The second nominee for the inaugural Grand Prix Hall of Fame class is Hans Stuck (1900-78).
Stuck began racing professionally in 1923, starting with hill-climb events. He won that year's Baden-Baden event in Germany, and joined the Austro-Daimler works team in 1927, competing in that year's German Grand Prix on the side. Stuck left them in 1931, joining Mercedes-Benz in their sports car efforts.
His acquaintanceship with Adolph Hitler led to Stuck joining up with Ferdinand Porsche and Auto Union's racing efforts in 1933 and became virtually unstoppable, though the car was difficult to drive in regular circuit racing events. In 1934, Stuck won the German, Swiss and Czech Grands Prix for Auto Union, while winning the European Mountain Championship in hill-climbing. In addition, he would have won the European Championship in grand prix racing, had it been contested that year.
Stuck won his second European Mountain title in 1935, in addition to winning the Italian Grand Prix. He had a bit of decline the following year, winning the Tripoli and German Grands Prix, but only runner-up in the European Mountain Championship. 1937 was even worse, not winning a single event.
In 1938, depending on whose story is taken into account, Stuck was either fired from or quit Auto Union. However, after pressure from the German government, he was re-hired, and won his final European Mountain Championship. This would be his final pre-war success.
After the war Germans were banned from racing until 1950; Stuck decided to move to Austria and race there. He did not really have much success in this later period, but won the German Hillclimb championship for the last time, at age 60, thus ending his career on a high note.
Stuck competed in 5 Formula One events, qualifying for three of them. He did not match his early-career success.
Stuck died in 1978, at the age of 77. His son, Hans-Joachim, raced in Formula One himself and had success in sports car racing.
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