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Kiwi Ivan Mauger, 6 times world speedway solo bike champion has just been voted best of the Best 100 Riders of All Time in a special poll by Speedway Star and Vintage Speedway magazines.
With over twelve thousand votes Mauger held off Denmark’s Hans Nielsen and Sweden’s Ove Fundin for the prestigious title.
In New Zealand for the Halberg Sports Awards in Auckland the 59 year old has tallied up 6 World Speedway titles and 3 World Long Track titles, was twice World Pairs Champion and 4 times World Teams champion.
He has twice been New Zealand Sportsman of the Year. During his career he has amassed wins in over 1000 International events in 26 countries worldwide.
In 1987 the world governing body the FIM (Federation Internationale Motorcyclisme) awarded Mauger the Gold Medal, putting him a select group of motorcycle sport icons that include legendary Italian road racer Giacomo Agostini and American Wayne Rainey . The only other New Zealander to be awarded an FIM medal was a Bronze Medal issued posthumously to bike designer John Britten in 1995.
Back in New Zealand as a guest at the Halberg Awards Mauger is scouting locations for a possible Long Track Series in New Zealand that is likely to feature top overseas riders.
He will be in New Zealand for three months and will tour with his prized “Winged Wheel” World Championship Trophy. Mauger was awarded the Sunday Mirror trophy after securing his fifth consecutive world title. Called the Davis Cup of Speedway the trophy was gifted to Mauger and the Sunday Mirror created a new trophy in 1978.
Mauger makes a limited number of track returns nowadays usually to training schools or to watch events in England.
When the history books are written about the Men of the Millennium, fans worldwide have put Kiwi Speedway legend Ivan Mauger in the top spot.
