Martin Schneeweiss
Martin Schneeweiß (born June 26, 1907 in Vienna , † October 7, 1947 in Graz ) was an Austrian motorcycle racer .
Life
Schneeweiß began his sporting career as a cyclist , but switched to motorcycle racing after graduating from high school in 1926 . In 1927 he achieved the title of Viennese and Lower Austrian Master. In the same year he finished second at the Austrian Grand Prix . This was followed by placements at races in Marburg and Linz , as well as a second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix . In 1932 he won the Austrian national championship and other races with an international line-up in Poland and Austria. At the European championship in the history of motorcycle racing for flat track races, which was held in Prague for the first time in 1937, he finally became European champion. His conversion of the snow-white special racing machine with rubber rear wheel suspension was a revolution in track racing ( speedway ). He also became known to the public through actions such as the race against the Orient Express . Vienna – Ostend on the Canal Coast was chosen as the race track ; Schneeweiß and his co-driver Karl Abarth arrived at their destination just after the train. They could then win the return trip on the motorcycle.
During the Second World War , Schneeweiß worked as a driving instructor .
On October 4, 1947, Schneeweiß competed against Hermann Gunzenhauser on the Grazer Trabrennbahn . This duel ended with a fall of both drivers, as a result of which Martin Schneeweiß died. His memoirs, which were completed at the end of 1946, were published in 1948 under the title "Between Start and Goal" by Globus Verlag in Vienna . Schneeweiß was buried in an honorary grave in the Vienna Central Cemetery (12C-3-27).
machinery
- The "Snow White Special Sand Machine" achieved international fame. It had a 250 cc - JAP -Motor, with about 20 hp output.
- In 1939, Schneeweiß also equipped one of the SS versions of the DKW factory racing machine ULD 250 , which originally had a charge pump , with a compressor . In order not to reveal any details of his construction, he hid it behind a sheet metal cladding. The Austrian won the Great Mountain Prize of Germany in 1939 on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road ahead of DKW factory driver Walfried Winkler . The machine still exists today.
References
literature
- Martin Schneeweiß: Between start and finish. From my racing life. Vienna: Globus-Verlag 1948
- Ch. Mentschl: Schneeweiß Martin d. J .. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 10, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-7001-2186-5 , p. 366 f. (Direct links on p. 366 , p. 367 ).
- Günter Schrey: His last race, European Champion Martin Schneeweiss in a bitter fight with his rival Gunzenhauser . Self-published by the author, Graz 1947.
Web links
- Entry on Martin Schneeweiss in the Austria Forum (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
- Martin Schneeweiss at www.motorsportmemorial.org (English)
- Martin Schneeweiss, "European dirt track champion" in 1937
Individual evidence
- ↑ Martin Schneeweiss-Story. www.bahnsporttechnik.de, accessed on July 27, 2010 .
- ↑ German TT attracts young and old to the Schleizer Dreieck. www.motorrennsportarchiv.de, August 21, 2006, accessed on July 27, 2010 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Snow white, Martin |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Snow white, Martin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian motorcyclist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 26, 1907 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vienna |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 7, 1947 |
| Place of death | Graz |