Anton "Toni" Ulmen (25 January 1906 – 4 November 1976) was a German motorcycle and racing driver from Düsseldorf, Germany. His racing career started in 1925 on a 250 cc Velocette. In 1927 he won the opening race of the Nürburgring on a 350 cc Velocette. In 1929 he won the 350 cc class on the Eilenriede, a non-permanent race course near Hannover. From 1949 to 1952, he was four times German sports car and Formula 2 champion.

Toni Ulmen
NationalityWest Germany German
BornAnton Ulmen
(1906-01-25)25 January 1906
Düsseldorf, Germany
Died4 November 1976(1976-11-04) (aged 70)
Düsseldorf, Germany
Formula One World Championship career
Active years1952
Teamsprivateer Veritas-Meteor
Entries2
First entry1952 Swiss Grand Prix
Last entry1952 German Grand Prix

Craftsman, businessman and racer

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After leaving school, Ulmen served an apprenticeship as a machinist with Motorradwerkstatt Hasenclever. When he finished there, he founded Gebrüder Ulmen, with his brother Andreas.[1] They become the representatives of Opel for Düsseldorf.

It was in 1925 that Ulmen began his career in motorsport, at the Großen Deutschland-Rundfahrt on a 250cc Velocette motor cycle. Two years later can riding a 350 cc Velocette he won the first Eifelrennen, to claim the Deutsche Tourist-Trophäe, the inaugural race held on the Nürburgring. In 1929, he won another major German race, the 350cc race of Eilenridederennens in Hanover. By 1930, Ulmen was a works rider for NSU.

After the War

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After the war, he turned to car racing, taking a second place in his first major sportscar race, the Karlsruhe-Durlach, abroad a BMW 328.[2] A year later, in 1947 he was awarded the title of best German sports car driver of the year.

The 1949 season saw Ulmen win nine races, including the Solituderennen[3] and the DMV Grenzlandringrennen.[4] He was won races at München, Nürburgring,[5] Sachsenring[6] and Kölner Kurs.[7] He also recorded seven second place that season. 1950 saw the first Großer Preis von Deutschland after World War II, at the Nürburgring, where he finished fourth in his open-wheel Veritas RS. In this car, he also recorded a surprising third place in the Preis der Ostechweiz-Erlen [8] in Switzerland, beaten only by the Scuderia Ferraris of Luigi Villoresi and Roberto Vallone. Prior to 1950, there was a ban on German cars and drivers completing in foreign events, after the war.[9] He retained his German Champion title, he first won in 1949.[10]

With victories at Hockenheim,[11] the Schauinsland Hillclimb,[12] and the Grenzlandring,[9] Ulmen was clear champion in the 2-litre Sports Car class.[10] He participated in two World Championship Grands Prix in 1952, debuting on 18 May 1952, in the Großer Pries der Schweiz,[13] but retired due to fuel tank issues. He returned for the Großer Preis von Deutschland, where despite his Veritas's power disadvantage compared to his rivals, his finished eighth.[14] That season also saw Ulmen win the DMV Grenalandringrennen again.[15] During the season, he suffered a heavy crash during a practise session on the Sachsenring[10] from which he escaped almost unscathed. He arrived at the final meeting of the 1952 season, the Avusrennen, as leader in the Formula 2 class and 2-litre sport cars. On the AVUS, lost a dramatic slipstream battle with fellow Veritas driver, Fritz Rieß, on the penultimate lap. This meant both drivers were equal on points, and according to the DMV regulations, Rieß was declared champion, as he had scored the better at the Eifelrennen. As consolidation, Ulmen was awarded the Formula 2 title, despite the fact he could take part in this race. After that he competed only occasionally in car races.[10]

Despite his retirement early 1953, Ulmen was soon, albeit briefly, behind the wheel, sharing a Jaguar D-Type with Herman Roosdorp to third place in his only 24-hour endurance race, the 1953 24 Heures de Spa Francorchamps.[16]

Away from the track

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Following his racing retirement, Ulmen become president of the Deutscher Motorsport Verband (DMW) and he received the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt award from President of Germany, Theodor Heuss for his successes in motorsport, the highest national award in Germany for an athlete.

Racing record

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Career highlights

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Season Series Position Team Car
1927 Deutsche Tourist-Trophäe 1st Velocette
1946 Karlsruher Dreiecksrennen[17] 2nd Toni Ulmen BMW 328
1947 Stadtparkrenne Hamburg[18] 1st Toni Ulmen BMW 328
Rund um Schotten[19] 3rd Toni Ulmen BMW 328
1949 Deutsche Meisterschaft[20] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Maipokalrennen[21] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Riemer Flugplatzrennen[22] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Großer Preis von Nürburgring[5] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
DMV Grenzlandringrennen[4] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Solituderennen[3] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Kölner Kurs[23] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Rund um Schotten[24] 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Tübinger Stadtring-Rennen[25] 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
1950 Deutsche Meisterschaft[26] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Spezial
Sachsenringrennen[27] 1st ADAC Veritas-BMW RS Spezial
Internationales ADAC Eifelrennen[28] 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Spezial
Preis der Ostschweiz-Erlen[8] 3rd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Spezial
Maipokalrennen[29] 3rd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Spezial
1951 Schauinsland Hillclimb[30] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Großmutter
Internationales AvD AVUS-Rennen[31] 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas Meteor
DMV Grenzlandringrennen[32] 3rd Toni Ulmen Veritas Meteor
Meisterschaft West Deutschlands[33] 4th Toni Ulmen Veritas Meteor
1952 Meisterschaft West Deutschlands[34] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
DMV Grenzlandringrennen[15] 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS
Internationales ADAC-Eifel-Rennen Nürburgring[35] 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Großmutter
24 Heures de Spa Francorchamps[36] 3rd Herman Roosdorp Jaguar C-Type

Complete Formula One World Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 WDC Points
1952 Toni Ulmen Veritas-Meteor Veritas
Straight-6
SUI
Ret
500 BEL FRA GBR GER
8
NED ITA NC 0

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Pos. Class
Pos.
1953   Herman Roosdorp   Herman Roosdorp Jaguar C-Type S 3rd 3rd

References

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  1. ^ Autohaus Ulmen GmbH (18 February 2015). "Historie - Autohaus Ulmen - Düsseldorf Ratingen Kevelaer Weilerswist Bilk Benrath NRW". ulmen.com. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Karlsruhe-Durlach [S2.0]". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Formula 2 1949 - Solituderennen". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Formula 2 1949 - Grenzlandring". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Formula 2 1949 - GP der Nürburgring". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Sachsenring [S2.0]". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Kölner Kurs [S2.0]". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Formula 2 1950 - Erlen". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  9. ^ a b "25th January". Grand Prix Insider. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d "8W - When? - Forties & fifties German F2, F Libre and sportscar racing". FORIX. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  11. ^ "Hockenheim [S2.0/S1.5]". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  12. ^ "Hillclimb Schauinsland". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  13. ^ "Swiss GP, 1952 Race Report". grandprix.com. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  14. ^ "German GP, 1952 Race Report". grandprix.com. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  15. ^ a b "Formula 2 1952 - Grenzlandring". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  16. ^ "Toni Ulmen". Historic Racing. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  17. ^ "Voiurette 1946 - Karlsruhe". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  18. ^ "Voiturette 1947 - Hamburg". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  19. ^ "Voiturett 1947 - Rund um Schotten". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  20. ^ "Formula 2 1949 - Championship Tables". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  21. ^ "Formula 2 1949 - Hockenheim, 08.05". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  22. ^ "Formula 2 1949 - Riem". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  23. ^ "Formula 2 1949 - Köln". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  24. ^ "Formula 2 1949 - Schottenring". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  25. ^ "Formula 2 1949 - Tübingen". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  26. ^ "Formula 2 Germany 1950 standings". Driver Database. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  27. ^ "Formula 2 1950 - Sachsenringrennen". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  28. ^ "Formula 2 1950 - Eifelrennen". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  29. ^ "Formula 2 1950 - Hockenheim". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  30. ^ "Hillclimb Schauinsland". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  31. ^ "Formula 2 1951 - Avusrennen". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  32. ^ "Formula 2 1951 - Grenzlandring". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  33. ^ "Formula 2 1951 - Tables". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  34. ^ "Formula 2 1952 - Final Tables". formula2.net. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  35. ^ "Eifelrennen Nürburgring - Sports 2000 cc". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  36. ^ "Spa 24 Hours". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
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