Gerd Riss
| Born | 17 March 1965 Bad Wurzach, West Germany |
|---|---|
| Nationality | German |
| Career history | |
| Germany | |
| 1983–1984 | Krumbach |
| 1987 | Pocking |
| 1988–1992 | Landshut |
| 1995–2004 | Diedenbergen |
| Great Britain | |
| 1984 | Poole Pirates |
| 1985 | Wolverhampton Wolves |
| 1988 | Ipswich Witches |
| Poland | |
| 1999 | Bydgoszcz |
| Individual honours | |
| 1991, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 | Long Track World champion |
| 1987, 1990 | Continental champion |
| 1986 | West German champion |
| 1992, 1994, 1996 | German champion |
| 1988 | West German Longtrack champion |
| 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009 | German Longtrack champion |
| Team honours | |
| 2007, 2008, 2009 | Team Long Track World Championship |
| 1998, 2001 | German Championship |
Gerd Riss (born 17 March 1965) is a German former speedway rider. He competed in motorcycle speedway and longtrack racing.[1] He is an eight-times World longtrack champion.[2] He also earned 22 international caps for the West German national speedway team and 12 international caps for the German national speedway team.[3]
Career
[edit | edit source]Riss reached his first world longtrack final in 1984, finishing a creditable sixth behind Erik Gundersen, at the Sandbahn Rennen Herxheim in Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz, Germany.[4] He rode for MC Krumbach in 1983 and 1984 and started for the first time in the British leagues when he joined Poole Pirates for the 1984 British League season.[5] Riss joined Wolverhampton Wolves in 1985 but left mid-way through the season.[6]
Riss consistently reached the World longtrack final every year from 1984 until 1997 and in 1987 also appeared in the 1987 Individual Speedway World Championship final at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.[2]
Riss represented his country in four consecutive Speedway World Pairs Championship finals from 1988 until 1991[7] and was a member of German national team at the 2001 Speedway World Cup.
He cemented his place as being arguably the second best longtrack rider in the world behind Simon Wigg by winning the crown in 1991 and 1996. When the world championships of both the conventional oval and longtrack switched to a Grand Prix series, riders found it virtually impossible to compete in both. Riss decided to concentrate on longtrack and the decision paid dividends because he dominated longtrack speedway, winning six more world titles in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009, to set a record of eight championship wins. Only Robert Barth prevented him from claiming more during the period.
In 2014, He was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.[8]
Results
[edit | edit source]World final appearances
[edit | edit source]Individual World Championship/Grand Prix
[edit | edit source]- 1987 -
Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium - 10th - 12pts - 1989 - Germany Munich, Olympic Stadium - 9th - 5pts
- 1991 - Sweden Gothenburg, Ullevi - 16th - 1pt
- 1993 - Germany Pocking, Rottalstadion - 11th - 6pts
- 1995 - series - 17th - 16pts
- 1996 - series - 19th - 12pts
- 1998 - series - 25th - 6pts
World Pairs Championship
[edit | edit source]- 1988 - England Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Tommy Dunker) - 8th - 21pts (17)
- 1989 - Poland Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Karl Maier) - 4th - 36pts (14)
- 1990 - West Germany Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Klaus Lausch) - 9th - 15pts (0)
- 1991 - Poland Poznań, Olimpia Poznań Stadium (with Klaus Lausch - 4th - 18pts (9)
World Under-21 Championship
[edit | edit source]- 1985 - Germany Abensberg, Abensberg Motorstadion - 5th - 9pts
- 1986 - Soviet Union Rivne, Rivne Speedway Stadium - 13th - 4pts
World Longtrack Championship
[edit | edit source]- 1984 West Germany Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (6th) 13pts
- 1985 Denmark Esbjerg (8th) 15pts
- 1986 West Germany Pfarrkirchen (4th) 17pts
- 1987 West Germany Mühldorf (9th) 9pts
- 1988 West Germany Scheeßel (5th) 26pts
- 1989 Czechoslovakia Mariánské Lázně (11th) 12pts
- 1990 Germany Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (14th) 9pts
- 1991 Czech Republic Mariánské Lázně (Champion) 24pts
- 1992 Germany Pfarrkirchen (4th) 18pts
- 1993 Germany Mühldorf (16th) 5pts
- 1994 Czech Republic Mariánské Lázně (Third) 17pts
- 1995 Germany Scheeßel (Did not ride)
- 1996 Germany Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (Champion) 25pts
- 1998 4 app (4th) 59pts
- 1999 5 app (Champion) 115pts
- 2000 1 app (18th) 17pts
- 2001 4 app (Champion) 95pts
- 2002 5 app (Third) 89pts
- 2003 6 app (Third) 98pts
- 2004 5 app (Champion) 103pts
- 2005 4 app (Second) 75pts
- 2006 3 app (Third) 50pts
- 2007 3 app (Champion) 53pts
- 2008 4 app (Champion) 79pts
- 2009 5 app (Champion) 126pts
- 2010 3 app (13th) 53pts
Best Grand-Prix results
[edit | edit source]- Germany Berghaupten First 1999
- Germany Bielefeld First 2004, Second 2002, Third 2003
- England Collier Street First 2001, Third 2003
Eenrum Second 1999- Germany Harsewinkel Third 2000
- Germany Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz First 2001, 2009
- Germany Jübek First 1999
- Czech Republic Mariánské Lázně First 2009, Second 2008
- France Marmande First 2009, Second 1999, 2007, Third 2006
- France Morizès First 2008, Second 2001, 2004
- Germany Mühldorf First 1998, 1999, 2005, Third 2003
- New Zealand New Plymouth First 2004, Second 2003
- Germany Parchim First 2001, 2002, 2005
- Germany Pfarrkirchen Second 2004, 2007
- Germany Scheeßel Second 1998
- France Saint-Macaire Second 2010, Third 2008
- Germany Vechta First 2009
Other results
[edit | edit source]West Germany Longtrack Championship
- 1985 Germany Pfarrkirchen (6th)
- 1986 Germany Jübek (4th)
- 1987 Germany Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (5th)
- 1988 Germany Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
- 1989 Germany Harsewinkel (4th)
German Championship
- 1991 Germany Mühldorf (Champion)
- 1992 Germany Scheeßel (Third)
- 1993 Germany Jübek (Second)
- 1994 Germany Vilshofen (Second)
- 1995 Germany Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
- 1996 Germany Scheeßel (Champion)
- 1997 Germany Lüdinghausen (Champion)
- 1998 Germany Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
- 1999 Germany Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (Second)
- 2001 Germany Berghaupten (Second)
- 2002 Germany Harsewinkel (Champion)
- 2003 Germany Lüdinghausen (Second)
- 2004 Germany Mühldorf (Champion)
- 2006 Germany Berghaupten (4th)
- 2007 Germany Mulmshorn (Champion)
- 2008 Germany Pfarrkirchen (Second)
- 2009 Germany Mühldorf (Champion)
Grasstrack European Championship
Family
[edit | edit source]Both of his sons Erik Riss and Mark Riss ride at the highest level.[9]
References
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- 1965 births
- Living people
- German speedway riders
- West German speedway riders
- Polonia Bydgoszcz riders
- Expatriate speedway riders in Poland
- German expatriate sportspeople in Poland
- Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship riders
- German expatriate sportspeople in England
- People from Leutkirch im Allgäu
- Sportspeople from Tübingen (region)
- Poole Pirates riders
- Wolverhampton Wolves riders
- Ipswich Witches riders