Toni Ulmen

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.

Craftsman, businessman and racer

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. 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

After the war, Ulmen turned to car racing, taking a second place in his first major sportscar race, the Karlsruhe-Durlach, abroad a BMW 328. 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 and the DMV Grenzlandringrennen. He was won races at München, Nürburgring, Sachsenring and Kölner Kurs. 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 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. He retained his German Champion title, he first won in 1949.

With victories at Hockenheim, the Schauinsland Hillclimb, and the Grenzlandring, 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. That season also saw Ulmen win the DMV Grenalandringrennen again. During the season, he suffered a heavy crash during a practise session on the Sachsenring

Away from the track

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

Career highlights

Season Series Position Team Car 1927 Deutsche Tourist-Trophäe 1st Velocette 1946 Karlsruher Dreiecksrennen 2nd Toni Ulmen BMW 328 1947 Stadtparkrenne Hamburg 1st Toni Ulmen BMW 328 Rund um Schotten 3rd Toni Ulmen BMW 328 1949 Deutsche Meisterschaft 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Maipokalrennen 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Riemer Flugplatzrennen 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Großer Preis von Nürburgring 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Rund um Schotten 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Tübinger Stadtring-Rennen 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS 1950 Deutsche Meisterschaft 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Spezial Sachsenringrennen 1st ADAC Veritas-BMW RS Spezial Internationales ADAC Eifelrennen 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Spezial Preis der Ostschweiz-Erlen 3rd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Spezial 1951 Schauinsland Hillclimb 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Großmutter Internationales AvD AVUS-Rennen 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas Meteor DMV Grenzlandringrennen 3rd Toni Ulmen Veritas Meteor Meisterschaft West Deutschlands 4th Toni Ulmen Veritas Meteor 1952 Meisterschaft West Deutschlands 1st Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS DMV Grenzlandringrennen 2nd Toni Ulmen Veritas-BMW RS Großmutter 24 Heures de Spa Francorchamps 3rd Herman Roosdorp Jaguar C-Type

Complete Formula One World Championship results

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

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class 1953 Herman Roosdorp Herman Roosdorp Jaguar C-Type S 3rd 3rd