Education
When he finished there, he founded Gebrüder Ulmen, with his brother Andreas.
When he finished there, he founded Gebrüder Ulmen, with his brother Andreas.
His racing career started in 1925 on a 250 cc Velocette. After leaving school, Ulmen served an apprenticeship as a machinist with Motorradwerkstatt Hasenclever. They become the representatives of Opel for Düsseldorf.
lieutenant was in 1925 that Ulmen began his career in motorsport, at the Großen Deutschland-Rundfahrt on a 250cc Velocette motor cycle.
By 1930, Ulmen was a works rider for NSU.
After the war, he turned to car racing, taking a second place in his first major sportscar race, the Karlsruhe-Durlach, abroad a Bayerische Motoren Werke 328. A year later, in 1947 he was awarded the title of best German sports car driver of the year.
He also recorded seven second place that season. 1950 saw the first Großer Preis von Deutschland after World World War II, at the Nürburgring, where he finished fourth in his open-wheel Veritas RS. In this car, he also recorded a surprising third place in the Preis der Ostechweiz-Erlen in Switzerland, beaten only by the Scuderia Ferraris of Luigi Villoresi and Roberto Vallone.
Prior to 1950, there was a ban on German cars and drivers completing in foreign events, after the war.
During the season, he suffered a heavy crash during a practise session on the Sachsenring from which he escaped almost unscathed. He arrived at the final meeting of the 1952 season, the Avusrennen, as leader in the Formula 2 class and 2-litre sport cars. On the AVUS, lost a dramatic slipstream battle with fellow Veritas driver, Fritz Rieß, on the penultimate lap.
As consolidation, Ulmen was awarded the Formula 2 title, despite the fact he could take part in this race.
After that he competed only occasionally in car races. Despite his retirement early 1953, Ulmen was soon, albeit briefly, behind the wheel, sharing a Jaguar Doctorate-Type with Herman Roosdorp to third place in his only 24 hour endurance race, the 1953 24 Heures de Spa Francorchamps.
Career highlights
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
Complete 24 Hours of Spa results.
In 1927 he won the opening race of the Nürburgring on a 350 cc Velocette. In 1929 he won the 350 cc class on the Eilenriede, a non-permanent race course near Hannover. From 1949 to 1952, he was four times German sports car and Formula 2 champion. Two years later can riding a 350 cc Velocette he won the first Eifelrennen, to claim the Deutsche Tourist-Trophäe, the inaugural race held on the Nürburgring. In 1929, he won another major German race, the 350cc race of Eilenridederennens in Hanover. The 1949 season saw Ulmen win nine races, including the Solituderennen and the Department of Motor Vehicles Grenzlandringrennen. He was won races at München, Nürburgring, Sachsenring and Kölner Kurs. He retained his German Champion title, he first won in 1949. With victories at Hockenheim, the Schauinsland Hillclimb, and the Grenzlandring, Ulmen was clear champion in the 2-litre Sports Carolina class. He participated in two World Championship Grands Prix in 1952, debuting on 18 May 1952, in the Großer Pries der Schweiz, but retired due to fuel tank issues. That season also saw Ulmen win the Department of Motor Vehicles Grenalandringrennen again. This meant both drivers were equal of points, and according the Department of Motor Vehicles regulations, Rieß was declared champion, as he had scored the better at the Eifelrennen. Following his racing retirement, Ulmen become president of the Deutscher Motorsport Verband (DMW) and he received the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt award from President of Germany, Theodor Heuss for his successes in motorsport, the highest national award in Germany for an athlete.
