25 replies to this topic

[RAP]

I am researching early 500cc F3 races in Finland. Can anyone help with the dates of the following races in held in 1949 & 50 please ?

1949
Tampere 1st Curt Lincoln
Lappeenranta 1st Lars Finnila
Unknown 1st Ake Jonsson/ Nils Gagner / Kurt Erilsson

1950
Tampere 1st Curt Lincoln
Lappeenranta 1st Ake Jonsson
Seinajoella 1st Curt Lincoln
Kapylassa 1st Nils Gagner / Eiler Svensson

I think all were probably 1 km dirt tracks.
Source is book on Elaintarhanajojen but as this is in Finnish my understanding is limited......
Thanks
RAP

[Tomas Karlsson]

This is what I have found apart from Djurgårdsloppet:

1949
May 11th Hippos, Tampere 1. "Erik Lindqvist" (Curt Lincoln) , KG Spl, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

May 15th Lappeenranta 1. Lars Finnilä, KG Spl, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

June 17th Käpylä, Helsinki 1. "Erik Lindqvist" (Curt Lincoln) KG Spl, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

July 17th Säinäjoki 1. "Erik Lindqvist" (Curt Lincoln) KG Spl, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

Sep 25th Käpylä, Helsinki 1. Nils Gagner, S, Effyh, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

The Jönsson/ Gagner/ Eriksson (Knut Eriksson, not Kurt) you found in the book is refering to the winners of the A-, B- and C-final at the Amager races in Denmark. (I can't read Finnish either, but I have other sources).

1950
May 10th Hippos, Tampere 1. Curt Lincoln, Effyh, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

May 14th Lappeenranta 1. Åke Jönsson, S, Effyh, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

June 18th Riihimäki 1. Lars Finnilä, KG Spl, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

July 6th Hippos, Tampere 1. Curt Lincoln, Effyh, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

July 9th Säinäjoki 1. Curt Lincoln, Effyh, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

Aug ? Savonlinna 1. Curt Lincoln, Effyh, 10 laps x 3400m road race

Aug 27th Pori 1. Jorma Heino, KRG, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

Sep 10th Käpylä, Helsinki 1. Nils Gagner, S, Effyh, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track
(Eiler Svensson, S, Effyh won an extra final heat)

[Darren Galpin]

Does anyone know anything else about those venues?

[Tomas Karlsson]

What do you want to know?

I know that the Hippos, Käpylä and Seinäjoki tracks were oval trotting courses.
Lapeenranta was probably an oval made up for motor racing on the airfield, but the other 1000m ovals were probably all trotting courses.
The horse track were popular venues in Scandinavian racing. The first races were held in the late 20ies. Most of the races were short sprints with 2-4 cars at the time, but at Käpylä they did longer races with big fields in the thirties. And I have seen pictures of races with more cars on these ovals in later years, but I don't know much about them.

[Darren Galpin]

How long were they used for?

[Tomas Karlsson]

I think it differed. I know that motor racing more or less disappeared on most horse tracks in Sweden, when they were rebuilt with banking for the horses. Somewhere in the sixties? The trotting sport is big in Scandinavia and turns over a lot of money and I don't think they want to have cars destroying the tracks.
But there have been races at Solvalla in Stockholm, Sweden in recent time. The Camaro Cup was there a couple of years ago. They even had an event this year. Not an ordinary race, but a type of Masters game, with invited drivers from different types of motorsport competing against each other in different cars.
In the 30ies and into the 50ies there were two Motor-Solvalla every year. With races for bikes and cars.
They even raced on horse-tracks in the winter. And on some places they made horse-tracks on ice, that also was used by cars.

In the 50ies they even tried longer races at Solvalla with big fields for F3. The track was extended with a loop inside the oval and the cars had to make pitstops. These races were called "Little Indianapolis", but didn't come down as an success.
An accident, when Gunnar Wahlberg was killed at Solvalla in 1956 in his sportscar, more or less marked the end for more extreme cars on these ovals unfortunately.
In Denmark, where like in Britain racing on ordinary roads wasn't allowed, they built a 1000m oval only for motor racing at Hobro in 1947. And another romb-like "oval" was built at Korskro.

F3 in Scandinavia started as midget racing. They raced on speedway ovals, trotting courses and hill-climbs. The first Swedish cars had only brakes on the rear wheels, but soon thay started racing on other types of tracks. They could go from short sprints on 400m ovals one week to long races on Hedemora's 7 km track the next. The main contenders had different cars and engines depending on type of track.

[RAP]

Thomas
Thank you very much for your excellent reply. Could I ask were there any 500cc races in 1948?
RAP

[Tomas Karlsson]

1948

Sep 5th Käpylä, Helsinki 1. Fred Geitel, KG Spl-JAP, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

Sep 26th Käpylä, Helsinki 1. Oscar Swahn, S, Cooper-SRM, 5 laps on 1000m dirt track

My knowledge in Finnish is somewhat limited, thanks to the language barrier (thankfully Swedish is also spoken in parts of Finland. And there is a Swedish newspaper in Helsinki). I don't know if they raced on shorter ovals like in Sweden. But they arranged a lot of roadraces later on.
The first of the Käpylä races in September -48 was also the first F3 (or midget as they were called) race in Finland. The contestants were the two Finnish-built KG spl. And Geitel won in with the only JAP-engine that they had managed to get. Finnilä's car had a 750cc DKW engine. (So I don't know if it should be called a 500cc race...?)
When Oscar Swahn then came over for the next race driving a new Cooper with a Swedish-built SRM engine, the Finns realized that they had a lot of work to do.
The second race was a part of a motorcycle event and Swahn was faster than the big racing cars (home-built specials) had been at the first meeting.

[RAP]

Thomas
Thank you again
RAP

[Tomas Karlsson]

Darren, I didn't remember quite right about that event at Solvalla horse track this year. It was a race between Sweden and Finland. Thed Björk from Sweden won (he was also Swedish touring car champion later this year).
www.finnkampenmotor.com
As you can see on the track layout, they had made a special one-lane rally track. It was not the wide gravel oval.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Tomas Karlsson
The first of the Käpylä races in September -48 was also the first F3 (or midget as they were called) race in Finland. The contestants were the two Finnish-built KG spl. And Geitel won in with the only JAP-engine that they had managed to get. Finnilä's car had a 750cc DKW engine. (So I don't know if it should be called a 500cc race...?)

The "midget" class in Sweden at that time was for 750s, changing to 500 in 1949. I think the first Swebes were 750s. Would it be logical to assume the same situation applied in Finland?

[Darren Galpin]

Thanks Tomas.

[Tomas Karlsson]

The "midget" class in Sweden at that time was for 750s, changing to 500 in 1949. I think the first Swebes were 750s. Would it be logical to assume the same situation applied in Finland?

Sorry, David. Midget racing in Sweden settled for 500cc from the start of the 1948 season. Before that there were talks of different classes, but they were never introduced in Sweden. Instead they followed the international rules from 1948. Something some Swedish enthusiasts was not too happy about. They had already started building new cars. Some of them could fit into F2 and was entered for the F2 race at Stockholm in 48. And some of the cars raced together for some races and hill-climbs in 1949, under the class-name "American midgets".
During 1946 and 47 cars of different engine size competed against each other in the "midget" class (there were 1000cc engines). There were very few cars, and the midget races were more shows with 2-3 cars in between heats in motor cycle races, than real car races. When Åke Jönsson came with the little Effyh and drove circles aroud the others, the discussions about classes and engine sizes were made simple.

The first Swebe (it was just one example and I don't think it ever got that name) had a 750cc engine and it competed against the Effyh during 1947. The second "Swebe" was supposed to be a car with two 500 JAP-engines, but when the new 500-rules were set, Peterson and Andersson built two 500cc cars instead. Effyh had already built two 1000cc cars, but they were later raced with 500cc engines.

As for the Finnish KG specials: The tests with the prototype had been done with the DKW engine to save the JAP. They had only one JAP engine which went into the second car. But with two cars they could have a little race. I don't think they ever had another class. By this time "midget racing" in Scandinavia was for 500cc cars.
As for the second race, I think both cars had 500cc engines. That was anyway their intention. The 500 JAP was a lot faster than the heavy DKW. Since Finland had very strict import restrictions, they built five cars for the Finnish drivers. But the KG Spl were no match for the Swedish cars.

[RAP]

Was the KRG raced by Jorma Heino in 1950 a KG renamed or something different?

[Tomas Karlsson]

I guess that it was one of the KG specials. Heino's car during the 1950 season was called KRG, KGR spl and KG spl. So it was probably one of the KG specials all along. But I don't have any other sources than race results.

[David McKinney]

Thanks very much for clarifying my 500/750/1000 confusion Tomas
But one small point - were there any international 500 regulations in 1948? It was not until 1950 that the FIA offically sanctioned the class as Formula 3

[Tomas Karlsson]

I don't know how international the rules were, maybe someone else can clarify that, but the influence came clearly from Great Britain. The 500 movement there was rather strong and I think that was influental for the Swedish desicion. And 500cc dirt track racing for motorcycles (later speedway) was rather popular in Sweden and Denmark, so there were a lot of knowledge, engines and tracks. Many of the drivers were former motorcycle drivers.

There were several classes for racing cars in 1947, among them one for 500cc. In 1948 they cleaned up among these classes, that's why the Cisitalia had to race among two litre cars in F2. But I don't know what happened with the 500cc class during these years. It lived on anyway.

Sweden made up their own rules in 48, but probably had a good look on the Danish and British. And Finland adopted the Swedish rules (apart from one thing - the rollbar).
One special thing with the Danish and Swedish cars were that a roll-bar was mandatory. Probably because they raced on small ovals. But several drivers walked away from nasty rolls thanks to the roll-cage and seatbelt.

I don't know what the British rules looked like, but since you only had to put a roll-bar on the Cooper, there can't have been much difference.

In Denmark they had introduced several classes in 1947 (they only had oval racing): 500, 501-1100, 1101-2000 and over 2000. But Denmark lost momentum because of first petrol rationing and later heavy taxes on events.

[Bonde]

Thanks for those insightful posts, Tomas

For my two øre worth: Korskrobanen is still in use.


The first Swebe was a front-engined DKW-based car (front wheel drive, IIRC), its early successes inspiring Danish 'constructors'. Until the Midget class settled on 500cc in Denmark, various cars with larger engines but otherwise "within the spirit of the regulations" took part in some of the admittedly few early post-war events, notable among them Oscar Madsen's front-engined Tatra Special. From what I've been able to determine about this car, it had the engine and running gear from a pre-war Tatra 57, which would be about 1100cc. A very unusual feature was that the final drive was located under the driver's knees, the drive thence taken to the wheels by a pair of chains, pre-WWI style! This enabled a very low build, since there was no prop shaft or such that would normally raise the driver up high. Another unusual feature was that the bodywork was made from a Messerschmitt fighter drop tank, plenty of these having been left behind by the Luftwaffe at various airbases. Legend has it that the bodywork of Madsen's Tatra Special was made from an RAF air-drop container used to supply the Resistance movement, but having examined both pictures of the car and such a container (which was made from sheet steel), I can safely say that story is a canard, but understandably more 'romantic' than the one offered by the use of an ex-Luftwaffe piece of kit, however more suitable for the purpose.

Another interesting Danish 'larger-than-500cc' Midget was Steensen Freemann's Special. This was also front-engined, used runnig gear from a DKW (like the Swebe), but unusually it had a VW engine mounted under its bonnet and driving the front wheels. How Freeman got hold of a VW engine in 1947 is curious - possibly he got it from a German Wehrmacht vehicle left behind.

(Edited to correct Freemann-Steensen's name after reading Tomas' post below - the Sand Man han already been to see me when I wrote my post...)

[Tomas Karlsson]

I don't think the first "Swebe" inspred the Danish drivers, since it didn't have much success. Åke Jönsson had already debuted the prototype Effyh, and it was clearly a lot faster. I don't think the first Swebe ever was in Denmark.

But the two Swedish midgets built in 1946 might have inspired. There were at least one Danish car that was a copy of Bergström's HD-driven car from '46.
The same day as Jönsson presented the Effyh for the public, Denmark held it's first midget race at Hem-Odde, won by Robert Nelleman in his newly-built 500cc car.
Denmark was the most active midget racing country in Scandinavia in '47, but economic problems put the brakes on the movement in '48.
Jönsson was over in Denmark in 47 and beat all the Danish drivers though.
In August '47 Norway invited four other Nordic cars for two races in Oslo, trying to present midget racing for the Norwegians. It was the Danes Mortensen and Madsen in their bigger cars and Åke Jönsson in his Effyh against Dane Kaj Hansen in his 500 car. Jönsson won both races against Hansen and the 500 cars were a lot faster than the bigger cars.

When Freeman-Stensen were ready with his VW-car there were hardly any races in Denmark. And in Sweden there were no classes for the bigger cars. He was going to meet Jönsson in one of the 1000cc Effyhs at a meeting in Malmö, but the big Effyh broke down in practice. Jönsson took the 500 instead, but that was no problem and he ran easily away from the VW. Freeman-Stensen was able to race his car in '49, both in Denmark and in Sweden. A pretty car with little success.

In late '48, there was a big 500 meeting in Sweden. It attracted 10 Swedish cars and 4 Danish.

[RAP]

Thomas

The big meeting in Sweden in 1948 that you mention - can you give a list of entries and the results?

Also can I ask the same about the June 17th 1949 Kapyla race.

Amager 1949 was the date August 11th?

Thanks
RAP

[Bonde]

Tomas,

Thanks again for clearing things up.

My source of the alleged Swebe successes and inspiration for Danish DKW-based Specials stems from the journal of the Danish DKW-club, "Skylleporten" ('The Scavenge Port') of March 1996, which was used as part of the display of Danish Racing cars at Ole Sommer's Museum in early 2005. "Skylleporten" claims that two identical FWD Swebe-DKWs were built in 1947, both raced by Sven Andersson and Bengt Peterson, and that they won both oval (dirt, ice?) races and hillclimbs with them. I'll email or post pictures of the article excerpts on display if you're interested - though I certainly belive that it is posible 'Skylleporten' may have got it wrong!

Sorry about the slight derail...

[Tomas Karlsson]

Bonde:
My sources are Swedish motor magazines, newspapers (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish) and race programs from that time.... and interviews with the surviving drivers. I try to double-check everything I find.

In early 1948 Andersson and Peterson presented their first two Swebe 500s. And they raced them a lot all over Sweden. The '48 cars used parts from DKW, like front suspension and steering.
In '49 Andersson and Peterson presented two new beautiful and purposeful cars, built from scratch (without DKW parts). They were a lot lighter and faster and finally the Effyhs had got a real contender for the oval races and hill-climbs.

RAP:
If you give one finger...

The race was at Jägersro trotting course at Malmö Sep 5th 1948.
1. Åke Jönsson, Effyh
2. Oscar Swahn, Cooper
3. Kaj Hansen, Hansen
4. Knut Ericsson, KE Spl
...etc
I have all entries but not all results...
I have found 27 500 events in Sweden in 1948... a lot of work, but I am working on a book.


Käpylä June 17 1949
1. "Erik Lindqvist" KG Spl
2. K-E Kronqvist GKR Spl
3. Anatole Stünkel KG Spl
4 ?

Yes, the Amager race was the one at Aug 11th.

[Bonde]

Thanks for sharing your research, Tomas.

I have no reason to doubt your sources - it just makes me wonder what 'Skylleportens' sources were. I fully trust your research - and I'm also very impressed by it. The early midgets are to me some of the most fascinating racing cars ever built, when one considers the times and environment they were conceived, built and raced in. It must've been pure magic to have been a part of that fledgling movement right after 5 years of deep crisis. I wonder if you have enough material for a bokk and/or a website? Fascinating stuff!

[Tomas Karlsson]

Well the book is really about the Swedish specials, but I have to have a bit about the midgets too. Just to get the whole story.

The reason I started my research 15-16 years ago was because I found that an article about a Swedish car wasn't correct. So I did my own research on that car and haven't stopped.
Now I have so much information that I have to do something about it.

[RAP]

Thomas, thanks again - no more questions! I certainly had no idea 500 racing was so strong in Sweden and Norway in the early days of the class. I hope the book has an English version...
RAP

[Tomas Karlsson]

You may ask questions, but I don't think I can write down all results and entries here.

BTW It was never big in Norway. They had very few cars and it took some years before they got going. But in Sweden 500 racing was BIG. And it would have been a lot bigger and more succesful if firstly Åke Jönsson hadn't had that traffic accident in '51 (that stopped his career and ended Effyh development) and secondly if the Brits had been more willing to sell their Norton engines.