Karl Maier (speedway rider)

Karl Maier

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

• 1978 Mühldorf (7th) 17pts
• 1979 Mariánské Lázně (6th) 13pts
• 1980 Scheeßel (Champion) 23pts
• 1981 Radgona (13th) 5pts
• 1982 Esbjerg (Champion) 24pts
• 1983 Mariánské Lázně (Third) 18pts
• 1984 Herxheim (Third) 17pts
• 1986 Herxheim (6th) 11pts
• 1987 Mühldorf (Champion) 22pts
• 1988 Scheeßel (Champion) 42pts
• 1989 Mariánské Lázně (Third) 33pts
• 1990 Herxheim (Second) 30pts
• 1991 Mariánské Lázně (7th) 10pts
• 1992 Pfarrkirchen (Third) 20pts
• 1993 Mühldorf (Second) 20pts
• 1995 Scheeßel (6th) 14pts
• 1996 Herxheim (6th) 11pts

World Final appearances

Individual World Championship

• 1983 - Norden, Motodrom Halbemond - 9th - 8pts
• 1984 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 9th - 7pts
• 1985 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 16th - 1pt
• 1986 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 13th - 3pts
• 1989 - Munich, Olympic Stadium - 11th - 5pts

World Pairs Championship

• 1983 - Gothenburg, Ullevi (with Egon Müller) - 6th - 12pts (6)
• 1986 - Pocking, Rottalstadion (with Klaus Lausch) - 6th - 27pts (22)
• 1989 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Gerd Riss) - 4th - 36pts (22)

World Team Cup

• 1981 - Olching, Speedway Stadion Olching (with Egon Müller / Georg Hack / Georg Gilgenreiner) - 3rd - 28pts (8)
• 1982 - London, White City Stadium (with Georg Hack / Egon Müller / Alois Wiesböck / Georg Gilgenreiner) - 3rd - 18pts (7)

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. "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.