Karl Maier (speedway rider)

Karl Maier
Karl Maier in 1992
Born (1957-08-24) 24 August 1957 (age 67)
Munich, West Germany
NationalityGerman
Career history
West Germany
1978Landshut
1980Olching
Great Britain
1979Belle Vue Aces
1982–1983Birmingham Brummies
Individual honours
1980, 1982, 1987, 1988Long Track World Champion
1992, 1993German Longtrack champion
1979, 1980, 1983,
1987, 1989, 1990		West German Longtrack champion

Karl Maier (born 24 August 1957) is a German former speedway rider. He competed in motorcycle speedway and Longtrack racing. He reached seventeen world longtrack championship finals and was world champion four times.[1] He also earned 38 international caps for the West German national speedway team.[2]

Career

Maier began his career in 1975 and soon established himself as one of the world's leading longtrack riders.[3] He was crowned world longtrack champion for the first time after winning the 1980 Individual Long Track World Championship in Scheeßel, defeating Egon Müller into second place and taking Müller's place as Germany's longtrack hero.[3]

Maier would go on to become long track world champion four times, earning further wins in 1982, 1987 and 1988.[3] In addition, he won eight German national longtrack championship titles.

He also forged a career in conventional speedway, earning 38 international caps and participating in four consecutive Speedway World Championship finals from 1983 until 1986[4] and a fifth final in 1989.[5]

He rode three seasons in Britain, riding for Belle Vue Aces in 1979[6] and Birmingham Brummies from 1982 to 1983.[7]

Personal life

Maier is a master mechanic and owner of a BMW motorcycle dealership, as well as was the owner of a Toyota car dealership in Erding. He lives in Neufinsing, is married and has a daughter.

Results

World Longtrack Championship

Finals

World Final appearances

Individual World Championship

World Pairs Championship

World Team Cup

References

  1. ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 524. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
  2. ^ "Ultimate Rider Index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Karl Maier". Grasstrack GB. 24 August 1957. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Aces saved by Halifax". Manchester Evening News. 3 August 1985. Retrieved 3 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Karl Maier". WWOS backup. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Ace's new boy Maier looks a real catch". Manchester Evening News. 27 July 1979. Retrieved 24 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 17 March 2024.