World Cup: Maximilian Niedermaier wants to gain experience / Ice Speedway GP

On Wednesday evening Max and Maximilian Niedermaier set off for Heerenveen (NL). Max Niedermaier, as the World Cup qualifier in Örnsköldsvik, knew since the end of January that he would participate in the World Cup race at Thialf Stadium. His cousin Maximilian found out in no time that, in addition to the Roelof Thijs Cup race on Friday, he would also race the World Championship on Saturday and Sunday.

The World Cup was made possible by the cancellation of Luca Bauer, who is replaced by Sebastian Reitsma, which meant that the host’s wild card was changed. “We didn’t speculate, but we asked what could happen in the event of a cancellation,” Niedermaier told Speedweek.com.

Niedermaier was able to secure a booking at short notice in Inzell on the weekend before Easter and was able to taste the World Cup for the first time. “As a reservist, I was able to see everything up close and see and watch what everyone was doing. When I started the race, I didn’t know what the track was like and that ended in a crash,” he says, recalling a weekend in which he remained without points in three races at the World Championship.

For Niedermaier, the first World Cup performance was very good in his first season, even without a score, although he entered the sport a few years ago and drove his first race there.

“I have always loved sports and when I was training with Max in Sweden, I tried it and I liked it immediately,” says Niedermaier, recalling his beginnings “My first race was in the 2020 German championship in Berlin, but the corona crisis came shortly after . I rested until last year and then I drove again in the German championship in 2023. This year I was able to participate in the Swedish league and also the European Championship in Poland, which was very good for me. The only thing that was planned was the Roelof Thijs Cup, and then The World Cup race stakes in Inzell and Heerenveen were raised.”

Maximilian Niedermaier can rely on the help of his cousin Max, who has many years of experience in the ice speedway. “Max is very important to me. He shows me everything, including in the workshop, so I can see what people do and, above all, what they don’t do. Without him, I wouldn’t know what to do in many places,” said Maximilian about Max Niedermaier , who will also be on the production line at this weekend’s World Championship race. “I don’t feel any fear at the moment, but that will come when we get there. But I am not setting myself a specific goal for the World Cup race. Most of all, I want to experience and drive as well as possible.