2nd Grossglockner Trophy Memorial Prof. Dr. Helmut Krackowizer
3rd July 2004

    103 keen hill climb competitors and many friends of vintage and classic era motorcycle sport gathered at the lower car park of the Grossglockner on the weekend 2./3. July 04. The Grossglockner is the highest mountain in Austria and the road pass over its peak has long been a challenge to all who love high speed motor and motorcycle sport.
    It was the second time that organiser Thomas Fritsch and the Motor Veteranen Club Zell am See had called two and three wheeled racers to the Grossglockners 12.9 challenging kilometres in the memory of the late Dr. Helmut Krackowizer
    To challenge the 27 bends and steep climb to above the snow line a large contingent came from Great Britain, led by the former multiple Trial world champion and road racer Sammy Miller. Miller brought a 1957 replica Gilera 4-Cylinder 500,from his museum in New Milton to Austria.
  With the generous of BMW's "Mobile Tradition" museum in Munich the well-known English road racer and secretary of many years of the "TT Riders Association" Allan Robinson, faced the hill with a 1939 BMW R51 RS. One of only two surviving machines from 12 made BMW were trusting Allan with a motorcycle worth 500000 Euros.
    Evidence of true grit was evidenced by Englishman Keith Wakelin. The engine of his 1929 "Cotton Blackburn" just refused to start. A whole day spent dismantling and restoring saw the engine run just in time for the days final run of 52,6 km/h on the 12.9 km long racing course!
    Two Morgan super aero tricycles from 1928 and 1929 with 1.200 cm³ were eye-catchers for the audience. Geof Bloor presented the personal machine of Freddy Frith (world champion 1949); a 1947 350 cc Velocette KTT MK 8.
    Germany was also well represented.
    August "Gustl" Hobl, runner up-350cc world champion in 1954 came by invitation of Porsche Alpenstrasse Salzburg and the "AUDI tradition" Museum in Ingolstadt with a 1939 DKW 250 SS supercharged bike.
    In 1939, an Austrian, Martin Schneeweiss, won the last pre war on a 250 DKW with a home made-supercharger. Martin also won then 1937 European sand racing championship.
    A beautiful 1929 Brough Superior SS 80was ridden by Jens Peter Brill; Otto Ziegler rode his 600cc ex Eric Oliver "Big Boy" 1955 Norton Manx, to seventh in his class on the aggregate of the times of the two runs. Otto had scored the fastest run of the day 9m:48.63seconds as speed of 78,9 km/h (49 mph).
    Manfred Schweiger, who took care technically about the Technical expert at "AUDI tradition", rode a star turn of the Twenties: a 600cc twin two stroke Scott 1929 TT Replica.
    Klaus Schwarzenberg brought an BSA Empire Star to the start. This is the actual bike on which Wal Handley won his legendary Brooklands race: he exceeded 100 miles in one hour and received the "Gold Star" - this became the BSA title for all of its sports motorcycles, the "Gold Star" was born!
    One heard "Schwizer Duetsch" in all corners of the paddock, which was stragically placed at the gates of the famous hill climb at Ferleiten.
    This in itself is 1.100 meters above sea level.
    The likeable sidecar-married couple Luzza and Uschi Cadonau, winner of the sidecar class in the 2002 event raced again as well as Hugo Ryf with a rare 1928 250cc Zehnder. Manfred Steiner had a rare French piece. A Alcyon Zürcher 350 from 1927 still completely original.
    There were, of course, Austrians, Hungarians from Hungary and from South Tyrol. Erwin Bozner from Nals with a Gilera "Otto Bottoni" (1938, 500 cm³). And also Austrians with their motorcycles had appeared to take part in the memorial.
    No wonder that then also a genuinely Austrian product had been the winner of the day: a Puch 250 SGSS year of construction 1958 with 250 cc: Hermann Stoeckl had thereby only 00.02 sec. time difference between his two heats. By the way: Hermann Stoeckl even was the winner in 2002 of his class.
    The brothers Kurt and Walter Wartbichler, well known from the ice speedway scene (Walter - 7th in the WM 1977, 10th - 1978 and 1980, both 4th at the team WM 1979, 5th - 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984) took part with a Yahama Siwaku Proto (1980, 250) as forerunner and with a Norton Manx 500, vintage 1960. The Motocross professional and desert rider Peter Hinterreiter took the distance with a Norton ES 2 (1947, 500 cm³) in attack. Erich Bernsteiner showed his Walter OHC, only two more pieces are existing. A Aermacchi Ala D'Oro ("golden wing"), year of construction 1961, 250 cm³, still original with aluminium cover brought Franz Dworak to the Trophy.
    On Friday - scrutineering - the weather God at the Grossglockner did not prove benevolent. Rain and wind in the paddock, fog on the mountains - it was like during the last great races in 1938 and 1939.
    AJS Kettel, NSU Bullus, Rudge Ulster, Moto Guzzi, Norton international and Manx, Velocette KTT MK 4, 8 and MAC, Matchless and BMW, Bultaco, Aermacchi, Moto Morini and other brands nearly marques made themselves ready for starting. Clearing weather at 8 o'clock in the morning of Saturday July 3 cheered everyone enormously.
    The higher a riders number the better and dryer the roads and the warmer the air. Even spectators began to appear, by midday they numbered over two thousand.
    All had rolled back to the paddock by 10.20 a.m. as the road was closed in both directions and while bikes started at 30 second intervals they coasted back down from 2000 meters high en masse.
    Terrible luck befell David Lawrence from England. On his first and what became his last run his Douglas (1949, 498 cc) lost a plug cap from one of its transverse cylinders. With the throttle held wide to maintain momentum Lawrence pushed the flailing plug cap back on and the engine went back on full song. Leant over in a tight corner the bike spat rider onto the road and totally removed a cylinder from the crankcases.
    Up to the start of the second heat at 17 o'clock there was motorcycle-nostalgic romance in the paddock: Peter Hinterreiter had put up beer tables in front of his van, with a "kitchen brigade" (the ladies), a Griller and small "restaurant operator/barkeeper shank", in which one met to a cosy chat. One found Sammy Miller in John Biggs' motor home at a central point in the paddock and so he always was "in contact" with the others. Huber father (Peter) and son (Anton) enjoyed the warm summer day. News that the summit of the Grossglockner (3,798 m a. s.) and the Pasterze (glacier) was now free of clouds. Roads were dry and the restart at 5 p.m. looked certain.
    In the marquee of AUDI Porsche Alpenstrasse Salzburg" one could admire precious objects on two and four wheels: the 1939 Velocette KTT MK 8, 350 cc, ridden by F. J. Binder and later, 1949, by Professor Helmut Krackowizer, stood beside the Auto Union Grand Prix racing car type C with 16 cylinders and the DKW 250 SS.
    The unique car designed by Ferdinand Porsche developed 295 HP (1934) on the wheels. In 1936 two years of development of the Vee 16 gave 520 HP. The car participated in 59 competitions, and won outright decide 33.
    On the Grossglockner the weather started to deteriorate but several thousand more spectators had gathered to see the fun.
    In the starting area Peter Krackowizer, one of the sons of the racing professor commentated ably about history and motorcycles.
    Sammy Miller opened the second heat. Letting rip to an average speed of 72,4 km/h. Gustl Hobl made the hill echo with his DKW.
    Organizer Thomas Fritsch had been second quickest on his opening run and was determined to win. Perhaps he tried too hard for he crashed heavily on a long left-hand bend three kilometers from the start and bounced off a wall to suffer a ride in an ambulance and a night in a hospital with broken ribs and severe bruises. A replacement ambulance had to be moved in and the race restarted.
    To close the day in perfect conditions the entire entry made its way back to the Paddock and the prize presentation in the "Lukas Hansl" Hotel opposite the paddock.
    Harry Long, a diminutive Englishman on Rudge Rapid (1938, 250 cc) had achieved the impossible aggregate for his two runs of only 3 seconds and won the premier award. Arndt Schoppmeyer (FRG) on NSU dohc (1938, 250 cm³ whose motorcycle was originally found cemented into a house wall, and Hugo Ryf (Zehnder 1928, 250 cc,) were second and third best.
    In the Pre war class 1939 Werner Brack with his standard BS 500 (1929) scored against Thomas's Malzer (AJS R8-S, 1930) and Juergen Schwarzmann (BMW R51 SS, 1939). Allan Robinson suffering from a binding rear brake rode his BMW R51 SS to a sensible 20th.
    In the 1941 to 1961 350 cc class a Austrian mark won: Hermann Stoeckl Puch 250 SGSS (1958), had the closest aggregatet times. Walter Malzner on Horak Walter OHC (350, 1947), the frame of Horak, was second and Alfons Rebholz (Moto Morini Corsa (125, 1961) third.
    A Matchless G50, ridden by Kurt Schwarz was victorious in 1941 to 1961 over 350 cc category. Andreas Luck on Gilera Saturo Competicione (500, 1940) and Klaus Worringer ( Norton Triton 740, 1957) took silver and bronze trophies. Sammy Miller on his Gilera 500 was 13th and 69 year old John Biggs on Norton Manx 15th.
    Harry Manzel of the ORF (Austrian Television) regional studio Salzburg rode only the first heat, just like the former ice speedway racer Walter Wartbichler and the Moto Morini Settebello once raced by Giacomo Agostini now piloted by Leopold Seebacher went only once up the mountain.
    The sidecars and tricycles had Winners Siegfried Judge and Fritz Wittmann on BMW R50/16, outfit had only a time difference of 0:03,05 sec. and attained average speed of 64,51 km/h (40 mph). Still faster were the secondary placed Gary and Barbara Caroline from England with their 1929 Morgan super aero tricar.
    Sammy Miller said good-bye at the awards ceremony with nice words about the organizer, detaimed overnight in hospital, Thomas Fritsch, and promised, to come again to the 3rd Grossglockner Trophy and Professor Krackowizer Memorial in two years, 2006.
    Sammy said "we are like a big family". And that was the theme of the whole meeting. Peter Krackowizer said " I am sure that my fathers spirit walked through the paddock and was pleased"
    It was such a happy and fulfilling weekend that had the "Krack" still been alive he would have been very happy indeed.
    Translated by Allan Robinson (thanks!)
    Peter Krackowizer July 2004