Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as
speedway, is a
motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four
anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway
motorcycles use only one
gear and have no
brakes; racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of
dirt, loosely packed
shale, or
dolomite (mostly used in Australia and New Zealand). Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways,
powersliding or
broadsiding into the bends. On the straight sections of the track the motorcycles reach speeds of up .