Lothar Schünemann

Lothar Schünemann (born April 2, 1938 in Pillgram ) is a former German enduro athlete .

He won the International Silver Vase with the Simson Quartet at the International Six Day Trip in 1964 . In 1965 Schünemann advanced to become the single driver with the highest points of all Six Days participants. In 1967 he won the European Cup - the forerunner of the European Championship in motorcycle off-road racing . He also won five national titles.

Athletic career

At MC Potsdam in Ludwigsfelde, Lothar Schünemann began off-road motorcycle racing in 1958 on a 350 cm³ Jawa . He came to MC Dynamo Erfurt in 1961 via Dynamo Potsdam .

In 1964, the automotive electrical master switched from MZ to the 75 cm³ Simson. That year, Schünemann won the International Silver Vase with the team on his second international six-day trip in Erfurt . A year later, at the Six Days on the Isle of Man , he was the single driver with the highest points of the entire 299-strong field - he was “The man of the trial” in what was probably the toughest six-day drive of all time.

In 1966, Schünemann moved to the Simson sports department as a works driver, for which he competed until 1972. Another highlight of his career came in 1967. A European Cup was held as a forerunner of the European Championship. Schünemann won this in the 75 cm³ class. This was followed by three bronze ranks at the European championships from 1968 to 1971. Not counted as a works driver until then, he won the first two GDR championship titles in 1968 and 1971 on the 75 cm³ Simson. In 1973 Schünemann switched to the MC Dynamo Suhl on the smaller motorcycle with 50 cm³. With that he won three more national championships. In his 20-year active career, Schünemann took part in 13 international six-day trips and brought home nine gold and two silver medals. In 1978 he competed for the last time in “ Around Zschopau ”.

literature

• Steffen Ottinger: Around Zschopau . The story of an off-road motorcycle ride. tape 1 . Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft Marienberg, Marienberg 2004, ISBN 3-931770-49-4 , p. 46-88 .
• Steffen Ottinger: Around Zschopau . The story of an off-road motorcycle ride. tape 2 . HB-Werbung und Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Chemnitz 2011, ISBN 978-3-00-036705-2 , p. 20 .
• Steffen Ottinger: International six-day race 2012 . The story since 1913. HB-Werbung und Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Chemnitz 2012, ISBN 978-3-00-039566-6 , p. 46 ff .