Ladislav Lukes

Ladislav Lukes is a motorcycle racer and constructor from Česká Ves. His whole life has been connected with motor racing. He actively participated in many races. He rode a total of six seasons in the 125cc national championship. He basically built the MIRELA racing motorcycle on his knees at home, which he himself raced on for many years. He has been significantly involved in organizing the Brannen races from the beginning. How was it?

It all started in 1960 during my confirmation, when I received my first motorcycle, a Jawa 50 Pionýr, as a gift. The driver was still a "pincka" and racing had already begun. I joined the Jeseníky automobile club and learned a lot from my colleagues there. I have to remember the Pecinov boys, F. Plischke, M. Pobořil, Marin Král, Míra Reichl, Slávko Dolanský, O. Visingr, my brother Lojza and especially my role model Míra Hill.

At first I participated in many skill rides around Jeseník, but then, when I started to think that I could do more, I started to take part in the off-road competitions of the Moravian championship. With Pepa Hajda, Ivan Štěpán and others, of course on variously improved "pincks", we followed the more mature club members Leo Król and Luďa Smejkal, who at that time were already racing on more powerful 175 cc sub-squares.

The racing was demanding. Sometimes we came back like "beaten dogs", not only physically but also technically. However, we always warmed up during the week, sewed up the torn uppers and at the weekend we set off again on our own with the skins to the market.

There was a race called Stříbrný Smrk in Jeseník. At that time, we only turned the "roller coaster" and the Pionýr was a road racer. The organizers let us race in the free class up to 50 cc. For some who knew how to tune it, it ran like a slingshot. "Monkey drops" were poured into the tank and the "pincek" burned up! Don't think... There was a point somewhere here where I fell in love with road racing and it never left me.

I continued to gain motorcycling experience after passing my exams on a ČZ 125 competition motorcycle. I mostly rode alone, as others from the Jeseníky region gradually switched to motocross. At this time, Vláďa Zdráhal from Šumperk was a great support for me. He even tried to clear a path for me to Dukla in Benešov, but that didn't work out, so I was left with no motorbikes during the war.

After the military service, I dusted off the competition ČZ 125 for a few autumn events. However, in November, after collecting savings and a contribution from my parents, who I first had to assure that I wouldn't ride fast, I and my friend Jarda Sahánek saved up for a new motorcycle. Jarda took his Spartak with a trailer, I took my young lady Maruška and we set off. We went to Strakonice to see the excellent two-stroke tuner Mr. Báč for his ČZ 175. Before the season, I also got trained by active road racers Mr. Míla Pobořil and Pavel Migal, and it was time to start!

The guys from the Jesenický club helped me with transportation and mechanics. Leoš Król was driving a „papalášfár“ Volha at the time and then they suspected me in the depot of being so wealthy. Sometimes Luďa Smejkal also rode with me, because without a car, it was impossible. On my own axis, there was a risk of my „leadership certificate“ being taken away, as a fellow racer who was caught like this told me.

The 1967 season and the first race near Olomouc started ingloriously. A clogged exhaust caused me to confuse everyone who wanted to give me advice in the depot on how to revive the machine. I later found out the reason at home, for which I should have slapped myself a few times, but that's how beginnings are... The next races were held in Šumperk. Here the engine's performance, tuned by the tuner from Strakonice, was already showing. Despite the fall, I finished the race in third place and got on the box. The next races of the season continued in this spirit - either a wreath or a somersault.

In 1967 I also entered the qualifying race for the Czech Republic Championship. I finished third behind the later Czech Republic Champion M. Stripačuk and F. Toffl. Nothing significant, because the 175cc class was last raced in 1967 and was not scheduled for another season.

Over the winter I had to quickly convert my "1157" into a "125" and in the 1968 season it worked and I qualified for the 125 cc national championship. But the beginning was tragic, the novice racer from Jesenice, Jarek Štér, was killed.

In the 1969 Czech Championship, it was a "tough job", factory motorcycles from ČZ, Jawa, Tatran and MZ started there. Placing in the top ten meant success. That's how I circled the races for several seasons with mechanics Míra Lukeš and Jirka Vitouš, still on the ČZ from Strakonice. I even managed to get my own MB 1000 car, but then I was relegated to the second league and had to build a new frame with a ČZ 125/508 engine. Then I advanced, then relegated again, but I still spent most of my time on the race track and in the workshop.

In 1976, after a meeting of AMK Lipová, the successor of RD Lipová, I couldn't sleep. The club management, Messrs. Švub, Křivda, Pikola and Flégl, offered me to buy a more powerful racing machine from the club's funds from the patronage race of RD Lipová. That's how I came to the 125 Ravo twin-cylinder, to meet Messrs. Rain, Fendrich and Židlík and a lot of other experiences. Eventually, we also got a Maico 125, which after I advanced to the national championship, Ruda Obšil also rode in the lower leagues. We had a good time with both motorcycles. Later, a little old man from the military, Olda Štěrba, on a Jawa 250, joined us.

In the 1980s, the guys from the club, having activities to give away, organized a rarity for us – a hill climb to Ramzová. With great support from the road workers' center led by Mr. Paznocht, Frank, Klíma and Krmášek, the Stříbrný Smrk race was organized. This is where I first met Ilja Zachoval, who had found a circuit on the other side of the Jeseníky Mountains and was looking for an organizer to hold the race. I don't know why it didn't work out then, but somewhere here we need to look for the history of the Kolštejnský circuit, and also for my dependence on Ilja.

The pressure from younger riders was great, which further intensified my desire to own something more powerful. At that time, I accidentally saw a halved Morbidelli 125 engine in the World of Motors and it was clear. With Zbyněk Havrda, I agreed to have magnesium parts cast in ČKD and Jirka Hlisnikovský helped me with the legalization. After several visits to the foundry, I took away about 100 kg of electron castings, but let me tell you, making models is no fun! The time came when ideas from the drawing documentation inspired by Mr. Rain, Fendrich, and also from the designers in the RD factories began to fill the insides of the castings. The castings were, of course, first processed by specialists from Řetězárny zámečnická, hardening Kája Klosovský, RD Ocelovek, RD Lipová. In 1981, the first piece was produced, and because the castings and other parts were successful, two machines named Mirela (Marie, Irena, REnata, LAďa – MIREk, LAďa) were created. We rode these motorcycles with Fráňa Lukeš for several seasons and after my racing career ended, I sold the motorcycle. Years later, I managed to buy it back and it is exhibited in the Auto Moto Veteran Museum in Česká Ves.

After the Velvet Revolution, I was elected chairman of AMK Lipová, and then, by coincidence, I was visited by Dominik Eusenot, who is the brother of former Grand Prix driver Paul Bordes' mechanic.

In Česká Ves, the Auto Moto Veteran Club was established in 1997, and thanks to the immense activities of Jirka Hauerlant, the Motorcycle Museum was built, currently led by Pepa Machač. The following year, 1998, the first Kolštejn Circuit was held, with the organizational contribution of both clubs, both from Česká Ves and AMK Lipová. This cooperation continues to this day.

The aforementioned Frenchman Dominik made an offer for the participation of the first Czech rider in the Baleer Bro team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1999, which is part of the World Endurance Championship. I consulted with the journalist, friend and motor racing "guru" Jiří Frank about the choice. Since the license for the World Championship was very expensive and the motor racing federation was not unified, there were major delays before the permission was granted. In the end, everything worked out and after several training sessions with the Baleer Bro team, which also included the multiple GP 125 champion Guy Bertin, we were able to start the race in Le Mans in April 1999. Unfortunately, already in the daily training session, the rider's skid and an injured ankle prevented the participation of the first Czech pilot.

As for the presence, here at the Kolštejn Circuit it is possible to meet many of the faces mentioned in this article as organizers and riders.