Artis Rasmanis

Artis Rasmanis, born in 1971, is a retired Latvian sidecarcross passenger and five-time World Champion. He entered the sidecarcross world championship in 1992 as passenger to driver Kristers Serģis, partnered Normunds Bērziņš in 1994 and 1995, and returned to Serģis in late 1995. The pair won their first race in April 1996 in Betekom, Belgium, and took world titles in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002, missing a third crown in 1999 by one point to Daniël and Marcel Willemsen. They also won the German sidecarcross championship in 1998. Their fifth title made them record holders in the sport, since no earlier driver had won more than four. He then retired from international competition, later raced quad bikes, finishing 12th in the 2007 FIM European championship, and in 2014 was elected a deputy of the Saeima for the Union of Greens and Farmers.