Ivan Mauger

Ivan Gerald Mauger (4 October 1939 – 16 April 2018) was a New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider.

He won a record six World Championships (Finals), a feat equalled only with the inclusion of the Speedway GP Championships by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden who won one World Final and five GP Championships.

Mauger rode for several British teams – Wimbledon Dons, Newcastle Diamonds, Belle Vue Aces, Exeter Falcons and the Hull Vikings.

Mauger first arrived in the UK as a 17-year-old aboard the SS Rangitoto, which docked at Tilbury in 1957, with his teenage bride Raye, renting a one-bedroom flat in Wimbledon around the corner from Plough Lane where Moore and Briggs reigned as the twin 'kings of the cinders'.

"Without Ronnie, there would have been no Briggo and no Ivan Mauger; whenever he came home to New Zealand it was like the arrival of Elvis. He was our Pelé, if you like."

Inspired by the deeds of Moore, from the age of 12, Mauger dedicated himself to becoming speedway's champion of the world, working as a delivery boy for a local chemist in Christchurch after school and in the holidays to save money for his first racing machine.

"Everyone thought I had wealthy parents because I could afford to buy a bike before I was 16 but for three years I never bought an ice-cream, a Coca-Cola or anything like that. After I left school I had two jobs – as did Raye – and that's how we saved enough money to come to England when we were little more than children."

Mauger's great adventure began at Plough Lane where he rode in the second-half 'faces of the future' races and assisted Mac the groundsman.

"I never, ever felt I was going to work for the simple reason that I just loved the atmosphere of being in Wimbledon Stadium. I cleaned the dressing rooms, the toilets, the pits and the workshop. I helped Mac work on the track, I weeded the tulip beds and on Monday afternoons I had to cut the grass out in the centre before the speedway meeting. And not just any old cut would do for Ronnie. It had to be mowed in one direction then the other, just like Wembley Stadium."

Adelaide based Speedway promoter Kym Bonython signed Mauger to ride the 1960/61 Australian season based at the Rowley Park Speedway.

Mauger had considerable success riding in Australia throughout his career.

After losing the 1960 Australian Long track championship in Port Pirie in South Australia when his bike seized after leading for 5½ of 6 laps, Mauger credits advice he received from Australia's 1951 and 1952 World Champion Jack Young (whose home track was Rowley Park when Mauger was based for the season) for steering him on the path to becoming a World Champion himself.

Young told Mauger that it isn't the fastest rider who wins the World Championship, it's the rider who at the end of the meeting had scored the most points and that to get there he had to conserve his bike to make sure he finished.

In 1962 he was the Australian Long Track Champion, as well as the Victorian and Queensland State Champion.

He also finished runner up in the 1962 Australian Solo Championship in Rockhampton (Qld) behind star New South Wales based rider "Cowboy" Bob Sharp.

A major breakthrough in his career occurred in 1963 when he returned to England with Raye and his young family to join Mike Parker's Provincial league team Newcastle Diamonds, though he did ride in a few meetings for the Wimbledon Dons in the National League during this season.

He won the Provincial League Riders' Championship, held at Hyde Road on 28 September 1963.

He would repeat his Victorian Championship win in 1963, and would finish third in the Australian Championship in the same year.

He then won the Riders' Championship for the second successive year in 1964.

In 1966, he qualified for his first World Final where he finished fourth, and won the first of his six record breaking World Championships in 1968.

After a public falling out with Parker, Mauger put in a transfer request in December 1968, stating that the mental strain of riding with Newcastle was endangering his health.

Mauger joined the Belle Vue Aces in 1969, where he enjoyed his greatest league team achievements.

In 1969 Mauger finished with a British League record average of 11.67.

He dropped only 13 points from his 37 completed League & Speedway Star KO Cup matches.

During these matches he recorded 22 full maximums, and 3 paid maximums.

As a Belle Vue Ace he won the title in 1970, 1971 and 1972, thereby becoming the only rider to complete the 'Triple Crown'.

Mauger joined the Exeter Falcons in 1973.

Ten years later in 1973, Mauger would win the Western Australian State Championship, held at the 520 m Claremont Speedway in Perth.

Other than Bonython, whom Mauger rates as his favourite Australian promoter, he also had a great relationship with longtime Claremont Speedway promoter Con Migro and appeared at Claremont for two meetings in January for 13 straight years.

It was during this time that Mauger won the "Sunday Times King of Claremont" meeting in 1973, 1980, 1981 and 1983.

He has won the New Zealand Championship on two occasions (1974 and 1981), and scored his first podium in the championship with second in 1959 behind then dual World Champion Barry Briggs.

Surprisingly considering his successful career, Mauger didn't place (or ride) in the NZ Championship again until his 1974 championship.

In 1977 wearing the Exeter colours he equalled Ove Fundin's then-record of five World Championship wins.

In 1978 he joined the Hull Vikings, winning his last and record sixth world title in 1979.

His only other podium in the championship was in 1979 when he placed third behind Larry Ross and Mitch Shirra.

He left Hull in 1981, but returned in 1984 at the age of 44 for Exeter where he competed in home meetings.

In his home country of New Zealand, Ivan Mauger is considered a national sporting hero.

In 2010, Mauger was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.

Mauger and his wife of over 60 years, Raye, lived on Australia's Gold Coast.

He was an active supporter of speedway, attending many meetings throughout the Australian season, as well as the Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand, held at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland.