GetWiki

{{For|those of a similar name|Chris Lewis (disambiguation)}}{{Short description|British motorcycle speedway rider}}{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}

factoids

| birth_place = Ipswich, England| career1 = Great Britain| years2 = 1988Hackney Kestrels>Hackney| years3 = 1989–2002, 2004–2008Ipswich Witches>Ipswich| career4 = Sweden| years5 = 1994–1996| career5 = Bysarna1990 Individual Speedway Junior World Championship>1990Individual Speedway Junior World Championship>World Under-21 Champion| indivyear2 = 1998, 2000British Speedway Championship>British Champion| teamyear1 = 2000| teamhonour1 = European Club Champion| teamyear2 = 1998Elite League (speedway)>Elite League Champion| teamyear3 = 1998Elite League (speedway)>Elite League KO Cup Winner| teamyear4 = 1998| teamhonour4 = Craven Shield Winner| teamyear5 = 1991Elite League (speedway)>Elite League Four Team Champion| teamyear6 = 1988| teamhonour6 = National League Champion| teamyear7 = 1988| teamhonour7 = National League KO Cup Winner}}Christopher Louis (born 9 July 1969)Oakes, P.(2004). British Speedway Who's Who. {{ISBN|0-948882-81-6}} is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from England, who primarily rode for the Ipswich Witches. He earned 41 international caps for the England national speedway team and 3 caps for the Great Britain team.WEB,weblink ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022, British Speedway, 21 December 2023, He is the son of former Great Britain International John Louis.BOOK, Montague, Trevor, The A-Z of Sport, 2004, 523, Little, Brown, 0-316-72645-1, WEB,weblink 2008 Rider index, British Speedway, 28 March 2023,

Career

Louis is former schoolboy grasstrack champion. He started his professional career at Hackney before moving to Ipswich in 1989 where he rode to the end of his riding career. He has missed a couple of seasons due to injury. He became the World Under-21 Champion after winning the 1990 Individual Speedway Junior World Championship.NEWS, Tigers stalk team trophy, Daily Record, 14 September 1990, 9 March 2024,weblink British Newspaper Archive, subscription, Chris Louis made history in 1993 when he became the first son of a former World Finalist to also qualify for the World Final when he finished in third place in Pocking, Germany. Louis tied with former champion Hans Nielsen of Denmark in 11 points, only 1 point behind winner Sam Ermolenko of the United States. In a run-off to decide overall second place, Nielsen defeated Chris Louis who had to settle for third in his World Final debut.Louis also qualified for the 1994 World Final in Vojens, Denmark but was unable to repeat his 1993 form and finished a disappointing 12th scoring only six points.Chris Louis qualified for the new Speedway Grand Prix series which replaced the former World Final in 1995. He finished a career best 7th in the 1995 SGP with a best finish of third in 1995 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland. In 1996, he was extremely unfortunate not to be crowned the Premier League Riders Champion, after an engine failure denied him when he was leading on the last lap of the final.NEWS, American ace survives late drama, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 21 October 1996, 7 June 2023,weblink British Newspaper Archive, subscription, He continued to take part in the SGP series as a regular rider until 2000, with his best finishes being second placings in the 1998 Danish and Swedish GP's and the 1999 British GP. He rode in selected events in 2001 before making his last appearance as wild card in 2004.During his career, Chris won trophies in the UK, Poland, Sweden and Germany, and in 1998 and 2000 he followed his father's footsteps by becoming British Speedway Champion (John Louis won in 1975). Chris Louis remained an ever present for Ipswich for 19 seasons, from 1989 to 2008, with the exception of missing the 2003 season with a back injury.WEB,weblink Louis mulls over speedway future, Ipswich Star, 15 September 2023, Louis maintained his relationship with Ipswich becoming both their team manager and promoter but he stepped down as team manager in 2014.WEB,weblink UPDATED: Chris Louis explains why he stepped down as Ipswich Witches’ team manager, Ipswich Star, 25 November 2022, He remains as promoter leading into the SGB Premiership 2023 season.WEB,weblink Positive vibes for Ipswich, British Speedway, 25 November 2022,

World Final appearances

• 1993 – {{flagicon|GER}} Pocking, Rottalstadion – 3rd – 11pts + 2pts
• 1994 – {{flagicon|DEN}} Vojens, Speedway Center – 12th – 6pts

Speedway Grand Prix results{| class"wikitable" style"font-size: 95%;"

! Year !! Position !! Points !! Best finish !! Notes1995 Speedway Grand Prix>1995 7th 77 3rd 3rd Polish GP1996 Speedway Grand Prix>1996 8th 54 5th Best finish in German GP1997 Speedway Grand Prix>1997 9th 59 5th Best finish in Danish GP1998 Speedway Grand Prix>1998 5th 59 2nd 2nd in 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark and 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden>Sweden1999 Speedway Grand Prix>1999 12th 50 2nd 2nd in British GP2000 Speedway Grand Prix>2000 10th 60 3rd Best finish in 2000 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic and 2000 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland>Poland2001 Speedway Grand Prix>2001 27th 6 19th Best finish in German GP2004 Speedway Grand Prix>2004 32nd 4

References

{{Reflist}}