c d Lach, Roman. "Speedway w Polsce 1993" [Speedway in Poland 1993]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  33. ^ "Historia CKM Włókniarz - cz. XVIII (1992-1993)" [The History of CKM Włókniarz – Part XVIII (1992–1993)]. ckmwlokniarz.com.pl (in Polish). 19 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2010-08-25.
  34. ^ "MISTRZOSTWA POLSKI PAR KLUBOWYCH '1993" [Polish Pair Club Championship 1993]. sportarch.friko.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2014-04-16.
  35. ^ Lach, Roman. "Młodzieżowe Drużynowe Mistrzostwa Polski 1993 – Grupa 1" [Polish Youth Team Championship 1993 – Group 1]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  36. ^ a b Gąciarz, Janusz (27 May 2013). "Machowa: Stadion żużlowy Victoria Rolnicki Machowa po latach" [Machowa: The Speedway Stadium Victoria Rolnicki Machowa After Years]. pulsmiasta.com (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-09-18.
  37. ^ Biskup, Kasia (1 November 2012). "Miał to, czego nie potrafi nauczyć żaden trener - wspomnienie Roberta Dadosa" [He Had What No Coach Can Teach – A Memoir of Robert Dados]. zuzel.sport24.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-09-18.
  38. ^ Lach, Roman. "Srebrny Kask 1993" [Silver Helmet 1993]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  39. ^ Lach, Roman. "Brązowy Kask 1999" [Bronze Helmet 1999]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  40. ^ Lach, Roman. "Krajowe Eliminacje Indywidualnych Mistrzostw Europy Juniorów 1999" [1999 Individual Speedway Junior European Championship]. www.speedwayw.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  41. ^ "Parę słów o nas" [A Few Words About Us]. zuzlowcy.w.interia.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2005-09-20.
  42. ^ "Żużlowcy-Amatorzy" [Speedway Amateurs]. zuzlowcy.w.interia.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2005-09-16.
  43. ^ Cinkowski, Konrad (21 January 2014). "Wymarłe stadiony: Machowa" [Extinct Stadiums: Machowa]. www.espeedway.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  44. ^ Lach, Roman. "Mistrzostwa Polski Par Klubowych 1992" [Polish Pair Club Championship 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-10-26.
  45. ^ Lach, Roman. "Młodzieżowe mistrzostwa Polski Par Klubowych 1992" [Polish Youth Pair Club Championship 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-10-26.
  46. ^ Lach, Roman. "Indywidualne Mistrzostwa Polski 1992" [Polish Individual Championship 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-10-26.
  47. ^ Lach, Roman. "Młodzieżowe Indywidualne Mistrzostwa Polski 1992" [Polish Youth Individual Championship 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-10-26.
  48. ^ Lach, Roman. "Złoty Kask 1992" [Golden Helmet 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-10-26.
  49. ^ Lach, Roman. "Srebrny Kask 1992" [Silver Helmet 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2013-10-26.
  50. ^ Lach, Roman. "Brązowy Kask 1992" [Bronze Helmet 1992]. rlach.republika.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2009-06-05.
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