10 replies to this topic

[Marcor]

What about a 1926 German championship ?
My question is based on the book Nürburgring, le circuit aux 170 virages by Richard von Frankenberg. This is the French title, the original being Der Nürburgring in German.

It seems that the results acquired in some German races allowed to classify the best German drivers according the criteria of this era. The winner of an International race run in Germany had 10 points, the winner of a National race 5 points and the winner of a "private" race 3 points.
The top ten had the honour of the headline in the March 1927 issue of the magazine Der Nürburgring.

1- C. Deilmann (Austro-Daimler), 67 points, from Dortmund, 6 victories
2- Huldreich Heusser (Steyr), 64 points, from Klein-Schmalkalden
3- Karl Kappler (Simson-Supra and Bugatti), 59 points, from Gernsbach
4- Carl Jörns (Opel), 55 points, from Russelsheim
5- Otto Kleyer (Adler) 55 points, from Frankfurt
6- Paul von Guilleaume (Steyr), 44 points, from Berlin
7- Franz Baader (Bugatti), 44 points, from Mannheim
8- Georg Kimpel (Bugatti / Mercedes), 42 points, from Ludwigshafen
9- Dr Ulrich-Kerwer (Opel), 35 points, from Bonn
10- Paul Bischoff (Lancia / Chiribiri), 33 points, from Hannover

Rudi Caracciola was not in the list. He had just won the German GP, being classified 11th.

Which races (hillclimb, sprint, ?) did count for this classification ? My knowledge about the 1926 German season is very sketchy.

[Hans Etzrodt]

Originally posted by Marcor
.....My knowledge about the 1926 German season is very sketchy.

Mine also, Marc!

Without having read anything about a 1926 German Championship, I can only give you the little I understand happened during this era. First, you have to remember that German cars and drivers had been banned since the end of the war (WW I) from the French GP and also from the first World Championship in 1925. Someone in Germany must have taken note of the 1925 exclusion. In either case, neither Mercedes nor Benz participated at international level during 1925 or at least not as they had done in prior years. Besides, introduction of national championships had been already discussed in various countries before 1925 (France, Italy, Switzerland).

It was probably with some satisfaction that the editorial staff of Der Nürburgring planned of such a championship in their magazine, not sanctioned by either of the German automobile clubs. Similar self-proclaimed championships had appeared occasionally also in contemporary magazines during the thirties and forties, usually at year's end, when the editorial staff figured out who the top drivers and fastest cars were. As far as I can understand, this 1926 German Championship was just such a self-proclaimed effort.

.....and now I finally found the place, the one you have mentioned, in von Frankenberg's book on page 44. Some revealing language I found in my German version of this book:
"..... According to the 1926 race results, someone had assembled an unofficial point-scoring table........
".....The ten best drivers were in this point-scoring table, which -we allow to say so beforehand- was put together rather amateurish....."

[Don Capps]

The IMRRC has copies of "Der Nürburgring" and had I realized that this would be a topic of discussion I would have looked at them! Perhaps a project for next time....

[Marcor]

Which Der Nürburgring ? The book or the magazine ?

About the 1926 season in Germany, I've found some hillclimbs and a race called The Eifelrennen, not in The Nürburgring (not built) but in another place. The date was June, 15th. The race was run in a 33 km road circuit and the race started at six-thirty, the weather being splendid.

Cars which took part in were Racing and Sportscars, and different classes had different distances to cover. The (overall) winners seems to be Munz (or Munk) in a Ford special. He covered 12 laps (396 km) in 6 h 07m 07s and did the fast lap in 26m 10s. The 1500-Racing car class included some "more known" names: winner was Joseph Müller (NSU 5/30PS) and he covered the same distance in 6 h 26m 06s, second was Loge (AGA). Winner of the 1100 Racing class, Dr Ulrich-Kerwer (Opel) did 8 laps in 4 h 40m 23s.

As I'e said, there were also Sportscars. Big class (5 L) was won by Busch (I'm not sure of the spelling) who drove a Benz. He did 10 laps (330 km) in 5 h 28m 38s. Here's the rest of the results:

Sport 3 L (330 km)
1- Keil (Austro-Daimler) 5h 05m 28s
2- Ume (Austro-Daimler) 5h 31m 21s

Sport 2 L (330 km)
1- Karl (Schneider) 5h 17m 55s

Sport 1500 cc (264 km)
1- Fleiten (Mannesmann) 4h 08m

Sport 1100 cc (264 km)
1- Dorper (Opel) 4h 13m 39s
2- Muller (Helios) 4h 53m 37s

Among the retirements:
Volkhart (Bugatti)
Bonelli (Fiat 509 n°22)
3 other Bugatti
1 NSU
1 Steyr

Hermans (Buick) was unlucky. He had to retire at 2 km of the finish.

My source: Englebert Magazine, 1926.

[Don Capps]

Originally posted by Marcor
Which Der Nürburgring ? The book or the magazine ?

Good point! The magazine.....

[Marcor]

I had a look at the German Forum and I've seen that McRonalds had posted the results of the Eifelrennen prior to the Nurburgring. The results differ slightly from the one I've posted. I hope that our German friends will post here in this thread !

A comment about this: http://www.f1welt.co...rt=51&BoardID=7

As I have the French version of the Tragasch book, I recognize him so it's a good start for me to learn the German (as it seems to be a translation close to the original !).

[McRonalds]

All results shown in the German Forum are from the magazin 'Der Nürburg-Ring' where Dr. Ulrich-Kerwer published a story about the Eifelrennen 1922-1926 called 'The German Targa Florio'. Ulrich-Kerwer wrote nothing about a German championship in 1926.

[McRonalds]

Here are all the results of the Eifelrennen 1922 - 1926 as written by Ulrich-Kerwer in the German magazine 'Der Nürburg Ring' in 1926.

1922

Eifelrennen, 15.06.1922

Class 1, Cars to 5 PS (166 km)
1. Du Mont / Wanderer, 2:40,00
2. Mees / HAG, 2:42,00
3. Morrison / Fox (FRA), 3:08,00

Class 2, Cars to 8 PS (166 km)
1. Fritz von Opel / Opel, 2:19,00
2. A. Hoffmann / Dürkopp, 2:30,00
3. Grün / Dürkopp, 2:34,00

Class 3, Cars to 10 PS (166 km)
1. Alfred Noll / Steiger, 2:18,00
2. Mähler / Simson, 2:42,00
3. Conzen / Steiger 2:46,00

Class 4, Cars to 18 PS (166 km)
1. Curt Volkhart / Steiger, 2:07,00
2. Bleissen / Adler, 2:28,00
3. Hammerschmied / Adler, 2:29,00

1924

Eifelrennen, 18./19.06.1924

Touringcars, from 5 to 6 PS, 10 laps (330 km), 18.06.1924
1. Bittner / Fiat, 5:35,54
2. G. Stümpfle / Bugatti, 6:32,19

Touringcars, from 6 to 8 PS, 10 laps (330 km), 18.06.1924
1. Josef Ludewig / Bugatti, 5:15,59
2. Notton / Bianchi, 5:42,42
3. Tatenhorst / Dürkopp, 5:47,27

Touringcars, from 8 to 10 PS, 10 laps (330 km), 18.06.1924
1. Wetzka / Austro Daimler, 5:10,11
2. Haiden / Austro Daimler, 5:10,16
3. Brückerhoff / Steiger, 5:52,39

Touringcars, Class I, to 4 PS, 6 laps (198 km), 19.06.1924
1. Flacke / Amilcar, 3:14,51
2. Adolf(?) Mederer / Opel, 3:59,15
3. Hüllenhütter / Amor, 4:09,23

Touringcars, Class IV, from 10 to 12 PS, 10 laps (330 km), 19.06.1924
1. Rapp / Oakland, 5:59,57
2. Schlömer / Peugeot, 6:06,06

Touringcars, Class VII, over 12 PS, 10 laps (330 km), 19.06.1924
1. Schleuer / Benz, 5:15,50
2. Grathwohl / Mercedes, 6:32,22

Racingcars, Class II, bis 1,5-l, 12 laps (396 km), 19.06.1924
1. Rudi Caracciola / Mercedes, 5:31,32
2. Alfred Noll / Bugatti, 6:07,43
3. Prinz / Citroën, 7:03,18
DNF:
Fritz von Opel / Opel

Racingcars, Class III, from 1,5 to 2-l, 12 laps (396 km), 19.06.1924
1. Hans Jacobs / Fafnir, 8:08,23

Racingcars, Class IV, over 2-l, 15 laps (495 km), 19.06.1924
1. Willi Cleer / Stoewer, 8:04,22
2. Curt Volkhart / Steiger

1925

Eifelrennen, 18.-20.06.1925

Class 1, Racingcars, to 1,0-l, 10 laps (330 km)
1. Adolf(?) Mederer / Opel, 5:45,34

Class 2, Racingcars, from 1,0-l to 1,5-l, 12 laps (396 km)
1. Lammertz / Mercedes s/c, 6:15,23
1. Josef Müller / NSU, 7:24,10

Class 3, Racingcars, from 1,5-l- to 2,0-l, 15 laps (495 km)
1. Josef Ludewig / Bugatti, 7:12,31

Class 4, Racingcars, over 2,0-l, 15 laps (495 km)
1. Rosa / Alfa Romeo, 6:54,48
2. Walter Kaufmann / Steiger, 6:58,24

Class 1, Sportscars, to 4 PS, 6 laps (198 km)
1. Polack / Amor, 3:22,03
2. Müller / Amor, 3:41,00

Class 2, Sportscars, from 4 PS to 5 PS, 8 laps (264 km)
1. Felten / Mannesmann, 4:10,58
2. Lühr / Mannesmann, 5:06,58

Class 3, Sportscars, from 5 PS to 6 PS, 10 laps (330 km)
1. Carl Brackelsberg / Bugatti, 4:57,11
2. E. Wilms / Bugatti 5:55,22

Class 4, Sportscars, from 6 PS to 8 PS, 10 laps (330 km)
1. Jungbluth / Fafnir, 6:12,05
1. Utermöhle / Fafnir 4:56,36
2. Curt Volkhart / Dürkopp, 5:25,37

Class 6, Sportscars, over 10 PS, 10 laps (330 km)
1. Keil / Austro Daimler, 5:05,34
2. Meyer (Daniel Maier?!) / Steiger, 5:09,31
3. Gass / Benz, 5:23,04 (Werksfahrer)

Class 1, Tourenwagen, bis 4 PS, 6 laps (198 km)
1. Dr. Ulrich-Kerwer / Opel, 3:09,38

1926

Eifelrennen, ??.??.1926

Sportscars, Class C, 3.000 to 5.000-ccm, 10 laps (330 km)
1. Hermanns / Buick 5:28,38

Sportscars, Class D, 2.000 to 3.000-ccm, 10 laps (330 km)
1. Keil / Austro Daimler, 5:05,28

Sportscars, Class E, 1.500 to 2.000-ccm, 10 laps (330 km)
1. Karl / Schneider, 5:07,55

Sportscars, Class F, 1.100 to 1.500-ccm, 8 laps (264 km)
1. Carl Brackelsberg / Bugatti, 4:08,00

Sportscars, Class G, 750 to 1.100-ccm, 8 laps (264 km)
1. Bonelli / Fiat 4:13,39

Racingcars, Class A-D, over 2.000-ccm, 12 laps (396 km)
1. Münz / Ford-Spezial 6:07,07

Racingcars, Class F, 1.100 to 2.000-ccm, 12 laps (396 km)
1. Willy Loge / Aga, 6:26,07

Racingcars, Class G-J, to 1.000-ccm, 8 laps (264 km)
1. Dr. Ulrich-Kerwer / Opel, 4:40,26

[David McKinney]

Presumably those time are in hours, minutes and seconds?

[Marcor]

I would be curious to know more about the magazine 'Der Nürburg Ring'. Don said us that The IMRRC at Watkins Glen has copies of "Der Nürburgring". How many years was the magazine published ? Is it easy to find it in libraries ? What does the mag look like ?

[Hans Etzrodt]

The first number of the magazine Der Nürburgring was published in April 1926 by the Landkreis Adenau. Although this magazine is a source of information for the German races, I have not yet used it since I had other magazines who delivered more information on the international level - my main interest.