Rolf Stommelen

Rolf Stommelen was a Formula One driver from Germany born on July 11, 1943. He participated in 61 grands prix, debuting on March 7, 1970. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 14 championship points.

Related Topics:
Formula One - Germany - July 11 - 1943 - March 7 - 1970

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Unfortunately, he would play a role in the end of the Spanish Grand Prix's tenure at Montjuich Park when he crashed there in 1975, resulting in the deaths of five spectators.

Related Topics:
Spanish Grand Prix - Montjuich Park

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But Rolf would be more remembered as a successful sports car driver, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona three times and nearly winning the 24 hours of Le Mans with Dick Barbour and actor/current ChampCar owner Paul Newman as co-drivers in 1979, only to be set back by a 23 minute long pit stop caused by a stuck wheel nut.

Related Topics:
24 Hours of Daytona - 24 hours of Le Mans - Dick Barbour - ChampCar - Paul Newman

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He also competed in one NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event in 1971 at Talladega Superspeedway in a former Holman-Moody Ford which Mario Andretti used to win the 1967 Daytona 500, which was rebuilt as a Mercury Cyclone, with Jake Elder as crew chief. That car eventually was sold to independent driver Darrell Waltrip to use a year later in his Nextel Cup Series debut in 1972, starting a career which led to Waltrip's International Motorsports Hall of Fame induction in April 2005.

Related Topics:
NASCAR - Nextel Cup Series - Talladega Superspeedway - Holman-Moody - Mario Andretti - Daytona 500 - Mercury Cyclone - Darrell Waltrip - International Motorsports Hall of Fame

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Rolf was killed in a vicious crash during an IMSA event at Riverside International Raceway on April 24 1983.

Related Topics:
IMSA - Riverside International Raceway - April 24 - 1983

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