Racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt, loosely packed shale, or crushed rock (mostly used in Australia and New Zealand).

There is evidence to show that meetings were held on small dirt tracks in Australia and the United States before World War I.

[1] By the early 1920s, Johns' style of cornering was followed in the United States, where it was called Short Track Racing, by riders such as Albert "Shrimp" Burns, Maldwyn "Floppy" Jones and Eddie Brinck.

This track had a motorcycle riding entrepreneur as its Secretary and his personal account has him inviting his friends and their associates to do a few laps one Sunday morning, the noise attracted the attention of the Showground committee and approval to race at the "Electric Light Festival" was won.

Visiting English and American racers were common, for they were highly paid showmen, often winning a year's salary in just one night.

A very wet Sydney summer nearly sent Hoskins broke, so he took the show on the road to Perth, where one good season made him wealthy again.

Tracks used for professional speedway racing are regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) who provide rules concerning construction, size and safety requirements.

[7] Speedway racing takes place on a level oval track consisting of two straights joined by two semicircles.

Tracks may be banked, but the gradient must under no circumstances exceed 5% in the straight, 10% in the bends, and must remain constant and grow from the inner edge to the safety fence.

[7] The FIM regulations require licensed tracks to provide a garage or pit area for motorcycles as well as medical and press facilities.

The topmost of which must be of shale, granite, brick granules or other loose material of which no individual piece can be over 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in size.

The skill of speedway lies in the overall ability of the rider to control his motorcycle when cornering and thus avoid losing places through deceleration.

The top layer must be levelled or "graded" at intervals during an event by tractors towing specially adapted rakes to evenly re-distribute the surface.

Tracks are watered before and, if needed, during meetings to prevent the surface becoming too dry and to protect the public and the riders from dust.

Neutral zones outside the track provide safe run-off areas for riders and their machinery to minimise the potential risk of injury to spectators.

FIM regulations state that the motorcycles must have no brakes, are fueled by pure methanol, use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 77 kilograms (170 lb).

[9] The use of methanol allows for an increased compression ratio to the engine producing more power than other fuels and resulting in higher speeds (approximately 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) when cornering).

A white line at the 30-metre mark used to designate the extent to which a push was allowed but due to safety concerns, assistance is now illegal.

A rider that has no recorded average will receive an indicative CMA for the start of the season that is assessed on their prior experience in the sport.

Both competitions featured teams from the major speedway countries, usually in a series of meetings over the space of a week in the summer.

The FIM affiliated governing bodies in each country operate league systems, normally comprising several divisions, in which the teams gain points throughout the season depending on results.

On a smaller scale, competitions are also held in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States.

The Polish National team are the final champions of the now-defunct Speedway World Cup, having won the competition eight times in all.

The team finishing the season in first place are champions and can apply for promotion to the Allsvenskan, subject to having suitable facilities and sufficient finances.

Former rider, Ole Olsen won the World Championship three times and his success helped popularise the sport in Denmark.

A popular Danish rider in the 1960s was Arne Pander, and in the 1980s Erik Gundersen, Jan O Pedersen and Hans Nielsen (who was also an active racer through the 1990s).

Any riders who competed in the Speedway Grand Prix or World Championship Qualifying rounds during the previous season are seeded directly to the Final.

The Danish Speedway Grand Prix is held in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen Although there was a short lived inter-state competition in Australia during the 1970s, due to the large size of the country riders have traditionally raced mostly at their local tracks, though the top riders often race away from 'home' for championship or other high-profile meetings.

Castagna was the only Italian professional speedway rider in the history of the sport, and qualified five times for an Individual World Final.

On a smaller scale, it also occurs in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, USA, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.