Konig History

[Master Oil Racing Team]

We went to a very nice restaurant in East Berlin Steve. Each item on the menu was around 90 East marks, and I worried about the bill. But we paid with West marks and it was only about 20 marks total for the whole bunch. I was worried too because Walt Blankenstein was smuggling in plans of one of John Yale's hydros and a calculator to convert from inches in to millimeters. Dieter had me taking in a box of chocolates and if they asked what I was doing with them, I was to tell the guards I was planning to eat the whole box while visiting East Berlin. Walt and I had to go and come back out through Checkpoint Charlie, while Dieter had to come and go through a different crossing because he was a German living in West Berlin. I went to East Berlin the next day by myself to visit someone I had met the night before. I borrowed Flo's little American car. It was a Ford, but I can't remember the model, although it was a compact. And it had a sticky throttle. When stopped you had to push harder and harder on the accelerator for it to rev up, then sometimes it would jump and go RRRRRRRrrrrrrrr very loud. Walt and I walked through the checkpoint the day before and Dieter picked us up on the other side. This time I was driving out. There were tank traps you had to weave around to prevent anyone from crashing through the barriers. I pulled up, and like you say Steve, the guards leveled machine guns at me while they took my passport to run it through, and they also popped the trunk and had a mirror on wheels they ran underneath the car. When I got my passport back and they raised the pole to let me pass through I was praying hard that I could get Flo's car moving without the throttle jumping and revving the motor up high. My ticket was a lot less than yours Steve and I still have mine too. It was 8 DM for driving the wrong way on one way street. It was only about a 20 meter jog to get across to the road offset on the other side. I would have to circle two blocks to come back around to do it correctly, but I did not see any Politzei cars around. Soon as I crossed the intersection a whistle blew. There was a Politizie on the corner on foot. He asked for my international drivers license, which I did not have one, so I gave him my Texas license. Most everybody around the world knows about Texas, especially Germans who love John Wayne and westerns, so it worked. He gave me the ticket and I paid him on the spot. The border guards are very intimidating. They hold your passport up so the can look at it, then at your face, look at the passport again, then your face again, back and forth for a few minutes to see if they can make you sweat or get nervous. Never saying a word, just a hard grimace on their face and stare with cold mean eyes into yours. I was nervous, but I figured it was better to stare back than try to look away or down because I figured that would look suspicious. Very interesting times. Debbie and I went over to East Berlin on a tour bus during our "honigmonde" and it was much easier. Tour bus tourists don't get the scrutiny like you and I did. I'm glad now that I did it because you get a true sense of what it must be like for the people to live in a police state.

[Donald]

Wayne, It was definitely east Berlin, and I remember that Dieter had to go through a different checkpoint. On that same trip, Dieter also took us to a spa, where they had pools like a small swimming pool. There was a hot, or I should say warm pool and a cold pool, a sauna, and a steam room. Men and women were all using them together, and all were naked.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

When we were there racing the tunnel boats in the 6 hour, Alan Yaw from Abilene Marine, Tommy Posey, and a few others including Ted May went to East Berlin to visit. Yes, they made us exchange our West German marks to East German & were told we had to return with no money . So we drank our lunch. Needless to say all were feeling little pain. The real story was with my name being Schubert, my passport went through a slot in the wall. I was finally cleared. Now the bigger issue was Ted Amat. Not only did his passport go behind the wall, so did he for quite some time. He came out with a big grin as only Ted would.
the other thing that I remembered was all the pock marks on the concrete surfaces from bullets on the buildings from WWII.

[Steve Litzell]

Careful Ralph, this is a kid friendly site, but yes we had a time over there for sure, my best time was at factory as I was like a kid in a candy store with the keys to the place. After hours, when we hooked up with Krage, it got interesting to say the least. These are good beer stories.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Here's a beer story. Peter Preis was the son of our hostess Jenny Scwhartz-Nitka. She was Russian from Ukraine. She bought the old Netherlands Embassy in West Berlin and was remodeling when David and Faye Westbrook and myself stayed there in 1976. When Debbie and I got there on our honeymoon in 1977 all the remodel had been done and it was a fantastic place. Peter and his girlfriend then, Jenny, wanted to take us out on the town so we went to the main drag Kurferstendamm which was not far from the house in the Grunewald district of West Berlin. I don't you if any of you guys went to U-Kudamm, but it is below Kurfurstendamm and may have been shelters or something the military used during WWII. Don't remember exactly how we went underground, but before that we started at a cafe on Kudamm (short for the main street) where we had a few beers, then we moved to a restaurant where we had a cocktail or two, then wine with the meal. After all that Peter and Jenny got us to the place where we went underground. Forgot to mention that Peter knew everyone at the café and at the restaurant where the waiter brought us complimentary champagne. Back down underground. There was a large area if I remember right when we first entered. Tables, chairs and a bar. Don't remember if there was dancing or not. Off to the left was a wide hallway that led further down, and on each side were stalls about twenty or so feet wide and twenty five or so deep. The fronts were open to the hallway and there were stalls on both sides of the hall going way back. I don't think we made it to the end. When we entered the hallway we went in the first stall on the left and Peter greeted his friend. We four got complimentary schnapps and a beer. Each of these stalls specialized in a special schnapps and that's what we got. I can only remember the first specialty. It was vodka with buffalo grass in it. It was served ice cold in shot glasses. Peter had too many friends there. We zig zagged down that hall from one shop to the next never paying for anything. Peter introduced Debbie and I to all the shop owners as his friends from Texas.

We were all four flying to Hamburg the next day because Peter wanted to introduce us to his Italian friend who moved to Hamburg to open up an Italian restaurant there. Luckily the flight was early afternoon so Debbie and I recovered a little bit before we got to Tegel Airport. That was all turned around though shortly after wheels cleared the ground. Climbing fast and high the plane suddenly banked very hard to the left, then just as suddenly back to he right, then once more left then settled down somewhat to turn toward Hamburg. Those were the days when Brigatto Rossi was "kneecapping" executives and politicians in Italy and the Baader-Meinhof gang said they were going to shoot airliners down in Germany. Our heads were about to bust and my stomach didn't really start to settle down until the taxi ride from the airport to the restaurant. I had taken a bunch of deep breaths and so far so good. We got to the restaurant and Peter's friend met us in the back. He was taking us through the kitchen when I got a whiff of all that spicy Italian cuisine and I had to run back out the door. I made it to the flowerbed where I added a late breakfast to the soil.

[Steve Litzell]

That’s a good story Wayne, I too with Ralph and some drivers and mechanics from the boat club MRC went to a bar after boat club meeting. Drinks flowed and good times and hours slipped away. I was to go with Deiter to Herkle the makers of crank parts and internals for Konig. They were at the time the high tech operation in Germany. Deiter had told me at club meeting to be at factory by a certain time. I was late and Deiter was not happy with me. He said when I’m late , he was late and this is rude. He would not let me go at that time, ( I went at a later visit) and said for my punishment to make him rude, I was to stay at factory and run motors in Dino room. I thought ok no problem. Well, a cart with several motors was wheeled into Dino room and I was too escorted in the room and told what to do. As the Dino room door closed, I here a bolt drop into the door. I could not get out. I was told to run motors. I got a couple breaks for rest room, and lunch, but rest of time was running motors. There was someone counting the runs obviously because as I got close the the last on cart,the door would open and another cart with motors was brought in and motors I had done was taken out. About three in the afternoon the door came open and Deiter said, do you like being in my cooler for your problems you cause me? After that day, I was and still am not late but on time, and if I run a little behind, where ever I’m expected, they get a call. Lesson learned. I thank my friend for the many lessons that I learned there, and they were not all about motors. Maybe I should tell of the water ski event that Ralph eluded to. Fu stuff there too.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Yes! (and I want you to hear that response as Dieter would say it Steve).

[Donald]

Steve, And the bet you made with Dieter at dinner after water skiing. I think that was the same trip for Dieter.

[Steve Litzell]

Well this maybe a long one, so bear with me and I hope it isn’t to boring. It was in about 86 or 87. As some know. The race in Lakeland Florida was a big Ally race for years. Well this particular year Hans Krage came over a few weeks early, staying with Ralph and Shirley in Atlantafor maybe a week. I think he may have borrowed a car from Ralph but he wanted to come to Florida and make arraignments for his Mrs and family. At this time also Deiter was also coming to Florida a week before the race. Well Hans stopped by my house to spend the night and have dinner and such, and Deiter was to arrive the next day along with Krista, Hans Wife, and Peter and his sister and boy friend. We started drinking adult beaver ages about five or so when I got home from work. Had a nice dinner and continued to enjoy the adult beverages. Well after a time we finished off my fresh family size bottle of Jack Daniels. Then we finished of Krage’s bottle of Martel, ( his baby as he always said). Next up we made Black Russians and drank those. The last thing I remember was Hans and me staying out in my back yard in our skivees looking at the full moon. Next day was a bad day for me at work, so I left at about 10:00 in the morning, I was a hurting pup. Konig showed up at the house that afternoon and we then headed over to friends to pick up the ski boat for the next day’s fun in the sun. That night we all went to bed early and also Han’s clan showed up and with Peter Konig in tow. Of the the water we go for some fun. I taught some how to ski and they were all having a good time when it was suggested that I ski. I said who will drive the boat? Deiter immediately volunteered and the ski show was on. Well after doing some tricks and stunts, Deiter decided to go close to the beach and I was outside the wake making a cut close to were others were standin. Well Deiter and I got a bit to close to the beach, and the ski I was on stuck to the beach bottom and out of the binders I came, running faster than man can run. I went maybe 10 feet or so before I went feet up and proceeded to cut a furrel in the sand with my balding head, and then flipped one more time and landed on my feet up right. Well everyone thought it was planed and they all were applauding including Deiter. This rubbed the hide off my head like a road rash. Well all was good and we headed back to go out to dinner. We went to a nice place called Steak and Ale, I think also Ralph showed up by that time as well. So as I said, get a bit drunk with Krage and no sleep, I did not eat the next night as I was too tired. So at the restaurant, I ordered the biggest Steak and trimmings they had. Everyone else also ordered, but Konig just had something very small like a salad. I asked Deiter was he did not order a steak. He said to me,” I see that you order big piece of meat. It is impossible for you to eat such a large piece of meat and all else, so I will eat what you don’t.” I said Deiter don’t bet on that. He said he knew and was not possible. So I ate and I mean everything and there was little left on the bone even. I took the bone off my plate and said to Deiter, Here is your meal! The part for the dog, enjoy this. He was beside himself and did not know I could eat so much, but we all had a good laugh. The next day we were off to Lake Mattie for testing. Things were going good and I was changing a prop on one of the boats, and I get a tap on my shoulder, and hear Bill Van ask, What did you do to the top of your head? As everyone one started laughing, and all I said was , well Bill it’s like this,I tried some cool and it didn’t work out!. I will tel of another time when Deiter came to my home, that Ralph gave me hell about. Oh and the bet Ralph spoke about, Konig said to me if I could eat all, he would buy my meal. One of many steak bets we had over the years, and I didn’t have to buy once. Those bets were about D motor power.

[Donald]

I was reminded to renew this story a few days ago when Peer Krage sent me a picture of me at Grein. I will have to continue the Douglas Willey story without Steve to correct my memory. I arrived at Grein a day late after forgetting forgetting my passport. Hans Krage had brought our equipment from Berlin and the boats were already pitted with Douglas. The pits were a parking lot right on the river, which was good, but it was about ten feet above the water with a bank almost straight down to the jetty. The organizer had to have extra people help get the boats up and down. The river was smooth except for the swells, which made it impossible or impracticable to run at full speed. The race was was a loser except for me and Steve meeting new drivers, and antics of Hans and Douglas. We were pitted next to the Russians and Douglas had brought a couple of bottles of Drambuie. which the Russians really liked. Hans had his usual bottle of Martel, Steve and I had our JD and we had an outdoor cocktail party.
Monday morning I rode with Hans and Steve rode with Douglas and Paul, Douglas's pit man, to Berlin for a race the next weekend. MRC, the Berlin boat club was the organizer for an OD championship at Oberhavel, which Douglas entered, I don't remember if it was EC or WC. Steve and I entered the OC and OB, which was not a championship race. MRC had arranged for pit crews to stay at a dormitory type facility that was used for rowing competition. Gerhardt who helped MRC with the races and his wife were the operators and also served meals and ice for our cocktails. The four of us were assigned a room with two double bunk beds. Can you imagine sleeping with three guys getting tuned up snoring in unison. Another unusual thing about it, it had only one big bath room with toilets and showers on each floor and it was coed, we were taking showers with women next to us. On one night Scott Smith and Dieter showed up and we got caught up on Douglas Willey stories. Steve And I did not do well in the race, but Douglas finished second to a tunnel boat from Austria. They were still running together back then. I had met Douglas and Chris Appleby at a race in Linz, Ausria in 1980 and again at Nottingham in 1984, when Douglas invited me to come back over to go on one of his pheasant shoots. This started a long progression of trips to Mundfort, the last was in 2000 when Hans Krage came over. Hans took his quota of Pheasant home in his suitcase without gutting them, he said later they tasted good.