Ivan Mauger

United Kingdom

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. Inspired by Moore, Mauger's began racing at Plough Lane in the second-half 'faces of the future' races and assisted the groundsman. He only rode a handful of races for Wimbledon Dons during the 1957 and 1958 seasons.^[4]

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. He averaged 10.42 that season and won the Provincial League Riders' Championship, held at Hyde Road on 28 September 1963.^[5] He then won the Riders' Championship for the second successive year in 1964^[6] and topped the league averages with an impressive 11.54 average and helping Newcastle win the league title.^[7] His 1965 season was interrupted after he broke an ankle riding in a league match.^[8]

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. In 1968 he was considered the league's best rider and 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.^[9]

Mauger joined the Belle Vue Aces in 1969, where he enjoyed his greatest league team achievements. As a Belle Vue Ace he won the title in 1970, 1971 and 1972. 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.^[10]

Mauger joined the Exeter Falcons in 1973^[11] and would spend five years at the club. 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. He left Hull in 1981, but returned in 1984 at the age of 44 for Exeter where he competed in home meetings.

Australasia

This section does not cite any sources. (August 2024)

In his home country of New Zealand, Mauger is considered a national sporting hero. He has won the New Zealand Championship on two occasions (1974 and 1981),^[12][13] and scored his first podium in the championship with second in 1959 behind then dual World Champion Barry Briggs.

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. 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, Queensland. He would repeat his Victorian Championship win in 1963, and would finish third in the Australian Championship in the same year. Ten years later in 1973, Mauger would win the Western Australian State Championship, held at the Claremont Speedway in Perth.

Mauger credits advice he received from Australia's former 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. Being the fastest rider didn't mean much if he led a race until half a lap from home but had pushed the bike beyond its limits and didn't finish. Ironically the same fate awaited Mauger in the 1961 Australian Long track Championship when his clutch gave out after leading 4½ laps, but he would make amends and win the title in 1962 at Port Pirie.

Ivan Mauger was the Australasian Grand Prix winner in 1971, 1972 and 1973 at the Liverpool Speedway in Sydney. He later would win the Australasian Championship in 1977 at the Sydney Showground Speedway, and in 1981 again at Liverpool. Mauger rode his last meeting in Australia back where he first rode in the country in Adelaide. Mauger rode in the South Australia 150 Jubilee at the Wayville Showground in 1986. There he was presented with the winners trophy by his idol Jack Young.

Individual World Championship

• 1966 – Gothenburg, Ullevi – 4th – 11pts
• 1967 – London, Wembley Stadium – 3rd – 13pts
• 1968 – Gothenburg, Ullevi – Winner – 15pts
• 1969 – London, Wembley Stadium – Winner – 14pts
• 1970 – Wroclaw, Olympic Stadium – Winner – 15pts
• 1971 – Gothenburg, Ullevi – 2nd – 12pts+3pts
• 1972 – London, Wembley Stadium – Winner – 13pts+3pts
• 1973 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium – 2nd – 13pts + F
• 1974 – Gothenburg, Ullevi – 2nd – 11pts + 3pts
• 1975 – London, Wembley Stadium – 4th – 12pts + 2pts
• 1976 – Chorzó, Silesian Stadium – 4th – 11pts
• 1977 – Gothenburg, Ullevi – Winner – 14pts
• 1978 – London, Wembley Stadium – 8th – 8pts
• 1979 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium – Winner – 14pts

World Pairs Championship

• 1969 – Stockholm, Gubbängens IP (with Bob Andrews) – Winner – 28pts (18)
• 1970 – Malmö, Malmö Stadion (with Ronnie Moore) – Winner – 28pts (12)
• 1971 – Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Barry Briggs) – 2nd – 25pts (12)
• 1972 – Borås, Ryavallen (with Ronnie Moore) – 2nd – 24pts (14)
• 1973 – Borås, Ryavallen (with Graeme Stapleton) – 7th – 10pts (8)
• 1974 – Manchester, Hyde Road (with Barry Briggs) – 3rd – 21pts (17)
• 1976 – Eskilstuna, Snälltorpet (with Barry Briggs) – 5th – 15pts (8)
• 1977 – Manchester, Hyde Road (with Larry Ross) – 5th – 17pts (16)
• 1978 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Larry Ross) – 2nd – 24pts (12+2)
• 1979 – Vojens, Vojens Speedway Center (with Larry Ross) – 6th – 12pts (6)
• 1980 – Krsko, Matija Gubec Stadium (with Larry Ross) – 5th – 16pts (11)
• 1981 – Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Larry Ross) – 2nd – 22pts (12)
• 1983 – Gothenburg, Ullevi (with Larry Ross) – 7th – 11pts (7)
• 1984 – Lonigo, Santa Marina Stadium (with Mitch Shirra) – 3rd – 25pts (9+2)
• 1985 – Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Mitch Shirra) – 4th – 15pts (8)

World Team Cup

• 1966 – Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Barry Briggs / Terry Betts / Nigel Boocock / Colin Pratt) – 4th – 8pts (3)
• 1967 – Malmö, Malmö Stadion (with Ray Wilson / Barry Briggs / Eric Boocock / Colin Pratt) – 3rd= – 19pts (2)
• 1968 – London, Wembley Stadium (with Barry Briggs / Nigel Boocock / Martin Ashby / Norman Hunter) – Winner – 40pts (12)
• 1969 – Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Martin Ashby / Nigel Boocock / Barry Briggs / Pete Smith) – 2nd – 27pts (9)
• 1970 – London, Wembley Stadium (with Barry Briggs / Nigel Boocock / Eric Boocock / Ray Wilson) – 2nd – 31pts (9)
• 1971 – Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Jim Airey / Ray Wilson / Barry Briggs / Ronnie Moore) – Winner – 37pts (10)
• 1972 – Olching, Olching Speedwaybahn (with Ray Wilson / Terry Betts / John Louis / Ronnie Moore) Winner – 36pts (11)
• 1979 – London, White City Stadium (with Larry Ross / Mitch Shirra / Bruce Cribb / Roger Abel) – Winner – 35pts (9)

* 1966–1972 as a member of Great Britain. 1979 with New Zealand