Friedrich "Fritz" Dirtl (9 January 1928 – 19 June 1956) was an international motorcycle speedway rider from Austria.[1][2][3]

Fritz Dirtl
alt=A tombstone with a gold cross. The inscription reads: Dirtl Family Leopold 1890-1948 Fritz 1928-1956 Anna 1895-1969 Leopold W Dirtl 1922-2012
Grave of Fritz Dirtl and his parents at the Vienna Central Cemetery
Born9 January 1928 (1928-01-09)
Vienna, Austria
Died19 June 1956(1956-06-19) (aged 28)
Oberhausen, West Germany
NationalityAustrian
Individual honours
1948, 1951Austrian Champion
1955Continental Champion
1949, 1950
1951, 1952
1953, 1954
Austrian Longtrack Champion

Career

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Dirtl was a two times champion of Austria after winning the Austrian Individual Speedway Championship in 1949 and 1951.[4][5][6] He was also a six times Longtrack champion of Austria.[2]

He was signed by Birmingham Brummies in 1952 but was subsequently named in the Norwich Stars team before work licence issues resulted in him not racing in Britain.[7]

Death

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Dirtl was killed competing in the 1956 Individual Speedway World Championship, at the Continental final stage. He was involved in a crash with fellow Austrian rider Josef Kamper and then fell into the path of Mieczysław Połukard.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Speed Champ". Leicester Evening Mail. 20 May 1949. Retrieved 27 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ a b "Fritz Dirtl". GrasstrackGB. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Austria's best motorcycle racers on sand, grass and cinder tracks until 1960". Reisemosaik. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Indvidual [sic] Austrian Championship". Historia Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Austria National Championship". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Indywidualne Mistrzostwa Austrii". Speedway Fansite. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Brummies' signings approved by board". Evening Despatch. 12 February 1952. Retrieved 7 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Description". The Fast Lane. Retrieved 1 August 2021.