Grossglockner Trophy in Memorial Helmut Krackowizer

   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.

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