Peter Karlsson (speedway rider)
Peter Gunnar Karlsson (born 18 December 1969 in Gullspång, Sweden)[1] is a former international motorcycle speedway rider who rode in the UK for the Wolverhampton Wolves in the Elite League.
 | |
| Born | 18 December 1969 Gullspång, Sweden |
|---|---|
| Nickname | PK |
| Nationality |  Sweden |
| Current club information | |
| British league | Wolverhampton Wolves |
| Polish league | Ostrow |
| Swedish league | Örnarna, Lejonen |
| Career history | |
| UK | |
| 1990, 1992-1997, 1999, 2002-2005, 2006-2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016 | Wolverhampton Wolves |
| 2000, 2005 | Peterborough Panthers |
| 2001 | King's Lynn Stars |
| 2001, 2010 | Belle Vue Aces |
| 2012-2014 | Lakeside Hammers |
| Poland | |
| 1991 | Polonia Bydgoszcz |
| 1996-1997, 2001 | Polonia Piła |
| 1998, 2002 | RKM Rybnik |
| 1999-2000 | Apator Toruń |
| 2003 | Unia Tarnów |
| 2004 | TŻ Lublin |
| 2005-2007 | KM Ostrów Wielkopolski |
| 2008 | Stal Gorzów Wlkp. |
| Sweden | |
| 1985- | Örnarna |
| Individual honours | |
| 1989, 1991 | Swedish Champion |
| 1989 | Nordic Under-21 Champion |
| Team honours | |
| 2000, 2003, 2004 | Speedway World Cup |
| 1996 | Premier League |
| 2002, 2009, 2016 | Elite League |
| 1996 | Premier League KO Cup winner |
| 1992, 1997 | Premiership Winner |
| 1992 | Gold Cup Winner |
| 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2007 | Swedish Elitserien Champion |
| 1992, 1996 | Swedish Pairs Champion |
His two younger brothers, Mikael Max and Magnus Karlsson are both motorcycle speedway riders. All three brothers represented Sweden in the 2007 Speedway World Cup, with Magnus riding at reserve.
He won the Swedish Pairs Championship twice with brother Mikael, in 1992 and 1996 and was the Swedish Individual Champion in 1989 and 1991.
He is a legend at parent club Wolverhampton 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.
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.
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)
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 |
References
- Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
