31 Facts About Ivan Mauger

Ivan Gerald Mauger was a New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider.

Ivan Mauger won a record six World Championships, a feat equalled only with the inclusion of the Speedway GP Championships by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden.

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

Ivan 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 Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs were the star names.

Ivan Mauger only rode a handful of races for Wimbledon Dons during the 1957 and 1958 seasons.

Ivan Mauger averaged 10.42 that season and won the Provincial League Riders' Championship, held at Hyde Road on 28 September 1963.

Ivan Mauger then won the Riders' Championship for the second successive year in 1964 and topped the league averages with an impressive 11.54 average and helping Newcastle win the league title.

In 1968 he was considered the league's best rider and after a public falling out with Parker, Ivan Mauger put in a transfer request in December 1968, stating that the mental strain of riding with Newcastle was endangering his health.

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

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

Ivan Mauger joined the Exeter Falcons in 1973 and would spend five years at the club.

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

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

Ivan Mauger had considerable success riding in Australia throughout his career.

Ivan Mauger finished runner up in the 1962 Australian Solo Championship in Rockhampton, Queensland.

Ivan Mauger was the Australasian Grand Prix winner in 1971,1972 and 1973 at the Liverpool Speedway in Sydney.

Ivan Mauger rode his last meeting in Australia back where he first rode in the country in Adelaide.

Ivan Mauger rode in the South Australia 150 Jubilee at the Wayville Showground in 1986.

Ivan Mauger is considered to be one of the best speedway riders of all-time and jointly holds the record for most Speedway World Championship wins with Sweden's Tony Rickardsson with six wins each.

Ivan Mauger won the Individual Speedway World Championship in 1968,1969,1970,1972,1977 and 1979.

Ivan Mauger was runner up in 1971,1973 and 1974, and third in 1967.

Ivan Mauger was the Speedway World Team Cup Champion in 1968,1969 and 1971 while riding for Great Britain.

Ivan Mauger was runner up at the Longtrack Championship in 1974 and 1975, beaten both times by West Germany's Egon Muller, who himself would go on to win the Speedway World Championship in 1983.

Ivan Mauger was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1976 New Year Honours, for services to speedway riding.

Ivan Mauger was an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Ivan Mauger was voted the prestigious Millennium Man of Speedway by the readers of Speedway Star and Vintage Speedway Magazine in December 1999.

Ivan Mauger was selected by the Olympic Committee to carry the Olympic Torch at the Sydney Games, an honour which he performed on 12 June 2000.

Ivan Mauger duly won the World Final that year, and true to their promise, the bike was taken to America and Gold plated, and so was born the "Triple Crown Special".

Ivan Mauger 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.

Ivan Mauger was president of World Speedway Riders' Association from 2007 to 2008.

Ivan Mauger died in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, on 16 April 2018.