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Karl Mikael Karlsson (born 21 August 1973),[1] who later rode under the name Mikael Max, is a Swedish former international motorcycle speedway rider.[2][3] He earned 21 caps for the Sweden national speedway team.[4]
| Born | 21 August 1973 Gullspång, Sweden |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Website | mikaelmax |
| Career history | |
| Sweden | |
| 1989–1998 | Örnarna |
| 1999–2002 | Valsarna |
| 2003–2005, 2015–2016 | Dackarna |
| 2006–2008 | Piraterna |
| 2006–2015 | Gnistorna |
| 2010–2011 | Lejonen |
| 2013 | Hammarby |
| 2014 | Indianerna |
| Great Britain | |
| 1993–1994, 1996–1999, 2001–2005 | Wolverhampton Wolves |
| 2006 | Arena Essex Hammers |
| Poland | |
| 1995 | Piła |
| 2000–2002 | Rybnik |
| 2003 | Warsaw |
| 2005 2009–2010 | Rzeszów |
| 2006–2007 | Ostrów |
| 2008 | Wrocław |
| 2011 | Gdańsk |
| 2012 | Daugavpils |
| Individual honours | |
| 1994 | World Under-21 Champion |
| 1992 | Swedish U21 champion |
| Team honours | |
| 1994, 2000, 2003, 2004 | Speedway World Cup |
| 1996 | Premier League |
| 1996 | Elite League KO Cup Winner |
| 1997 | Premiership Winner |
| 2002 | Elite League |
| 2005 | Polish Div Two Champion |
| 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999 | Swedish Elitserien Champion |
| 1992, 1996, 2002, 2003 | Swedish Pairs Champion |
After first riding a speedway bike at the age of twelve, he moved up to 500cc bikes in 1989.[5] He represented Sweden at under-21 level in 1990, and made his full debut for Sweden in 1991.[5]
He won the Swedish U21 championship in 1992[6] and finished runner-up to Joe Screen in the World Under-21 Championship in 1993.[7] He made amends the following season by winning the championship in 1994.[8][5]
Karlsson made his British speedway debut in 1993 for Wolverhampton Wolves, going on to ride for the club until 2005, only missing the 1995 and 2000 seasons. In 2006, he rode for the Arena Essex Hammers. Max is his mother's maiden name and he raced as Mikael Max from 2003.[5][9]
Max won four World team championships in 1994, 2000, 2003 and 2004.[10]
His two brothers, Peter Karlsson and Magnus Karlsson, are both speedway riders.[5] All three brothers represented Sweden in the 2007 Speedway World Cup, with Magnus riding at reserve. He won the Swedish Pairs Championship four times, twice with brother Peter, in 1992 and 1996, with Stefan Dannö in 2002 and with Stefan Andersson in 2003.
Speedway Grand Prix results
| Year | Position | Points | Best Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 16th | 17 | 15th | |
| 1996 | 23rd | 0 | - | Reserve in Swedish Grand Prix (did not ride) |
| 1997 | 16th | 14 | 8th | 8th in Great Britain Grand Prix. Reserve in three others. |
| 1999 | 14th | 45 | 9th | |
| 2000 | 13th | 39 | 7th | |
| 2001 | 7th | 59 | 2nd | 2nd in Sweden Grand Prix. 3rd in Poland Grand Prix. |
| 2002 | 5th | 122 | 3rd | 3rd in Norway Grand Prix. 3rd in Great Britain Grand Prix. |
| 2003 | 13th | 52 | 5th | |
| 2004 | 16th | 49 | 9th | |
| 2005 | 28th | 0 | 17th | Reserve at Sweden Grand Prix |
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