KTM rider Dennis Ullrich secured the most recent title win in the Masters class. Last season, the 20-year-old had many a nerve-wracking wheel-to-wheel tussle with his team-mate and also his toughest competitor, Sébastien Pourcel from France, but managed to win through at the last moment to become 2013 ADAC MX Masters Champion. "The whole thing was really exciting, especially for me, as I couldn't quite believe it when I finished on the top rung of the podium. I was totally overwhelmed and lost for words for a moment. It was like a dream come true, something that I had worked long and very hard for. In addition, it fills me with pride to think that I actually achieved the goal that I had set myself. The Masters is the premier class. To compete in the class and then win means that you've achieved a very high level and it is important for me now to maintain that standard in 2014. I've continued to develop as a result of the victory and it has given me greater self-confidence. It's going to be my recipe for success this year," said the current champion.

Marcus Schiffer from Germany's Rhineland has won the ADAC MX Masters twice. The 26-year-old from the Cologne metropolis clinched the championship in 2007 and 2012 and is consequently one of the most successful riders in the Masters class, along with Ken Roczen and Max Nagl. "My first win has proven my ability, because previously, I'd ridden mainly in the world championship and it was not until I switched to the ADAC MX Masters that I was able to show that I can keep up with the international elite. The thought that I became champion again in 2012 still gives me a real adrenaline rush, as I would describe that year as the best of my career to date. In addition to winning the ADAC MX Masters title, Ken, Max and I swept the board at the MX of Nations as Team Germany and I was named ADAC Sportsman of the Year along with the other two, which was a very great honour indeed in view of the fact that motocross is a fringe sport. The Masters is in my eyes the most prestigious series in Europe and got me established as a professional and helped me enormously." By the way, the Suzuki rider's interview with presenter Andrea Kaiser at the ADAC Sports Gala of the Year in 2012 not only still makes Marcus Schiffer chuckle even today but also makes many of his fans smile. When the motocross rider was asked for his motorcycle licence, he had to admit that he didn't have one, otherwise he would get plenty of earache from his mother Gerda and girlfriend Heidi, who both thought that motorbike riding was far too dangerous.

26-year-old Austrian Günter Schmidinger was crowned best ADAC MX Masters rider of 2011, which still remains an absolute highlight in the Honda rider's motocross career: "I decided a year ago to put my work as a mechanical engineer on hold and devote myself completely to this sport and contest more international races. I've learned a lot since and so was able to clinch the title in 2011. Originally, however, it was always just a dream to win such an internationally prestigious title, but then as I got stronger in the middle of 2011 and began achieving better results, it was a question of keeping my nerve in the last race in Holzgerlingen and riding to the finish line without making a mistake. I finally did it in the end and thought that it was just so cool. However, only much later did I realise just how much this title is worth. The ADAC MX Masters is a thoroughly top-class series, the level of competition is intense and you mustn't make an error, otherwise you can get bumped down the field a fair number of places straightaway." However, right at the start of the following season, Günter Schmidinger did indeed make just one small mistake. At the first fixture in Fürstlich Drehna, the champion had to qualify via the Last Chance Race but arrived too late and was not allowed to race the following day.

The years 2009 and 2010 were dominated by ADAC MX Masters ace Ken 'Kenny' Roczen. The 20-year-old German, who had previously ridden so proudly out on track like no other before him in the ADAC MX Junior class and in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, also saw off the competition once more in the Masters, thereby proving again that he belongs to the crème de la crème among riders. "I think that the ADAC MX Masters is so successful mainly because it is internationally recognised and so attracts many riders from different countries. For me too, it was more than helpful to participate in the ADAC MX Masters, because I had the chance to upgrade to a larger machine at an early stage and see how I fared against some excellent competitors. That meant I was always the youngest in my class, but I was able to develop faster than other riders and always kept one step ahead," said Ken, who now lives in America, commenting on his success. Ken Roczen is considered to be one of the best young riders ever in the history of motocross. He won his first world championship title before he was 18, after which he moved to the United States, where he could pursue his sport even more energetically.

26-year-old German Max Nagl has also won the ADAC MX Masters twice so far. The current world championship rider stood on the top rung of the podium in 2006 and 2008 and can still remember the special feeling of happiness that he felt at the time: "I was really proud back in 2006, when I became ADAC MX Masters champion for the first time. I couldn't believe it myself initially that I had managed to win through against the strong competition that was around even then and against some world championship riders. Latvian Lauris Freibergs was my toughest adversary in 2006. He finished championship runner-up in that year. In 2008, it was the turn of Clément Desalle to pursue me particularly relentlessly. I think there isn't another series anywhere that can hold a candle to the ADAC MX Masters. In my opinion, the standard in the Masters is actually just below world championship level. From a purely organisational standpoint, though, the Masters is quite a way ahead of the world championship."

Belgian Ken De Dyck secured the inaugural Masters title. He lined up for the first time back in 2005 on a machine with a 450cc Honda engine. "I remember how great it felt to become the first ADAC MX Masters champion. Winning through against Max Nagl was pretty tough for me, but I did it in the end, fortunately," recalled the motocrosser, who is quite tall for a dirt bike ace. At any rate, Max and Ken were two very strong competitors at the time. In 2004, the Belgian was also in the lead at the International German Championship in Schefflenz but ultimately saw pole position and with it the title go to his biggest rival, as he could no longer deal with the tricky weather conditions and the many riders who had fallen in the mud on the steep slope and did not cross the finish line in time. And so, victory in the ADAC MX Masters in 2005 was even sweeter for Ken. "Competing in this really very professional and well structured motocross series has helped me greatly in my career because I've significantly improved my riding through competing on many different tracks and in many different track conditions. In the meantime, for example, I've become a real specialist on hard tracks and have to thank the ADAC MX Masters for that," said Keeno, who was born in the Belgian university town of Leuven.