Heinz Rosner
“Mr.MZ” takes leave of active racing
Bernd Fischer
The 83 year old Heinz Rosner has sat down on Sunday, the 17.07.2022, in the context of the Classic-Event on the Sachsenring, for the last time on his beloved MZ, to finally end his active career as a motorcycle racer here.
Together with Giacomo Agostini he drove, under the cheers of several thousand fans, a last lap of honor.
Emotionally touched, he returned to the pit lane with “Ago”. There he was warmly welcomed by his daughter, his two granddaughters, numerous fans and journalists.
Heinz Rosner was recently a guest at Motorrad Classic events for many years. There he showed on a former Zschopauer factory – MZ again and again that he has not forgotten the racing despite his advanced age.
He was born on January 14, 1939 in Hundshübel, the motor vehicle mechanic`s racing career began in 1958 on the territory of the later GDR.
With an independently built racing machine from a MZ RT 125, he started for the first time in 1958 as a badge driver on the Halle-Saale loop and several successful races followed.
Later, he also started as a licensed driver on the tracks of the former GDR and in 1960 for the first time on the factory – MZ in Finland.
As a factory driver Heinz Rosner led from 1964 partly a “three-front fight“. He started at many world championship races both in the 125cc, as well as in the 250cc and in the 350cc class.
In the following years, Heinz Rosner, without exception on MZ, occupied a total of 26 podium places in the motorcycle world championship. A GP-victory remained to him despite his extraordinary ability unfortunately denied. Even if Heinz Rosner did not win a world championship race, he was – provided his motorcycle held – always to be found in the front field.
In the ultra light weight class he had to compete against the factory riders from Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda. In the 250cc class the Honda and also the Yamaha were stronger and in the 350cc class MV Agusta dominated.
Probably the best year for the Erzgebirgler was 1968: not a single failure with the 250er two-cylinder MZ and always reached a place in the top group! Only the two Yamaha factory riders Bill Ivy and Phil Read from England, with their superior four-cylinder motorcycles, determined the world championship races. Heinz Rosner took an honorable third place in the 250cc class in the 1968 World Championship standings.
A year later, the MZ-pilot again achieved some remarkable results.
At the same time, however, he had to experience many a failure, which he could not prevent even with his riding style and his enormous fighting spirit.
Due to technical defects, the machines suffered reliability issues.
Due to this misery, Heinz Rosner increasingly lost the desire to race and withdrew into private life.
Bernd Fischer – Greiz, Germany