Notes:
In the early 1950s, NSU was the motorcycle make that led the way on Europe’s Grand Prix racing circuits, Werner Haas was one of its works riders: while still very young and totally unknown to the public, the NSU rider was a front-runner in 1952, during the first World Championship race to be held on German soil after the Second World War, at the Solitude circuit in Stuttgart. He rode the 125 cm³ NSU Rennfox and sensationally defeated all the more expert riders. NSU programmed a full season in the 1953 World Championships and Haas became double World Champion in both the 125 cm³ and the 250 cm³ classes and also carried off the German Championship title in both classes.

The following year was the season of NSU’s greatest triumph: in the Isle of Man TT the Austrian rider Rupert Hollaus won the 125 cm³ race and in the 250 cm³ race it was Werner Haas who crossed the line as the first of four NSU in a row, with Hollaus, second, Armstrong third and H.P. Müller fourth. In 1954 Werner Haas scored his third World Championship in the 250 cm³ class and won again the German Championship title in both 125 cm³ and 250 cm³ classes. But the racing season had its tragic end for team NSU: Rupert Hollaus suffered a fatal accident during practice for the last race of the season at Monza. Hollaus was posthumously crowned 1954 World Motorcycle Champion for the 125 cm³ class. At the end of the season, after 24 wins in 24 races, NSU withdrew from official factory competition and the sporting successes of the company continued thanks only to private entrants: in 1955 H.P. Müller became World Champion riding a private 250 cm³ NSU Sportmax.

After NSU retirement also the racing career of Werner Haas finished. On 13 November 1956 he was killed in a light plane crash that happened near Neuburg/Donau, the airplane he was piloting was a monoplace "Jodel Bebe" type. Werner Haas has been the first German motorcycle World Champion, scoring 3 World titles and 11 Grand Prix wins. A road of the city of Augsburg was named after the rider soon after his untimely death. Werner Haas is also credited as an actor in "Rivalen am Steuer", a German movie based on Manfred von Brauchitsch's write.

Career Summary:

• Book "I Giorni del Coraggio - Storia dei Motomondiali 1949-1969" by Ezio Pirazzini, Edizioni Calderini, Bologna 1975, page 399-400 [incorrect date of death: 13 December 1956].
• Website EggersdorferNet, by Rolf Eggersdorfer, page http://www.eggersdorfer.info/haas/werner-haas.htm .
• Website Isle of Man TT Official Site, page http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/competitors.aspx?ride_id=1563&filter=H .