8 replies to this topic

[Frank de Jong]

This is a long shot, but as van Gaal would say it "you never know how a cow catches a hare".
For four years, Hockenheim had a 12-hour race for small cars up to 700 cc. Now I do know the winners of the 1960 and 1961 editions (in fact they are on my site), I found some good results for 1959 but for 1958 Google turned up a lot of interesting things (like an artikel in "Der Spiegel") with many details concerning the cars and the top-5. It reveals fascinating facts like the average speed of the winner being 110,7 kmh (including pit stops) whereas the winning car (a Lloyd Alexander) would have a claimed top speed of only 100 kmh. So even on this level, works preparation and tricks were already a part of racing.
Despite the top-5, I haven't found any name of the drivers in the top-5, not even the winners.
I only know that Hans Stuck Sr was entered in a BMW 600, but from that car I don't know the result.

Has anyone information on the drivers' names?

[eukie]

Some names here:

 

[eukie]

I also have some notes from the magazine "Der Kleinwagen", a copy of which I came across years ago. In German, of course, but for sure this will be no problem for you:

 

Der Kleinwagen (2) 1958

H.6 Juni 1958, S.142-143 + 3.Umschlagseite:

Bericht über 12 h Hockenheim am Pfingstmontag, „unseres Wissens erste reine Kleinwagenveranstaltung in der Geschichte des Motorsports. ein 12-Stunden-Rennen für serienmäßige Personenwagen bis 600ccm.

Ausrichter: AvD-Clubs Mainz und Wiesbaden, Idee von Max Nathan, der 1957 in Hockenheim an Dauerrekorden mit einem 250ccm-Goggomobil teilgenommen hatte. Auch in den Jahren zuvor hat es mehreren Versuche für solche Veranstaltungen gegeben, v.a. von der DMV-Landesgruppe Niederrhein, die aber sämtlich wegen zu geringen Interesses nicht zustande kamen.

 

32 Starter (von 40 Gemeldeten), gw.: 26

Klasse bis 600 ccm 172 Rdn = 1328,7 KM

1. KH Schäufele / Hewitt (Wiesbaden) Lloyd Alexander

2. Boes / v.Hoff, Bad Kreuznach, Lloyd Alexander

3. Wilhelm Herz / Rainer Günzler, Lampertheim, NSU Prinz

4. Elga Thouret / Roussel, Wiesbaden, Lloyd Alexander

5. Fuhr / Wahl, Schw.Gemünde, Lloyd Alexander

6. Helm Glöckler / Wolfgang Seidel, Frankfurt, BMW600

7. Dr. Nieders / Römer, Frankfurt, NSU Prinz

8. Hans Stuck / Max Klankermeier, München, BMW600

9. Meinke / Herd, Frankfurt, =

ferner:

Schuh/Neumann, Lloyd Kombi

Dr. Bieling / Dr. Honegger, München?, BMW600

bis 500 ccm:

1. Levy / Jeser, Berlin, Fiat500

2. Dr. Nicosia / M.di Priolo, Mailand, Fiat500

3. Messadaglia/Villoresi, Mailand, Fiat500

4. C.di Priolo / Prandoni, Mailand, Fiat500

5. Jungmayer / reisinger, Geiselhör, Goggo400

ferner:

Capelli/D.di Priolo, Abarth

bis 350 ccm:

1. Viererpl./Robert Poensgen, München, Goggo300

2. „Metzger“ / Duell, Wiesbaden, Goggo300

3. Spieker/Iffinger, Darmstadt, Goggo250

4. Hans-Gerhard Dobler/Zick, Hannover, BMWIsetta300

5. Heilmann/Hass, Heidelberg, Zündapp Janus

[Frank de Jong]

That's both amazing and brilliant, thank you very much! And yes, no problem with the German language; that's an advantage coming from a small country - you have to learn some languages...

[The Mountaineer]

Dr. Honegger, BMW 600

Could it be Walter Honegger from Switzerland? He used to hillclimb a Goggomobil before moving on to a Lotus Elite and was a respected motor sports journalist.

[Rob Semmeling]

The pairing Honegger/Bieling is listed as CH/D in Automobil Revue; the former is also mentioned as "dem Schweizer Dr. Honegger".

 

Oh and Frank, you have mail...

[Frank de Jong]

Since I had such a brilliant response on my question about 1958, the 1961 event is even more mysterious (1959 and 1960 caused no problems). Still named "Hockenheim 12 stunden", on sept 24, 1961 it seems that there were a number of races of 45 to 50 minutes. First I thought that it was one big race (for GT and touring, not small cars as before but from 600 cc to 3.8 Jaguars and GTs) but that seems troublesome since Vehling raced a Jaguar XK150 as well as a Jaguar 3.4 saloon. Given that there were no co-pilots that seems impossible.

So - does anyone have a race schedule or report?

[eukie]

I only have the short report from "Auto, Motor und Sport" 21/1961

 

[Frank de Jong]

I received two mails as well, so together with the article above I now have a pretty good picture of what happened in 1961. Thanks everyone - it will be on the site at the next update.