Things had been quiet around Lucy Glöckner lately. She initially postponed her planned comeback to the IDM Superbike series by a year due to her COVID-19 illness. The 31-year-old from Saxony suffered for a long time from the physical and psychological symptoms of Long COVID, according to her longtime team manager Karsten Wolf. Now, the racer from Krumhermersdorf—who has since made a full recovery—has ended her active career. With Lucy Glöckner’s retirement, an impressive and world-renowned woman is stepping away—one who was feared, hated, and loved in motorcycle racing. She made history, both nationally and internationally. In the IDM Superstock 1000, she finished second overall in 2014. Later, she shook up the male-dominated IDM Superbike series and regularly finished in the top ten of the premier class.
In an open letter to sponsors, fans, and racing enthusiasts, Glöckner explains, among other things: “It was a very difficult decision for me, and I really thought long and hard about my retirement. After all these years, I’ve grown tired. Being under pressure to perform for so many years takes its toll, and with my 30th birthday in 2020, I certainly couldn’t call myself youthful and full of energy anymore! Anyone who knows me knows that I was extremely ambitious and wanted to achieve the best possible results for the team and for myself! For me, it was always: victory or the hospital! And as the saying goes, “Quit while you’re ahead!” With my last title at the World Endurance Championship in Le Mans, I had reached the tip of the iceberg on the ladder of success. And that was the crowning achievement of my successful career as a motorcycle racer.”
Glöckner fell in love with racing at the age of seven. Her father had built her a children’s racing bike. Soon, Lucy had nothing else on her mind. “School no longer mattered to me; exams didn’t matter. There was never a weekend without a motorcycle.”
Twenty years full of ups and downs, countless guardian angels, joy, sorrow, pain, and emotions have made Glöckner the person she is today. But she laments: “Unfortunately, my biggest dream—competing in the Superbike World Championship—didn’t come true. We were close, but I guess that’s just how it was meant to be. Still, I think I’ve achieved great things in my career, and I can say with pride and satisfaction that I’ve been one of the fastest women in the world of racing.”
Events like her victory at the legendary Pikes Peak race in the Rocky Mountains—as well as the many small moments throughout her career—remain unforgettable. Glöckner says she’s had the chance to meet thousands of people from all over the world, some of whom celebrated her like a superstar. But Glöckner won’t be completely without a racetrack or a motorcycle in the future. Her wheelies can now be admired at the Hafeneger racing training sessions, where the grand dame of German motorcycle racing works as an instructor.