Engine builder Friedhelm Zabel passed away
Engine builder Friedhelm Zabel died last night after an illness. The engine builder has managed to win no fewer than 2 FIM World titles in motocross with its Zabel 15-stroke engines of the same name.
Zabel made a splash as a motorcycle builder, especially in sidecar motocross.
The East German already started tuning engine blocks in the 2s, but only had real success when the fast 1-stroke XNUMX-cylinder blocks became the main power source in sidecar racing.
In the late 1980s/early 1990s, the German Walter Netterscheid started to achieve the first major international results with a Zabel engine block-driven sidecar.
A decade later the 15 World titles came. The first was achieved by the Latvians Sergis/Rasmanis, but also team Bax, team Vanluchene/Van den Boogaart and especially team Willemsen achieved their World Cup titles powered by Zabel. Daniel Willemsen even won all 10 of his sidecar cross world titles with an engine block made by Zabel.
The sidecar world will miss the icon Friedhelm Zabel. However, his life's work continues, as evidenced by the recently achieved Dutch title with a sidecar powered by a Zabel. The last World title won, 2019 by Bax/Stupelis, was also achieved with a Zabel engine block.
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