Grossglockner Races
Encyclopedia
The Grossglockner Automobile and Motorcycle Races took place in 1935, 1938 and 1939 on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road
in Austria
, county Salzburg
.
, had been opened in the year 1935 as a link between North and South of Middle Europe, the High Society of the Austrian motorsport had given a powerful demonstration of its presence. The First international Großglockner race took place on August 4, 1935, only one day after the official opening of the road. Still two further races should follow in 1938 and 1939; they had been named according to the political development “Großer Bergpreis von Deutschland” (Hill climb Race Grand Prix of Germany
).
; Hans Kessler, Max Christen and Christian Kautz
from the Switzerland
; Zanelli came from Spain
, Bruno Sojka and the brothers George and Zdenek Pohl as well as engineer Proskowetz from Czechoslovakia
; from England
Richard Seaman
and Thomas Clarkes, from the Netherlands
Cornelius and Herkuleyns, from Belgium
Cocagne, from France
Pierre Rey and Comte de Bremond, and finally from Hungary
the drivers Wilheim and Delmar.
The Austrian participation with cars was small, from Germany
had been come the mountain specialists Bobby Kohlrausch with his 750-cc-supercharged-MG, Rudolf Steinweg and Walter Bäumer. The very opposite situation with the motorcycle racer: there the Austrians placed the bulk with the mountain-experienced Martin Schneeweiss, Michael Gayer, Hermann Deimel and Otto Steinfellner leading the team, while only a few foreigners had entered for the motor cycle competition. From Switzerland
had come the two NSU
specialists Hans Stärkle with his wife in the sidecar and Hans Kaufmann
, from Italy
Radames Bianchi, from Hungary
Gyula Patho and from Germany
Schnitzelbaumer from Munich
.
On the 19,5 kilometres long race course of rolled sand, which had been still wet with rain at the beginning, the 250 cc motor cycle class was won by the Italian Bianchi on his Miller Balsamo (actual Ludwig Zangerl, Salzburg
on Rudge had been the fastest but he had been disqualified due to break of regulations); in the 350 cc class the Viennese Hermann Deimel on Velocette
won on an average of 72,7 km/h speed; in the half litre class Michael Gayer, likewise a Viennese, was on his work Husqvarna
two cylinder successful and came on an average speed of 75,4 km/h.
The fastest motor cycle time completed by Martin Schneeweiss, who was not specialized yet at that time on speedway racing, likewise of Vienna
, in the class over 500 cc. With his Austro Omega (600 cc JAP
engine) he speeded up on the average of 76,5 km/h, which corresponded to a time of 15:17,57 min. The side car class had been dominated by Hans Stärkle on NSU
with an average speed of 70,8 km/h.
With automobiles succeeded the best sports car time to the Italian Carlo Pintacuda, whose Alfa Romeo
from the Scuderia Ferrari
made an average speed of 76,7 km/h (15:15,69 min.), only scarcely two seconds faster than the fastest motor cycle racer. The highlight of the racing cars was the race of Mario Tadini, who shot up with his Alfa, likewise from the Scuderia Ferrari, in a time of 14:42,74 min. (79,58 km/h).
Despite the absence of, at that time at the focus of the general interest, Auto Union
and Daimler Benz, the Großglockner Race 1935 was a brilliant event.
on Auto Union
, Hermann Lang
on Mercedes and Manfred von Brauchitsch
participated with their automobiles, Ewald Kluge on DKW
, Leonhard Fassl on NSU
lined up at the start beside many other participants of the first race from 1935.
The Austrians were steely-eyed during the Glockner race in 1938 as a blue automobile, a perfectly ordinary touring car never seen there before, hummed happily up the Grossglockner
race course. The loudspeakers made it known that this vehicle required 21:54,4
minutes for the 12,5 km course and achieved an average of 34,5 km per hour.
Utterly without boiling over or adding cooling water. There was a famous man at
the wheel: Prof. Ferdinand Porsche
, and the automobile – the “KdF car”,
Germany’s Volkswagen
!
Prof. Ferdinand Porsche, who ran a construction office in Stuttgart
, constructed this Volkswagen on commission to the German government of the day. Prof. Porsche was then forced during the Second World War to move his factory to Gmünd in Carinthia
. The first Porsche models were made there after the war. When the factory again returned to Stuttgart, he also founded the oldest Porsche
workshop in Austria, the Porsche in the Alpenstraße in
Salzburg. Prof. Porsche also constructed the Auto Union
type C racing car,
which with about 520 horse power dominated the races in the mid-thirties. This
racing car was also used in the three Glockner races.
Grossglockner on August 26, 1938. The field of participants was not very large – motor-sport was simply very expensive! Sepp Hofmann from Salzburg
on a private BMW 500 R 51 SS provided one of the two sensations among motorcycle-racing participants in the second Grossglockner race.
The first was that Ewald Kluge (Germany
) rode in the worst possible weather the best motorcycle time of 68,46 km per hour and thus became the “German Hill Climb Champion”. And that with only a 250cc DKW
racing motorcycle! It should be mentioned that the “German Hill Climb Champion” title was given to the rider achieving the best overall time, independent of the racing class. Kluge rode up the mountain in an overall time (two heats) of 22:05,2 minutes. The second sensation was that the private rider, Sepp Hofmann, with an overall time of 24:38,2 minutes, won in the half-litre class ahead of the DKW works rider, Bungerz.
The course length in 1938 was 12,5 km; one drove twice from the Ferleitentoll gate to the Fuscher Törl. As the winner of the 350cc class, brand colleague Sissi Wünsche (Germany), achieved a time of only 23:12,1 minutes. This was because bad weather hindered fast riding during the event. The newly minted European dirt-track champion, Martin Schneeweiss from Vienna
, Austria, disappointed the spectators. He had been taken into the BMW
works team that year, but could not get along with the supercharged boxer. He already had “dismounted” in the Grand Prix of Germany in Hohenstein, which also happened to him on the Grossglockner.
Hans Stuck
became the “German Hill Climb Champion” in an Auto Union
with an overall time of 20:10 minutes (74,67 km per hour) ahead of Hermann Lang
and Manfred von Brauchitsch
(both in Mercedes Benz).
12 % covers an altitude difference of 1.285m. But because the start itself was at 1.145 m, and
the highest point at 2.400 m, a worsening of engine performance became evident due to the
thin air. And then with bad and constantly changing weather the race technicians were really
put through their paces. In respect of weather, the Grossglockner is unfortunately by no means
timid. Sun, rain or fog can alternate often within minutes. Thus the third and last event on the mountain, on August 6, 1939, suffered severely under this capriciousness.
During training, in dry weather, Hans Stuck
drove in an Auto Union
and at 8:59,6 minutes set a new record (84,7 km per hour). Among the motorcycles it was always the DKW
racing motorcycles that achieved the fasted training times.
On the day of the race the Grossglockner showed itself in its worst mood. Following grey thunderstorms in the morning, the loveliest high-summer weather prevailed at noon, but at the start of the race this turned into rain and fog. The fog was so thick that visibility
was hardly 20 metres. The average speed then also told the tale all too clearly: Martin Schneeweiss (DKW
), winner of the 250cc class - 63,04 km per hour – even beating the DKW
works rider Walfried Winkler; Leonhard Faßl (NSU
), winner of the 350cc class - 62,87 km per hour; Georg Mittenwald (DKW), winner of the 500cc class - 66.85 km per hour, the best sportscar time was driven by Polensky from Berlin
in a BMW
(67,45 km per hour), among the racing cars it was Hermann Lang
in a Mercedes Benz with 75,09 km per hour, who as overall winner became the German Hill Climb Champion. Hans Stuck
in an Auto Union
achieved second place with 74,88 km per hour.
The Second World War broke out a little later and the Grossglockner never again was conquered in race speed.
But the great competitions taken place at this famous race course should not fall into oblivion. As early as 1985, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the existence of the road, it came again to a meeting of motor sport enthusiasts at the Grossglockner: about 100 automobiles and motorcycles from the time before 1940 ago met there. For example Hans Hermann with the Mercedes W 196, Silver arrow, joined the meeting. And of course Professor Dr. Helmut Krackowizer
came and was highly pleased about reviving of an old past time - despite the bad weather conditions.
Since 2002 there had been a regularity race for historical racing motorcycles up to vintage 1961 in memoriam Prof. Dr. Helmut Krackowizer
who died in 2001, the "Grossglockner Trophy Memorial Prof. Dr. Helmut Krackowizer". It took place every two years for three times (2002, 2004 and 2006).
Grossglockner High Alpine Road
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is a panoramic road in Austria, in the state of Salzburg. It connects the state of Salzburg with the state of Carinthia...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, county Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
.
History
When after five years of construction of the Grossglockner High Alpine RoadGrossglockner High Alpine Road
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is a panoramic road in Austria, in the state of Salzburg. It connects the state of Salzburg with the state of Carinthia...
, had been opened in the year 1935 as a link between North and South of Middle Europe, the High Society of the Austrian motorsport had given a powerful demonstration of its presence. The First international Großglockner race took place on August 4, 1935, only one day after the official opening of the road. Still two further races should follow in 1938 and 1939; they had been named according to the political development “Großer Bergpreis von Deutschland” (Hill climb Race Grand Prix of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
).
1935
Despite political problems many foreign racing drivers and riders participated in this first race 1935: With their automobiles came Tadini, Ballestrero, Pintacuda, Strazza and Villoresi from ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; Hans Kessler, Max Christen and Christian Kautz
Christian Kautz
Christian Kautz was an auto racing driver from Switzerland.Son of a Swiss multi-millionaire, his career started with Mercedes-Benz as a junior driver in 1936, then as an Auto Union junior driver in 1938, starting in three Grands Prix. Kautz was a testpilot for Lockheed in the USA during the Second...
from the Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; Zanelli came from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Bruno Sojka and the brothers George and Zdenek Pohl as well as engineer Proskowetz from Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
; from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Richard Seaman
Richard Seaman
Richard John Beattie "Dick" Seaman , was one of the greatest pre-war Grand Prix drivers from Britain....
and Thomas Clarkes, from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Cornelius and Herkuleyns, from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Cocagne, from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Pierre Rey and Comte de Bremond, and finally from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
the drivers Wilheim and Delmar.
The Austrian participation with cars was small, from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
had been come the mountain specialists Bobby Kohlrausch with his 750-cc-supercharged-MG, Rudolf Steinweg and Walter Bäumer. The very opposite situation with the motorcycle racer: there the Austrians placed the bulk with the mountain-experienced Martin Schneeweiss, Michael Gayer, Hermann Deimel and Otto Steinfellner leading the team, while only a few foreigners had entered for the motor cycle competition. From Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
had come the two NSU
NSU Motorenwerke AG
NSU Motorenwerke AG, normally just NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. It was acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969...
specialists Hans Stärkle with his wife in the sidecar and Hans Kaufmann
Hans Kaufmann
Hans Kaufmann is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss National Council and business consultant.- Political career : He was first elected to the Swiss National Council in 1999 as a member of the Swiss People's Party of the Canton of Zurich...
, from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Radames Bianchi, from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Gyula Patho and from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Schnitzelbaumer from Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
On the 19,5 kilometres long race course of rolled sand, which had been still wet with rain at the beginning, the 250 cc motor cycle class was won by the Italian Bianchi on his Miller Balsamo (actual Ludwig Zangerl, Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
on Rudge had been the fastest but he had been disqualified due to break of regulations); in the 350 cc class the Viennese Hermann Deimel on Velocette
Velocette
Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton or Triumph concerns...
won on an average of 72,7 km/h speed; in the half litre class Michael Gayer, likewise a Viennese, was on his work Husqvarna
Husqvarna Motorcycles
Husqvarna Motorcycles, a subsidiary of BMW, is a company manufacturing motocross, enduro and supermoto motorcycles. The company began producing motorcycles in 1903 at Huskvarna, Sweden, as a branch of the Husqvarna armament firm which had supplied the Swedish army with rifles since 1689.-History:As...
two cylinder successful and came on an average speed of 75,4 km/h.
The fastest motor cycle time completed by Martin Schneeweiss, who was not specialized yet at that time on speedway racing, likewise of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, in the class over 500 cc. With his Austro Omega (600 cc JAP
JA Prestwich Industries Ltd
JA Prestwich Industries, was an English engineering company named after founder John Alfred Prestwich, which produced cinematographic equipment, internal combustion engines , and other examples of precision engineering.-History:J. A...
engine) he speeded up on the average of 76,5 km/h, which corresponded to a time of 15:17,57 min. The side car class had been dominated by Hans Stärkle on NSU
NSU Motorenwerke AG
NSU Motorenwerke AG, normally just NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. It was acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969...
with an average speed of 70,8 km/h.
With automobiles succeeded the best sports car time to the Italian Carlo Pintacuda, whose Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
from the Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
made an average speed of 76,7 km/h (15:15,69 min.), only scarcely two seconds faster than the fastest motor cycle racer. The highlight of the racing cars was the race of Mario Tadini, who shot up with his Alfa, likewise from the Scuderia Ferrari, in a time of 14:42,74 min. (79,58 km/h).
Despite the absence of, at that time at the focus of the general interest, Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
and Daimler Benz, the Großglockner Race 1935 was a brilliant event.
1938
The meetings followed in 1938 and 1939 indeed brought the large work race stables to the Grossglockner Road, but the atmosphere were strongly impaired by bad weather conditions. Also the numbers of entries remained in a modest scale. Hill climb race champion Hans StuckHans Stuck
Hans Stuck was a German motor racing driver...
on Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
, Hermann Lang
Hermann Lang
Hermann Lang was a German champion race car driver.Born in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, at age fourteen Hermann Lang had to go to work to help support his family following the death of his father...
on Mercedes and Manfred von Brauchitsch
Manfred von Brauchitsch
Manfred Georg Rudolf von Brauchitsch was a German auto racing driver who drove for Mercedes-Benz in the famous "Silver Arrows" of Grand Prix motor racing in the 1930s....
participated with their automobiles, Ewald Kluge on DKW
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
, Leonhard Fassl on NSU
NSU Motorenwerke AG
NSU Motorenwerke AG, normally just NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. It was acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969...
lined up at the start beside many other participants of the first race from 1935.
The Austrians were steely-eyed during the Glockner race in 1938 as a blue automobile, a perfectly ordinary touring car never seen there before, hummed happily up the Grossglockner
race course. The loudspeakers made it known that this vehicle required 21:54,4
minutes for the 12,5 km course and achieved an average of 34,5 km per hour.
Utterly without boiling over or adding cooling water. There was a famous man at
the wheel: Prof. Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
, and the automobile – the “KdF car”,
Germany’s Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
!
Prof. Ferdinand Porsche, who ran a construction office in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, constructed this Volkswagen on commission to the German government of the day. Prof. Porsche was then forced during the Second World War to move his factory to Gmünd in Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
. The first Porsche models were made there after the war. When the factory again returned to Stuttgart, he also founded the oldest Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
workshop in Austria, the Porsche in the Alpenstraße in
Salzburg. Prof. Porsche also constructed the Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
type C racing car,
which with about 520 horse power dominated the races in the mid-thirties. This
racing car was also used in the three Glockner races.
Grossglockner on August 26, 1938. The field of participants was not very large – motor-sport was simply very expensive! Sepp Hofmann from Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
on a private BMW 500 R 51 SS provided one of the two sensations among motorcycle-racing participants in the second Grossglockner race.
The first was that Ewald Kluge (Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) rode in the worst possible weather the best motorcycle time of 68,46 km per hour and thus became the “German Hill Climb Champion”. And that with only a 250cc DKW
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
racing motorcycle! It should be mentioned that the “German Hill Climb Champion” title was given to the rider achieving the best overall time, independent of the racing class. Kluge rode up the mountain in an overall time (two heats) of 22:05,2 minutes. The second sensation was that the private rider, Sepp Hofmann, with an overall time of 24:38,2 minutes, won in the half-litre class ahead of the DKW works rider, Bungerz.
The course length in 1938 was 12,5 km; one drove twice from the Ferleitentoll gate to the Fuscher Törl. As the winner of the 350cc class, brand colleague Sissi Wünsche (Germany), achieved a time of only 23:12,1 minutes. This was because bad weather hindered fast riding during the event. The newly minted European dirt-track champion, Martin Schneeweiss from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria, disappointed the spectators. He had been taken into the BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
works team that year, but could not get along with the supercharged boxer. He already had “dismounted” in the Grand Prix of Germany in Hohenstein, which also happened to him on the Grossglockner.
Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck was a German motor racing driver...
became the “German Hill Climb Champion” in an Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
with an overall time of 20:10 minutes (74,67 km per hour) ahead of Hermann Lang
Hermann Lang
Hermann Lang was a German champion race car driver.Born in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, at age fourteen Hermann Lang had to go to work to help support his family following the death of his father...
and Manfred von Brauchitsch
Manfred von Brauchitsch
Manfred Georg Rudolf von Brauchitsch was a German auto racing driver who drove for Mercedes-Benz in the famous "Silver Arrows" of Grand Prix motor racing in the 1930s....
(both in Mercedes Benz).
1939
The course on the north side of the Glockner Massif with a maximum gradient of12 % covers an altitude difference of 1.285m. But because the start itself was at 1.145 m, and
the highest point at 2.400 m, a worsening of engine performance became evident due to the
thin air. And then with bad and constantly changing weather the race technicians were really
put through their paces. In respect of weather, the Grossglockner is unfortunately by no means
timid. Sun, rain or fog can alternate often within minutes. Thus the third and last event on the mountain, on August 6, 1939, suffered severely under this capriciousness.
During training, in dry weather, Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck was a German motor racing driver...
drove in an Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
and at 8:59,6 minutes set a new record (84,7 km per hour). Among the motorcycles it was always the DKW
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
racing motorcycles that achieved the fasted training times.
On the day of the race the Grossglockner showed itself in its worst mood. Following grey thunderstorms in the morning, the loveliest high-summer weather prevailed at noon, but at the start of the race this turned into rain and fog. The fog was so thick that visibility
was hardly 20 metres. The average speed then also told the tale all too clearly: Martin Schneeweiss (DKW
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
), winner of the 250cc class - 63,04 km per hour – even beating the DKW
works rider Walfried Winkler; Leonhard Faßl (NSU
NSU Motorenwerke AG
NSU Motorenwerke AG, normally just NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. It was acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969...
), winner of the 350cc class - 62,87 km per hour; Georg Mittenwald (DKW), winner of the 500cc class - 66.85 km per hour, the best sportscar time was driven by Polensky from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in a BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
(67,45 km per hour), among the racing cars it was Hermann Lang
Hermann Lang
Hermann Lang was a German champion race car driver.Born in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, at age fourteen Hermann Lang had to go to work to help support his family following the death of his father...
in a Mercedes Benz with 75,09 km per hour, who as overall winner became the German Hill Climb Champion. Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck was a German motor racing driver...
in an Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
achieved second place with 74,88 km per hour.
The Second World War broke out a little later and the Grossglockner never again was conquered in race speed.
After the Second World War
Today the regular traffic has become too much dense than one could close this road for a weekend. Also the safety requirements would not have to be brought in harmony with the conditions to be found along the road.But the great competitions taken place at this famous race course should not fall into oblivion. As early as 1985, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the existence of the road, it came again to a meeting of motor sport enthusiasts at the Grossglockner: about 100 automobiles and motorcycles from the time before 1940 ago met there. For example Hans Hermann with the Mercedes W 196, Silver arrow, joined the meeting. And of course Professor Dr. Helmut Krackowizer
Helmut Krackowizer
Prof. Dr. Dkfm. Helmut Krackowizer, in England also known as "Mister Rudge", Prof. Dr. Dkfm. Helmut Krackowizer, in England also known as "Mister Rudge", Prof. Dr. Dkfm. Helmut Krackowizer, in England also known as "Mister Rudge", (* April 29, 1922 in Frankenmarkt, Upper Austria, Austria; † October...
came and was highly pleased about reviving of an old past time - despite the bad weather conditions.
Since 2002 there had been a regularity race for historical racing motorcycles up to vintage 1961 in memoriam Prof. Dr. Helmut Krackowizer
Helmut Krackowizer
Prof. Dr. Dkfm. Helmut Krackowizer, in England also known as "Mister Rudge", Prof. Dr. Dkfm. Helmut Krackowizer, in England also known as "Mister Rudge", Prof. Dr. Dkfm. Helmut Krackowizer, in England also known as "Mister Rudge", (* April 29, 1922 in Frankenmarkt, Upper Austria, Austria; † October...
who died in 2001, the "Grossglockner Trophy Memorial Prof. Dr. Helmut Krackowizer". It took place every two years for three times (2002, 2004 and 2006).