Hans Zierk RIP

[racers and royals 8,740]

Ace tuner Hans Zierk has died aged 85. Simon Wigg, Hans Nielsen Mark Loram and Kelvin Tatum were amongst the riders who used his services.

[racers and royals 8,740]

17 minutes ago, gustix said:

Am I correct in thinking Hans Zierk was also a speedway rider and that he had a speedway rider brother Manfred?

Hans was indeed a Speedway rider - his finest moment was 3rd at the 1970 European championships. He broke his pelvis aged 18. His riding career ended in 1977 after a crash in Sweden.

Manfred died in March 2019

Edited September 21, 2019 by racers and royals

[racers and royals 8,740]

English translation of an article that appeared in Speedweek last year

As a racing driver, Hans Zierk was one of the best of his time on the Langbahn. He won world titles on the assembly line - but only in his second career as an engine tuner.
Hans Zierk, who was born on June 23, 1934 in Tribsees in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, came early with the rail sports in touch, but his father Ernst had a motorcycle repair shop, in which some of the then top riders in and out. Thus, the forge master also supported his two sons, Hans and Manfred, to the best of their ability.

His first race was the only 14-year-old (!) Hans in 1949 in Berlin-Mariendorf, where he competed in the classes 250 / 350ccm and 500cc. Unfortunately, he had in the 500 class a heavy fall with double-sided pelvic fracture and some other injuries, so that he was able to properly board again in 1950. In the same year he had already become the "king" of the famous Teterower Bergring. 9 day wins, 7 best times of the day, 1 mountain cup (only since 1958) and 2 track records in 10 years underlined this.

In 1960, the Zierks, Hans and his enterprising, but always cheerful Mrs. Johanna, who unfortunately died in 2003, moved to the West, and after some back and forth in Lehrte, not far from Hanover, found a new home. As early as 1961, they set up their own business with a Ford dealership.

As the profession proceeds, put Hans until 1966 a race break and was then active again until 1977. He could be twice NWBM champion and 1968 third in the German Sandbahnmeisterschaft. The highlight was the 3rd place and the bronze medal at the last European sand track championship in 1970 on the oak ring in Scheeßel, where he dethroned in the decisive run the defending champion and later friend and business partner Don Godden (England).

In 1975 he played in Marienbad in the Czech Republic his last World Championship race. At that time he was one of the first to drive and later develop the Roth engine, a four-valve self-propelled tracked engine with two overhead camshafts.

Second career: HZ Tuning
1977 ended Zierk after a serious crash in Sweden, over 30 years long, unique and successful racing career and immediately began his second: the successful as a motor tuner, which brought the initials HZ to world fame in rail.

Zierk had in its meanwhile two motor vehicle factories its own railway sports department with specially appointed mechanics. Until 1990 he was Godden general importer and changed then because of the better conditions to Jawa. With so much commitment, the successes were not enough. So the unforgotten Simon Wigg (GB) was the most successful with alone five engines won by HZ tuned world champion titles. Also the successes of Hans Nielsen, Karl Maier, Gerd Riss, Kelvin Tatum and Mark Loram (both England) or Bernd Diener are in the history books. Even world record champion and railway icon Ivan Mauger or our only speedway world champion Egon Müller trusted in his tuned aggregates.

Hans Zierk, now married again and still in the day-to-day business of his company, is still paying close attention to rail sports today. Despite a severe cancer of the larynx hampered in speaking, he is always happy to assist many activists.