Bob Wollek violent crash at Sonoma Raceway (August 2, 1987) IMSA GT
- 6 years ago
Bob Wollek (November 4, 1943 – March 16, 2001), nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He was killed on March 16, 2001 at age 57 in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Born in Strasbourg, France, 'Brilliant Bob' had won just about all the major endurance events there were to win in the world of sports car racing - and all in Porsches. Having raced for more than 25 years, Wollek's titles included two class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; four overall wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona; and a class win and an overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. He had won the world Porsche Cup seven times - more than any other Porsche driver in history.
During the nine-year period between 1982 and 1991, Wollek was a four time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in factory Porsche 962. In 2000, he won the American Le Mans Series events at Charlotte, Silverstone, Portland, Las Vegas, and Petit Le Mans. This year, he had driven at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he co-drove in a Lola-Porsche which did not finish the event, and in the ALMS race at Texas, where he finished fourth.
Although he collected multiple class wins at the French 24-hour classic, in some 27 attempts, he never once made the overall win - something that persuaded him to return year after year. That one elusive overall victory at Le Mans was the one jewel in the crown Wollek never stopped dreaming to achieve - and even though he intended to retire at the end of this year, in which he was competing as a Porsche factory driver with Daytona GT class winners White Lightning Racing, he would probably have given it another shot if a good sports prototype offer would have come his way.
Born in Strasbourg, France, 'Brilliant Bob' had won just about all the major endurance events there were to win in the world of sports car racing - and all in Porsches. Having raced for more than 25 years, Wollek's titles included two class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; four overall wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona; and a class win and an overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. He had won the world Porsche Cup seven times - more than any other Porsche driver in history.
During the nine-year period between 1982 and 1991, Wollek was a four time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in factory Porsche 962. In 2000, he won the American Le Mans Series events at Charlotte, Silverstone, Portland, Las Vegas, and Petit Le Mans. This year, he had driven at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he co-drove in a Lola-Porsche which did not finish the event, and in the ALMS race at Texas, where he finished fourth.
Although he collected multiple class wins at the French 24-hour classic, in some 27 attempts, he never once made the overall win - something that persuaded him to return year after year. That one elusive overall victory at Le Mans was the one jewel in the crown Wollek never stopped dreaming to achieve - and even though he intended to retire at the end of this year, in which he was competing as a Porsche factory driver with Daytona GT class winners White Lightning Racing, he would probably have given it another shot if a good sports prototype offer would have come his way.