Erik Riss: “I hope I’ll be able to ride without any problems in Scheeßel”

To mark the 75th anniversary of MSC Eichenring Scheeßel, the formidable club from the Rotenburg-Wümme district in Lower Saxony – situated on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath – is once again hosting two World Championship races this weekend on its 1,000-metre-long sand track. On Saturday (22 August), the fifth of a total of ten Grands Prix in the FIM Flat Track World Championship will take place. The event starts at 2 pm. Twenty-four riders, including four Germans – Thomas Albers, Sebastian Thalheim, Nikita Alyani and Marius Kircher – will compete in twelve heats. This will be followed by the Last Chance Heat and the final.

The Scheeßel GP on Sunday will feature 20 riders for the first time

Sunday (23 August) will be all about the first Grand Prix of this year’s Long-Track World Championship. Twenty riders, including five Germans – Lukas Fienhage, Erik Riss, Daniel Spiller, Timo Wachs and Keijo Busch – plus reserve rider Fabian Wachs, will contest 20 heats from 1.30 pm. Two semi-finals will be followed by the decisive final.

One of Germany’s top riders, three-time Long-Track World Champion Martin Smolinski, is absent this season. The Olching native continues to be plagued by problems with his artificial hip.

However, Erik Riss, a potential title contender, is back in the line-up for the World Championships – at least for the event in Scheeßel. The 30-year-old, who has already been crowned solo world champion twice and became German long-track champion in Mühldorf at the start of July, has struggled with various injuries in recent years. In particular, his eyes cause him some difficulties from time to time.

Erik Riss is still experiencing occasional problems with his eyes

“I’m feeling better again, but I’m still not 100 per cent,” Riss said in a recent one-to-one interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, “I’m still experiencing symptoms of blurred vision and sensitivity to light. So I haven’t fully recovered yet, and it probably won’t ever go away completely. It varies from day to day; I just have to manage it as best I can. But I’m confident that I’ll be able to ride without any problems on Sunday in Scheeßel. I was able to rest all last week and prepare for the GP.”

At the start of this season, the Swabian rider only competed in a handful of speedway races; he then had to take a break for a while before he could return to action at the German Long-Track Championship in Mühldorf. Riss: “I was feeling better again by then, and I was successful there too, winning the title. The following week I raced at Landshut Speedway, and after that I felt significantly worse again. That lasted right up until last week.”

The question for MSV Herxheim’s star rider was now: how well prepared is he for the Long Track World Championship? “As always, I’m in top shape mechanically with equipment from Anton Nischler. But when it comes to riding experience, I’m obviously not in a good position at all. I’m really lacking riding experience, as I’ve been on a break since Mühldorf.”

Only three Grand Prix events on the long track in 2026

Erik Riss has mixed feelings about the Grand Prix in Scheeßel. “I definitely enjoy racing in Scheeßel. It’s a demanding track because it’s very deep and puts both rider and machine to the test. You have to draw on every ounce of power you can muster. But in recent years, the track has been significantly smoother than usual. Let’s see what it’s like on Sunday. As for my chances, I’m not worrying about that at all at the moment. First and foremost, I’ll just be glad if I can race at all. That’s my main concern at the moment – whether I feel well enough to race. That’s my priority right now. If I do feel well, I’ll give it my all and see what happens.”

The other two Grands Prix will take place in France: on 5 September in Morizes and on 26 September in Marmande. The latter is the rescheduled date for the opening round on 13 July, which was cancelled there due to the heatwave.

Riss has his own views on the tracks: “Unfortunately, it’s only a short World Championship this year, which I think is a real shame. The only proper long track in the series is Scheeßel. Morizes is actually more of a large speedway track, and Marmande is Marmande. A track with three bends – very unusual – but it’s always been my favourite. I also enjoy riding at Morizes, though. Actually, I enjoy riding on any long-track circuit. If you’re constantly riding on speedway tracks and then switch to a long-track motorbike, it’s always great fun because you can really let off steam. It’s a completely different riding experience and, compared to speedway, a bit more enjoyable.”

Line-up for the Scheeßel (Germany) Long-Track GP:

• Lukas Fienhage (D)

• Erik Riss (D)

• Daniel Spiller (D)

• Timo Wachs (Germany)

• Keijo Busch (Germany)

• Chris Harris (GB)

• Andrew Appleton (GB)

• Zach Wajtknecht (GB)

• Jake Mulford (GB)

• Tino Bouin (F)

• Anthony Chauffour (F)

• Jordan Dubernard (F)

• Dave Meijerink (NL)

• Mika Meijer (NL)

• William Kruit (NL)

• Kenneth Kruse Hansen (DK)

• Patrick Kruse (DK)

• Jesse Mustonen (Finland)

• Tero Aarnio (Finland)

• Glenn Moi (N)

• Res. Fabian Wachs (D)