Rudi Knees
Rudolf "Rudi" Knees (born May 19, 1907 in Danzig ; † April 16, 1982 ) was a German motorcycle racer .
Life
Rudi Knees grew up in Königsberg . At the age of 18, he first competed in bicycle races before switching to motorsport. He was team captain at NSU - factory team . During the Second World War he served as SS-Obersturmführer at the SS-Kraftfahrschule I in Apeldoorn .
Career
In 1950, Rudi Knees was German runner-up in an AJS in the 350 class behind Heiner Fleischmann (Kompressor- NSU ) and ahead of Siegfried Wünsche (Kompressor- DKW ). He took first place in the special ratings “Best Private Driver” and “Best Suction Engine Driver”.
In the 1951 season, at the last round of the German Motorbike Road Championship on the Solitude race track near Stuttgart , Knees collided with Hans Baltisberger , who was only second overall behind Roland Schnell in the 350 cm³ class . Knees was badly injured.
In 1952 Rudi Knees won the German half-liter championship ahead of Siegfried Fuß (also Norton), Georg Meier ( BMW ) on a 500 cm³ Norton Manx after victories at the Dieburg triangle race , the Feldberg race , the Halle-Saale loop and the Eilenriederennen in Hanover . and Friedel Schön ( Horex ). In 1952, Knees and Karl Rührschneck (both Norton) finished the race on the Autobahn spider in Dresden-Hellerau in “ Totem Race ”.
On his favorite track, the Schleizer Dreieck , Rudi Knees won three races in 1951 and 1953 and in 1953 he was also successful at the Sachsenring .
In 1952, Knees moved to Nagold with his family . He passed on his passion for fast motorcycles to his son Peter (born December 4, 1935 in Königsberg, † 2012 in Nagold). In 1954 Peter Knees was German junior champion in the 350 cm³ classes on Norton and 500 cm³ on BMW-RS and in 1955 third in the German motorcycle championship behind Walter Zeller and Ernst Riedelbauch , both BMW. In Halle an der Saale, Peter Knees won in 1954 and 1956 with the 500 series BMW-RS. His father won there in 1952 and 1953 on his Norton / 500. As early as 1950 Peter was doing gymnastics in Bruno Ziemer's sidecar, who came from Danzig . At the Feldberg race on the Großer Feldberg im Taunus , the two took second place with a 600 cm³ NSU behind Wilhelm Noll and Fritz Cron in a BMW.
Rudi Knees competed in Formula Vee races at the age of 60 . He died on April 16, 1982 at the age of 74.
statistics
title
- 1950 - Best naturally aspirated engine driver in the 350 cc class of the German championship on AJS
- 1952 - German 500cc champion on Norton
Race wins
year | class | machine | run | route |
---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | 350 cc | AJS | Schleizer triangle race | Schleizer triangle |
1952 | 500 cc | Norton | Dieburger triangle race | Dieburger triangle |
500 cc | Norton | Eilenriederennen | Eilenriede | |
500 cc | Norton | Eifel race | Nürburgring - Nordschleife | |
500 cc | Norton | Halle-Saale-Schleifen spring race | Halle-Saale loop | |
500 cc | Norton | Feldberg race | Feldbergring | |
1953 | 500 cc | Norton | Halle-Saale-Schleifen spring race | Halle-Saale loop |
350 cc | Norton | Schleizer triangle race | Schleizer triangle | |
500 cc | Norton | Schleizer triangle race | Schleizer triangle | |
350 cc | Norton | Sachsenring race | Sachsenring | |
1954 | 500 cc | Norton | Halle-Saale loop race | Halle-Saale loop |
1955 | 500 cc | BMW | Gran Premio del Pilar | Zaragoza |
1956 | 500 cc | BMW | Halle-Saale loop race | Halle-Saale loop |
References
Web links
- Can't count for much. www.spiegel.de, September 10, 1952, accessed on May 25, 2015 .
- Tribute to Rudi Knees, son Peter and daughter Christa. clubmanclassics.blogspot.de, February 16, 2012, accessed on May 25, 2015 (English).
- Hansjörg Meister: Feldbergrennen 1952. www.feldbergrennen.de, accessed on September 17, 2018 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ A sportsman through and through - racing driver Rudi Knees has died. (pdf) The Ostpreußenblatt , June 19, 1982, accessed on May 25, 2015 .
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Knees, Rudi |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Knees, Rudolf (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German motorcycle racer |
DATE OF BIRTH | May 19, 1907 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Danzig |
DATE OF DEATH | April 16, 1982 |