Peter Gunnar Karlsson (born 18 December 1969)[1] is a Swedish former motorcycle speedway rider. He was twice Swedish champion and a three times World Cup winner.[2][3] He earned 40 caps for the Sweden national speedway team.[4]
Career
Karlsson first rode for Wolverhampton Wolves in Britain during the 1990 season.[5]
He won the Swedish Pairs Championship twice with brother Mikael Max, in 1992 and 1996 and was the Swedish Individual Champion in 1989 and 1991.
In October 2000, during the Speedway Grand Prix Qualification he won the GP Challenge, which ensured that he claimed a permanent slot for the 2001 Grand Prix.[6]
He is regarded as a legend at parent club Wolverhampton[7] where he helped them win the 2009 Elite League title despite suffering with a broken collarbone two weeks prior to the play off final. Due to the average points limit, PK had to move on in 2010 and joined Belle Vue Aces on loan. For the 2012 season he signed for Lakeside Hammers, where he spent three seasons.[8]
In 2016, PK wasn't originally in Wolverhampton's plans but after Mikel Beck pulled out of the team leaving the door open for PK to join back. He accepted and joined for the remainder of the season. He would later play a huge role as the 2016 team beat Belle Vue over 2 legs in the Elite League final. After the Belle Vue meeting he announced his retirement from British Speedway.[9]
Family
His two younger brothers, Mikael Max and Magnus Karlsson were both motorcycle speedway riders. All three brothers represented Sweden in the 2007 Speedway World Cup, with Magnus riding at reserve.
Career Achievements
- World Under-21 Finalist (1989, 1990)
- Swedish Champion (1989, 1991)
- World Finalist (1993)
- Speedway Grand Prix Rider (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001)
- Swedish GP Wildcard (1998, 2002, 2003)
- Polish GP Wildcard (2003)
- Speedway World Team Cup Champion (2000)
- Speedway World Cup Champion (2003, 2004)
- Slovenian GP Wildcard (2003)
- Czech GP Wildcard (2003)
- European GP Wildcard (2003)
- Norwegian GP Wildcard (2003)
- Scandinavian GP Wildcard (2004, 2007)
- German GP Wildcard (2007)
- Swedish Finalist (2008)
World Final Appearances
- 1993 -
Pocking, Rottalstadion - 8th - 8pts
Speedway Grand Prix results
| Year | Position | Points | Best Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 6th | 62 | 2nd | 2nd in German Grand Prix |
| 1997 | 12th | 37 | 6th | |
| 1998 | 17th | 27 | 3rd | 3rd in Swedish Grand Prix |
| 1999 | 13th | 45 | 6th | |
| 2000 | 15th | 35 | 9th | |
| 2001 | 15th | 39 | 5th | Missed British Grand Prix through injury |
| 2002 | 23rd | 21 | 9th | Rode in four Grand Prix out of ten |
| 2003 | 21st | 28 | 13th | Missed Swedish Grand Prix through injury |
| 2004 | 28th | 7 | One meeting as Swedish Grand Prix Wildcard |
See also
References
- ^ Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
- ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 522. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
- ^ "Peter Gunnar Karlsson Szwecja". Polish Speedway Database. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "HISTORICAL LIST OF RESULTS 1995-2013 Speedway Grand Prix - Qualifications". Speedway History. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "Wolves Legend Peter Karlsson on future at Monmore Green: "There's something special about that place"". BBC. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Speedway: Lakeside Hammers land Peter Karlsson". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Peter Karlsson: Wolves speedway legend brings curtain down on career". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
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