8-Time Speedway Champion Nikolai Krasnikov Killed in Crash

Today, 4 February, the famous motorcycle racer Nikolai Krasnikov would have turned 41. He was born for ice racing and lived for it, but met death differently — in a car crash near Ufa last summer. We recall how brightly he lived his life and what he is remembered for.

He Was Not Originally from Bashkortostan

Nikolai is not originally from Bashkortostan but from Shadrinsk, a town comparable in population to Tuymazy — 68,000 people. The city is in Kurgan Oblast, 640 kilometers from Ufa.

As stated on the regional government portal, Nikolai started motorcycling at age 11. To buy his first motorcycle, his father sold his car. The family bought a Suzuki RM 125 cross-country bike with 41 horsepower.

By age 13, his specific focus had formed — ice racing. As a 15-year-old schoolboy, Nikolai Krasnikov first raced in official competitions. That same year, in 2000, he won the semifinal of the Russian Junior Championship.

At the end of 2000, the motorcycle racer first visited Ufa, where the first stage of the Russian Team Championship was held at the Stroitel stadium. Competing for his hometown«s aggregate plant, Nikolai, though not winning, made a name for himself.

In 2001, he was already competing as part of the Ufa team. He joined on the recommendation of Honored Coach of Russia in speedway Anatoly Sukhov (died 2012). Then the Ufa team won the first stage of the top league. The young racer was only 16. Together with Sergey Kazakov and Ilya Drozdov, he became champion of Russia for the 2001/2002 season.

In 2002, Nikolai went to the European Championship and returned with silver.

«Coaches Vladimir Belonogov and Sergey Shutov played a huge role in Krasnikov«s development. Subsequently, Belonogov, as a mechanic and coach, joined Krasnikov»s team, which accounted for nine of the twelve world champion gold medals. Another team member was his father, Oleg Krasnikov, Honored Worker of Physical Culture of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Since 2010, his father has been Nikolai«s coach and chassis mechanic,» the Kurgan Oblast government said.

In 2007–2008, Nikolai Krasnikov twice won international ice speedway competitions for the prize of the Head of the Republic of Mordovia.

Nikolai said he stopped studying the track before a race because a master «must ride equally well on any track.» He also noted that in competition, one must respect the opponent.

On the national team, his main rival was Vitaly Khomitsevich from Tolyatti, who several times overtook the Ufa rider in competitions. Vitaly«s brother, Dmitry, also took part in races and nearly beat Nikolai at the World Championship in 2008. By that time, it was already his fourth title — at age 23. Meanwhile, in Russian competitions, he won three times — in 2009 he achieved his fourth victory.

In the same 2009, Nikolai went to Europe for another world race. At that time, he was the only one from Bashkortostan. And in 2011, Nikolai Krasnikov was entrusted with leading the Motorcycle Sports Federation of Bashkortostan.

In 2012, he uttered a phrase: «Motorcycle racing is no more dangerous than life itself.» That same year, the racer won his 8th world champion title. Then there was talk about developing motorcycle sports in Bashkortostan, even claims that Ufa would become the world speedway capital. Krasnikov presented grandiose plans. They also wanted to bring back racers from Bashkortostan who had moved to other teams.

«We are planning to build a motorcycle track in Oktyabrsky, and this year similar work has been completed in Ufa and Belebey. At the motorcycle complex built in the Timashevo settlement, up to 200 people can now train simultaneously. Ahead of us is the reconstruction of the Stroitel stadium and many ambitious plans,» the racer said.

But the Stroitel was never completed. As of 2019, its reconstruction was estimated at almost 2 billion rubles ($22,200,000 at current rates), and no one has the money. Now, six years later, the cost could have increased by a billion.

Nikolai Krasnikov raised the issue of teenagers racing motorcycles back in 2013. In his opinion, they get their bikes as gifts before holidays, but this poses a threat to others. Therefore, he invited enthusiasts to take up the sport. Krasnikov proposed introducing motorcycle patrols to find violators and conduct preventive talks.

In June 2014, the motorcycle athlete led a workout in the center of Ufa, gathering a crowd in front of the Mustai Karim Youth Theater. And the following year, he set a record by winning the Russian champion title for the sixth time.

But in the same year, Nikolai Krasnikov stepped down as head of the motorcycle sports federation. The reason was insufficient funding: previously, a significant portion of expenses — about 25 million rubles ($277,800 at current rates) per year — was covered by the Ural charitable foundation. The state also helped, but it was not enough. New investors were sought, but alas.

«As head of the federation, I took the necessary measures to improve and stabilize the situation, but I must admit, they proved ineffective,» Nikolai Krasnikov stated.

In the federation, it was noted that Ufa enterprises were ready to help, but they needed a go-ahead from above. Without that, nothing. After that, Bashkortostan athletes were allowed to transfer to other clubs. Residents of the republic were already outraged that the republic finds money for football but somehow not for speedway.

After a series of media publications, the government of Bashkortostan found the money, and even the Ufa City Council collected 6 million rubles ($66,700 at current rates). But the situation was still called critical.

Nikolai Krasnikov himself continued in sports. In 2016, he won the Memorial of Gabdrakhman Kadyrov (six-time world speedway champion), which took place on the first day of the European Ice Speedway Championship races. In 2017, Krasnikov became two-time European champion.

Over his career, he became world champion 20 times — 8 times in individual races and 12 times in team races; two-time European champion; seven-time Russian champion.

In recent years, Nikolai Krasnikov worked at the Gastello Sports School in Inors (a neighborhood of Ufa) and was chairman of the board and head coach at the Gabdrakhman Kadyrov Center for Technical Sports. Recently, he started doing snowbike racing, riding on snow.

Nikolai is survived by a son and a daughter.