Georg Meier

Georg Meier, known as Schorsch, was a German motorcycle racer born in Mühldorf am Inn, Bavaria, on 9 November 1910 and died on 19 February 1999. He began as a motorcycle repair apprentice, joined the Bavarian State Police motorcycle section and made his name in 1000 km endurance trials, where he earned the nickname Der Gusseiserne Schorsch. After a strong performance in the 1937 International Six Day Trial he was given a place in the BMW works racing team. In 1938 he won several Grands Prix on a supercharged BMW and became 500 cc European Motor-Cycle Champion. In 1939 he became the first foreign winner of the Senior TT on the Isle of Man, and he was the first motorcycle racer to lap a Grand Prix course at over 100 mph. After the Second World War he won the German 500 cc championship six times between 1947 and 1953 and was named German Sportsman of the Year in 1949, then retired to run his BMW motorcycle business.