Rudolf Krause (30 March 1907 – 11 April 1987) was a

racing driver 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

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...

Biography

Born in

Reichenbach im Vogtland Reichenbach im Vogtland is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district of Saxony in eastern Germany. With a population of 20,108, it is the second-largest town in the Vogtlandkreis after Plauen. It is located close to the A72 between Plauen (at c. 18& ...

, Krause is mainly known as one of the leading sportsmen in motor racing in

Formula Two Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009– 2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name ...

, during his career between 1927 and 1954, beside other

drivers like

Hans Stuck Hans Stuck (pronounced ''"shtook"''; sometimes called Hans Stuck von Villiez; 27 December 1900 – 9 February 1978) was a German motor racing driver. Both his son Hans-Joachim Stuck (born 1951) and his grandsons Johannes and Ferdinand Stuck be ...

. In 1952 and 1953 he participated in two World Championship Grands Prix. He scored no championship points and his only finish was 14th in the

1953 German Grand Prix The 1953 German Grand Prix was a Formula Two motor racing event held on 2 August 1953 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It was race 7 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than ...

. When Krause’s career began in 1927, he mainly raced in motorcycles. He switched to self-modified cars in the beginning of the 1930s. Soon after Krause’s career began, he set up his own mechanic shop inside of his garage in Reichenbach, and raced in his own BMW sports car. Krause’s formula racing career debuted in 1949 when racing in East Germany itself began races after the Second World War. Krause was a top contender when East Germany ran its own formula racing Grand Prix and championships between 1950 and 1953, placing in top positions several times and winning the formula 2 East German Championship in its last year of existence. He mainly drove in BMW race cars, many of which were at least partially built in his own workshop in Reichenbach. When Krause retired in 1954, it was mainly because of his age. However, it also awards him the distinction of one of the few East German drivers to not defect to western Germany to further his career.

Complete World Championship Grand Prix results

( key)

References

;Sources * 1907 births 1987 deaths German racing drivers People from Reichenbach im Vogtland Racing drivers from Saxony East German Formula One drivers {{F1-bio-stub