Bilbao Grand Prix

The Bilbao Grand Prix was an international motorcycle race that was held 18 times in Bilbao between 1934 and 1965 .

The record winner was the Belgian Auguste Goffin , who won the race six times in different classes on Norton .

history

In 1932, the organized motorcycle club of Bizkaia ( Peña Motorista Vizcaya ) in Castrejana, a suburb of Bilbao , the first race for the Spanish TT . The international racing week quickly became the most important motorcycle event in Spain. From 1934 the Bilbao Grand Prix was added to the program. In 1935, the races for the Grand Prix were only open to Spanish drivers.

The first two editions were held on a 9.05 km long slope in Castrejana. In 1934 and 1935 the races took place on the Circuito de las avenidas de Ensanche in the center of Bilbao. This had a length of 3.160 km in the first and 2.107 km in the second year.

From 1936, the race week was no longer held due to the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent Second World War .

In 1946, the Bizkaia Moto Club revived the Bilbao Grand Prix in Castrejana and hosted the Gran Premio del Ayutamiento de Bilbao . From 1949 the races were held on a 6.775 km long track in Deusto and advertised internationally.

In the 1957 edition for the first time a race for was teams played. During training, the German duo Fritz Hillebrand / Manfred Grunwald hit a kilometer stone with their BMW in a curve at a speed of around 150 km / h and were thrown against a lamp post. Hillebrand was dead on the spot, Grunwald got away with minor injuries. The duo later posthumously won the world title .

From 1963 until its last edition in 1965, the Bilbao Grand Prix took place on a 3.8 km long track in the Begoña district.

Winners list

From 1934 to 1935

date	venue	class	winner
September 2, 1934	Circuito de las avenidas de Ensanche	250 cc	Miguel Simó ( Terrot )
		350 cc	Jack Adams ( Velocette )
		500 cc	Alexander Black ( Norton )
September 1, 1935	Circuito de las avenidas de Ensanche	250 cc	Calvo ( triumph )
		350 cc	Landáburu ( Norton )
		500 cc	Bejarano ( Douglas )
		over 500 cm³	Arteche ( Ariel )

From 1946 to 1965

Edition	date	venue	class	winner
1.	September 1, 1946	Castrejana	100 cc	José Antonio Rumeu ( Montesa )
			125 cc	Juan Soler Bultó ( Montesa ) (200 cm³)
			250 cc	Francisco Bulto ( Montesa )
			350 cc	Juan Gili ( Norton )
			500 cc	Ernest Vidal ( BMW )
2.	August 31, 1947	Castrejana	125 cc	Guillermo Cavestany ( Montesa )
			250 cc	Francisco Roviralta ( Rudge )
			350 cc	Juan Gili ( Norton )
			500 cc	Javier Ortueta ( BMW )
	1948	There were no races in 1948.
3.	September 4, 1949	Deusto	125 cc	Pierre Monneret ( MV Agusta )
			250 cc	Leon Brethes ( Excelsior )
			350 cc	Javier Ortueta ( Velocette )
			500 cc	Javier Ortueta ( Velocette )
	3rd September 1950	called off
4th	September 9, 1951	Deusto	125 cc	Leopoldo Mila ( unknown )
			350 cc	Werner Gerber ( unknown )
			500 cc	Javier Ortueta ( unknown )
5.	August 31, 1952	Deusto	125 cc	Gaston Gaury ( Morini )
			350 cc	John Grace ( Norton )
			500 cc	Javier Ortueta ( Norton )
6th	August 1953	Deusto	125 cc	Antonio Creus ( MV Agusta )
			350 cc	Auguste Goffin ( Norton )
			500 cc	Auguste Goffin ( Norton )
7th	August 29, 1954	Deusto	125 cc	Gabriel Corsín ( MV Agusta )
			350 cc	Auguste Goffin ( Norton )
			500 cc	Auguste Goffin ( Norton )
8th.	August 28, 1955	Deusto	125 cc	Juan Atorrasagasti ( MV Agusta )
			350 cc	Auguste Goffin ( Norton )
			500 cc	Auguste Goffin ( Norton )
	1956	There were no races in 1956.
9.	August 25, 1957	Deusto	125 cc	Francisco González ( MV Agusta )
			500 cc	Carlo Bandirola ( MV Agusta )
			Teams	Helmut Fath / Fritz Rudolf ( BMW )
10.	August 24, 1958	Deusto	350 cc	Jean-Pierre Bayle ( Norton )
			500 cc	George Salt ( Norton )
			Teams	Helmut Fath / Fritz Rudolf ( BMW )
11.	23rd August 1959	Deusto	125 cc	Jesús Ferrero ( MV Agusta )
			500 cc	Peter Ferbrache ( Matchless )
			Teams	Helmut Fath / Alfred Wohlgemuth ( BMW )
12.	August 28, 1960	Deusto	125 cc	Bruno Spaggiari ( Ducati )
			500 cc	Jacques Insermini ( Norton )
			Teams	Helmut Fath / Alfred Wohlgemuth ( BMW )
13.	August 27, 1961	Deusto	125 cc	Marcelo Cama ( Bultaco )
			500 cc	Hugh Anderson ( Norton )
			Teams	Max Deubel / Emil Hörner ( BMW )
	1962	There were no races in 1962.
14th	August 25, 1963	Begoña	125 cc	Francisco González Jr. ( Bultaco )
			250 cc	Francisco González Jr. ( Bultaco )
15th	August 30, 1964	Begoña	125 cc	Ramón Torras ( Bultaco )
			250 cc	Ramón Torras ( Bultaco )
16.	August 29, 1965	Begoña	125 cc	Bruno Spaggiari ( Ducati )
			250 cc	Ramiro Blanco ( Bultaco )

References

Web links

• Vincent Glon: Les courses à Bilbao (Espagne). racingmemo.free.fr, accessed on February 16, 2014 (French). 

Individual evidence

1. ^ Fritz Hillebrand. www.motorsportmemorial.org, accessed on February 16, 2014 (English).