![Helmut Krackowizer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Helmut_Krackowizer.jpg)
Helmut Krackowizer (29 April 1922 – 22 October 2001) was an Austrian motorcycle racer and motor journalist with an international reputation, specializing in vintage motorcycles.
Early life
Krackowizer's life was shaped in large part by
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
s and also by
automobiles
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as ...
. Born in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
in 1922, he started to create motorcycle drawings while he was a
schoolboy, long before he was able to ride his first motorcycle, a 250 cc
NSU, at the age of 16. He soon replaced this motorcycle with a 500 cc
Norton Norton may refer to:
Places
Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada
* Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan
*Norton Parish, New Brunswick
**Norton, New Brunswick, a ...
"International".
[Peter Krackowizer: "Motorrad Professor Helmut Krackowizer Erinnerungen zum 100. Geburtstag" ("Motorcycle Professor Helmut Krackowizer memories on his 100th birthday", biography), edition april 2022]
see announcement
During his school summer vacations, Helmut worked as a
mechanic
A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars.
Duties
Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning and r ...
and went to races whenever possible. In 1932, he attended one of the first
races on the
Gaisberg near
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
. He took advantage of any opportunity to ride a motorcycle, to buy one (A
Rudge 250 cc two valves, his first
racing motorcycle
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
), or to
rescue
Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or the urgent treatment of injuries after an accident or a dangerous situation.
Tools used might include search and rescue dogs, mounted search and rescue ho ...
one. He saw the end of the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
as a fighter controller of the Air Signal Corps in a night interception troop – on a motorcycle – in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
.
The Motorcycle Professor
After Krackowizer retired from active racing in 1955, he began to track down historic Motorcycles all over
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. He kept some of these finds and had them restored, others he exchanged and sold again. In 1967 he founded the third Motor Veterans Club in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, the Motor Veterans Club
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
. In 1976 Krackowizer was also president of the Austrian Motor Veterans Association for a
short time
Short-time working or short time (in German: ) is a governmental unemployment insurance system in which private sector employees agree to or are forced to accept a reduction in working time and pay, with the state making up for all or part of the ...
.
[Das Speichenrad](_blank)
Club newspaper and newsletter of the Motor Veteranen Club Salzburg, special edition 2017
Helmut Krackowizer knew almost every historical motorcycle in detail, knew the stories of rare motorcycles and the
biographies
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
of their racers, most of whom he had also met personally and were also among his friends, such as
Sammy Miller
Samuel Hamilton Miller, MBE (born 11 November 1933) is a Northern Irish championship winning motorcycle racer, in both road racing and trials. He was appointed an MBE in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2013, Miller was named an FIM Legend for ...
trial_world_champion.html" ;"title="Trail World Championships">trial world champion">Trail World Championships">trial world champion
John Surtees
John Surtees, (11 February 1934 – 10 March 2017) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver. On his way to become a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, he won his first title in 1956, and followed with ...
nly automobile and motorcycle world champion Walter Zeller,
Luigi Taveri
Luigi Taveri (19 September 1929 – 1 March 2018) was a Swiss professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1954 to 1966. Taveri is notable for being a three-time 125cc ...
(multiple motorcycle world champion on
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
from
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
), Hans Haldemann (sidecar racer from Switzerland, Georg "Schorsch" Meier (in 1939 Meier was the first non-British to win the 500 cc class, the so-called
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
, at the infamous Tourist Trophy on the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
),
Alfred Neubauer
Alfred Neubauer (29 March 1891 in Neutitschein – 22 August 1980 in Stuttgart) was the racing manager of the Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix team from 1926 to 1955.
Biography
Neubauer's father, Karl Neubauer, was a furniture-maker in Neutitschein () ...
, the legendary
Mercedes-Benz race director, and many others from the
motor racing
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
scene. He was a member of the Rudge Enthusiasts Club in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
He fulfilled a lifelong dream by realizing the great motor veteran race on the
Salzburgring
The Salzburgring is a motorsport race track located in Plainfeld, east of Salzburg.
Key Facts
Track Length
Bends 15
Straights ...
, the "
Oldtimer Grand Prix", which took place between 1974 and 1987. Stars like
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian Formula One driver and aviation entrepreneur. He was a three-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion, winning in , and , and is the only driver in Formula ...
,
Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentinean automobile racer), Hans Herrmann and other former
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
and
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
racers came to these veteran races for historic automobiles and motorcycles. Well over 100 automobiles and up to 300 motorcycles came to this event at the
Salzburgring
The Salzburgring is a motorsport race track located in Plainfeld, east of Salzburg.
Key Facts
Track Length
Bends 15
Straights ...
in the best years.
Mercedes Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
sent the famous
Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows (german: link=no, Silberpfeil) was the nickname given by the press to Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing cars between 1934 and 1939. The name was later applied to the Mercedes-Benz Formula ...
,
BMW and
Audi
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
Th ...
brought historical
racing cars
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
from their
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
s to
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
.
However, his efforts to establish a Motor Veteran Museum in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
were unsuccessful. Attempts were made to convert the Stadl in the Hellbrunn Palace Park for this purpose, but these failed due to bureaucratic considerations on the part of the municipality of
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
. Thus, some collections of vintage motorcycles and automobiles whose owners Krackowizer had already won over for the project (such as Walter Brandstetter from
St. Pölten
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
) went to domestic and foreign motor museums. And until today (as of 2019) no suitable space for historical
technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
(of all kinds) has been created in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
to present rarities to posterity.
Career
Motorcycle racing
In
autumn
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...
of 1946, he rode his first
motorcycle race with his
Rudge 250 cm
3 under heavy rain during the first post-war race in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
-Nonntal,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. He came in third.
Then in
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
of 1947, the first
dirt track race in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
, organized by the just founded SAMTC (Salzburg automobile motorcycle and touring club), attracted 20.000 spectators on the trotting racecourse in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
-Aigen. The SAMTC's first motorcycle race took place on the
motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
-Liefering on
6 July 1947. 1958 this race became the
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
for
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
s, which moved later on the motorway
Anif
Anif is a municipality of Salzburg-Umgebung District in the Austrian state of Salzburg.
Geography
It is located at the southern city limits of Salzburg. In the south, it borders on Hallein District. Anif is one of the smallest municipalities in t ...
-
Grödig
Grödig is a market town of Salzburg-Umgebung District in the state of Salzburg in Austria.
Geography
Grödig is located south of the Salzburg city limits in the historic ''Flachgau'' region, near the border with Bavaria, Germany. The market tow ...
, also near
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
and in the end on the
Salzburgring
The Salzburgring is a motorsport race track located in Plainfeld, east of Salzburg.
Key Facts
Track Length
Bends 15
Straights ...
, where the race had been upgraded in 1970 to a
world champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
race.
In that motorcycle race on 6 July 1947, Krackowizer won the junior class 250 cc on
Rudge in 44:32,8 min., followed by the Salzburgians Fritz Walcher on
New Imperial
New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that emplo ...
with a time of 46:43,4 min. and Richard Kwitt on
Puch
Puch () is a manufacturing company located in Graz, Austria. The company was founded in 1899 by the industrialist Johann Puch and produced automobiles, bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles. It was a subsidiary of the large Steyr-Daimler-Puch conglo ...
in 46:43,4 min. The race led over 15 laps, which corresponded to a distance of . Krackowizer was then also in the senior race three laps into the lead before he had to abandon because of a defect. This was the beginning of his motorcycle racer career lasting until 1955.
The year 1947 became one of the most successful racing years for him. Among other races he took part in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
in
Rankweil
Rankweil is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg, in the district Feldkirch. It is the second largest town in the district Feldkirch and the eighth largest town in Vorarlberg.
Geography
Rankweil is located in the southern Rhine ...
and
Lustenau
Lustenau (; gsw, Luschnou) is a town in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg in the district of Dornbirn. It lies on the river Rhine, which forms the border with Switzerland. Lustenau is Vorarlberg's fourth largest town.
Geography
Luste ...
(
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
), in
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
-
Hungerburg
Hungerburg is a district of Innsbruck, Austria. It has a population of 1,005 (as of 2014). It is connected with the city center through a hybrid funicular railway, the Hungerburgbahn, and from Hungerburg the Nordkette Cable Car continues in 2 sect ...
hill climb race, in
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
-Lazarett Siedlung and Ries hill climb race,
Pötschen Pass as well as in
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
at the
Triesenberg
Triesenberg is a municipality in Liechtenstein with a population of 2,636. Its area of makes it the largest municipality in Liechtenstein. The center of the municipality rests at an elevation of .
History
Triesenberg is noted for its distinct di ...
. The year's result of 1947: three first places, two-class records, two-second places, two fourth places – the most successful racer of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
in class A to 250 cm
3. Today one would say "Austrian motorcycle champion".
In 1948, he intended to take part in the
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
, but failed to do so because of missing border documents at the Swiss border. In the following years he rode with changing success also abroad, e.g. in
Olten
Olten (High Alemannic: ''Oute'') is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.
Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zürich, Basel, Bern, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub o ...
and
Erlen
Erlen is a municipality in Weinfelden District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.
History
The current municipality was formed in 1995 from the smaller communities of Erlen, Engishofen, Ennetaach, Kümmertshausen and Riedt. , at the "
Schauinsland" hill climb race, in
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Bav ...
and the
Norisring
The Norisring is a street circuit in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as a motorcycle racing venue in 1947 and named in a 1950 competition to win a light motorcycle, the track became known as a sports car racing venue in the ...
in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
as well as on the
Hockenheim
Hockenheim () is a town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 20 km south of Mannheim and 10 km west of Walldorf. It is located in the Upper Rhine valley on the tourist theme routes "Baden Asparagus Route" () and Bertha Benz M ...
.
Over the years he rode several motorcycle marks as there had been:
Rudge 250 cm
3,
Velocette
Velocette is a line of motorcycles made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling almost as many hand-built motorcycles during i ...
KTT MK VIII 350 cm
3 ex Binder,
BSA Gold Star 350 cm
3 Lohner scooter,
Norton Norton may refer to:
Places
Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada
* Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan
*Norton Parish, New Brunswick
**Norton, New Brunswick, a ...
500 cm
3,
AJS,
Puch
Puch () is a manufacturing company located in Graz, Austria. The company was founded in 1899 by the industrialist Johann Puch and produced automobiles, bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles. It was a subsidiary of the large Steyr-Daimler-Puch conglo ...
, and others. In 1955, he retired from his active motorcycle racing career.
Journalism
After he graduated from the
University of Economics at Vienna, he began his profession in 1952, at the factory
Eternit at
Vöcklabruck
Vöcklabruck () is the administrative center of the Vöcklabruck district, Austria. It is located in the western part of Upper Austria, close to the A1 Autobahn as well as the B1 highway.
Vöcklabruck's name derives from the River Vöckla which ...
,
Upper Austria
Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...
. He moved to
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
in 1955 to start his
career
The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways.
Definitions
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defin ...
as
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
and
advertising manager at
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
Austria. Later on, he moved to
Mercedes Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
(1964) and
British Leyland
British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC), following the merger of Leyland Motors and British Motor Holdings. It was partl ...
(1969). His last job until his
retirement
Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload.
Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
in 1987 had been with
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
(renamed in
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque introduced in 1902 by English-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talbot ...
and finally merged with
Peugeot
Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis.
The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
).
During this time, he wrote articles on motorcycle races for various magazines within
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and
English-speaking
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest langua ...
areas. and revisited his childhood hobby of drawing famous racing motorcycles. His drawings were first published with great success in 1965. Having written and published books on motorcycles, including ''
Motorcycle Sport
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all races or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle rac ...
'' and ''The History of Famous Makes of Motorcycle'', he returned to his drawings, particularly pencil drawings showing fine details of a motorcycle. He continued this hobby until the last months of his life.
He had been an expert for nearly every type of motorcycle, knowing every history of them, curriculum vitae of most of the racers of former times. He had counted as a friend e.g.
Sammy Miller
Samuel Hamilton Miller, MBE (born 11 November 1933) is a Northern Irish championship winning motorcycle racer, in both road racing and trials. He was appointed an MBE in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2013, Miller was named an FIM Legend for ...
,
John Surtees
John Surtees, (11 February 1934 – 10 March 2017) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver. On his way to become a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, he won his first title in 1956, and followed with ...
,
Walter Zeller,
Luigi Taveri
Luigi Taveri (19 September 1929 – 1 March 2018) was a Swiss professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1954 to 1966. Taveri is notable for being a three-time 125cc ...
, Hans Haldemann,
Georg Meier
Georg "Schorsch" Meier (; 9 November 1910 – 19 February 1999) was a German motorcycle racer famous for being the first foreign winner of the prestigious Senior TT, the Blue Riband race of the Isle of Man TT Races, in 1939 riding for the f ...
and many other of the
motor race
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
scenery.
["Oldtimer Markt. Europas größte Zeitschrift Klassische Autos und Motorräder", Heft 12/2001; "auto revue" Österreichs Magazin für Technik und Sport, 5/1997; "Motorradmagazin" Österreich, März 1997]
On the morning of 22 October 2001, he died after suffering his third
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
on Monday, 15 October, at the age of 80.
Publications
* ''TOEFF Land Schweiz'', SERAG AG Verlag, Pfäffikon, 1992,
* ''Motorrad Album'', Markt Buch, VF Verlagsgesellschaft Wiesbaden, 1990,
* ''Motorräder – Berühmte Marken von Adler bis Zenith'', Markt Buch VF Verlagsgesellschaft Wiesbaden 1988,
* ''Motorräder – Berühmte Marken von AJS bis Zündapp'', Welsermühl Verlag
* ''25 Motorrad WM'', 1975, Welsermühl Verlag
* ''Meilensteine der Motorradgeschichte von 1885 bis heute'', Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart
* ''Meilensteine der Motorradgeschichte'', 1995, Gondrom Verlag GmbH
* ''Horex Regina bis Imperator 1950–56'', Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, 1986
* ''Österreichische Kraftfahrzeuge. Von Anbeginn bis heute'', 1982
* ''Die klassischen Rennmotorräder'', Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart,1965
Sources
* "
The Classic Motor Cycle
''The Classic Motor Cycle'' is a UK motorcycle magazine originally launched in 1981 with six editions a year as a spin-off from UK newspaper-format ''Motor Cycle Weekly'' (previously historically known as ''The Motor Cycle'') as under then Edi ...
" August/September 1982: "Happy birthday Helmut", Vic Willoughby
* "KURIER Motor" Vienna, April 30, 1982: "Die ungenießbaren Tellernocken"
* "AMC" 6/1984: "Leuchtender Stern" (BSA "Gold Star")
* "
Classic Bike
''Classic Bike'' is a UK motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a ra ...
" April 1989: "The Rudge that Brumm built", by Helmut Krackowizer
* "Markt" 7/1990: "Eine Runde für Wal! Mit Walter Handleys 1930er Rudge fuhr Dr. Krackowizer noch einmal über die TT-Strecke auf der Isle of Man"
* "Austro Classic", 3/1997: "Happy birthday, Professor Dr. Helmut Krackowizer 'Rudge 1' "
* "Motorrad Classic" 3/1997: "Der Motorrad Professor"
* "Moto Sport Schweiz" 19/1997 and 18/1981
*
Salzburger Nachrichten April 26, 1997 "British only mit Krackowizer"
* "VFV Info 2/1997": "Motorrad-Professor Dr. Krackowizer"
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krackowizer, Helmut
20th-century Austrian journalists
1922 births
2001 deaths
Austrian male writers
Austrian motorcycle racers