Ivan Mauger: New Zealand speedway legend who won six world titles

The newly married 17-year-old sailed from the other side of the world to clean dressing rooms, pits and toilets, before going on to dominate the sport like no other

Galloping Mauger: his fellow countrymen voted him Sportsman of the Year in 1977 and 1979, the only motorcyclist to receive the honour (Rex)

The term “boy racer” is normally employed in a pejorative sense. Ivan Mauger embraced the epithet when he entered the world of speedway in his teens, going on to become an unsurpassed six-time world champion and arguably the greatest competitor the sport has produced.

The New Zealander transcended his trade, being awarded both the OBE and MBE. Only one rider has even come close to Mauger’s tally of world championship trophies. Sweden’s Tony Rickardsson won one world final and five Speedway Grand Prix Championship titles.

Mauger, who has died at the age of 78 after suffering from dementia, was barely out of school when he left Christchurch in 1957 to try to break into British speedway. He was only 17 yet already married to a 16-year-old, Raye, and they sailed into Tilbury en route to London.

The trip was as expensive as it was ambitious. Mauger, however, was not from a wealthy family. To save the fares for the voyage he had worked long hours after school and foregone the pleasures of consumerism in which his friends indulged. He and Raye were, as he later put it, “little more than children”.

One of his idols, Ronnie Moore – Australian-born but also raised in Christchurch – was riding for the Wimbledon Dons, with a third Cantabrian, Barry Briggs. The couple rented a one-room flat near the Plough Lane stadium and Mauger was given a job cleaning the dressing-rooms, pits and toilets.

Mauger competing at White City in 1981 (Rex)

In his formative years, he rode not only for the Dons but also Rye House Roosters and Eastbourne Eagles. In 1963 he joined Newcastle Diamonds, continuing his tour of his adopted country by signing for Manchester-based Belle Vue Aces in 1969 – the year after his first world title triumph. There he enjoyed his greatest team successes, the Aces being crowned league champions three years in succession from 1970.

From there it was on to Exeter Falcons in 1973. Four years later, Mauger equalled Ove Fundin’s record of five world championship wins. Twelve months after beginning a three-year spell with Hull Vikings in 1978 he won his sixth and last global title. A four-time British champion, he also returned regularly to Australasia, helping to raise his career championships to 59.

Even after hanging up his helmet Mauger was tempted back, aged 44, by Exeter in 1984. He still had the knack of reaching the first bend in the lead but finally retired in 1986. He then worked as a speedway promoter and mentored young riders.

Although he lived on Australia’s Gold Coast, he remained a patriotic Kiwi, flying the All Blacks’ flag whenever they played. New Zealanders reciprocated by voting him Sportsman of the Year in 1977 and 1979, the only motorcyclist to receive the honour.

Other accolades included being named Millennium Man of Speedway by readers of British magazine Speedway Star. Mauger was also invited to carry the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Games in Sydney.

He is survived by Raye and their three daughters, one of whom, Julie, remembered him as a father and a competitor. “Mum and Dad were two teenagers who got on a boat to the other side of world with someone’s name written on a scrap of paper. Theirs is a true love story. My dad wasn’t driven by money. He was driven by winning.”

Ivan Gerald Mauger, speedway rider and promoter, born 4 October 1939, died 16 April 2018