Ernst Degner

Ernst Degner

Ernst Degner (actually Ernst Eugen Wotzlawek ; born September 22, 1931 in Gleiwitz , Upper Silesia ; † September 8, 1983 in Arona , Spain ) was a German motorcycle racer .

Life

Racing career in the GDR

Ernst Degner contested a total of 59 races in the motorcycle world championship between 1956 and 1966 and became world champion in the 50 cm³ class in 1962 . Initially, he was a works driver at MZ , which, thanks to Walter Kaaden's work on resonance charging, was the world's leading two-stroke engine at the time .

Degner's friend Paul Petry, a Saarland engine tuner , got in touch with Suzuki's team manager , Jimmy Matsumiya, at the beginning of the 1961 season in order to offer him relevant knowledge and in return for a place on his team. In the spring of 1961 he succeeded in smuggling a self-built racing motorcycle in individual parts from the GDR to the West.

Escape to the west

The Berlin Wall was built in August 1961 . After the very successful course of the 1961 World Cup season on MZ Degner had a chance of winning the World Cup. Immediately before the penultimate world championship run for the Swedish Grand Prix on the Råbelövsbanan race track in Kristianstad , Petry managed to get Degner's wife and two sons to Germany in the trunk of a car. In the race, Degner dropped out in the 125 cm³ class due to engine failure and he left the paddock and Sweden for Denmark during the event .

The ADMV started a rumor that Degner had intentionally caused the engine failure. However, this is quite unlikely as he could have escaped when he entered Sweden. The unsuccessful attempt to win the world title at the race in Argentina speaks against this rumor.

For MZ, the effect of Degner's escape was devastating. The expected higher financial state support for motorsport did not materialize because of the lack of world championship title. In addition, after the construction of the wall, participation in races in NATO countries was no longer possible because entry visas were denied. Thus the development of the MZ racing motorcycles abruptly stopped shortly before reaching the summit.

Further motorsport career

Degner knew the technology of the then very competitive MZ two-stroke engine very well and, in return for a works contract with Suzuki, brought in some trade secrets. In 1962 , he immediately won the world championship title in the newly founded 50 cm³ class for the Japanese manufacturer .

In the following years, however, he could no longer build on this success. In 1963 and 1965 he fell badly and was burned and broken. In 1967 he ended his racing career race in a Brabham - Formula 3 - race car .

For his sporting successes Degner was honored on September 7, 1963 with the silver laurel leaf .

Professional after the sports career

In 1969 Ernst Degner was divorced. In the same year he became racing service manager at the carburetor manufacturer Solex . In 1971 he moved to Opel-Steinmetz and in 1973 as a race service manager at Aral . From 1976 to 1978 he was technical director at the newly established importer for Suzuki in Germany. Degner then founded a car rental company in Tenerife and was also racing service manager at Aral.

Death in Tenerife

Degner suffered from severe depression, which over time led to pill addiction. On September 8, 1983, his son found him dead in his apartment in Tenerife. The official investigation indicated heart failure as the cause of death.

Others

On the Japanese Suzuka International Racing Course , turns 8 and 9 are named after Ernst Degner.

statistics

title

• 1957 - 125 cm³ DDR champion on MZ RE 125
• 1962 - 50 cm³ world champion on Suzuki
• 1965 - German 125 cc champion on Suzuki
• 15 Grand Prix victories

Isle of Man TT victories

year	class	machine	Average speed
1962	50 cc	Suzuki	75.12  mph (120.89  km / h )

In the motorcycle world championship

season	class	motorcycle	run	Victories	Podiums	Points	Result
1957	125 cc	MZ	1	-	-	1	13.
1958	125 cc	MZ	4th	-	1	9	7th
	250 cc	MZ	1	-	-	3	14th
1959	125 cc	MZ	3	1	2	13	5.
	250 cc	MZ	4th	-	2	14th	4th
1960	125 cc	MZ	4th	1	3	16	3.
	250 cc	MZ	2	-	1	5	8th.
1961	125 cc	MZ	7th	3	6th	42	2.
	250 cc	MZ	1	-	-	3	13.
1962	50 cc	Suzuki	6th	4th	5	47	World Champion
	125 cc	Suzuki	2	-	-	5	11.
1963	50 cc	Suzuki	6th	1	6th	30th	3.
	125 cc	Suzuki	4th	1	3	17th	6th
1964	125 cc	Suzuki	2	1	2	12	6th
1965	50 cc	Suzuki	5	2	4th	26th	4th
	125 cc	Suzuki	4th	1	3	23	4th
1966	125 cc	Suzuki	1	-	-	3	6th
total			54	15th	38	269

References

literature

• Manfred Woll: IFA / MZ racing history . 1949-1961. Heel , Königswinter 2001, ISBN 3-89880-011-3 .
• Short biography for:  Degner, Ernst . In: Who was who in the GDR? 5th edition. Volume 1. Ch. Links, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-86153-561-4 .
• Mat Oxley: Stolen speed . The biggest spy scandal in motorsport history. Ed .: Motor racing archive Jordan. NOTschriften Verlag, Radebeul 2017, ISBN 978-3-945481-55-4 .

Web links

• detailed curriculum vitae of Ernst Degner
• Ernst Degner at eggersdorfer.info
• Ernst Degner on the official website of the Motorcycle World Championship (English).
• Ernst Degner on the official website of the Isle of Man TT (English).
• Ernst Degner. www.motorsportmemorial.org, accessed on July 23, 2019 (English). 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ cf. Woll 2001, p. 219.
2. ↑ Sports report of the federal government of September 29, 1973 to the Bundestag, printed matter 7/1040, p. 69.
3. ↑ cf. Woll 2001, p. 223.