Kristers Sergis
Encyclopedia
Kristers Serģis is a retired Latvia
n sidecarcross
rider and five times World Champion
.
Kristers Serģis came to the sidecarcross sport through his father, himself a rider in the days of the Soviet Union
. He made it possible for his son to take up the sport after Latvian independence in 1990. Through sponsorship from a timber building company in Cēsis
, it was possible for him to turn professional, a rarity in this sport. To be able to keep the traveling distances short, Kristers now lives in the Netherlands
but returns to Latvia in the off-season to work at his motorcycle dealership, "Kristers Serģis Moto".
Kristers Serģis has been voted "Latvian sports person of the year" multiple times, winning the award in 1997, 1998 and 2000.
At the end of the 2008 season, Kristers Serģis retired from the sidecarcross sport and instead will be racing in the EMX European Quad Championship.
as his passenger. After two seasons with limited success and starts, he switched to Normunds Bērziņš as his partner for 1994 and 1995 but continued to have only a small impact on the race circuit. In 1996, he returned with Artis Rasmanis and in the fourth race of the season they archived their first race win, on 21 April in Betekom, Belgium
.
The season after, their fortunes improved greatly and the duo won their first of five world championships this year. In 1998, they repeated their success and in 1999 they missed out by only one point to Daniël Willemsen
/ Marcel Willemsen
on their third triumph. Also, in 1998, they managed to win the German sidecarcross championship. However, Serģis / Rasmanis continued their successful partnership with three more titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. With their fifth title they became record holders in world cup wins in this sport. Previously, two drivers had archived four crowns, but none of them had five. In the 2002 season, they archived an amazing 13 wins in a row and 24 all up. After this, Rasmanis left the team and Sven Verbrugge
from Belgium
became Serģis new partner. After a second place in 2003, the team fell to seventh in 2004 due to an injury for Serģis, which put him out of action for three month, and split up after this season, Verbrugge joining Daniël Willemsen instead. In turn, Kaspars Stupelis
came from Willemsen across to Serģis and the two finished runner-up in the 2005 season. In 2006 they raced in only two events and Sergis failed to score a GP victory for the first time since 1995, finishing 19th overall. The Serģis / Stupelis partnership returned in 2007 and with good results and one GP win they archived third place in the overall standing that season. However, Daniël Willemsen overtook them as record holders, having won six titles now. Despite this, the two Latvians Serģis / Rasmanis remain the most successful outfit in the history of sidecarcross world championship since Willemsen frequently exchanged partners in his six titles.
Source:
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n sidecarcross
Sidecarcross
Sidecar-cross racing, also known as sidecar motocross, is very similar to regular, solo motocross but with a different type of motorcycle chassis, and with a team of two people riding together instead of one, a driver and a passenger. While not confirmed most articles seem to show Sidecarcross...
rider and five times World Champion
Sidecarcross world championship
The Sidecar Motocross World Championship is an annual event, organised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme , held since 1980. Previous to that, a European competition was held from 1971 onwards....
.
Kristers Serģis came to the sidecarcross sport through his father, himself a rider in the days of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He made it possible for his son to take up the sport after Latvian independence in 1990. Through sponsorship from a timber building company in Cēsis
Cesis
Cēsis , is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below...
, it was possible for him to turn professional, a rarity in this sport. To be able to keep the traveling distances short, Kristers now lives in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
but returns to Latvia in the off-season to work at his motorcycle dealership, "Kristers Serģis Moto".
Kristers Serģis has been voted "Latvian sports person of the year" multiple times, winning the award in 1997, 1998 and 2000.
At the end of the 2008 season, Kristers Serģis retired from the sidecarcross sport and instead will be racing in the EMX European Quad Championship.
Sidecarcross world championship results
Kristers Serģis entered the sidecarcross world championship in 1992, with Artis RasmanisArtis Rasmanis
Artis Rasmanis is a retired Latvian sidecarcross passenger and five times World Champion.Rasmanis was part of the most successful partnership in sidecarcross world championship history, winning five titles with his driver Kristers Serģis. He retired from international sidecar competition after...
as his passenger. After two seasons with limited success and starts, he switched to Normunds Bērziņš as his partner for 1994 and 1995 but continued to have only a small impact on the race circuit. In 1996, he returned with Artis Rasmanis and in the fourth race of the season they archived their first race win, on 21 April in Betekom, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
The season after, their fortunes improved greatly and the duo won their first of five world championships this year. In 1998, they repeated their success and in 1999 they missed out by only one point to Daniël Willemsen
Daniël Willemsen
Daniël Johan Nico Willemsen is a Dutch sidecarcross rider and eight times World Champion.Willemsen is the most successful rider in sidecarcross history, winning the title nine times, in 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011...
/ Marcel Willemsen
Marcel Willemsen
Marcel Willemsen is a Dutch sidecarcross passenger and 1999 World Champion.Marcel won the 1999 world championship as the passenger for his older brother, the seven times world champion Daniël Willemsen...
on their third triumph. Also, in 1998, they managed to win the German sidecarcross championship. However, Serģis / Rasmanis continued their successful partnership with three more titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. With their fifth title they became record holders in world cup wins in this sport. Previously, two drivers had archived four crowns, but none of them had five. In the 2002 season, they archived an amazing 13 wins in a row and 24 all up. After this, Rasmanis left the team and Sven Verbrugge
Sven Verbrugge
Sven Verbrugge is a Belgian sidecarcross passenger and triple Sidecarcross World Champion, winning the title in 2005, 2006 and 2011....
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
became Serģis new partner. After a second place in 2003, the team fell to seventh in 2004 due to an injury for Serģis, which put him out of action for three month, and split up after this season, Verbrugge joining Daniël Willemsen instead. In turn, Kaspars Stupelis
Kaspars Stupelis
Kaspars Stupelis is a Latvian sidecarcross passenger and double World Champion.As of 2008, he is part of the Team Serģis, operated by five times world champion Kristers Serģis. However, his two world championships were gained when being the passenger in Daniël Willemsen's team...
came from Willemsen across to Serģis and the two finished runner-up in the 2005 season. In 2006 they raced in only two events and Sergis failed to score a GP victory for the first time since 1995, finishing 19th overall. The Serģis / Stupelis partnership returned in 2007 and with good results and one GP win they archived third place in the overall standing that season. However, Daniël Willemsen overtook them as record holders, having won six titles now. Despite this, the two Latvians Serģis / Rasmanis remain the most successful outfit in the history of sidecarcross world championship since Willemsen frequently exchanged partners in his six titles.
Season by season
| Season | Passenger | Equipment | Position | Points | Races | Wins | Second | Third |
| 1992 |  Artis RasmanisArtis Rasmanis Artis Rasmanis is a retired Latvian sidecarcross passenger and five times World Champion.Rasmanis was part of the most successful partnership in sidecarcross world championship history, winning five titles with his driver Kristers Serģis. He retired from international sidecar competition after... |
Kawasaki-EML EML Sidecars The EML Sidecars company, short EML, is a Dutch Sidecarcross and Quad frame manufacturer, having won numerous worldchampionships in this sport.EML stands for Einmalig, meaning unique.-History:... |
46 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | Artis Rasmanis |
KTM-EML | 33 | 25 | 9 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | Normunds Bērziņš |
KTM-EML | 22 | 31 | 10 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | Normunds Bērziņš |
KTM-EML | 18 | 4 | 20 | — | — | — |
| Artis Rasmanis |
11 | 4 | — | — | — | |||
| 1996 | Artis Rasmanis |
KTM KTM KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen... -EML |
6 | 132 | 16 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Normunds Bērziņš |
15 | 2 | — | — | 1 | |||
| 1997 | Artis Rasmanis |
KTM-EML | 1 | 277 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 1998 | Artis Rasmanis |
Zabel-BSU | 1 | 299 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 1999 | Artis Rasmanis |
Zabel-BSU | 2 | 385 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 3 |
| 2000 |  Ramon van Mill |
MTH MTH Racing engines MTH racing engines are two-stroke lightweight engines, built by an Austrian company, MTH. They are used in motocross sidecars and ultra lightweight aeroplanes.... -BSU |
1 | 54 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Artis Rasmanis |
298 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 2 | |||
| 2001 | Artis Rasmanis |
MTH-BSU | 1 | 534 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 3 |
| Christian Verhagen |
16 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
| 2002 | Artis Rasmanis |
MTH-BSU | 1 | 662 | 28 | 24 | 1 | 2 |
| 2003 |  Sven VerbruggeSven Verbrugge Sven Verbrugge is a Belgian sidecarcross passenger and triple Sidecarcross World Champion, winning the title in 2005, 2006 and 2011.... |
MTH-BSU | 2 | 501 | 26 | 12 | 7 | 1 |
| 2004 2004 Sidecarcross world championship The 2004 FIM Sidecarcross World Championship, the 25th edition of the competition, started on 21 March 2004 and finished after fourteen race weekends on 5 September 2004 with Daniël Willemsen and Kaspars Stupelis taking out the title once more... |
Sven Verbrugge |
MTH-BSU | 7 | 246 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 2005 2005 Sidecarcross world championship The 2005 FIM Sidecarcross world championship, the 26th edition of the competition, started on 17 April and finished after eleven race weekends on 18 September 2005 with Daniël Willemsen taking out the title once more.-Overview:... |
Kaspars Stupelis Kaspars Stupelis Kaspars Stupelis is a Latvian sidecarcross passenger and double World Champion.As of 2008, he is part of the Team Serģis, operated by five times world champion Kristers Serģis. However, his two world championships were gained when being the passenger in Daniël Willemsen's team... |
MTH-BSU | 2 | 440 | 22 | 7 | 12 | — |
| 2006 2006 Sidecarcross world championship The 2006 FIM Sidecarcross world championship, the 27th edition of the competition, started on 23 April and finished after eight race weekends on 17 September 2006 with Daniël Willemsen taking out the title once more.-Overview:... |
Kaspars Stupelis |
KTM-Mefo | 19 | 64 | 4 | — | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 2007 Sidecarcross world championship The 2007 FIM Sidecarcross world championship,the 28th edition of the competition, started on 9 April and finished after eight race weekends on 16 September 2007 with Daniël Willemsen taking out the title once more-Overview:... |
Kaspars Stupelis |
KTM-Mefo | 3 | 242 | 16 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| 2008 2008 Sidecarcross world championship The 2008 FIM Sidecarcross world championship, the 29th edition of the competition, started on 20 April and finished after twelve race weekends on 14 September 2008... |
Kaspars Stupelis |
KTM-AYR | 2 | 434 | 24 | 4 | 12 | 2 |
| Overall 1992 - 2008 | 4687 | 312 | 98 | 74 | 23 |
Source:
- Passengers in italics.
World Championship
- Champions: (5) 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002
- Runners-up: (4) 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008