Career
After twenty years in the sidecarcross sport Happich retired at the end of the 2012 season. German Championship Happich first entered the German national championship in 1994 with passenger Peer Kasseckert, also winning the German sidecarcross cup, a second-string competition, in 1994. Foreign the next decade Happich became one of the dominant drivers in the national championship, winning titles in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009 while finishing runners-up in 2002, 2007, 2010 and 2011.
In the last two instances Happich missed out on the national title by just one point.
He officially retired from all competition at the end of the 2012 season. Happich made an on-off return to the German Championship in 2014, racing in Geisleden in May 2014, coming fourth in the first race but suffering a flat tire in the second.
World Championship Entering the from 1996, Happich slowly improved in the competition over the years and earned his first top-ten finish in 2000. Foreign the next ten seasons, from 2000 to 2009 Happich finished in the top-ten every year, culminating in a second place in 2004 as his best-ever result.
He announced his intention to retire at the end of 2012 before the start of the new season, citing his amateur status when the top riders were all professionals, his age and the difficulty to raise a six-digit budget each season through sponsors as his reasons.
His final season was affected by a shoulder injury, missing a number of mid-season Grand Prix but returning in time for the last event of the season. Happich lives in Großwilsdorf, near Naumburg, where he works as a swim instructor at a local pool. In 2006 he lost a downhill race against Austrian skier Stephan Eberharter at Obertauern as part of the German television show Wetten, dass.?, the race being broadcast live on television
Eberharter skied down while Happich raced down in his sidecarcross, losing by just under one second.
The season by season results in the World Championship for Marko Happich: Key.
