Helmut Krackowizer and his first race win 1947
Already in 1938, at the age of 16 years, my father rode a motorcycle - a NSU 250 OSL; still in the same year he acquired a Norton "International" 500, vintage 1935. With a Puch 250 S4 he took part in his first competition in spring 1939 - “Around the Dachstein mountain range”. Then the Second World War came.
First race on 6th October 1946 in Salzburg-Nonntal
The first racing activity of my father after the War was then in the
first post-war road race at Salzburg - Nonntal on 6th October
1946 with his 250 cm³ Rudge. At pouring rain this race, in the presence of
more than 7.000 spectators, took place. Each class had two heats, whereby my
father became third in the class of 250 cm³ in the second heat, behind the two
Viennese Mr. Rott on JAP and Mr. Beranek on DKW.
But almost the first motorcycle race in Salzburg had been cancelled.
How the race took place after all
But almost the race had been cancelled. Because of eager participants trained in an unauthorized
manner on Friday loudly on the main road Nonntaler. U.S. General Arnold, having in the Villa Wartberg
his residence near the circuit, had felt himself disturbed by this undeclared noise and he sent a
military patrol on the race track. This stopped all preparations and only hectic assistance operators
saved the race, which took place during a real Salzburg drizzle so called "Salzburger Schnürlregen"
then on Sunday.
The Race
Despite steady rain about 7.000 spectators gathered. Helmut Volzwinkler (Salzburg) on NSU 350 cm³ won the race of the 350-cm³-class. The Salzburg Thürriedl, Strobl and Fischer achieved good positions. It was a duel between between Leo Fassl (Vienna) and F. J. Binder, which Fassl decided with the fastest lap of 1:17,4 Min (91,6 km/h average speed) for him. Third in this class until 350 cm³ became the Salzburg Pepi Jung. Toni Magnus and Willi Koch, both also from Salzburg, had to retire in their class. Helmut Krackowizer, on his worldrecord-Rudge from England, became third in the second race of the 250 cm³ class. Sepp Hofmann won the class until 500 cm³ on BMW.
His first win in 1947 in Salzburg
Then, in spring 1947, the first speedway racing in Salzburg,
organized by the just established SAMTC (Salzburg Automobile Motorcycle and
Touring club), lured 20.000 spectators on the horse-race-court at Salzburg Aigen.
Encouraged by this success the first motorway road race at Salzburg took
place on 6th July 1947, likewise organized by the SAMTC. In 1958
the “Grand Prix of Austria” emerged from this motorway road race to the motorway
section at Salzburg Grödig and finally on the "Salzburg Ring".
The win in the junior class for 250 cm³ became a safe booty of the at
Vöcklabruck (Upper Austria) living Mr. Krackowizer on Rudge in 44:32,8 min,
followed by Fritz Walcher on Imperial in a time of 46:43,4 min and Richart Kwitt on
Puch in 46:43,4, min both from Salzburg.
Race distance led across 15 laps, which corresponded to a distance of 63 kilometres (length of one lap: 4,2 km). Even in the senior race my father led three laps, before he had to retire from the race due to a defect.
Well, the 6th July 1947 had been the day of his first win, which still had been followed by further. I am able to gather still following details from documents of my father about this race: “…one straight about 1,400 m, 2 x 3 hairpin corners, 4 flat curves fast, 4 flat curves slowly... tire pressure in front 1.40, rear 1,75...”
By the way, the fastest lap on that circuit during this first race had been driven by F. J. Binder, Salzburg, on Velocette KTT MK VIII 350 with 2:25,4, which corresponded to an average speed of 126 km/h. This Velocette he had received only few days before this race from Berlin, at that time Russian east zone, under adventurous circumstances. It was divided by my father into pieces and packed in boxes, and brought to Salzburg during an action taking several months. But this is already another history!