The European Grasstrack Sidecar Championship is a motorcycle event and is organised by Union Européenne de Motocyclisme. The first championship took place in 1980 at Melsungen, West Germany. It has run every year since except for 2015 as it was cancelled due to Stefan Muller losing his life in practice. The most successful nation is Germany. The European Solo Grasstrack Championship start in 1978.
The championships are run for 500cc Sidecars only and to qualify for the Final there are semi-finals. From 1980 there were two semi-finals and from 2012 there has been just one semi with the others qualifying automatically through there domestic championships. The first ever semi-final took place at Assen in the Netherlands on 19 April 1980. The first winners were the West German team of Otto Bauer and Peter Stiegelbrunner, second were England's Rob Stoneman and Rowland Broomfield and another West German team took third on the podium Harald Haus and Dietmar Haus.
The sport is popular in Germany, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom although there have been teams from Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Russia also.
Most successful Thomas Kunert is the most successful rider. He has taken the title on at eleven occasions and he also has five second and one third. He also holds the record for semi-final wins with 19. Kunert won a semi-final in every year from 1994 to 2007.
Medalists
YearVenueFirstSecondThird 1980 Melsungen Otto Bauer & Peter Stiegelbrunner Egon Waller & Edgar Starke Michael Datzmann & Rosamunde Datzmann 1981 Assen Michael Datzmann & Rosamunde Datzmann Heinz Pagel & Hans Werner Kempa Otto Bauer & Peter Stiegelbrunner 1982 Schwarme Michael Datzmann & Rosamunde Datzmann Heinz Pagel & Jurgen Zaddach Rudolf Meyer & Diter Held 1983 Assen Michael Datzmann & Rosamunde Datzmann Michael Lippmann & Willi Ganss Heinz Pagel & Jurgen Zaddach 1984 Berghaupten Michael Datzmann & Rosamunde Datzmann Heinz Pagel & Jurgen Zaddach Ulrich Wehrle & Stefan Rufat 1985 Kuinre Heinz Pagel & Jurgen Zaddach Ewald Heim & Robert Heim Karl Keil & Joachim Reeg 1986 Bad Waldsee Josef Onderka & Franz Onderka Karl Keil & Reiner Ganster Heinz Pagel & Herbert Bucker 1987 Valence Josef Onderka & Franz Onderka Hans Bolliger & Bernhard Gloor Karl Keil & Reiner Ganster 1988 Celle Karl Keil & Joachim Reeg Josef Onderka & Franz Onderka Marco Glorie & Erik van Dijk 1989 Berghaupten Josef Onderka & Josef Feigl Hans Bolliger & Bernhard Gloor Karl Keil & Joachim Reeg 1990 Haunstetten Josef Onderka & Robert Wolf Karl Keil & Joachim Reeg Bernd Soger & Heinz Brandt 1991 Eenrum Josef Onderka & Robert Wolf Karl Keil & Joachim Reeg Eward Heim & Robert Heim 1992 Berghaupten Josef Onderka & Walter Huber Thomas Kunert & Josef Feigl Laurent Sambarrey & Lionel Sambarrey 1993 Harsewinkel Karl Keil & Joachim Reeg Josef Onderka & Josef Feigl Marco Glorie & Harry Drenth 1994 Lattrop Marco Glorie & Harry Drenth Karl Keil & Joachim Reeg Eward Heim & Robert Heim 1995 Melsungen Thomas Kunert & Wolfgang Maier Peter Murmann & Stefan Muller Marco Glorie & Harry Drenth 1996 Eenrum Thomas Kunert & Marco Hundsrucker Josef Onderka & Uwe Kuhberger Jacues Leduc & Michel Gorget 1997 Melsungen Josef Onderka & Uwe Kuhberger Thomas Kunert & Marco Hundsrucker Oswald Bischoff & Mario Siebert 1998 Morizès Josef Onderka & Uwe Kuhberger Thomas Kunert & Hermann Bacher Oswald Bischoff & Mario Siebert 1999 Vechta Thomas Kunert & Hermann Bacher Josef Onderka & Uwe Kuhberger Oswald Bischoff & Mario Siebert 2000 Lattrop Josef Onderka & Martin Wamprechtshammer Thomas Kunert & Hermann Bacher Marco Glorie & Harry Drenth 2001 Melsungen Thomas Kunert & Marco Hundsrucker Oswald Bischoff & Mario Siebert Marco Glorie & Harry Drenth 2002 Siddeburen Josef Onderka & Martin Wamprechtshammer William Matthijsen & Erwin Boers Thomas Kunert & Markus Eibl 2003 Angenrod Thomas Kunert & Hermann Bacher Oswald Bischoff & Rainer Falter William Matthijsen & Erwin Boers 2004 High Easter Thomas Kunert & Bernd Kreuzer Tjeerd Hoekstra & Henk Auwema William Matthijsen & Nathalie Matthijssen 2005 Siddeburen Sven Holstein & Desiree Daubert William Matthijsen & Nathalie Matthijssen Mark Detz & Gerald Eelding 2006 Melsungen Thomas Kunert & Bernd Kreuzer Markus Brandhofer & Helmut Beller Karl Keil & Berit Tralau 2007 Eenrum William Matthijsen & Nathalie Matthijssen Markus Venus & Florian Niedermeier Sven Holstein & Desiree Daubert 2008 Bielefeld Thomas Kunert & Markus Eibl William Matthijsen & Nathalie Matthijssen Stefan Brandhofer & Marco Hundsrucker 2009 Wimborne William Matthijsen & Nathalie Matthijssen Thomas Kunert & Markus Eibl Markus Brandhofer & Corinna Gunthor 2010 Uithuizen Thomas Kunert & Markus Eibl William Matthijssen & Sandra Mollema Sven Holstein & Anthony Goodwin 2011 Noordwolde William Matthijssen & Nathalie Matthijssen Mark Detz & Bonita van Dijk Stefan Brandhofer & Daniel Eibl 2012 Werlte Thomas Kunert & Markus Eibl Markus Venus & Markus Heiss Stefan Brandhofer & Daniel Eibl 2013 Loppersum Thomas Kunert & Markus Eibl William Matthijssen & Nathalie Stellingwerf Christophe Grenier & Gerben Sanders 2014 High Easter Josh Goodwin & Liam Brown Nick Radley & Abi Radley Markus Venus & Markus Heiss 2015 Hertingen Cancelled as a result of a fatal accident during practicehttps://www.speedweek.com/grasbahngespannem/news/80219/Trauer-um-Stefan-Mueller-EM-Finale-Hertingen-abgesagt.html 2016 Vries William Matthijssen & Sandra Mollema Markus Venus & Markus Heiss Markus Brandhofer & Michael Zapf 2017 Tayac William Matthijssen & Sandra Mollema Markus Brandhofer & Tim Scheunemann Markus Venus & Markus Heiss 2018 Werlte William Matthijssen & Sandra Mollema Mitch Godden & Paul Smith Markus Venus & Markus Heiss 2019 Eenrum William Matthijssen & Sandra Mollema Markus Venus & Markus Heis Mitch Godden & Paul Smith 2020 Cancelled 2021 Cancelled 2022 Eenrum Markus Venus & Markus Eibl Mitch Godden & Paul Smith Wilfred Detz & Wendy Arling 2023 Bad Hersfeld Markus Brandhofer & Sandra Mollema Mitch Godden & Paul Smith Wilfred Detz & Bonita Van Dijk 2024 Uithuizen Markus Venus & Markus Eibl Mitch Godden & Paul Smith Guillaume Comblon & Baptiste Comblon 2025 Haunstetton Markus Venus & Markus Eibl Mitch Godden & Paul Smith Guillaume Comblon & Baptiste Comblon 2026 Berghaupten Markus Brandhofer & Bridget Merijerink Mitch Godden & Paul Smith Raphael San Millan & Benedikt Zapf
Driver champions CountryPassengerFirstSecondThirdPodium Kunert, Thomas115116 Onderka, Josef104014 Matthijssen, William75214 Datzmann, Michael4015 Venus, Markus34310 Keil, Karl24410 Brandhofer, Markus2226 Pagel, Heinz1326 Glorie, Marco1056 Holstein, Sven1023 Bauer, Otto1012 Goodwin, Josh1001 Godden, Mitch0617 Bischoff, Oswald0235 Bolliger, Hans0202 Heim, Ewald0123 Detz, Wilfred0022 Detz, Mark0112 Waller, Egon0101 Lippmann, Michael0101 Murmann, Peter0101 Hoekstra, Tjeerd0101 Radley, Nick0101 Brandhofer, Stefan0033 Comblon, Guillaume0022 Meyer, Rudolf0011 Wehrle, Ulrich0011 Soger, Bernd0011 Sambarrey, Laurent0011 Leduc, Jacues0011 Grenier, Christophe0011 San Millan, Raphael0011
Passenger champions CountryPassengerFirstSecondThirdPodium Eibl, Markus 7119 Datzmann, Rosamunde4015 Matthijssen (Stellingwerf), Nathalie3317 Mollema, Sandra5106 Reeg, Joachim2327 Kuhberger, Uwe2204 Bacher, Hermann2204 Onderka, Franz2136 Hundsrucker, Marco2114 Wolf, Robert2002 Wamprechtshammer, Martin2002 Kreuzer, Bernd2002 Zaddach, Jurgen1214 Feigl, Josef1203 Drenth, Harry1045 Daubert, Desiree1012 Stiegelbrunner, Peter1012 Huber, Walter1001 Maier, Wolfgang1001 Brown, Liam1001 Meijerink, Bridget1001 Smith, Paul0617 Heiss, Markus0325 Gloor, Bernhard0202 Siebert, Mario0134 Heim, Robert0123 Boers, Erwin0112 van Dijk, Bonita0112 Starke, Edgar0101 WernerKempa, Hans0101 Ganss, Willi0101 Ganster, Reiner0111 Muller, Stefan0101 Falter, Rainer0101 Auwema, Henk0101 Beller, Helmut0101 Niedermeier, Florian0101 Radley, Abi0101 Scheunemann, Tim0101 Comblon, Baptiste0022 Eibl, Daniel0022 Arling, Wendy0011 Held, Diter0011 Rufat, Stefan0011 Bucker, Herbert0011 van Dijk, Erik0011 Brandt, Heinz0011 Sambarrey, Lionel0011 Gorget, Michel0011 Eelding, Gerald0011 Tralau, Berit0011 Gunthor, Corinna0011 Goodwin, Anthony0011 Sanders, Gerben0011 Zapf, Michael0011 Zapf, Benedikt0011
Results by country TeamFirstSecondThirdPodiumTeamDriverPassengerDriverPassengerDriverPassengerTotal Germany333427272525171 Netherlands10977131359 England11661217 France0000437 Switzerland0022004
Medal percentage CountryPercentage Germany67.48 Netherlands23.58 England5.28 France2.03 Switzerland1.63
European Solo Championship The European Solo Grasstrack championship first ran in 1978.
References