How did it actually come to the foundation of the MCW- Motor Sport Historian St. Wendel?

(A short story with some personal anecdotes of Bernd Bouillon)

As probably many of spectators of the St.Wendel – motor cycle race track, so did I carefully store my „race-schedules“ over years, and my extensive autograph collection as well. One of my Super-8-Films about St.Wendel races in 1963 und 1964 were digitized, cut and set to music by myself. What a pity , I thought by myself beginning of year 2007, that there are no more films about St.Wendel- races, but that was not true ……….

At the race scene I was over many years active and via my colleague Wolfgang Wuertz, Rudi Brill from village Theley (former race-mechanics of Karl Recktenwald) got knowledge about my race film which I had presented at an Internet-Forum. Rudi Brill brought me in contact with Heinz Dupont from St.Wendel. He was the man who collected all films, photos and press reports from St.Wendel   motor cycle races, coming out of property from the legendary race organizer and, amongst the drivers highly regarded, August Balthasar, after his death.

One day Heinz Dupont called me and during the conversation we realized that we lived in St.Wendel only few 100 m from each other when we were young boys. I could remember me, that Heinz Dupont at that time was driving a Vespa, what me, as a boy of 10, very much impressed. Today the difference of 8 years makes no difference. So Heinz and I noticed, that we agreed completely regarding motor cycle racing. Our motto was at that time:” If we do not electronically archive and arrange all historical picture and sound material about motor cycle racing at St. Wendel, nobody else would do it later”. It would be a shame if the great area of motor cycle racing at St.Wendel is to be forgotten, isn’t it?

We felt an obligation to race organizer August Balthasar and his racing secretary Werner Maurer.

The opening of the August Balthasar memory exhibition then followed in the rooms of   “St. Wendel People Bank” on June 3rd, 2007, and the success was simply overwhelming

What Norbert Blasius, Wolfgang Wuertz, Heinz Dupont and Mike Recktenwald have done, earns the greatest respect from all of us. Thousands went to the exhibition so that the exhibition had to be prolonged by 2 weeks. I will never forget how all arrived racing cyclists warmed up her machines on 3rd of June 2007 and started to some demonstration rounds through the middle of the town. Spectators streamed from all corners and angles to this one „small town course“ where it was a big event, like in the old days. It was this one „ad hoc event“ – road closure? No ! But for this, joy pure with drivers and spectators. Unbelievable, something like that can happen only in   St.Wendel.

After this unforgettable experience Heinz and I said to us: “Should it go a number greater in St. Wendel ? It should be a motor sport classical – no running, but merely demonstration events”. But – ideas are good and beautiful - may it be possible to convert it? With a mature concept Heinz Dupont and I then came into a meeting with mayor Klaus Bouillon , a man which were as a young boy also infected by the racing bacillus.

The result of the conversation exceeded all our expectations because the mayor promised us any support at our plan. Heinz and I were up „Cloud 7“ and the “Ur-Pils” (beer) then we drunk after this together at “the castle square“, tasted particularly good !!   An further person, in the positive meaning „Racing-crazier“, joined us – Werner Klaer. Our contact to the city of St. Wendel was and is Werner. His performances regarding preparations and execution of our event cannot be appreciated highly enough.

Yes, and the rest is history again. The first Motor Sport Classic at 2009 attracted by free entrance about 20.000 spectators. At the subsequent event in 2010 it wasn't less spectators.

Luigi Taveri, Heiner Butz, Jim Redman and Cees van Dongen laped the special circuit at St. Wendel like it was years before at the traditional circuit and the crowed was happy again. With a blow the racing city of St. Wendel was the talk of the town, as enthusiastic letters from foreign countries impose.

About 6000 e-mails walked between Heinz Dupont and me and hardly anyone can foresee which work the preparations for the execution of such an event meant. Although we were supported energetically by organizations and members of the MF Werschweiler „Kurvenkratzer e. V. , where we were as a subdivision a member, the burden of work, however, was distributed on too few shoulders. In addition, we needed planning safety.

So matured the decision to make the motor sport historians to itself organization legally independently. The entry then followed the inaugural meeting on October 17th, 2011, in the city hall St. Wendel with the choice of Werner Klaer to be the 1st chairman into the organization register on Jan.-13-2012.   Up today the MCW Motorsport Historiker St. Wendel e. V. has 170 members.

We are proud that we have the following six honor members of our rows:

•Mrs Monika Balthasar-Schuh

•Mr Klaus Bouillon (mayor of the city of St. Wendel)

•Mr Jim Redman (6-time world's champion)

•Mr Hans Georg Anscheidt ( 3-time world's champion

•Mr Luigi Taveri (3-time world's champion)

•Mr Max Deubel (4-time world's champion)

•Mr Willi Scheidhauer (triple German master).   (Willi died on July 25th, 2012).

•Mr Heiner Butz (2-time Germans master)

•Mr Oswin Zimmer (founder member MCW St. Wendel and first winner of 125 ccm class

                                                                                                                                 St. Wendel   1949)

Also Rolf Korrmann, manager of Jim Redman, is a member!

What concerns our organization members, we have advanced to an international troop because we have members from the following countries in our rows:

France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria and South Africa.

Most German members come - who would have suspected it - from the Saarland followed by Rhineland - Palatinate, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Nord Rhine - Westphalia and Bavaria.

From the former and present still active drivers are Horst Burkhardt and Heiner Butz members of our organization .

With motor-sporting greetings

Bernd Bouillon, Albstadt, November 11th, 2012

Translation by Mr. Helmut Kremp