10 replies to this topic

[Lothar]

Hello all,

 

I am researching the racing career of German Karl Lottes, mostly 250 cc on DKW, also a few races in the 350 cc class and quite a few in the 125 cc class on several brands besides DKW.

Does anyone of you know more about the races at Oliver's Mount in 1954 and 1955, 250 cc class? 

Is it correct that Lottes won the race in 1954 and came in second in 1955?

 

Thank you

[Michael Ferner]

Lottes won the 250cc at Oliver's Mount on his first appearance September 18, 1954 in a very dominant performance, outracing Dave Chadwick (Velocette) who crashed pursuing the German, remounted and finished second. Both shared the fastest lap, a class record, and over 60 mph for the first time at Scarborough; Lotte's race winning speed was 58.87 mph, another record I believe. According to reports, Lottes was the sensation of the meeting, recording fastest practice lap on the DKW and also racing a 125cc MV, although I don't know whether he finished that race (won by Bill Lomas on an MV). He returned for the September 16/17 meeting the following year, but failed to qualify a 350cc DKW and did not feature in the results of the 250cc, won by Cecil Sandford on a Guzzi. I seem to recall him finishing second to Lomas at the Mount, maybe at another meeting, but right now cannot find a report online. Maybe I have something in my records at home, but cannot check before the evening.

[Lothar]

Thank you, Michael!

 

My secondary record for 1954 gives 95,456 km/h for the race and 102,873 for the fastest lap together with Chadwick, 14 laps, 56 km

 

For 1955 indeed it was the 350 class (not 250, my mistake, although I believe he raced his 250) where he came in second behind E.B. Jones on Norton. The sidecar race was won by Faust-Remmert and Schneider-Strauss. 

 

Interestingly both events were the only ones outside the continent for Lottes

 

If there is a race report in a magazine or even an entry list could you please send me a copy? (l.mildebrath@gmx.de)

[Michael Ferner]

Faust winning the sidecar race from Schneider is consistent with the info I have from the September meeting. Maybe Lottes came second in the consolation race; there were usually two or three heats for English Internationals, and then a consy for the non-qualifiers. E. B. Jones is also a name I don't immediately recall from memory, so unlikely to have won the final.

 

Lottes did compete at the Hutchinson 100 at Silverstone two weeks later, and probably at Brands Hatch the next day, too, so the Scarborough races weren't the only ones "outside the continent" (I always understood England to be part of Europe). The Hutchinson programme is at Dave's  Programmes, https://daveriley.we...5incomplete.pdf

 

Most of the info I have comes from newspapers, I will clip a few articles for you later.

[Michael Ferner]

https://www.newspape...post/131374949/

 

https://www.newspape...cury/131374973/

 

https://www.newspape...mail/131374986/

 

https://www.newspape...mail/131374994/

 

 

The last clipping is interesting, I just found it: it states that Lottes was second in a 250cc heat and third in a 350cc heat, which doesn't sit well with the statement I found in another clipping, saying he didn't qualify:

 

https://www.newspape...dian/131375029/

 

 

Here's an ad for the Hutchinson 100:

 

https://www.newspape...mail/131375018/

Edited by Michael Ferner, 07 September 2023 - 09:16.

[Michael Ferner]

Okay, the Brands October 2 meeting wasn't an International, the programme is at Dave's, too. But the Hutchinson programme is filled in, and you can see that Lottes actually competed.

[Lothar]

Thanks a lot once more!

 

My BMW Rennsport racelog says that Faust-Remmert and Schneider-Strauss went to Aintree after Scarborough and then to Silverstone before finally going to Brands Hatch (for a demo run only) in 1955.

I don't have the entry list for Aintree 25 Sep 1955.

 

Maybe Lottes (and Xaver Heiss) also went to Aintree?!

 

I am still puzzling what made Lottes go to Scarborough in 1954... Maybe he also attended other meetings in Britian in 1954?!

 

BTW: I like your comment about Britain an Europe!

[Geoff E]

... did not feature in the results of the 250cc, won by Cecil Sandford on a Guzzi. 

 

"Karl Lottes on a German DKW had dropped out in the fourth lap with engine trouble." (Yorkshire Post, 19th Sept)

[Lothar]

Thank you and, yes, he was listed for Aintree 24 Sep. 1955, result unknown, before he went to Silverstone.

[serafini]

According to the programme Xaver Heiss was entered in the 125 cc German GP of 1961 on a Rimi special.

 

Does anybody know what that bike was? (It does not seem to be a misprint for Rumi)

[Michael Ferner]

It's not a misprint, I've seen it several times, sometimes spelled RIMI (and once misprinted as Nimi). Between 1960 and '63, both Xaver Heiss and Michael Schneider drove it in all 125cc races I have them in, while riding NSUs in the 250cc. Both Schneider and Heiss were from Augsburg, so there's a connection. I cannot help but surmise that the "MI" in Rimi stood for Michael (Schneider).

 

Interestingly, Augsburg was a hotbed of motorcycle racing in Germany at the time: Peter Eser, Andreas Klaus and Andre Ameismaier (or is it Ameismeier?) also listed Augsburg as hometown, as well as several lesser knowns!