| Motorcycle Grand Prix Career | |
| Nationality |  Germany |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1932 - 1953 |
| Team(s) | Auto-Union, BMW |
| Grands Prix | N/A |
| Championships | N/A |
| Wins | 7 |
| Podium finishes | N/A |
| Pole positions | N/A |
| Fastest laps | N/A |
| First Grand Prix | 500cc 1938 Eilenreiden Hanover |
| First Grand Prix win | 500cc 1938 Belgium GP |
| Last Grand Prix win | 500cc 1939 Belgium GP |
| Last Grand Prix | 500cc 1939 Swedish GP |
Georg ("Schorsch") Meier (born 9 November 1910 Mühldorf am Inn, Bavaria, Germany – died 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 factory BMW team and the first motor-cycle racer to lap a Grand Prix course at over 100mph. Overview A Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix was first organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM in 1949 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German Automobile manufacturers established in 1932 in Zwickau, Saxony, during the Great Depression BMW Motorrad, a division of BMW, is a German Motorcycle manufacturer The following is a list of Grand Prix motorcycle racing FIM World Champions, from 1949 to 2007, in order of year and Engine displacement. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all Sporting aspects of Motorcycling. The Senior TT is a Motorcycle Road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation. TT Race History Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Car Trials and were originally restricted to touring automobiles ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 [1]
Contents |
Biography
After leaving school at the age of 14 years, Georg Meier became an apprentice at a local motor-cycle repair shop in Mühldorf am Inn in Bavaria and became known as "Schorsch" (the Bavarian diminutive for Georg) Meier. After hearing that the Bavarian State Police were creating a motor-cycle section, at the age of 19 years, Georg Meier applied to join and was accepted in 1929. A trainee period of three years had to be completed before Georg Meier was able to transfer to the motor-cycle police section in 1932. [2]
Racing career
After becoming a member of the Bavarian Police Team, Georg Meier competed in 1000km endurance trials that where popular at the time and seen as good training for motor-cycle dispatch riders. In 1934, Georg Meier attracted attention of the German Army motor-cycle team after finishing a 1000 km enduro an hour ahead of schedule and also riding an unpopular 400cc single-cylinder BMW R4 with a pressed-steel frame and out-moded trailing-link front forks. BMW Motorrad, a division of BMW, is a German Motorcycle manufacturer [3] With fellow competitors in the German Army team, Fritz Linhardt and Joseph Forstner they won so many enduro events that Georg Meier became known as "Der Gusseiserne Schorsch". [4] (Ironman Georg).
1937 International Six Day Trial
After many success at the 1000 km enduro events, Georg Meier was selected for the German Trophy Team for the 1937 International Six Day Trial to be held in Wales. ISDE redirects here ISDE also stands for the International Society of Doctors for the Environment. Along with team-mates Joseph Stelzer and Ludwig Wiggerl Kraus who competed in an 600cc BMW sidecar outfit, the German Trophy team now used 500cc flat-twin BMW motor-cycles. At the end of the six day trial the British and German Trophy teams where level on points. The event was to be decided on speed-test and the new Castle Donington race circuit. Donington Park is a site near Castle Donington in North West Leicestershire, England, owned by Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd The British Trophy team had an advantage as they used 350cc machines and due to the handicap system the 500cc BMW motor-cycles had to complete an extra-lap to win the 1937 International Six Day Trial. Also, two of the British riders had extensive road-racing experience with Vic Brittain riding a Norton and George Rowley riding an AJS motor-cycle. AJS is also an abbreviation for the American Journal of Sociology. Despite having no road racing experience, Georg Meier won the Donington speed-trial, but the German Trophy Team lost the event to Great Britain Team by 10 seconds on the handicap system. The German Team officials were impressed by Georg Meier's performance that they suggested to BMW that he should be given a trial for their race-team. [5]
Racing for BMW Works Team 1937-1939
The works BMW motor-cycle team where looking for a replacement for Otto Ley who was about to retire from racing. At a race at Schleiz in 1937, Georg Meier was give the opportunity to try out one of the new supercharged BMW motor-cycles during practice. Schleiz is a town in the district of Saale-Orla-Kreis in Thuringia, Germany. After a few laps, Georg Meier pulled into the pits and reputedly told the BMW racing manager that "Road Racing is far too dangerous for me. "[6] The BMW team were able to persuade Georg Meier to continue and finished the practice session with fourth fastest time, but did not start the race as he was not officially entered by the BMW works team. After replacing Otto Ley in the BMW motor-cycle team for the 1938 season, Georg Meier began 1938 by winning the Eilenreiden Race at Hanover, setting race and lap records after a poor start which had left him in last place". [7]
For the 1938 Isle of Man TT, Georg Meier was entered by the BMW team along with Jock West and Karl Gall. The 1938 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy saw the Senior TT lap record of 90 First the BMW team suffered a setback when Karl Gall was injured in an unofficial practice crash and was found in a ditch above the Gooseneck and was unable to race. The gooseneck is the Swivel connection on a Sailboat by which the boom attaches to the mast. On the startline for the 1938 Senior TT Race, one of the BMW mechanics changing a spark-plug stripped a cylinder thread on the engine of Georg Meier's BMW Type 255 Kompressor motor-cycle. The Senior TT is a Motorcycle Road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June [8] Despite starting the 1938 Senior TT Race on one-cylinder, Georg Meier retired on lap 1 at the bottom of Bray Hill. Bray Hill is a point on the Isle of Man TT course in the capital city of Douglas [9] The race was won Harold Daniell riding for Norton at an average race speed of 89. 11 mph and Jock West riding the works supercharged BMW finished in 5th place at an average race speed of 85. 92 mph. In 1938, Georg Meier went on to win the 500cc Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, the 500cc Dutch TT, the German Grand Prix at the Hohenstein-Ernstthal or Sachsenring course and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race The Dutch TT (Tourist Trophy is a Motorcycling event traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part Hohenstein-Ernstthal is a town in the Zwickau rural district Free State of Saxony, Germany. Also see Sachsenring AG, named after this race track for the former maker of the Trabant car Monza ( Munscia in Western Lombard) is a city on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy The 500cc 1938 Ulster Grand Prix was won by BMW team-mate Jock West and Georg Meier became the 1938 500cc European Motor-Cycle Champion. [10]
For the 1939 racing season, despite being a Sergeant-Instructor with the Military Police, Georg Meier continued racing for the factory BMW team during his periods of leave. Also for the 1939 season Georg Meier along with fellow motor-cycle racer Hermann Paul Müller drove as reserve drivers for the German Auto-Union Racing Team. Hermann Paul Müller (born in Bielefeld, November 21, 1909 - died in Ingolstadt, December 30, 1975) was a German Grand Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German Automobile manufacturers established in 1932 in Zwickau, Saxony, during the Great Depression During practice for the 1939 Isle of Man TT Race, Georg Meier's BMW team-mate, Kall Gall crashed at Ballaugh Bridge and later died of his injuries and the effects of pneumonia in hospital. The 1939 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the last race festival until 1947 due to the interruption of World War II. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal [11] After considering to withdraw from the Isle of Man TT Races, the BMW management decided that Georg Meier and Jock West would compete in the 1939 Senior TT Race and Georg Meier led from start to finish winning at an average race speed of 89. 38 mph and Jock West finished in second place. [12]
1939 Senior Isle of Man TT (500cc)
16 June 1939 - 7 laps (264. TT Race History Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Car Trials and were originally restricted to touring automobiles Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 11 miles) Mountain Course
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georg Meier | BMW | 89. BMW Motorrad, a division of BMW, is a German Motorcycle manufacturer 38 mph | 2:57:19. 0 |
| 2 |  Jock West | BMW | 88. 22 | 2:59:39. 0 |
| 3 | Freddie L Frith | Norton | 87. Frederick L "Freddie" Frith OBE (born May 30, 1909 - May 24 1988 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England 96 | 3:00:11. 0 |
Two weeks after becoming the first foreign winner of the prestigious Isle of Man Senior TT Race, Georg Meier won the 500cc 1939 Dutch TT at Assen. The Dutch TT (Tourist Trophy is a Motorcycling event traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part Assen ( is a Municipality and a City in the north eastern Netherlands, capital of the Province of Drenthe. This was followed by a win at 500cc 1939 Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps and the first motor-cycle racer to lap a Grand Prix course at over 100mph. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race [13] Despite missing the French Motor-Cycle Grand Prix, Georg Meier competes instead for Auto Union driving to 2nd place in Grand Prix De L'Automobile Club de France at Reims-Gueux. Reims-Gueux was a triangular Motor racing road course near Reims, France, which hosted 14 French Grands Prix. Returning to ride for the BMW motor-cycle for the Swedish Grand Prix, Georg Meier falls twice after chasing Dorino Serafini riding for Gilera and suffers a back-injury which stops him from racing for the rest of the 1939 racing season. Teodoro "Dorino" Serafini ( July 22, 1909 - July 5, 2000) was a Motorcycle road racer and Racing driver With further wins at the 500cc German, Ulster and Italian Grand Prix races, Dorino Sefafini wins the 500c class for the 1939 European Championship.
Auto Union Team 1939
The 1939 Eifelrennen was the first race of the season for the Auto Union team. Along with fellow motor-cycle racer Hermann Paul Müller acted as reserve drivers for the Auto Union team. Hermann Paul Müller (born in Bielefeld, November 21, 1909 - died in Ingolstadt, December 30, 1975) was a German Grand After qualifying for the 1939 Eifelrennen, Hans Stuck injured his foot playing skittle and the place was taken by Georg Meier, however did not start the race after a technical failure of the Auto Union Type D that he was driving. This article is about the father for the son see Hans-Joachim Stuck. The 1939 Eifelrennen was won by Hermann Lang driving the Mercedes-Benz W154 after Tazio Nuvolari driving for Auto Union tried to run the race non-stop. Hermann Lang (born April 6 1909 &ndash died October 19 1987) was a German champion race car driver The Mercedes-Benz W154 was a Grand Prix racing car designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari ( November 16, 1892 &ndash August 11, 1953) was an Italian Motorcycle and Racecar For the 1939 Belgium Grand Prix, Georg Meier again deputised Hans Stuck in the Auto Union team. The race held in heavy rain and poor visibility was dominated by the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows of Dick Seaman and Hermann Lang. Silver Arrows (in German Silberpfeile) was the name given by the press to Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing Richard John Beattie "Dick" Seaman (born February 3 1913 in Chichester, Sussex, England - died June 25 1939 On lap 14, Georg Meier driving the Auto Union Type D was forced into a ditch by the privateer Adolphe Mandirola driving a Maserati 6CM at Blanchemont on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit and then retired. The 1939 Belgium Grand Prix was again won by Hermann Lang, but was domininated by the death of Dick Seaman in a crash at La Source hairpin. The 1939 French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux was dominated by Auto Union after the retirement of the Mercedes-Benz drivers, after Rudolf Caracciola crashed on lap 1, on lap 17 an engine failure for von Brauchitsch and Hermann Lang on lap 36. The French Grand Prix ( Grand Prix de France) is a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile 's annual Formula One automobile Reims-Gueux was a triangular Motor racing road course near Reims, France, which hosted 14 French Grands Prix. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the Rudolf Caracciola ( January 30, 1901 &ndash September 28, 1959) was a Racecar driver, nicknamed "Karratsch" Manfred von Brauchitsch ( 15 August, 1905 - February 5, 2003) was a German Auto racing driver who drove for Mercedes-Benz The race was won by Hermann Paul Müller for Auto Union and Georg Meier finished in 2nd place after a pit-fire burnt his arm. [14]
1939 Race Results Auto Union Type D
| Rank | Race | Circuit | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNS | ADAC Eifelrennen | Nürburgring - Nordschleife | 10 laps - 228. The Nürburgring, known as simply " The Ring " by enthusiasts is a Motorsport Race track in Nürburg, Germany. 10 km | —— |
| DNF | Grand Prix de Belgique | Spa-Francorchamps | 35 laps - 507. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race 50 km | —— |
| 2nd | Grand Prix De L'Automobile Club de France | Reims-Gueux | 51 laps - 398. Reims-Gueux was a triangular Motor racing road course near Reims, France, which hosted 14 French Grands Prix. 60 km | - 1 lap |
| DNF | Großer Preis von Deutschland | Nürburgring | 22 laps - 501. 82 km | —— |
War Service
After the crash at the Swedish Grand Prix in August 1939, Georg Meier spent two months recovering from a serious back-injury. Due to the injury this led to Georg Meier being declared unfit for military service and spent the war as a motor-cycle instructor for the German Military Police and as a driver to Wilhelm Canaris head of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, from 1935 to 1944. Wilhelm Franz Canaris ( January 1, 1887 &ndash April 9, 1945) was a German Admiral and head of the Abwehr The Abwehr was a German intelligence organization from 1921 to 1944 Military intelligence (abbreviated MI int Commonwealth, or intel [15]
Post War Racing
After the war Germany was excluded from motor sport competition, including the world championships until 1951. [16] Between 1947 and 1953, Georg Meier won the German 500cc championship on a modified pre-war supercharged BMW motor-cycle for six years out of seven. In 1952 he narrowly missed-out to young team-mate Walter Zeller and became German Sportsman of the Year in 1949 the first time a motor-cycle racer had won the prize. Walter Philip Zeller ( October 21 1890 - August 25, 1957) was a Canadian businessman and founder of discount retail chain Zellers [17] Also, Georg Meier formed the BMW Veritas Team and won the German sports car championship in 1948.
After regaining the German Championship from Walter Zeller in 1953, Georg Meier retired from racing to concentrate on his BMW motor-cycle business. In 1983 Georg Meier appeared in the BMW campaign to celebrate 60 years of motor-cycle production and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1939 Senior TT Race win, Georg Meier demonstrated the BMW Type 255 Kompressor in the Lap of Honour during the 1989 Isle of Man TT Race.
Sources
- ^ Daily Telegraph dated 21 February 1999
- ^ Classic Racer no 78 - pp 70 Mertons Motor-Cycle Media Group plc
- ^ Classic Racer no 78 - pp 70 Mertons Motor-Cycle Media Group plc
- ^ Daily Telegraph dated 21 February 1999
- ^ Classic Racer no 78 - pp 70 Mertons Motor-Cycle Media Group plc
- ^ Classic Racer no 78 - page 71
- ^ Daily Telegraph dated 21 February 1999
- ^ The Classic Motor-Cycle July 1999 pp8 Mertons Motor-Cycle Media Group plc
- ^ Keig, Stanley Robertson (1975). Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The Keig Collection: six hundred photographs from the Manx House of Keig of T. T. riders and their machines from 1911 to 1939, vol 1. Bruce Main-Smith & Co. pp. 50 ISBN 0-90436-505-0
- ^ pp151 Guinness Motorcycle Sport Fact Book by Ian Morrison - Guinness Press Ltd ISBN 0-85112-953-6
- ^ Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 17 May 1939. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ Goodwood Festival of Speed - Official Programme 1999 pp116
- ^ Daily Telegraph dated 21 February 1999
- ^ [1] Kolumbus. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) fi Georg Meier (Retrieved 7 February 2007)
- ^ Daily Telegraph dated 21 February 1999
- ^ Classic Racer no 78 - pp 72 Mertons Motor-Cycle Media Group plc
- ^ German Racing Motorcycles by Mick Walker pp17 (1st Edition) (1999) Redline Books ISBN 0-9531311-22
External links
- TT database rider profile iomtt. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) com
- TT database TT results iomtt. com
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jimmy Guthrie | 500cc Motorcycle European Champion 1938 | Succeeded by Dorino Serafini |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Gottfried von Cramm | German Sportsman of the Year 1949 | Succeeded by Herbert Klein |
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