Gerd Riss


Gerd Riss is a German former speedway rider. He competed in motorcycle speedway and longtrack racing. He is an eight-times World longtrack champion. He also earned 22 international caps for the West German national speedway team and 12 international caps for the German national speedway team.

Career

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. 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. Riss joined Wolverhampton Wolves in 1985 but left mid-way through the season.
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.
Riss represented his country in four consecutive Speedway World Pairs Championship finals from 1988 until 1991 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.

Results

World final appearances

Individual World Championship/Grand Prix

West Germany Longtrack Championship
  • 1985 Pfarrkirchen
  • 1986 Jübek
  • 1987 Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz
  • 1988 Pfarrkirchen
  • 1989 Harsewinkel
German Championship
  • 1991 Mühldorf
  • 1992 Scheeßel
  • 1993 Jübek
  • 1994 Vilshofen
  • 1995 Pfarrkirchen
  • 1996 Scheeßel
  • 1997 Lüdinghausen
  • 1998 Pfarrkirchen
  • 1999 Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz
  • 2001 Berghaupten
  • 2002 Harsewinkel
  • 2003 Lüdinghausen
  • 2004 Mühldorf
  • 2006 Berghaupten
  • 2007 Mulmshorn
  • 2008 Pfarrkirchen
  • 2009 Mühldorf
Grasstrack European Championship
Both of his sons Erik Riss and Mark Riss ride at the highest level.