Gerd Riss

Gerd Riss (born 17 March 1965) is a former speedway rider from Germany, who 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, 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 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.

Individual World Championship/Grand Prix

 * 1987 - Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium - 10th - 12pts
 * 1989 - 🇩🇪 Munich, Olympic Stadium - 9th - 5pts
 * 1991 - 🇸🇪 Göteborg, Ullevi - 16th - 1pt
 * 1993 - 🇩🇪 Pocking, Rottalstadion - 11th - 6pts
 * 1995 - series - 17th - 16pts
 * 1996 - series - 19th - 12pts
 * 1998 - series - 25th - 6pts

World Pairs Championship

 * 1988 - 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Tommy Dunker) - 8th - 21pts (17)
 * 1989 - 🇵🇱 Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Karl Maier) - 4th - 36pts (14)
 * 1990 - Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Klaus Lausch) - 9th - 15pts (0)
 * 1991 - 🇵🇱 Poznań, Olimpia Poznań Stadium (with Klaus Lausch - 4th - 18pts (9)

World Under-21 Championship

 * 1985 - 🇩🇪 Abensberg, Abensberg Motorstadion - 5th - 9pts
 * 1986 - Rivne, Rivne Speedway Stadium - 13th - 4pts

World Longtrack Championship

 * 1984 Herxheim (6th) 13pts
 * 1985 Esbjerg (8th) 15pts
 * 1986 Pfarrkirchen (4th) 17pts
 * 1987 Mühldorf (9th) 9pts
 * 1988 Scheeßel (5th) 26pts
 * 1989 Marianske Lazne (11th) 12pts
 * 1990 🇩🇪 Herxheim (14th) 9pts
 * 1991 🇨🇿 Marianske Lazne (Champion) 24pts
 * 1992 🇩🇪 Pfarrkirchen (4th) 18pts
 * 1993 🇩🇪 Mühldorf (16th) 5pts
 * 1994 🇨🇿 Marianske Lazne (Third) 17pts
 * 1995 🇩🇪 Scheeßel (Did not ride)
 * 1996 🇩🇪 Herxheim (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

 * 🇩🇪 Berghaupten First 1999
 * 🇩🇪 Bielefeld First 2004, Second 2002, Third 2003
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Collier Street First 2001, Third 2003
 * Eenrum Second 1999
 * 🇩🇪 Harsewinkel Third 2000
 * 🇩🇪 Herxheim First 2001, 2009
 * 🇩🇪 Jubeck First 1999
 * 🇨🇿 Marianske Lazne First 2009, Second 2008
 * 🇫🇷 Marmande First 2009, Second 1999, 2007, Third 2006
 * 🇫🇷 Morizes First 2008, Second 2001, 2004
 * 🇩🇪 Mulhdorf First 1998, 1999, 2005, Third 2003
 * 🇳🇿 New Plymouth First 2004, Second 2003
 * 🇩🇪 Parchim First 2001, 2002, 2005
 * 🇩🇪 Pfarrkirchen Second 2004, 2007
 * 🇩🇪 Scheeßel Second 1998
 * 🇫🇷 St. Macaire Second 2010, Third 2008
 * 🇩🇪 Vechta First 2009

Other results
West Germany Longtrack Championship
 * 1985 🇩🇪 Pfarrkirchen (6th)
 * 1986 🇩🇪 Jübek (4th)
 * 1987 🇩🇪 Herxheim (5th)
 * 1988 🇩🇪 Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
 * 1989 🇩🇪 Harsewinkel (4th)

German Championship
 * 1991 🇩🇪 Mühldorf (Champion)
 * 1992 🇩🇪 Scheeßel (Third)
 * 1993 🇩🇪 Jübek (Second)
 * 1994 🇩🇪 Vilshofen (Second)
 * 1995 🇩🇪 Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
 * 1996 🇩🇪 Scheeßel (Champion)
 * 1997 🇩🇪 Lüdinghausen (Champion)
 * 1998 🇩🇪 Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
 * 1999 🇩🇪 Herxheim (Second)
 * 2001 🇩🇪 Berghaupten (Second)
 * 2002 🇩🇪 Harsewinkel (Champion)
 * 2003 🇩🇪 Lüdinghausen (Second)
 * 2004 🇩🇪 Mühldorf (Champion)
 * 2006 🇩🇪 Berghaupten (4th)
 * 2007 🇩🇪 Mulmshorn (Champion)
 * 2008 🇩🇪 Pfarrkirchen (Second)
 * 2009 🇩🇪 Mühldorf (Champion)

Grasstrack European Championship
 * 2003 🇫🇷 La Reole (Champion) 21pts
 * 2004 Eenrum (Second) 16ps
 * 2005 🇩🇪 Schwarme (15th) 5pts

Family
Both of his sons Erik Riss and Mark Riss ride at the highest level.