
The starting point before the second real motorcycle world championship
Because the most successful pilots and works of the last pre-war years until 1939 were not eligible to participate in the first 4 years of the motorcycle world championship newly introduced from 1949, it is difficult to accept this name. The Germans had won more than half of the races of the then European Championship last year before the Second World War and, in addition to their works, many of their best pilots were again active again. Despite the extremely modest means, in particular, NSU and DKW, together with their work drivers in their first Grand Prix year 1952, proved what they had on the very strong international competition, especially from Italy and England. Nevertheless, they were not at all of the 8 rounds (with the exception of the half-liter class in the smaller categories even only 6-7) immediately on World Cup rank 6 for the 125s and three pilots in the top ten up to 250cc in the final bill. The two-time European champion (1938 and 1939 on DKW in the fourth place class) Ewald Kluge also became a World Cup elder up to 350cc for DKW. Unfortunately, after a severe fall at the Eifel race on May 31, 1953, as a result of a thigh fracture, he had to end his career before the Ersen Grand Prix. Below are the work teams officially mentioned at the beginning of the year.


From six to nine – the fatal first of new 9 World Championship rounds
After a maximum of 6 rounds per class were held in the first two World Cup years from 1949 (up to 125cc, however, there were ridiculous three and four for the 250s), after eight for 1951 and 1952 they were now nine . However, in the end, as in the previous year, only eight and this was only up to 350 and 500cc. The reasons for this will be seen in the new Grand Prix of Germany as in the previous year on the Schottenring instead of in the previous year. As in the first two years of the World Motorcycle Championship, it first started on the Isle of Man. Here it was unfortunately sad tradition that practically every year one or more pilots had to pay their risk with their lives. On the fire-threatening racetrack in the first two World Cup years, two of them, in 1951 five and a year later with Frank W. Fry “only” one who found his death here. Tragically, it became much more than was to be answered at 4. Nevertheless, the FIM responsible for awarding the world championship runs should watch even more than two decades before the boycott threat of several well-known pilots would leave no choice to them than to delete this converted event from the World Cup calendar.

English triumph with the 125s with much too short joy
At the TT, Les Graham was finally able to celebrate his first win in the 125cc class on Thursday. After Cecil Sandford in the previous year, he was already the second Englishman, who won in the so-called Ultra-Lightweight category on MV Agusta. However, the real sensation in this race was a German with Werner Haas on NSU. Despite his previous year’s victory at the home race, nobody had typed him and NSU as a panel candidate. Above all, the Swabian had classified itself in front of the defending defender and favorite Sandford on MV and his teammate Ubbiali (which should not see the target flag in the end) and copeta. Above all, despite the lack of knowledge of the route on the Circuit, which is over 60 kilometers long, he was only beaten by the local hero from England. He also defeated his new team -mate Ubbiali in direct fight, which had already been on the podium several times at the TT.

The tragic list of the TT in front of a fatality
It happened at the Hockenheim-Ring (Germany) on May 10, 1953. At the 250s race of the Rhine Cup race, Gotthilf Gehring, who was the first German in 1952 to be a point in the World Cup (at his private Moto-Guzzi in Bremgarten Bern) had fetched, in the event of a collision with a law enforcement officer that had kicked on the route to lift lost glasses. The young policeman was also killed. At the TT, Harry L. Stephen and Thomas W. Swarbrick were the first two victims on June 8, 1953 on the Snaefell Circuit during the run to Junior TT up to 350cc. At Harry it was the collision with a bar at Bishop’s court and with Thomas with Kirk Michael, near the 13th milestone. With Robert Leslie “Les” Graham, four days later, it caught one of the big ones of that time as the world champion from 1949 to 500cc. On Friday, June 12, 1953, he lost in the 500cc race, in third place, in the difficult section of Bray Hill shortly after start-up destination at high speed control of his motorcycle, fell and died at the scene of the accident. Geoffrey J. Walker was the fourth who left his life on the same day. He also affected the senior TT, in Kerrowmoar. The fatal accident occurred in the fifth round. Geoff came from Tasmania in Launceston. The day before, Geoff called at home to take any precautions for the purchase of a new Norton, with which he wanted to contest the rest of the season in Europe.

The Lightweight class up to 250cc with the first race of the season
In the second year of her start-up authorization in World Cup races, the German delegation was also negligible this time. Nevertheless, she was supposed to register in the history books in 1953. While the Italian works such as Gilera, Guzzi and MV, especially due to many road races held on public courses, have been putting on English drivers as TT specialists for years, only Bill Lomas was signed by the Germans. But the NSU factory driver should ultimately be out for the whole season due to a hand injury after a crash at the Sally Bridge. In general, the training was shaped by numerous accidents. Threefight world champion Bruno Ruffo fell because of fog, pulled an arm injury and therefore ended his two-wheeler career. NSU had even tried to offer superstar Geoff Duke as a replacement for Lomas, which was prohibited by the sports commissioners due to the lack of training rounds as well as for Len Perry. In any case, with Anderson (Guzzi), the Italians had put on the right horse early and the Englishman ultimately clearly won in front of Sensation man Werner Haas on the NSU (with 17 seconds behind). Nevertheless, the German works and drivers were able to be more than satisfied in the end thanks to 3rd place from Altmeister. In contrast to the Italians, having two pilots on the podium was simply excellent. All other classified drivers came from England in the 250s.


Rhodesian double victory in the larger two classes
Rudi Felgenheier was the unfortunate TT victim for the sparsely traveled Germans when he injured himself in training and then had to end his career for this reason. As a sensational winner of up to 350cc at the previous year Grand Prix from Germany, a hard blow for him and his work DKW. Because these were no longer allowed to offer a replacement at short notice, the English and Italian manufacturers made up the placements in this class, just like the 500s. Because Rhodesia (until 1964, today Zimbabwe) belonged to Great Britain at the time, the British with Ray Amm on Norton were able to celebrate an equally two -time winner in the categories up to 350 and 500cc. However, the fast man from South Africa needed a lot of luck because the New Zealand Coleman, which was clearly in the lead after two rounds, had to leave his AJs with a torn oil tank. Les Graham as the winner for the 125s on MV, also had to give up due to a slipping coupling. Siegfried Wünten also had bad luck with a piston bolt broken in a promising position and stopped in the second round. In the initial, in the 500cc was the World Championship-Topvorit Geoff Duke, which was recovered by an injury from the previous year, with over half a minute ahead of Les Graham and even 49 seconds in front of Amm. A little later, Les fell deadly at over 200 km/h. Duke also slipped when he accelerated Bridge at Quarter and then gave up on his MV with a defective tank, but luckily remained unharmed. Because Kavanagh also failed with engine damage and Armstrong fought with carburetor problems on the Gilera, Ray Amm won in front of Jack Brett (Norton) despite a slip at Sarah’s cottage with a broken footrest.



World Championship round 2 with the Dutch TT in Assen
Not far from the German border this time the exploit of the only 26 year old Haas on his NSU. Regarding his age, it is still important to note that in his time a lot of pilots were already well over 40 years old, which was also on the Les Graham, who was fatally incriminated with 41 at the Tourist Tropy. On the then 16.49 km long Dutch TT route, Haas managed to beat his two strongest adversaries with the MV Assen Cecil Sandford and Carlo Ubbiali. The 250s came even thicker when NSU won 3rd place behind Guzzi Ass Anderson with Haas. In addition with old master “Sissi” wishes on P5 and August “Gustl” Hobl (both DKW) as sixth. Within a few months, the two German works won four points in the fourth class four of the time. Haas led after 2 rounds in the 125th World Cup and up to 250cc, together with Anderson, he led the ranking.

The categories up to 350 and 500cc on the Dutch TT 1953
In the 350s, Lorenzetti scored rehabilitation on the Moto-Guzzi in front of AMM and Kavanagh (both Norton) after its slump in the 250cc class. The remaining points were divided into each other’s Norton and AJS pilots, whereby Amm and Kavanagh completed the podium. Of course, the race up to 500cc with 16 rounds was held over the longest distance of a total of 263 km. The Gileras of Duke, Milani and Colnage started from the front row, with the favorite from England immediately taken the lead. Already in the first round, Alfredo Milani ended with a technical problem early on. A little later the race was already over for Anderson and Ernie Ring. The latter should play a tragic role at the next Grand Prix in Belgium.

First win of the season for the returnee
Lorenzetti also had to give up in the tenth round after the Italian had been on P7 for a long time. Amm, who was long in position 2 and BMW Pilot Zeller lost, clearly lost speed, but was still able to save himself in 7th place. This was the first to happen to Duke ahead of Armstrong and Kavanagh and after his failure to the TT it was his first 500cc victory of the young season, which could keep the chance to the title. He had lost this to Umberto Masetti, which was his teammate, especially because of his serious fall injuries in Schotten in Schotten. The Englishman had cleverly left Norton after 1952 because he only believed in another title with Gilera. To do this, he even sacrificed the title defense among the 350s, also because the Italian work with its fast 4-cylinder machine only took part up to 500cc. After his two titles from 1951 and 52, there would definitely be a new world champion up to 350cc.


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