Ludwig Kraus (racing driver)

Ludwig "Wiggerl" Kraus (* March 12, 1907 ; † November 3, 1987 ) was a German motorcycle racer .

Career

Kraus was at the age of 14 years to BMW in the mechanics - teaching . In 1929 he came to his first victory in Alois Sitzberger's sidecar “boat” at the Solitude near Stuttgart . In 1930 he tried it himself on the dirt track in Daglfing and in 1933 he drove his first hill climb on the Kesselberg . In 1933, 1934 and 1935 Kraus won the “ International Six Day Trip ” three times as a member of the national team . From 1936 Kraus BMW - factory rider for road racing and in 1939 u. a. with a victory on the Nürburgring German champion in the solo class up to 500 cm³. In 1938 and 1939 he won the Bucharest Grand Prix .

After the war, Kraus was initially a private driver, both solo and with a sidecar . His partner in the “boat” was always Bernhard Huser (1930–2003). From 1950 Kraus / Huser were again listed as official BMW works drivers and were able to become all-German sidecar champions in the 1200 cc class on a 750 BMW with victories in Schotten , the Schleizer Dreieck , the Sachsenring , the Hamburg city park race and on the Norisring . In 1951, after victories in Schotten, at the Eilenriederennen , the Norisring, the Feldbergring , the Avus , the Solitude, the Eifelrennen , the Grenzlandring , in Hockenheim and in Munich-Riem, they again became German champions in the 500 SW class, but not now more all German. In 1953 the two succeeded in winning another DM title after victories on the Avus and the Eilenriede near Hanover .

Since Kraus was a double starter for many years, he achieved two solo runner-up championships behind Georg Meier in the 500cc class on a BMW in 1948 and 1949 . In 1950 he won solo at Hockenheim. A victory on the Feldbergring (1951) is not missing in the success statistics of the Kraus-Huser duo. The start number 56 was famous, with which the two mostly competed in white pullovers and stood out from all the other drivers. The clashes between four-time world champions Eric Oliver and Kraus at the Hockenheim Ring in 1952 and 1953 were also legendary . The duel ended in a 1-1 draw. Driving at high speed in 3rd gear, Kraus was able to catch the world champion once at the finish line. Kraus-Huser said goodbye to road racing in 1953. Kraus drove a few more off-road races and also won a gold medal in Garmisch in 1956 .

Wiggerl Kraus died on November 3rd, 1987 at the age of 80.

successes

• 1933 Victory in the “International Six Day Trip”, in the team Ernst Jakob Henne , Josef Stelzer , Josef Mauermayer , Wiggerl Kraus
• 1934 Victory in the "International Six Day Race" in the Ernst Henne, Josef Selzer, Josef Mauermayer, Wiggerl Kraus team
• 1935 Victory in the "International Six Day Race" in the team of Ernst Henne, Josef Selzer, Wiggerl Kraus, Sepp Müller
• 1939 German champion in the solo class up to 500 cm³
• 1948 German runner-up in the solo class up to 500 cm³
• 1949 German runner-up solo class up to 500 cm³
• 1950 German sidecar champion class up to 1200 cc
• 1951 German sidecar champion class up to 500 cc
• 1953 German sidecar champion class up to 500 cm³

Web links

• Rolf Eggersdorfer: Wiggerl Kraus URL: http://www.eggersdorfer.info/kraus/wiggerl_kraus.htm
• Hansjörg Meister Feldbergrennen URL: http://www.feldbergrennen.de/verbindungen_1951.htm#E500SW
• Hansjörg Meister Feldbergrennen URL: http://www.feldbergrennen.de/results_1953.htm