European motorcycle championship 1933

Route map

The 500 cm³ European champion Gunnar Kalén (left) with his Husqvarna teammate Ragnar Sunnqvist in 1933 at the Berlin AVUS .

The titles of the European Motorcycle Championship in 1933 were awarded at the X. Grand Prix of the FICM , which was held on September 3, 1933 in Saxtorp ( Sweden ) as part of the IV. Grand Prix of Sweden .

The European Grand Prix took place for the first time as part of the Swedish Grand Prix and was overshadowed by two fatal accidents. The Norwegian Harry Bjelkerud was killed in an accident during training . In the race, in which all three displacement classes started together, the local Eric Lundberg had a serious accident and died shortly afterwards.

Race courses

In the 250 cm³ class, the Briton Charlie Dodson on New Imperial prevailed against the Swede Rolf Gülich ( Moto Guzzi ) and his compatriot Leo Davenport ( Excelsior ). Ted Mellors , who finished second in the race, was disqualified.

Jimmie Simpson from Britain won both 350s on Norton ahead of his Scottish teammate Jimmie Guthrie . Local Husqvarna driver Rudolf Jönsson came in third . For Simpson it was already the fourth 350 cm³ European title.

Local hero Gunnar Kalén won the half- liter class on Husqvarna. Second was the Belgian FN - factory rider Pol Demeuter before the next Swedish Husqvarna pilots, Yngve Ericsson . Shortly after the start, the two Norton factory drivers Stanley Woods and Percy Hunt took the lead. After the pit stops, the two formed a top group of three together with the Swedish Husqvarna driver Ragnar Sunnqvist . When the trio ran close to the local Eric Lundberg, who was on a 250 cm³ FN, to lap it, Lundberg suddenly stopped due to a technical defect. Sunnqvist and Woods just managed to avoid them. Hunt, however, drove unchecked on the Swede. Lundberg was thrown into the air, landed upside down on the track and died on the way to the hospital in Landskrona . Percy Hunt broke his thigh , was bedridden for nine months, and was unable to walk without walking aids for five years . He never competed again.

Race results

class	winner	Second	Third
250 cc	Charlie Dodson ( New Imperial )	Rolf Gülich ( Moto Guzzi )	Leo Davenport ( Excelsior )
350 cc	Jimmie Simpson ( Norton )	Jimmie Guthrie ( Norton )	Rudolf Jönsson ( Husqvarna )
500 cc	Gunnar Kalén ( Husqvarna )	Pole Demeuter ( FN )	Yngve Ericsson ( Husqvarna )

References

Web links

• Vincent Glon: L'Histoire de la course moto - Palmarès des Championnats d'Europe (1924–1937 et 1947–1948). racingmemo.free.fr, accessed April 20, 2010 (French). 
• Vincent Glon: L'Histoire de la course moto; 5th partie: Les Grand Prix d'Europe. (1924-1937); 1933. racingmemo.free, accessed April 20, 2010 (French). 
• Statistics and photos at riutat.suntuubi.com (Finnish)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Harry Bjelkerud. www.motorsportmemorial.org, accessed April 20, 2010 (English). 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Eric Lundberg. www.motorsportmemorial.org, accessed April 20, 2010 (English).